I have a psychiatrist already but I don’t feel comfortable asking them about this. I was on Paxil for a few years the highest dose recommended. I had my life back.. until unfortunately I lost a loved one and spiraled. I tried cocaine for the first time and I just wanted to be numb. Fast forward to a year into my drug use, I started having panic attacks again and immediately quit coke. I changed my medication a few times and nothing has worked the same. It’s been almost 3 years of me being clean off coke and my anxiety has controlled me nonstop. Agoraphobia is back, panic attacks are back, depression is awful just overall not a good time. I was wondering if I tried to go back on Paxil would it help like it did especially since it’s been almost 3 years and I’m clean? I was told it might not help because I was at the highest dose but I am desperate to get my life back at this point. I’m tired of suffering.

Hello, Im Josh. I’m using a friend’s reddit for this. My roommate, AFAB but gendered as non-binary may have some issues with their psyche. It all started with the Palestine-Israel conflict (plz no politics). They are a fervent supporter of Palestine (again plz no political agenda, i’m just stating facts) and have felt a moral obligation to see every horrible video and post about it. Kids without skin, decapitated heads, burned bodies. Everything. They post a lot in their social media. They have ADHD, depression and anxiety. They’re also extremely lazy. Their room is a mess on good days, they’ve been missing classes because it’s “too much work”, even with a full 8-hour sleep they always feel tired, they don’t wash the dishes, hardly takes care of our cat. It’s a mess.

With the conflict escalating they have admitted to feeling hopeless and insignificant. They have claimed they find no meaning in life anymore but are too scared to take it. They claim everyone in the world is rotten and we will all die because of it. Either global warming or war. They admitted these feelings (or at least some) to their nurse practitioner who just told them “that’s okay. we all have those feelings sometimes.” and ended in that.

They have claimed that anime characters such as Suguru Geto from JJK and Obito Uchiha/Madara Uchiha, Light Yagami were right. No matter if they have a good day, that feeling seems to permeate their being. They also talk about how scared and terrified they are about death, such as our cat’s death (the cat is around 12 years old) or what they will do when their mother dies. They have also started obsessing with schizophrenia and its effects and everything. They have also admitted to wanting to smash their head in something to disrupt the routine life.

Recently they’ve started to write stuff in their notebook. I took some pictures. They’re concerning to me.

https://imgur.com/a/jyaMwEc

At the moment, they’re stable but still I worry.

What can I do? Do I ask him to go to a doctor? They are in 30mg of citalopram for their anxiety but it doesn’t seem to help much and therapy neither. They’re twenty. Is this a worsening of their depression or a new thing entirely?

Thanks for your help. I’ll read the comments.

Brief Summary: 

I had a history of schizophrenia, but recently died down the abilify and was schizophrenic free. At least, I thought I was. I ended up drinking one day and had a schizophrenic episode which drove me to the psych ward. The psychiatrist recommended me aristada instead of the abilify pills and after I was discharged I was given a prescription for the aristada injection. Am I supposed to find a psychiatrist with my primary care doctor to get the injection? How do I continuously get the prescription for the injection? I honestly would prefer the pills instead. The dosage I got was 882 mmg which is about every 6 - 8 weeks.

Me: 30M, 5'10", 185lb, Caucasian, on Abilify due to past diagnosis of bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder bipolar type, no other drugs and my only supplement is vitamin D. I see my general practitioner annually for a checkup and blood work and all my blood work is normal except for low good cholesterol. I got a brain MRI with contrast and it showed no sign of anything medically wrong with it.

Backstory: I had type I bipolar disorder starting at age 13 with episodes once every couple years. From the age of 17 or 18 to the age of 24 I took 900mg ER Lithium Carbonate every 12 hours (blood lithium level stayed at 0.9). Over time the bipolar episodes became shorter and shorter and closer and closer together. By the time I was maybe 24 I was having involuntary mood swings multiple times a day (ultradian cycling bipolar). Around this time I was also having delusions but no visual or auditory hallucinations or disorganized communication so my diagnosis was switched from bipolar to schizoaffective disorder (bipolar type) but I don't agree with the change of diagnosis. Anyway, then that all went away and I started having all sorts of neurological symptoms. For example a stop sign that I was directly staring at while standing appeared to get further away or closer than it actually was (called Alice in Wonderland syndrome). Once while I was on the phone I involuntarily went into a foreign (Southern) accent, called Foreign Accent Syndrome. There was a time where it felt like a light switch went off in my head and then while I had a weird sensation in my head I was unable to talk. At one point a neurologist put into my medical records "Temporal Lobe Epilepsy" based on the symptoms I was describing at the time which to him resembled simple partial seizures like a sudden sensation in my head and then a feeling of deja vu, smelling an unpleasant burnt smell, sudden very intense fear, involuntary shaking in parts of my body, etc. That being said, I got two EEG's read by three different doctors (one EEG was read by an epileptologist and the other by one general neurologist and one epileptologist) and all three doctors said the EEG's just showed muscle artifact despite me pushing a button when I experienced symptoms. These symptoms have since gone away and been replaced with other symptoms. I can't remember or describe all the weird symptoms I've experienced over the past seven-ish years. Lately my eyes have been involuntarily moving and I've been having headaches and sometimes loss of balance, making it hard for me to walk in a straight line despite not being drunk. I have tried Lithium (again) plus every anticonvulsant for bipolar disorder (Lamictal, Depakote, Topimirate, Carbamazapine) plus maybe 10 different antipsychotics and nothing makes any difference in the weird neurological symptoms. The neurologists I've seen don't know and either say "try another neurologist/epileptologist" or "sometimes psych patients have pseudo-seizures" and put "pseudo-seizures" in my medical records, but the stange thing is that pseudo-seizures resemble whole body shaking or staring into space and there is no such thing as "simple partial pseudo-seizures" which is apparently sort of what I have. Correct me if I'm wrong but there is no such thing as "pseudo-seizures which resemble simple partial seizures", right, and also it seems almost as if the part of my brain affected "moves" over time such that for a period of time the symptoms mostly resemble temporal-lobe-ish simple partial seizures and then it's mostly occipital-lobe-ish simple partial seizures and then it's speech based symptoms, then movement on one side of my body, then movement on one side of my face, etc. It's very strange.

Also lately I've been walking with a cane but this was the case even when I was on no med. It didn't get worse from antipsychotics, Benztropine (Cogentin) didn't help at all, Benadryl didn't help at all, but Amantadine helped a little. No clue why.

Anyway, given my normal EEGs and MRI and past psychiatric ailment, should I just give up on trying to get an explanation for or treatment for my weird neurological symptoms? Be brutally honest - is this probably some sort of functional brain thing for which no well-undetstood explanation can be obtained such that seeing more doctors is probably a waste of time? Is there any other tests worth trying that I haven't done or is EEG and MRI with contrast everything? Also can anyone explain the cane thing?

TL;DR - Was on Lithium for 7 years, started having all sorts of weird symptoms, then went off Lithium, but weird symptoms kept happening and changing. Also I started needing a cane even when on no meds and Cogentin/Benztropine doesn't help. Should I give up on this as some sort of Conversion Disorder? Talk therapy didn't help either.

Can DID outwardly present exactly like BPD? Is it possible for there to be little to no functional alters and for the whole system to outwardly look exactly like a person with BPD? Like that someone claims to have alters but they all act exactly the same and all look like how someone with BPD might act?

I don’t even know how to put this into words. My boyfriend is going through an absolutely horrible time right now. His mother has terminal cancer and is starting to visibly decline, she is his only family. He also handed in his two weeks resignation at his job this week as it was super toxic and he couldn’t handle it right now. He doesn’t talk about what he’s feeling much, I encourage it but I give him space to talk when he’s ready. He hasn’t been acting unusually lately, he actually seemed quite relieved and uplifted after resigning.

But tonight something happened, and I think he might have been/be in psychosis (he’s asleep right now). He had just had four beers (so not drunk) with his friend and came home to shower before going out again, he seemed normal and was just chatting to me. I told him I was feeling really stressed about my University assignment and he immediately dismissed what I said, and I told him that it upsets me when he just dismisses me like that. I don’t know what happened inside of him, but it seemed he just snapped. He started freaking out, yelling at me, and just acting a bit off.

He kept making comments like we were at work (we don’t work together), eg. “you can talk freely, the boss isn’t here”, “the company doesn’t like that”, “you’re just my coworker”. He told me that he’s been feeling crazy and paranoid recently, that he thinks people are after him, he thinks his mum doesn’t actually have cancer and they’re lying but he’s going to find out, that I’m a “helper” so he needs me. He kept kind of yelling “you need to help me, I’m the victim” and “i’m just a little boy”. I think this is due to being surrounded by domestic violence his whole childhood after he begged his mum not to be with his stepdad because he knew he was violent (he was 8 at the time). He spoke to me as if I were his mum, and also his coworkers he was supposed to go out with. He was accusing me of saying things I never said, and then yelling at me for it. He has trouble regulating his anger so this all came out very angrily, and he was really annoyed with me for not understanding what he was saying. At the same time, he was telling me he knows he doesn’t make sense and that he’s incoherent, he just needs some leeway because he’s really sad. He told me he’s feeling suicidal, which really stressed me out, and mentioned killing himself within the fortnight.

I think maybe he is going through depression delusions due to his mother’s sickness, his own trauma, and the stress of his life right now. Could this be it? Can anyone offer any advice, I really have no clue how to support him. I’m so so worried for him, and I’m the only one who can take care of him (unless he goes to an inpatient facility but we can’t afford it). Also, he’s asleep right now, could he wake up okay again?

We live together, and I don’t want to tell his mum about this because she’s so sick and probably cannot handle the stress, and my family live 12 hours way. Please help me

I am a 35 years old male, and all my life, as I can remember, I have problems with communication. I can not perform any social activity, especially if I alone and result involves only me. In other cases I will delay communication. How I see myself: I eager to talk with people, I want to visit some art or dance class (or any activity, I love to do a lot of things). I have lots of emotions inside. How I really act: constantly stay at home, do not go any where. Do not communicate even with friends. When I need to congratulate or support even close people, I stay silent. I understand and constantly tell myself that there no problem, just do it, but I stay silent. I am so pity and hate myself. Lots of times I decided, that I will go some where and will talk with people, but appears “vital things” like watching video on internet.

I’ve delt with mental health issues most my life. I got discouraged and quit going years ago. I’m at the point now where I can no longer avoid it. Can I be direct with them right off the bat with what I’m looking for in treatment? I don’t want to spend months seeing someone just to find out we’re not on the same page and have to restart this whole process.

There’s been several case studies recently about people with celiac and non celiac gluten intolerance causing psychosis and people resolving their symptoms by cutting it out.

Also, notably, a well known influencer with schizophrenia has gone off their meds in lieu of a keto regimen and other holistic measures I’m not well versed in. While I question that approach I do have questions about this subject.

I’ve read several of the papers (as best I could) and it seems the crux of it is that there’s no diagnostic measure for that possibility in cases of non celiac gluten intolerance. So my questions are:

1. Is there any estimation as to how prevalent this might be? I know the theory is that the schizo- diagnoses may be a number of disorders with the same presentation so I’m working on the assumption this isn’t the cause for all of them (and I’m obviously excluding those whose cause is TBI altogether here.)

2. Are there any people whose symptoms seem to be resolved after eliminating gluten but later relapsed without gluten exposure?

3. Would it be your professional opinion that it’s worth a try if possible for anyone with a schizo- diagnosis?

I also appreciate any other thoughts.

My psychiatrist just changed my medication to 2 Sertraline tablets and a half Desvenlafaxine. I'm worried because I read that these drugs combined could trigger serotonin syndrome (which is potentially fatal). Will there be any problems? Will it be safe? Will the side effects be magnified?

1. Complete Associate’s Degree in Psychology (2026)

Goal: Gain foundational knowledge in psychology. Next Step: Transfer to Wright State University for a Bachelor of Science in Biology.

2. Bachelor’s Degree in Biology (2028)

Courses: Focus on pre-med prerequisites (biology, chemistry, physics, math). Preparation for Medical School: Begin MCAT preparation in 2027; aim to take the MCAT in early 2028. Additional: Seek volunteer or work opportunities in medical or mental health settings to strengthen my med school application.

3. Medical School (2028-2032)

Institution: Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine. Training: Complete two years of classroom and lab study, followed by clinical rotations in the third and fourth years. Focus on psychiatry, pediatrics, and family medicine rotations for relevant experience. Final Year: Apply for a psychiatry residency and participate in the Match process.

4. General Psychiatry Residency (2032-2036)

Duration: Four years in an ACGME-accredited program (such as Wright State’s Psychiatry Residency). Focus: Gain experience with diverse psychiatric cases, including inpatient and outpatient care. Certification Preparation: Pass the USMLE Step 3 and obtain my state medical license during this period. Prepare for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) board exam in general psychiatry.

5. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship (2036-2038)

Duration: Two-year fellowship specializing in pediatric psychiatry. Training: Work specifically with children and adolescents in various settings, including clinics, schools, and hospitals. Certification: Complete subspecialty certification in child and adolescent psychiatry through ABPN.

6. Full Licensure and Board Certification (2038)

Licenses and Registrations: Obtain board certification in general psychiatry and child psychiatry. Ensure a current DEA license and state medical license for independent practice. Career Options: Begin practicing as a child psychiatrist in outpatient settings, clinics, hospitals, or private practice. Potential to expand into telepsychiatry or consulting as well.

7. Career Development and Financial Goals

Income: Prioritize aggressive student loan repayment for faster financial independence. Savings and Investments: Build an emergency fund, contribute to retirement accounts, and consider future investments (e.g., real estate or a potential private practice).

I'm still deciding on the fellowship. I've heard people say that it's a scam and unnecessary. I'm open to all advice! I've started studying the basics early on my own time. This has been my dream since middle school. Helping young people is really what I live and die for.

21F 195lb. I just started Pristiq ER 25mg six days ago. Twice now I have had episodes where I am doing something very simple like cooking or getting my other meds ready and my muscles suddenly feel very very sore like I just finished running a marathon, then they get weak and cramp up. This sends me into an hour long panic attack because I feel like something is seriously wrong with me. This does not happen every day, this only happened the second dose and yesterday with the fifth dose. I called my psychiatrist and she said that is not the medicine doing that but it is, this has NEVER happened to me before I started taking it. Also I am super sensitive to meds to begin with, I am also on budesonide (its not that bc I was taking this for months no issue), a birth control, and Remeron 15mg.

Does anyone have any experience with Depixol I’m currently on paliperidone depot and the side affects are really bad for me so the dr is moving me to Depixol. Has anyone experienced any negative effects mentally like loss of motivation, emotions etc? Any help would be great thank you

I’ve been on and off lamictal a few times and never got the rash. My psychiatrist recently prescribed me 25mg to start again, but I decided to start it today after my surgery that was yesterday. Is there any interaction I need to worry about with antibiotics? I’m specifically prescribed Cefadroxil for 4 more days.

Please I appreciate any answers, I need some reassurance so I can relax. Thank you!

Hello, I am curious as to how common this is, whether it’s something that would be observed and noted as a behavior in a patient, and how it could possibly be interpreted.

During sessions with my psychiatrist, I am always covering my lap/pelvic area with a cardigan or sweater or jacket etc. bc I feel too… exposed? Vulnerable?

He never says anything but I’m sure he observes this and I’m wondering how common this is. Do you guys see a lot of patients who cover themselves up or am I just, weird…?

Hallo, ich habe vor zwei Wochen von Risperidon auf Abilify umgestellt. Ich Habe dann eine Tachykardie und Innere Unruhe bekommen, also Absetzsymptome vom Risperidon. Dann wurde vor einer Woche wurde dann wieder auf Risperidon zurückgestellt. Seit Dienstag habe ich jetzt einen besseren Puls von 90-100 (davor 110-120) und die Unruhe ist besser geworden. Wie lange dauert es bis es wieder normal ist und die innere Unruhe weg ist? Gestern Abend ist mein Puls sogar auf 80-85 runter.

My husband sees this psychiatrist since ever. He trusts him a lot and feels better after the appointments, so no doubt it is useful. However, I feel like he is weird. First, my husband has OCD, but his psychiatrist doesn’t believe in diagnosis, so he just says he has “manias” and that everyone has it. So far so good? His psychiatrist is strongly against medication, specially in the case of my husband. I’ve never met a psychiatrist who is against medication? So when my husband sees him it is basically psychotherapy. His psychiatrist is a psychoanalyst and he says every psychiatrist must be a psychoanalyst too. I’m not a psychiatrist but I don’t think every psychiatrist is a psychoanalyst. I wanted to know your opinions on this. I like the guy because he helps my husband, but I disagree a lot with him sometimes. For instance, my husband told him I have BPD and he said it is not real. He also doesn’t believe in bipolar disorder - I’m bipolar too. Not to completely criticize the guy, I just wanted to understand if it’s normal or not.

Background: F25, scandinavian, family history of Bipolar Disorder (dad - highly suspected, his sister and her children - all diagnosed BP1/2), Chronic depression (grandma) and alcohol abuse (both parents and many others)

Diagnosed with:

• Bipolar 1 (last week, suspected since 2014)
• ADHD-C & Autism level 1 (2022)
• (C-)PTSD (2018, 2021, multiple traumas - car accident, domestic SA)
• Alcohol (current) & substance abuse (previous, mainly cannabis and opioids)

Previously diagnosed with:

• Depression and anxiety in various forms (several times since the age of 14)
• Social anxiety
• Eating disorders

Previously suspected:

• Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective disorder
• Drug induced psychosis
• BPD/EIPS

Worth mentioning:

• Never gone into full blown psychosis where I completely lost touch with reality
• Hospitalized 11 times in the past 14 months, a total of 13 weeks, mostly against my will, due to what's now described as "mixed episodes with psychotic features". Last time 3 weeks ago.
• Currently without any kind of treatment or medication (my choice due to the issue below).
• I've been quite severely gaslighted by my father throughout my whole life, still am, and taught from an early age not to trust the healthcare system, medicines, vaccines etc.

My main problem right now isn't the "diagnoses" themselves but the fact that I can't shake the thought or feeling that I've made it all up.

That throughout all these years I've just pretended to be ill. Lied and manipulated the people around me, every therapist, psychiatrist and healthcare provider I've ever met and even made myself believe those lies.

That I've done all of this for attention, to have an excuse to behave/act in certain ways, do stupid shit, not do the things I'm supposed/expected to etc and/or because of some other type of gain.

How do I know? This constant inner battle will be the end of me if I can't find some other way to make it stop. Almost makes in impossible to reach out for, get and stick with any type of help as well. Lithium and various antipsychotics (especially Abilify) helped but apparently not enough for me to keeping taking them.

I went to my family doctor asking for a psychiatric referral to get tested for add but he told me that psychiatrists normally don't test people under 18 for add and I'm 17. He still hasn't given me a referral even though it's been 4 months. Is that normal?

Just wanted to say a sincere thank you for al you do to support all of us out here trying to get better. You're earning your place in Heaven! (Or Valhalla, The Great Reading Room in the Sky, etc as you prefer!) Lots of us lurk and learn. I saw my Psychiatrist today and was able to articulate what was going on and what I needed because of this sub and your gracious, generous, dedicated replies to so many people. I'm also getting help from that office for income support and housing. I can't tell you what this means to me. THANK YOU

***I will probably call the intrusive thoughts "voices" in my post. They weren't external hallucinations, but because they didn't seem like my own thoughts at all, it is easier to call them voices even though they aren't in the psychotic sense nor are they the voices of anyone I know. I recognize that they aren't *actually* voices.
___________________________________________________________

Back in the day I would get these really horrible intrusive thoughts to kill myself, no matter how great life was going and how 100% against suicide I was. I just thought I was crazy that they would show up out of no where and tell me to hurt myself.

But then there were periods of depression in my life where I did start to become suicidal, and I actually found the voices motivating. I wanted to die, and it was nice to have someone "in my corner" so to speak.
________________________________________________________________
I don't know what I am asking necessarily, but I guess just trying to get insight into how this happens.

Will 100 mg of Seroquel do anything at all for psychosis or will I definitely need a higher dose? I recently got off loxapine and I'm having visual hallucinations again but they aren't bothersome. I'm just worried about it progressing to disorganized thoughts, paranoia, voices, etc.

Hello.

First I just want to say that I’m not here to get advice about meds or anything. I just want to know how often this is an issue.

I’m a 38 yr old female with PTSD, panic disorder, insomnia. All I’m sure from the same sources (home life, work life, shift work)

I also have Hypoplastic Right Heart syndrome (single ventricle physiology) with the occasional arrhythmia. And associated liver disease.

I’m finding it difficult to find a medication regimen that works and that everyone agrees on. A lot of psych meds are either lowest dose possible or no go because of the cardiac rhythm risk. (Long QT) Or I just ‘fail’ the med eventually.

Right now I’m In CBT and EMDR therapy with PRN Ativan for panic attacks.

But, I don’t sleep well and I don’t want to be on Ativan for any prolonged period.

So here’s my questions to you:

1. Do you have patients like this where your options are limited? How do you manage them?

2. what would you tell a patient who is new to EMDR CBT for PTSD and panic in regards to how much and when to take their Ativan?

I try to only take it when I have a panic attack or for sleep (0.5mg- 1mg). But I have constant ( not panic attack level of anxiety) everyday lately. Which makes it difficult to function. I’m not sure what the balance is. I’ve asked my therapist and she said ‘that might be where you are right now. And the more you learn to use the tools, the less you’ll use the meds’ but I am terrified of dependence.

I worked in drug and alcohol detox and although I have never been addicted to anything in my life, I still have this fear. I worry I’ll mess up my progress if I take too much (and don’t learn to cope) or too little (and overdo it and throw myself into worse anxiety)

for background, i was doctor shopped most of my childhood and put on a whole variety of different meds. i had a very strict upbringing both parents were medical professionals. i was misdiagnosed with bipolar. they could never figure out if it was 1 or 2. doctors didn’t let me talk and my parents answered for me. now i’m off meds (other than birth control) and thriving as i and other professionals believe it was just me being a teenager in a sheltered upbringing as well as PTSD.

i was off and on Lithium for about 3-5 ish years. a lot was a blur cause of all the stuff they tried me on. For about 8-11 months last year i had terrible runs and couldn’t keep food down at all or have an appetite and gained a ton of weight. thankfully that finally went away but idk what caused that. i also am a huge lightweight. i cannot drink alcohol without getting extremely wasted.

i know that gastro issues and alcohol processing issues can occur while using Lithium but i have been off for nearly two full years.

what are the long term post Lithium issues that are known to look out for. why after two years and multiple drinks later i can barely handle less than a drink (drink counting content by ServSafe standards). and does it have to do with Lithium

i just simply want a better quality of life and it’s unfortunate that Lithium and other medications robbed me of my teen years

if there could be links linked that would be so good especially ones that may include lab testing and imaging to look out for as i have had weird health issues the past year.

TIA

Hello, so i changed my primary psychiatrist and he is very caring and professional, but im a bit scared to be fully honest with him because im afraid there might be a possibility that he migh send me.

Ive been on 6 or 7 meds at once before changing my primary doc, with this new one we managed to tapper most meds and we are at 3 out of which 2 will be removed eventually.

Things have been good mentally for a few months now but now the thing turned on me, bunch of common MDD,GAD and other symptoms.

One of those which i did not have before to this extent is having extremely suicidal thoughts with plans how i would do it when etc. I also feel easily irritated and angry which makes me hurt myself by punching myself and also want to hurt others NOT physically but mentally so they feel the pain that i do. Iknow its fucked...

I do not intend on doing, but i wanna share these thoughts so i can get ths right help that i need.

Will i be covered by "Confidentiality: Sessions are private and information shared is confidential, except in cases where there's a risk of harm to self or others, or if required by law."

AGAIN i do not intend to hurt another person in any physical manner i cant say that about mental abuse i dont plan on it but you never know same can be said to myself as im currently unstable

i’m scared i’ve gone crazy - here’s my symptoms

• it feels like my brain can’t sense i’m “me” and separate being from everything else

-i do not feel physically here on this earth

• the part that makes me “me” in my mind feels like it’s on the verge of blinking out of existence.

• i feel like my thoughts are coming from all around , not from my brain like they are just there existing with no person thinking them.

• i feel like im just my vision

• i feel like there’s no person in my mind anymore

-when i think it literally freaks me out cause idk where it’s coming from

-feels as if im completely separate from my body

-my face isn’t my face , my body is foreign like i can’t sense where it ends and where it starts

-scared im not gonna logically know anything anymore (who i am , what im doing , where im at)

-in general just alienated from reality , it confuses me like my mind can’t comprehend it.

-when i think about things like getting up and going to get a snack or going to town my mind cant comprehend it , like there’s no one who should be doing it

-being in town feels like i blink out of existence , like i see everything but it’s not really there or it’s just confusing

• wondering why humans do what they do

-everyday human life is foreign

-feel like just some thoughts floating around in time and space

-i feel “one” with everything around me like i am not separate

• there is no me anymore , i simply don’t exist.

(logically i know everything about myself -just don’t feel like me )

any advice ? this is 24/7 daily , ive gone nuts i believe.

Do psychiatrists honestly feel like they are able to make safe decisions for their patients after only meeting with them for 10-15 minutes? Are these super fast visits just standard in the U.S.? Even when the first visit is longer, I'm just answering basic questions about my mental health and medical history. I'm sincerely interested in knowing if ya'll are just as frustrated with the way things are as I am. And hey, if you think this is an adequate amount of time I want to know why (and I won't give you a hard time).

I have been taking medications for 15 years and this has been my experience whenever I meet a doctor. Is it because I'm low-income and just get shitty healthcare (I'm in the U.S.)? And by "shitty healthcare" I mean clinics that overload their doctors. I have a hunch mental health is compartmentalized in this way in this county because of the pressures of the privatized medical system.

The following might sound confrontational but I swear it's not (I seriously think about ya'll getting compassion fatigue), it's just desperate: dear god I'd sincerely love to trust ya'll when I put my care and mortality in your hands, because I'm obviously struggling! I mean, I respect ya'll went to school for a million years and have real-world, valuable clinical experience. I should not feel the need to read publications to get answers, to feel valid when I'm advocating for myself because the doctor isn't just taking my word for it. I'd love to not feel like all the psychiatrists I have worked with (except one) are just throwing shit at a wall to see what sticks.

I feel rushed and like doctors don't enough time to cover more complex issues (and I communicate this!). I'm going to now share about TBI as an example and also because ya'll know that neuroscience, especially concerning TBI is new and holy smokes if just one doctor on here takes me seriously, I may have saved a lot of people from suffering and suicide. I had a medically-severe TBI (as in mild, moderate, severe that is determined by the Glasgow Coma scale and length of loss of consciousness and amnesia experienced) and psychiatrists (without neuro b/c it's very difficult to get that care where I live) often don't consider (and like I said, I advocate for myself) that I have an atypical brain that doesn't respond to meds (like antidepressants of any type make the TBI-anger and SI much worse even though I'm diagnosed with MDD). There are published studies out there that say that people with TBI usually don't respond well to antidepressants and are more sensitive to medications (if only I had access to all the publications ya'll do). And like, doctors who cannot tell me the basic functions of the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes (where the severe damage happened) will promote pop self-help neuropsych ideas in the same visit like if I just tried hard enough to be mindful (without asking if I even practice--I became Buddhist in my 20s) neuroplasticity will fix everything. Also, as a sidenote, please don't freely suggest EMDR to a person with TBI. There is not enough research or clinical evidence that this will help people with TBI in the same way as atypical people. I have saved a seminar about TBI-informed EMDR because like, it produced no changes to my PTSD I think b/c the parts of my brain that handle memory (especially traumatic memories) were smashed in.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I'd seriously/sincerely love to know about your experience. Also, if you have any suggestions about how I can get more time to report in my current situation that'd be so helpful. I am on a referral list but I'm stuck for now. To clarify, I'm not switching b/c of the time thing, he has done stuff like prescribing medication that increases my estrogen while he knows I'm trans non-binary and waiting on an endocrinologist to start testosterone. I also let him know when I was put on Risperdal it made me leak/lactate (obviously my doctor at the time discontinued immediately). Thank God I read the side effects on new meds. When I told him about it, he just told me he didn't know without any apology.

I am 21F 195lb. I am on 15mg of Remeron and just started 25mg of Pristiq five days ago. I have had the normal side effects, sweating, headache, high blood pressure, increased anxiety. Today I started experiencing bad muscle soreness which is kinda scaring me. How likely is SS at this dose and after 5 days. Also if I had SS would the symptoms be constant?

Title: “Seeking Insight on Potential OCD Symptoms and Management Strategies”

Hello, everyone,

I’ve experienced a history of symptoms that I believe may be related to OCD, and I’d appreciate any input on whether these align with OCD or advice on managing them.

Current and Past Symptoms:

1.	Childhood Rituals - As a child, I engaged in repetitive behaviors, such as washing my feet every time I heard negative news, which helped me cope with anxiety. While I don’t do this anymore, it was a persistent behavior back then.
2.	Touching Objects in Symmetry - I have a tendency to touch objects, like doorknobs or walls, in a specific and repetitive way when I’m For example, if one hand touches the wall, I feel compelled to touch it with the other hand in the exact same way. This ritual helps relieve my anxiety, especially when I fear things like ghosts.
3.	Religious OCD - I experience intrusive and distressing thoughts related to my Christian faith, which is a major area of struggle for me.
4.	Compulsive Researching - I often find myself researching obsessively to seek reassurance and reduce anxiety or uncertainty related to my obsessions.
5.	Sensorimotor Obsessions - I’ve noticed a pattern of focusing intensely on certain bodily sensations, like my breathing patterns or blinking frequency, which can become overwhelming.

While I don’t experience some of these symptoms anymore, like the constant feet washing and touching objects in symmetry, I’d still like to discuss these experiences and explore potential management strategies. Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I am suffering heavily from anxiety and it is impossible to get a psychiatrist here. Long, long, long waiting lists. I am under the care of a family doctor which is ok, but I'm wondering if there is a way to make an online appointment with a psychiatrist in the US or Europe, and pay out of pocket?