Due to betrayal, I am completely stressed out. Please help.
Hello doctor,
I am a 42 year old female. I have a 12-year-old son. My husband is 44 years old and is a heart patient who has undergone a CABG 10 years back. My husband is such a nice support and love to me. My son is very smart and vibrant I try my best to be happy with them. But I fail desperately. My issue is I feel like crying very often. I feel being hated by my friends and acquaintances. I fell into a toxic relationship one and a half years back. He betrayed me but I cannot let him go as I am so addicted. And now I do not have any close acquaintances to turn up on. I was under psychiatric treatment for the past one year. I was put on Fluvoxin 100 and Dicorate which I stopped due to weight gain. Now I do not want to be under medication. Some therapies or strategies would be better for me it seems. Please help.
07 May 2024 - 1 min read
What are the treatment option for bipolar disorder?
Hello doctor,
I have bipolar disorder, panic attacks, social and generalized anxiety disorder. I have one to three panic attacks per day, constant anxiety, and fear of leaving the house. No motivation to work, no energy, apathetic, without mood. Right now I am in a depressive episode.
I previously tried Valproic acid, Lithium, Carbamazepine, Xanax, Lorazepam, Clonazepam, Rudotel, Lexotanil, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, and Escitalopram. SSRI does not have an effect on me.
Right now, I take Lamictal 50 mg daily and Tranxene 5x5 mg daily. Tranxene loses its anxiolytic effects and my anxiety becomes more severe. I am planning to titrate Lamictal 100 mg. However, it should not help with anxiety.
What are my treatment options? Benzodiazepines are not an option because I am getting used to them. Two days later I have a consultation with my psychiatrist, but I want to hear possible treatment for my conditions from another option.
I have done thyroid, heart function, men hormones, prolactin, kidney and liver function tests. All are normal.
06 May 2024 - 1 min read
Can my mental issues be due to schizophrenia or anxiety?
Hello doctor,
These past few days I have been bad as I have focused back on my schizophrenia obsession. It mainly focuses on times I have been paranoid, or times I have visualized things as something else. Examples: when slacking off at work thinking, what if there are cameras in the office or internet tracking software. When having a bad intrusive thought thinking, what if someone around me can read my thoughts and thinks I am crazy. Seeing the silhouette of something really far away and imagining it is something else like a door stopper from very far away looks like the shape of a bird or a sandbag propped in the shape of a cat.
These are just a couple of examples that make me fear I am paranoid/delusional or on the edge of hallucinating things. There are other ones along those same lines that pop up on random occasions that I do not necessarily believe 100% but the possibility still causes me anxiety. Then the fact that they cause me anxiety causes me even more anxious after the fact wondering if these are paranoid or delusional thoughts.
I have talked to my therapist about these fears in the past but I may have left something out or not brought up these examples in clear enough detail. She does not believe I have schizophrenia. I also have talked to a psychiatrist and she told me these types of paranoid ideas may occur in anxiety or depression.
I am just terrified that paranoia is not a symptom of OCD and my poor vision cannot explain the minor visual imaginings (not even hallucinations just premature constructions of shapes/outlines) and that I am not taking appropriate action to combat a much deeper mental illness.
My only issue with my thoughts is that they did not occur after I started fearing schizophrenia. I have always had general anxiety. They all have happened throughout my past. After I started fearing schizophrenia I combed through my memories to try to find evidence that I am developing it. And in that rumination process, I picked out all the times I have had paranoid thoughts. Though I usually do not believe the thoughts or hold them to be true, I still get anxious at 'what if'. I am hoping that is the defining characteristic that proves they are products of anxiety and OCD versus schizophrenia. Am I schizophrenic? Could it be just anxiety? I also have an uncle who is schizophrenic and that always scares me. Does it mean I am too?
16 Apr 2024 - 1 min read
Will benzodiazepines help my anxiety and panic attacks?
Hello doctor,
I currently suffer from anxiety attacks and panic attacks. It has been changing over the course of about four years, getting better and worse again. In everyday life it is manageable, but the attacks cause some unreasonable thoughts and ideas to form. I have heard about the use of Benzodiazepines for anxiety. Can they be taken to stop panic and anxiety attacks without needing consistent everyday dosages?
During panic or anxiety attacks, I usually feel very worthless and in some cases try to or think about hurting myself. Generally, my anxiety tends to do with social situations where I feel like I am not liked or if I said something wrong. I have visited a counselor in the past, very briefly. Ironically my anxiety was worsened with the guilt of therapy being very expensive so I stopped seeing her.
16 Apr 2024 - 1 min read
Why does panic attack occur after codeine or Marijuana?
Hello doctor,
I am a 22-year-old healthy male. Yesterday I had my first panic attack and it was severe and lasted long. I have ended up in the emergency room. But they just gave me a Diazepam and I was feeling good again, but they never told me what triggered and I am curious. Last night I drank 110 mg of phosphate codeine (liquid) and drank one 600 ml beer and then smoked Marijuana. Once I get back home which was a couple of hours later, right after I smoked the panic attack started. But I am smoking for six years and just strong strains and concentrated and nothing ever happened before (yesterday I smoked a really non-potent one). My question is, is it possible that the weed is causing the panic attack or it was the codeine with beers? I really do not want that to happen again.
16 Apr 2024 - 1 min read
