RE: Question for Bobbi (and anybody else who can help)
Rose, I prefer women caregivers and all of the doctors I choose are women unless there is no other choice. Thankfully, it's never been a problem except with my orthopaedic doc and I don't see him often enough for it to make a difference and my orthopaedic issues have nothing to do with my femininity, so that works. I feel women understand women better and found it blatantly obvious when male doctors did not understand me because they were men. How could they? I know women who use anti-depressants only the week before they menstruate for PMS/PMDD
"Is It PMS or PMDD?
Are your premenstrual symptoms sometimes so severe that you feel like you can’t get out of bed? Have they caused you to miss work or cancel a social engagement? Do your symptoms begin as early as 2 weeks or 10 days before your period starts? If your symptoms are serious enough to interfere with your relationships, hamper your ability to function at work or school, or even keep you from performing daily tasks, you may have PMDD.
Feelings of persistent sadness, emptiness or hopelessness are emotional symptoms that can be characteristic of PMDD. A woman may have a sense of being overwhelmed by life and lose interest in activities she normally enjoys. Additional symptoms can include fatigue, debilitating sleep problems and unexpected weight loss or gain.
Diagnosis of both PMS and PMDD rely heavily on what you tell your doctor, especially since only 3% to 8% of menstruating women actually have PMDD. To help determine whether you have PMS or PMDD, your doctor may ask you to monitor and track your symptoms for a couple of months. That means it’s a good idea to chart and track the severity, timing and duration of your symptoms and emotions with the easy-to-use Monthly Symptom Tracker. This will help both you and your doctor gain a better understanding of your premenstrual symptoms."
Check out this webpage. It may be helpful.
http://www.pms.com/understanding/whatis-pmdd.pmsx
I am much more comfortable discussing my issues with a woman and find it particularly important when it comes to health matters involving those things which are exclusive to us as women. I am seeing a psychiatrist for the first time in a long history of depression and, as it turns out, bipolar; that diagnosis threw me for a loop and my doctor chose to address insomnia, which had reached a crital point and "flight of ideas" which made the insomnia that much more intense first though I was overwhelmingly more depressed than anything. She just prescribed an anti-seizure medicine which works well for the depressive side of bipolar and I have been on an atypical antipsychotic drug which was created for schizophrnia but turned out to work well for the mania and the irritablity which can accompany it. It is also the most unbelievable insomnia cure I have ever tried. I have used half a dozen meds for insomnia including Ambien and two from the Valium family, clonazepam and Xanax, and none of them touched it and I was sleeping 2-3 hours a night and ready to crack up from sleep deprivation. For the first time, I was not just put onto an anti-depressant and it's an interesting combination which I have done well with from the start. I consider that a real blessing since it can be so hit or miss starting one of the myriad drug therapies available. Medication is not for everyone and you must weigh that out for yourself. Do discuss it with your health care givers. The stigma of a diagnosis of bipolar and the idea of using some heavy hitting medications had me fretful and upset at first. But it turned out it was more important getting myself back to "normal", whatever that is!
I have been reading a great deal about it and and to see the words "mental illness" and to wrap my brain around that as describing ME, it's difficult and troubling but I decided to trust the doctor I chose and follow her treatment plan so I can find my joy which had taken off for parts unknown. And sharing that although it's personal and even painful, may help one person struggling with it and that can make it feel all right. I am so grateful for the wisdom that is shared so freely in these forums. I have been largely absent. this is the first time I have expereinced a depression and had days when all I could do was sleep which is so unlike me, depressed or not. My faily has been wonderful and I am happily not doing that any more.
I should add, typical of psychiatrists, my doc is mostly about prescribing and I am going to start seeing a talk therapists as soon as the one I want opens her new office. She was unavailable when I needed her the most. She is a clincal social worker so she does psychiatric disorders but does not prescribe. Shrinks do the same but tend to treat with drugs and rarely do talk thepay anymore. The combination of drug therapy and talk therapy is the most effective for dealing with depression, eating disorders and all that jazz. I am growing to love my psychiatrist and seeing her very frequently while I find my way out of this. The drug for depression is called Lamictal and it's really good. I have had no problems with side effects and my mood has become calm and my inner happy shiny person is fighting her way out.
I so admire the strength with which you are handling your situation, Rose.
You hit the nail on the head. It is truly wonderful to know where you can ask for support and have it come at you so fervently that you are able to surivive a really difficult situation and feel validated and supported. It's so important and that's one of the things I love best about "Cathe's Place".
Bobbi
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"
Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
