-
What medicine do I need?
All of the following have been prescribed or recommended by a doctor, and all of the prescriptions have been prescribed by a specialist, such as a gastroenterologist.
- Venlafaxine 75mg, 2 x day, for anxiety disorder, PTSD, and panic disorder
- Modafinil, prescriptions have ranged from 100mg 1 x day to 3 x day, depending on my need, for depression
- Diazepam 5mg, 3 x day, as needed or lorazepam 1 mg, 3 x day, as needed, for anxiety disorder, PTSD, and panic disorder
- Alprazolam 2mg 1 x day, as needed, for anxiety disorder with a profound sadness symptom
- Omeprezole 20mg, 1 x day, for IBS and GERD
- Ranitidine, for IBS and GERD
- Anti-diarrhea, for IBS
- Acetaminophen (paracetamol), for pain
- Loratadine, for allergies and to reduce the effects of asthma
Supplements (I have not had the opportunity to discuss these with a doctor):
- Vitamin B complex
- DHEA: I have not tried it yet, but medical research shows that it is effective for treating many of the symptoms I have
Posts tagged with:
Alprazolam, Anxiety, Benzodiazepine, Depression, Diazepam, Lorazepam, Modafinil, Panic disorder, PTSD, Venlafaxine
-
Why am I posting my ideas instead of doing my ideas?
I am posting my ideas because my medical conditions prevent me from doing my ideas. That is a primary definition of disability: a medical condition that prevents someone from accomplishing that which the person would be able to accomplish if the medical condition were not present.
Without help from other people so that I can heal, I will never be able to do any of my ideas. By posting my ideas, it helps me to not be attached to them anymore, and it seems that non-attachment is essential to my survival.
-
How does my post-traumatic stress disorder affect my life?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a specific form of anxiety with relatively predictable symptoms and predictable triggers of the symptoms. I have lost nearly all of my personal and professional relationships, in part, because of PTSD–it is not a trivial matter that I can simply “snap” out of: it is a serious and debilitating illness.
It involves:
- Re-experiencing of traumatic events
- Avoidance of events, places, people, that might trigger re-experiencing the trauma
- Numbing the senses to avoid feeling anything
- A constant, alert state; being more easily startled than before the trauma
See A definition of Complex PTSD.
Physical symptoms include:
- Nausea
- Acid reflux
- Anxiety attacks that can be triggered by small and innocuous things
Emotional and mental symptoms include:
- Quick and sudden oscillation between moods
- Unpredictable emotions and reactions
- Feeling that my rational mind is not working properly
- Irregular sleep patterns and nightmares
Some posts with more details:
- A definition of Complex PTSD
- Supreme Court Request for Extension of Time page 12, or read the document from the beginning for full context.
- Would you hire this person?
- A sample of a typical morning in my life
-
Why cannot I “just get a job”?
Imagine you had a co-worker or employee who, every day, suddenly became overwhelmed and crawled under his desk. No matter how good he was at his job, do you think it would be good for the workplace to have an employee who is afraid to open emails?
Sometimes I am paralyzed by indecision and other times I experience anxiety attacks triggered by absurdly small and innocuous things.
I feel as if my rational mind is quite slow and I feel confused by things that normally would not confuse me. This symptom comes and goes, and only in May 2014 did I learn it was connected with my PTSD.
Every hour of every day, I must battle through events and symptoms such as above. No task, no matter how trivial, is guaranteed to be simple or easy. If I did not have to cope with my broken emotional reactions and my intermittently-hobbled rational mind, then I could certainly rise out of my poverty and other problems. But my emotions are out of control and my rational mind sometimes refuses to cooperate, so I am stuck in this downward spiral of poverty and mental illness.
Some posts with more details:
- A definition of Complex PTSD
- Would you hire this person?
- A sample of a typical morning in my life
- Hunger, the vicious cycle, and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts
-
What treatments are available to me?
I am citizen of the United States, and our healthcare system only properly serves those who can afford it–plus it is the most expensive healthcare system in the world. For most of my life, I have not been able to afford full treatment. Nevertheless, since I was 23 years old, I have had some access to treatment and decent access to diagnoses. The result is that I have a deep understanding of what medical treatments I need–and what seems to be just as important: what medical treatments I do not need.
For my mental health, since 2007, I have seen general practitioners, psychiatrists, and therapists in Chicago, Beijing, Western Illinois, Cairo, the United Kingdom, and Austin. The diagnoses and prescribed treatments have been consistent. All have recommended medications to help me cope with my symptoms. All have stated that drugs will not cure my symptoms, and that I must make changes in my life if I am to heal.
The recommended treatments have included talk therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy. With a couple of my long-term psychiatrists (medical doctors who specialize in psychiatric medicine), we discussed the possibility of electroconvulsive therapy. It was never a serious option, however, because of the cost. No doctor has ever recommended inpatient programs. In Cairo, I tried to get into an inpatient program, but the doctors refused to admit me, in part because I did not fit the profile for someone who needed it.
-
What do I need to build a new life?
My goals are to heal, be financially self-sufficient, and to have a life of meaning.
To survive:
- Food
- Shelter
- Medicine
To progress:
- Time to work through emotions and events
- Reducing stress, especially from worrying about necessities (above)
- Minor objects, such as soap
To thrive:
- Talk therapy
- Some useful objects, like prescription glasses
- Additional medical care, such as dental for my many broken teeth
You can help me to build a new life.
-
Why cannot I “just move to a different state/country and start over”?
[ted id=2217]