[oneironaut]

I've been in and out of psychiatrists' offices for more than twenty years. In the early years of my life I was constantly being over-prescribed, as was common in the 1990s, when information about mental illnesses was not as widespread as it is, now, and it was right after Ronald Reagan had obliterated the mental health programs here in the United States, which is where I live.

By the time I finally got to my current psychiatrist, my patient file was about five inches thick, most of that containing lists of the psychiatric medications I'd been on. My doctor, a well versed and well educated man (which is more than I can say for most of the psychiatrists I saw before him) was shocked at how the doctors had simply thrown new medication after new medication at me, literally once a week for so many years.

But now, after having been with this doctor for quite some time, and my symptoms taking a turn for the worse, particularly my concentration when my Ritalin was taken away from me, cold turkey, after eighteen years of prescribed usage, and now, my head isn't always so clear and my thoughts aren't as precise as they once were. Anxiety fills me, depression, paranoia, etc-etc.

Over the last four years I've lost a lot of faith in psychiatry and have tried alternative techniques to both medicine and psychotherapy (a practice I do not believe or have any faith in at all), including Buddhist meditation, TM, Dianetics, Biofeedback and diet and exercise. I haven't had much success in any area other than meditation but only while coupled with medication. I'm not sure if I'm overmedicated or just on the wrong medications.

[Crazy Hitch]

Hi oneironaut

I am sorry to hear that you are struggling with anxiety depression and paranoia.

This is very difficult.

It's not good that you were given the run around in psychiatrists offices for so long.

But I am really glad that you are with a good one now.

A change in medication or altering / taking away a medication can have side effects.

I can understand why you would say that you have lost faith in psychiatry.

It's good that you have tried different approaches to managing this.

I am unsure as to whether the following may be a result from having changed meds or if this is something that you may have been predispositioned for regardless of meds:

"Anxiety fills me, depression, paranoia, etc-etc. "

Anxiety techniques work as do depression ones.

Meds alone can't really fix these things, as you have learnt.

It's about harnising in on self help strategies to support ourselves when this happens.

I thought I'd point out these posts to you.

Please see if they may help:

6 Tips to Help You Through a Depressive Episode | World of Psychology

Strategies for Overcoming Depression | Psych Central

Top 10 Lesser-Known Self-Help Strategies for Anxiety | Psych Central