Posted by OldSchool on March 24, 2002, at 16:32:25
In reply to Re: major regret over seeking psychiatric help, posted by 3 Beer Effect on March 23, 2002, at 23:57:28
> Hello Bekka,
> I'm a Geography/Political Science double major at the University of Texas at Austin. I had to get a medical withdrawl last semester since Remeron & then Effexor XR side effects made it impossible to go to class, let alone study.
>
> I have been readmitted for Fall of this year & have signed a lease for a place to live so I really need to get better by August 27 so I can graduate the spring of 2003.
>
> So far psychiatry has been a big disapointment (Alcohol is a better anxiolytic/social phobia med than Klonopin, SSRIs or anything else out there)- I got better grades when I was a partied like a rock star three nights a week, but as soon as I started taking an anti-depressant all my grades dropped like a rock- I would have been kicked out of UT Austin permanently had I not pursued & received a "mental health medical withdrawl" last semester. Ironically, the main reason I wanted to take an antidepressant (Zoloft) was so I could talk to girls at parties without having to be drunk- Seeking help through psychiatry turned out to be a major life changing roadblock/mistake. I would be graduating in May had I never set foot in a psychiatrists' office. (Looking back, I should have waited till after college to try anti-depressants).3 Beer Effect, what you describe is indeed a pathetic and poor reason to see a psychiatrist. If you had no major mental illness to start, you have no reason seeing one. If you only wanted some klonopin or an SSRI to try for social anxiety disorder, you could have easily gotten that from a family doctor instead of a psychiatrist.
It sounds as if your main problem is more personality problems (shyness) and social inhibition. Which are personality traits rather than mental illnesses. I would suggest just pulling off the psychiatry stuff totally, cut off all ties and save yourself. Find other ways to build up your self esteem and confidence.
Being that you now have been to a psychiatrist and taken psych meds, the military is out of the question. Unfortunately the military is very narrowminded towards accepting individuals who have taken SSRIs in the past. However, the military is an excellent place to gain self esteem and confidence. To develop your leadership abilities. A stint in the Marines, even the Marine reserves, would do wonders for your self confidence. Or a few years of Army ROTC could help you come out of your shyness and make you more self confident, more decisive, etc. However, once you have "psychiatrist" in your medical record, you can forget about the military. Its a shame though cause its probably exactly what you needed.
Another avenue to building up your self confidence is heavy weight lifting. Working out hard, particularly free weight type activities, can do wonders for the confidence of a man with low self esteem. Basic heavy free weight movements builds muscle and strength and increases testosterone and human growth hormone. Again, the basics is best...squats, standing overhead presses, cleans. Eat and sleep alot. Ditch the little isolation bodybuilder movements and machines its worthless.
I hope if you have no significant mental illness like the rest of us you will cease your relationship with this psychiatrist. And find other, non pharmacological ways to increase confidence, meet girls, etc.
Psychiatrists are for people with serious and oftentimes severe psychiatric illnesses. It doesnt sound as if you have any of this.Old School
poster:OldSchool
thread:99751
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020322/msgs/99909.html