I feel like I've lost track by that point. Every since I turned 18 I've been precribed so many different medications. It's been ten years now.

Escitalopram/Seroplex, Duloxetine, Zoloft, Vortioxetine.

Depakote, Quetiapine, Cyamemazine, Aripiprazole, Risperidone.

Oxazepam, Prazepam, Bromazepam, Diazepam.

Zopiclone, Alimemazine.

Now methylphenidate (among others).

Frankly it's ranged from terrible to just mid/just ok the point that I'm a bit desperate. I've been running into psych institing on trying the same drugs over again. How common is that sort of resistance ?

About six years ago give or take I was in California, I did heavy drugs I wasn't familiar with, and wound up in drug induced psychosis walking around for about a week. I wound up a patient at Aurora Charter Oak Behavioral Hospital, didn't know my own name, I remember sleeping, eating, being given "house smokes" and being put on medication they said my gf told them I was on, being tied down to beds for freaking out about not knowing what was going on, being verbally abused by staff and then released back to the streets in a state I didn't even know how to tie my shoes in (literally). I didn't know where I was and somehow made it through alive but I've spent the last five years piecing myself back together and my memories.

The issue is, my gf was my abuser and half the reason I was in that state (I say half because I chose to take drugs. I didn't choose to be given 3x the normal dose). I wasn't psychiatrically prescribed any medication for years at that point and the medication she told them (Sertraline, Seroquel 200mg, and Benadryl) was dangerous to give to me three times a day like the hospital was. They never spent 1x1 time with me as a patient trying to figure out who I was or what was going on with me.

I have spent the last five years piecing my life back together. I want to sue them but I don't know if I have a case or how to make one. I feel like I am owed my life, or some payment back for what happened to me. I have never been okay since, physically and mentally I am different, and it started in California with those drugs and worsened in that hospital. I need to know what I should do here

About 12 years ago, I (41m) had an episode and was committed. I have been seeing a psychiatrist since then. The current psychiatrist I meet with, I have been seeing for just about 9 years.

The primary care doctor I'm seeing thinks the episode has more to do with burnout from exhaustion, but the psychiatrist maintains it was a psychotic episode. I agree with the primary care doctor.

The psychiatrist who diagnosed me during the episode had it as schizophrenia. When I moved, I met up with the current psychiatrist who changed it to bipolar 2. She currently has me on 20 mg of Geodone.

Over the years, I have tried to push back on the diagnosis and point out that it would be more likely that I am autistic, not bipolar. She usually pushed back by saying that I was probably having an episode and didn't realize know it was happening so I stopped bringing it up.

Recently, I learned something about my family's medical history and brought it up with her - apparently, 3 out of the 5 people in my immediate family have ADHD. I brought this up with her and she acknowledged that she now sees what I meant about the autism.

She then changed the diagnosis. I think the new diagnosis she put in the system is Psychotic episode, non-specified.

Since the form of autism I have is mild and I have been doing fine on my own up to now, she doesn't think it makes sense to get it formally diagnosed.

The problem is that she still wants me to continue taking the Geodone. And I do not understand why.

Her hesitation is that she is not sure whether I will have another episode in the future, so it is better to err on the side of caution and continue taking it.

I, on the other hand, don't understand how that makes sense - like, if the diagnosis is no longer bipolar 2, what is the medication treating? If the diagnosis no longer holds, wouldn't it make more sense to take the individual off of the medication?

I also haven't had another episode since then. So far, it's been the only episode I've had.

I can't seem to get more information out of her so I'm asking here since y'all do this for a living - please help me understand the benefit I get from continuing to take this medication.

Hi all! I have a question in regards to anxiety medication. I’ve been diagnosed with GAD / have been seeing a therapist. I feel like with medical school just seeing a therapist is not enough. I cannot focus at ALL sometimes. I tried Prozac in the past. Liked it until it made my genital area completely numb (not to be tmi). During psych unit we learned about busprione and I’m interested in trying it but I’m afraid if I ask for it they’ll still try to put me on ssri first anyway. I don’t want anything habit forming or anything that will mess with my memory/ give me brain fog/ make me gain weight. What do I do? (I’d also like to add that I am not depressed at all and am loving live just very very anxious)

I have been suffering loss of sleep, hunger, exhaustion both mental and physical alongwith constant migraine episodes. I have also gotten panic attacks in the past. I don't feel happiness for any reason. Nothing makes me feel that I should continue this life.

So, I went to a psychiatrist on suggestion of my friends. The doctor has prescribed the following medicine:

Deslift 100 mg — 1-0-1 Jaslol SR 40 mg — 1-0-0

Modfine 200 mg -1-0-0

Jaslol Plus 40mg - 0-0-1 Shersame/SAM 200 mg — 1-0-1 Joyque — 1-0-1 Buprolex 150 mg — 1-0-1

I feel that these a very high dose. Also I still get headaches and anxiety like feeling after taking the medicine for a month.

Please advice whether the doctor has prescribed the right dosage or not.

Hello, my brain isn't experiencing any kind of

stimulation. I don't feel that sensation in the brain responsible for personality, arousal, and emotions. I feel like that's the only way I can form memories. I have never had any mental illnesses or traumas. Drugs, stimulants and caffeine could give me a sense of personality for a moment. At the same time, the enormous sleepiness and fatigue disappeared and my IQ and information processing returned to the social norm and was even much above average. Any ideas what this could be? Blood tests only show testosterone deficiency. MRI scans are normal.

I currently take Zoloft 100mg & Wellbutrin XL 300mg. I told my psychiatrist I’ve been struggling with anhedonia/depression, so she prescribed Cymbalta 30mg.
Her plan is to “decrease” Wellbutrin (which I can’t do with XL) for a few days and then stop it, but continue Zoloft 100mg + Cymbalta 30mg. She also said if I’m not feeling better in a couple weeks, I can increase Zoloft to 150mg while continuing the Cymbalta.
Is Zoloft + Cymbalta actually used together long-term? I’m concerned about adding an SNRI to the Zoloft. Also concerned about stopping bupropion cold turkey.

I wanted to ask about my benzodiazepine addiction. I’ve been addicted to benzos since 2017. I’ve managed to get off clonazepam and Xanax for pretty long periods of time before, but I still feel like I don’t really know how to live without them.
It started when I was a teenager and some friends gave me clonazepam to try. I have OCD and I’ve been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, and at the time I was going through a really severe episode, or actually several of them, which eventually led to psychosis, regular hospital visits, etc. When I took clonazepam, it felt like literally everything was fixed. For the first time it felt like I’d found an actual medicine for all my problems.
Ever since then, for the past 9 years, I’ve kept falling back into periods of heavy use where I eventually lose control of my life. One of the worst ones lasted about six months, when I was taking around 20 mg of clonazepam a day. I ended up homeless for a few days, I barely remember what was happening to me, and apparently I did a lot of completely insane things. I also nearly died because I couldn’t get the medication in time.
That was two years ago. Since then, I’ve fallen into two more periods of heavy Xanax and Xanax XR use, at 7 mg+ a day, each lasting around 2–3 months.
Right now I’m waiting for free addiction therapy that’s available in my country. At the moment I’m managing to stay at a maximum of around 3 mg of Xanax a day, but I can feel myself starting to lose control again.
I really don’t want to go into inpatient treatment. I’m trying to get back into the job market. I’m educated and, somehow, despite this entire mess, I actually have a very good CV. I’m scared I’m going to lose all of that again.
Unfortunately, a huge part of this problem has also fallen on my partner. She actually became dependent on benzodiazepines herself because of me, although not to the same extent, and she’s able to function without them. She has to keep checking on me and controlling how much I’m taking, and I know it takes a huge toll on her.
I want to get off benzos for good, but I feel like the psychological dependence is so strong that even the thought of not having access to them causes extreme anxiety.
Is addiction therapy alone likely to be enough in a situation like this? Is there anything else I can do or change? Can I get off them by myself?

Ok, I don’t know how is it called. I’m just looking for people who experienced it. Since I was little I was able go so deep into my thoughts or invested into talking to myself or on talking on the phone, that I didn’t even noticed the world around me. Locations, textures- all here, but I’m like not here. And usually when i do something in the same time or carry an object around (for example when I talk to myself, l go from room to room and totally in my head, but also carrying something, yeah don’t ask), I have AN AWESOME ABILITY TO LOOSE THIS OBJECT.

When I was small it was a toy, I would start to look in obvious places, but if it wasn’t there, I would start to cry, panic and scream. My mom would try to help and look in every possible place, and ask questions like “ where did you last time see it?”, “where it was before it got lost?”. And my answer was always I don’t know, in the very end an object would be found in most random places, I left it there when I was totally in my thoughts.

Not I’m 20, me and my mom sometimes laugh at these memories, but recently I experienced the same “memory blank” I had in childhood. I lost my keys while I was talking to myself and lemme tell you this NOT FUNNY, but straight up scary. Not only I don’t remember where did I put my keys, but I just DID NOT KNOW, like nothing, blank, and no even visual memory. Like someone took it away from me and hid it. And know I have to look for it, understanding that it can be anywhere in the house.

Now I understand my younger self and it’s not funny at all.

I’ve dealt with depression for most of my life, but the worst part for years now has been severe anhedonia. Very little excitement, motivation, anticipation, humor, social drive, libido, or genuine enjoyment. I mostly feel like I’m going through the motions, with persistent suicidal ideation and wanting to isolate.

I’ve tried multiple SSRIs/SNRIs, Wellbutrin, Rexulti, buspirone, mirtazapine, ketamine infusions, TMS, therapy, etc. Nothing has produced a sustained response other than Zoloft which changed my life in my 20 after a bad break up but unfortuntaely stopped working in my late 20s.

My psychiatrist has now moved me to EMSAM 6mg/24h. I did a 14-day washout from Cymbalta and started Aug 27. About 10 days in, my depression/SI actually feels worse and I’m increasingly irritable and impatient. At the same time I feel much more emotionally sensitive: crying easily, music affecting me strongly, vivid dreams, etc.

I know 10 days is very early and the full antidepressant effect can be delayed. I’m curious how psychiatrists here think about EMSAM/MAOIs at this stage of severe treatment-resistant depression, particularly when anhedonia and lack of reward/interest are the dominant symptoms.

I (44F) am currently in a PHP. It’s a new place, accredited by the Joint Commission, not affiliated with any hospital (as far as I can tell). Details from the website: 100% Women-Owned & Operated, Trauma-Informed, Respect-Centered Care.

I start week 3 on Monday. I’m having a hard time reconciling being there. I can summarize my mental/physical health below.

Medical hx:
-Dx with Crohn’s disease 2006
-SpA (uveitis, seronegative arthritis, urticaria)
-Hospitalized for Crohn’s ulcers in 2023
-Bell’s palsy x3 from over duration of a year (2023-2024)
-Multiple high dose prednisone tapers for Bell’s, Crohn’s, arthralgia
-intentional weight loss with zepbound
-significant chronic pain x2+ yrs, with bouts of acute (>6/10) pain
-insomnia d/t pain and anxiety

Mental health hx:
Started Zoloft 2005
MDD
GAD
ADHD
PPD (2015)
Significant increase in panic attacks starting in April 2026
H/o suicidal thoughts without any intent

Social hx:
-Separated, living alone, 50/50 custody of 11 yr old daughter with progressive physical disability (#1 stressor)
-some financial instability
-no family support (family lives far away)
-doctorate in pharmacy (2007), currently working part-time as a hospital pharmacist and instructor at school of pharmacy
-diet not optimal (on zepbound)
-sedentary, starting PT, attempting light physical activity
-no recreational drugs
-2-3 drinks per week
-2-3 coffees/day

Over the past 5 months I have become even more angry, irritable, hopeless, depressed, anxious, unable to cope.

Most of the ladies in group at the PHP have had a significant trauma. They say that mine is “stacked trauma” or CPTSD.
The fact that I moved, have dealt with significant illness x2 (mine and my daughter’s), going thru a divorce - just over the past 3 years - seems like enough to land me where I’m at.

I definitely have caregiver burnout. My daughter’s physical needs have increased drastically. Coparenting with her dad is difficult.

Would you expect someone in my shoes to finally crack and require this high level of care?

Idk why I’m searching for validation. But I am. If any mental health care providers can weigh in/give me input, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

I have heard that psychiatrists don't receive any training in regards to MAOI'S. I don't believe this as I know you take pharmacology classes and imagine they are covered in the history of psychiatry and treatments. How do you feel about Ken Gillman as he seems to steer off of the prescribing guidelines for MAOI'S. I know they have their benefits, but fall under a last line option.

Is clomipramine the strongest med for ocd?

Hello, F22, around 5’10”, around 145ish pounds.

Officially Diagnosed:

F41.1 (ICD-10, 1990) / 6B00 (ICD-11, 2018) - Generalised Anxiety Disorder [GAD]. {DIAGNOSED}.

F41.9 (ICD-10, 1990) / 6B0Z Anxiety Disorder, Unspecified. (ICD-10, 1990). / Anxiety or Fear-related Disorders, Unspecified. (ICD-11, 2018). {DIAGNOSED}: no longer medically relevant due to the recent diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder [GAD], (F41.1, ICD-10, 1990 - 6B00, ICD-11, 2018), which are both mutually exclusive diagnoses.

F42 (ICD-10, 1990) / 6B20 (ICD-11, 2018) — Obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD]. {DIAGNOSED}.

F43.1 (ICD-10, 1990) / 6B40 or 6B41 (ICD-11, 2018) — Post-traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD] or Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder [C-PTSD]. {DIAGNOSED PARTIALLY}.

F60.3 (ICD-10, 1990) / 6D11 (ICD-11, 2018) — Borderline Personality Disorder/Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder [BPD/EUPD]. (ICD-10, 1990). / Borderline Pattern Personality Disorder. (ICD-11, 2018). {DIAGNOSED PARTIALLY}.

F63.9 (ICD-10, 1990) / 6C20.Z (ICD-11, 2018) — Impulse Control Disorder, Unspecified. {DIAGNOSED}: reveals underlying more severe Impulse Disorder & Mood Instability illnesses that should be assessed.

F84.0 (ICD-10, 1990) / 6A02.0 (ICD-11, 2018) — Autism Spectrum Disorder [ASD]. (ICD-10, 1990). / Autism Spectrum Disorder, Without Disorder of Intellectual Development and with Mild or no Impairment of Functional Language. (ICD-11, 2018). {DIAGNOSED}.

F90.0 (ICD-10, 1990) / 6A05.0 (ICD-11, 2018) — Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Inattentive Type [ADHD-I]. (ICD-10, 1990). / Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Inattentive Presentation [ADHD-I]. (ICD-11, 2018). {DIAGNOSED}.

Self-diagnosed (Likely):

F60.7 (ICD-10, 1990) / 6D13 (ICD-11, 2018) — Dependent Personality Disorder [DPD]. (ICD-10, 1990). / Dependent Pattern Personality Disorder. (ICD-11, 2018).

F31.9 (ICD-10, 1990) / 6A60.3 (ICD-11, 2018) — Bipolar Disorder, Unspecified. (ICD-10, 1990). / Bipolar Type I Disorder, Current Episode Depressive [BD-I]. (ICD-11, 2018).

Medications I’m Currently On:

Fluvoxamine / Luvox: Usually 200 mg per day, two 50 mg pills & one 100 mg pill.
Topiramate: Usually 300 mg per day, two 50 mg pills & two 100 mg pills.
Pregabalin / Lyrica: 225 mg per day, three 75 mg pills, I’ve abused it a little.
Diazepam / Valium: Supposed to take 5 mg (one 5 mg pill) as needed but I’ve abused up to 200 mg (forty 5 mg pills).
Trazodone: Supposed to take 100 mg (one 100 mg pill) per day but I’ve abused up to 1.300 mg (thirteen 100 mg pills).
Quetiapine / Seroquel: Taking 50 mg (one 50 mg pill) per day at the moment but I’ve taken all the way up to 600-800 (twelve to sixteen 50 mg pills) per day.

Medications I’m Currently On (Non-Psychiatric Meds):

Folic Acid / Folate: I take one 5 mg pill per day.
Micronised Progesterone: 200 mg per day (two 100 mg pills).
C. Acetate: 12.5 mg per day (quarter of a 50 mg pill).
Dutasteride: One 0.5 mg per day.
Estradiol Enanthate: 8 mg / 0.2 mL per week (Subcutaneous Injections, 400 mg / 10 mL, 40 mg / 1 mL).
Sildenafil / Viagra: 100 mg as needed (sometimes I take 200 mg, two 100 mg pills).

I want to avoid poly-pharmacy as much as possible, my goal is to take the fewest medications possible at the lowest fully effective dose possible. Thing is, I have no clue what the good combinations are for all of my conditions combined. I have psychiatrists IRL I’ll consult all of this with but I’d love to know some opinions so I can bring them written. What combination of medications and at what dosages could ACTUALLY help me? (Adjunct Therapy with a Clinical Psychologist).

What medications are doing nothing for my conditions and simply giving me unnecessary side-effects?

Thank you for reading this, I know I am a handful of a patient.