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Gp refusing to give any anti depressants for anxiety. He recommended talking therapies instead but I'm feeling pretty low and crb doesn't work for me :(

Moomin5
over 5 years ago

Hi, 

I'm having a bit of a rubbish day so would appreciate any advice. After a long wait to see a gp regarding my anxiety which is really affecting me I wasn't allowed a prescription for an antidepressant as the gp believes that a non medicated route is the best.

Normally I just take beta blockers but I'm struggling with low mood and anxiety more than usual. I explained that I am saving up for a private assessment for autism and told him that I believe that sensory overload and general fear of social interaction due to being crap at it is the main factor in my panic attacks. 

Has anyone found that medication has helped them or should I suck it up and resign myself to the fate of being permanently anxious for ever?

I've tried CBT on four separate occasions and it hasn't worked for me at all so I am a little pessimistic about talking therapies in general. 

Parents
  • over 5 years ago

    Anti-depressants don't have a good success rate generally and most GP's are making a move away from prescribing them (in favour of talking therapies and other non-medicated routes) and they're generally thought to be even less effective for ASD. Others here will know more about all of that than me as I don't have much experience of them. All I can say about them is that they're generally about 'fixing' a chemical imbalance in the brain - ASD and social anxiety aren't caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. 

    I don't think that means that you should be expected to "suck it up" though, your anxiety is still very real and IS caused by other things, such as those you identified. Having already been able to identify those things, I think talking therapy would be useful.

    I haven't tried CBT but I found EMDR useful as a talking therapy. It allowed me to vent, helped me to get another perspective on things, was a relief to be able to talk without feeling judged, and helped me feel in control of my own reactions to certain things. I didn't get on well with the visualisation side of it and my therapist was happy to leave that out once I explained that I was uncomfortable with it. I think the success, or otherwise, of these types of therapies depends a lot on who you get mind you! Mine was able and willing to work with what I was comfortable with rather than sticking to a prescribed idea of how the sessions should run, which also helped me to feel in control of the process.     

Reply
  • over 5 years ago

    Anti-depressants don't have a good success rate generally and most GP's are making a move away from prescribing them (in favour of talking therapies and other non-medicated routes) and they're generally thought to be even less effective for ASD. Others here will know more about all of that than me as I don't have much experience of them. All I can say about them is that they're generally about 'fixing' a chemical imbalance in the brain - ASD and social anxiety aren't caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. 

    I don't think that means that you should be expected to "suck it up" though, your anxiety is still very real and IS caused by other things, such as those you identified. Having already been able to identify those things, I think talking therapy would be useful.

    I haven't tried CBT but I found EMDR useful as a talking therapy. It allowed me to vent, helped me to get another perspective on things, was a relief to be able to talk without feeling judged, and helped me feel in control of my own reactions to certain things. I didn't get on well with the visualisation side of it and my therapist was happy to leave that out once I explained that I was uncomfortable with it. I think the success, or otherwise, of these types of therapies depends a lot on who you get mind you! Mine was able and willing to work with what I was comfortable with rather than sticking to a prescribed idea of how the sessions should run, which also helped me to feel in control of the process.     

Children