Posts by brighthawk0

Zachary Stewart2 said:Just got back from my check-up this week. My psychiatrist was talking to me about this whole "emotional numbness" thing—basically feeling totally flat—and she’s claiming it’s all down to my lifestyle. She says I don't feel happy or fulfilled because of how I'm living, and that the numbness will eventually lift if something positive actually happens in my life, like landing a new job or something. Honestly? I’m not sure if I buy it. From everything I’ve read up on regarding emotional blunting, this is pretty much the first time I've even heard that explanation.
My doctor swapped out my Xanax for Arvind to help with sleep and added Diazepam to the mix to help with my mood. I haven't actually tried either one yet. I'm a bit skeptical about whether I'll even feel anything, though, especially since I've built up such a massive tolerance to meds over time.

Of course she's right. Having a job is huge for mental health. Plus, there are other things that provide purpose... family, kids, even just having a cat... something to keep you going.

Brandon Thompson5 said:For me, just being around people is the hardest part—I think I might need to try this medication to see if it works for me too. How has your libido been holding up?

Libido?
It wasn't great to begin with, honestly. It’s been off for about a year now. I haven't really thought about sex in ages—probably just because I'm so burnt out by everything else in life. And right now, it's the same 😵

Paul Newman5 said:Effexor works fine for me. It doesn't give me those crazy energy spikes and hasn't caused major issues, though it didn't fully kill off my anxiety either. At least it wasn't as brutal as Lexapro or Luxeta were for me.

Paxil 2 x100mg didn't completely wipe out my anxiety either, but I guess I feel about 40% better. My boyfriend put it pretty well; he said, "you aren't stuck in that dark, gloomy little world of yours anymore."
Zoloft actually cleared up my depression entirely—it gave me such an incredible boost—but those obsessive thoughts that haunt me 24/7 never really left, which is why I switched over to Paxil. And, well... let's just say instead of being obsessed with nonsense from the moment I wake up, it's down to maybe two hours a day. I suppose I'll take that as progress. Honestly, it didn't fix the depression completely, but I guess you can't have everything. It feels a bit silly to switch to Paxil or Effexor or whatever else is left on the list just to wait all over again for results to kick in.

Two months on Paxil 2 x100mg, and things are looking up, I guess. The obsessions have dialed back significantly, which helps me make much more rational decisions. I still deal with bits of anxiety every now and then, but the main thing is that I’m functioning way better in social settings—and honestly, fixing my social anxiety was the whole point of this treatment. 🎉

Anyway, maybe this helps someone out.

Chloe Hughes6 said:Based on how you phrased your comment, it didn't come across that way! I actually stated that it doesn't necessarily have to be that way—which is exactly what you were saying when you mentioned it isn't always the case.

But you did write, "It's not always like that,but most of the time it is," when referring to emotional numbness.
Total nonsense. I guess maybe you just haven't had much luck with meds, or perhaps you're on doses that are a bit too heavy, but I don't think medication inherently has to turn someone into a zombie. My god, there are dozens of different types of antidepressants and antipsychotics out there... you can always try something else. I'm far from perfect myself, but at least I'm not obsessively spiraling like I used to, and I'm definitely not emotionally numb. I wish I were sometimes, honestly. 🙂
And yet, I still have the drive to paint my nails, cook dinner, and vacuum the apartment. I suppose that's a damn significant shift.

Brandon Lopez6 said:I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I don't feel like the Xanax really kicked in that hard 🤷

Same here. For me, it just felt like a mild buzz 😍

Chloe Hughes6 said:That is simply the effect of the medication! Isn't it true that the more pills you take, the more likely you are to feel that way? It isn't an absolute rule, of course, but in most cases, it certainly is.

That doesn't necessarily have to be true. For me, things actually seem to be getting better on my medication. I definitely feel sharper and more positive. And I've tried just about everything out there.

Zachary Stewart2 said:I've been taking three pills—Prosper, Citram, and Xanax—for over five months now. I can't say for sure, but I think the emotional numbness started creeping in after about two months... basically just as most of the initial side effects were finally dying down.

Uh... honestly, who knows where it's coming from? It could be the actual condition, or maybe it's just the meds. You really can't say for sure. That's probably a conversation for a psychiatrist, I guess. It also helps to know a bit more about the specific diagnosis you're dealing with.

fadedbear92 said:Xanax—and honestly, most benzos—will definitely dull your emotions. It’s not quite the same with antidepressants, though. In psychotherapy, you actually work through those feelings rather than just masking them.

Well, from everything I've read here on the forum regarding antidepressants, some people claim they felt totally numb on certain meds. Then again, maybe the numbness comes from the illness itself... I guess that's something worth digging into during therapy.

Zachary Stewart2 said:I’m wondering if this feeling of being totally emotionally numb will actually lift if I switch things up—like, if I stop taking my current meds or swap them for something else I already have a tolerance to? I’ve got an appointment this week, so I want to bring up switching medications... or is my psychiatrist just going to suggest it herself? I really hope she knows her stuff, because I seriously can't keep going on this same regimen forever.

I’m also on Xanax at night. In the beginning, it was great for helping me drift off—I’d basically just collapse onto the bed—and I’d sleep through the night. But lately, the insomnia is back. It’s been like this for a few months now. I even tried bumping up the dose, but nothing. It’s pretty obvious my Xanax just isn't hitting the mark anymore.

It's the same story for me. I used to rely on it for sleep, too. Maybe you should talk to your psychiatrist about getting something specific for sleep, or perhaps a different kind of anti-anxiety med.

Regarding what you mentioned about feeling emotionally numb... I've heard people experience that with one antidepressant, like Prozac, but not with another. I don't know which therapy you're currently on, but you should definitely tell your doctor so they can adjust things. I'm already on my third antidepressant, and I can honestly say Lexapro has really helped dial down my obsessive thoughts and social anxiety.

fadedbear92 said:Valium works wonders for me—I've been using it for years now.

I honestly can't figure out why my doctor won't prescribe it. I mean, I don't doubt her expertise or anything—maybe it just isn't right for me, I guess. 🤷But she keeps pushing every other benzodiazepine on me instead.

Chloe Hughes6 said:☕It’s true—the neurotransmitters have simply become desensitized. Now they’ll just prescribe a different chemical cocktail to compensate. Isn't that just how it goes?

None of these benzos actually work for me. Not Ativan, not Klonopin, not anything... it’s almost like my own brain refuses to accept Valium. It just tells me that stuff isn't for me. But honestly? I still need something once in a while just to take the edge off.

Zachary Stewart2 said:Anyone else feel like they’ve just built up a massive tolerance to their meds? Honestly—I’ve been on mine for a while now, and it feels like they barely even touch the surface anymore. It's like my body just stopped listening.

Yeah. Honestly, my Xanax doesn't do anything for me lately. Same goes for Ativan or Klonopin... nothing really works anymore.

Jason Vaughn482 said:You know, I deal with the same constipation issues; I struggle with chronic constipation normally, and believe me, even if I were eating three servings of fiber a day, it wouldn't help much... yet here we are. I didn't take my /Calixt/ yesterday, and I can tell you right now, I am absolutely wired today. It really does have that numbing effect. I'm genuinely torn between bumping up to the 30mg dose or ditching it entirely. Fevarin is a solid option for nighttime, but it falls into that category of drugs that triggers those specific side effects for you... plus, it can wreak havoc on your stomach. At the end of the day, everything is purely subjective. I'm actually considering switching to it myself. See how complicated this gets? That 15mg of Calixta never actually touched my anxiety levels, but for me, the sedative effect was the holy grail. Now, however, the whole thing has fallen apart; my appetite is gone, it doesn't even help me sleep anymore, and I feel perpetually hungover. I'm completely lost. Then I see what that other doctor suggested—45mg of Calixta combined with 2.5mg of Zyprexa... at that point, you might as well just sleep through the entire day. It doesn't seem worth it to me, especially since I already sleep until 9 or 10 in the morning. Besides, I've seen people take Zyprexa and pack on as much as 60 pounds.
Oh, I nearly forgot to mention: I barely have any appetite during the day and eat very little, yet every single night I find myself wandering to the fridge. I’ll even whip up pancakes at midnight—something I could never dream of doing during the day because I simply lack the energy. I suspect Sanval is the culprit behind those late-night cravings.

It isn't the Sanval. I used to do the exact same thing—waking up in a total panic in the middle of the night. At first, I actually thought my blood sugar was dropping. That started even before the anxiety kicked in. It's the anxiety, I think. Using food to fill that internal void.
I actually used to lock myself in my room to stop myself from getting up at night, and I'd stock the front of the fridge with fruit just so that's the first thing I'd see when I opened it... basically, that nighttime bingeing was a massive problem for me.

For me, it stopped once I started intensive physical therapy once a week. Now, maybe once a month, I'll get up and head for the fridge.

Jason Vaughn482 said:Honestly, that seems to be the standard operating procedure everywhere you go. It’s a systemic pattern. My own daughter ended up in the emergency room because she suffered a massive allergic reaction to some medication for shingles; as soon as one side of her face started swelling, we demanded attention, but they just insisted she wait until both sides were completely blown out before they'd finally admit her to the hospital for eight days. Of course, they wouldn't admit fault, so I should have seen that coming. That said, I don't hold any particular prejudice against mental health issues; my issue lies elsewhere. It deeply unsettles me how things that used to be strictly confidential are now so exposed—you can practically Google any specialist's diagnosis or history the moment they step out of line. And frankly, I have zero patience for people playing games or being shady.

Ah... yeah. It's the dark age of information technology. Facebook. A time where nothing stays private anymore. Not even our own medical history.

Jason Vaughn482, general practice isn't linked to your rib issues. They use entirely different software systems. You can probably rest easy regarding your daughter. Just... maybe don't hand her any paperwork.

Hey, has anyone here actually tried taking two tablets of Faverin 200?

Jason Vaughn482 said:What’s your take on this? Honestly, my concern is that within psychiatry, people can play such dirty games; anyone can scribble down whatever diagnosis they feel like. I had originally imagined sitting down with the head physician so she could personally evaluate me... but you’ve given me a much more potent idea, though I’m still weighing whether it would actually hold water, especially given how sensitive these mental health diagnoses can be. Still, thank you for the suggestion—I'll certainly give it some serious thought. Of course, I wouldn't go to the media for their sake; it would be entirely for my own sanity. You know better than anyone how the public perceives us, which is exactly why it stung so much when she essentially spat on four years of my hard work and my clinical history—and that’s to say nothing of my colleagues, both of whom were on duty that day.
And you could always file a complaint with Medicare, reporting that they’re fabricating diagnoses just to pad their numbers for the Associated Press

Don't sweat the small stuff. Nobody can hand out a diagnosis based on a ten-minute chat. Don't even bother bringing it up to your doctor. She isn't going to see what some random person typed into the computer system. Why worry? I assume your own psychiatrists have your actual diagnoses right, so just stick to that. 😎

mellowtinker7 said:Thanks for the input, everyone. I’ve been on my meds for a few months now, but I can't stop obsessing over those first two weeks. Everything just went downhill fast—depression spiked and it was brutal. Honestly, I’m still not sure if the meds actually triggered the slump or if the illness was just doing its thing, but man, it was unbearable. I don't even know how I made it through. On top of that, I hit this wall of total emotional numbness. Has anyone else dealt with that feeling of being completely hollowed out, like you can't feel a single damn thing? Ugh, just thinking about it gives me chills. Thankfully, it hasn't happened again.

Zoloft didn't really work for me. It helped with the depression, I guess, but did nothing for my anxiety. I stayed on it for four months. It’s strange, because you see so many people online praising it. Maybe you should ask your doctor about switching or adjusting the dose. It clearly isn't doing the trick for you.

restlesstrucker15 said:Yes, those are the standard rates you see in New York City; nobody finds it easy to swallow, but I find myself in a similar position.

When a plumber charges you a premium just to look at a leaky faucet or a washing machine, we don't typically complain—perhaps because we don't have many "charity" contractors out there anymore. I do not believe they should be working for $17, but in my opinion, they have priced themselves far beyond what is reasonable.

Sent from my iPhone

Or when a stylist charges a massive amount for highlights $100?
Or getting tires swapped in fifteen minutes $67?

When you look at it that way, three hundred bucks isn't actually that crazy. But somehow, it’s still treated like a luxury. Taking care of your mental health, I guess.

restlesstrucker15 said:It’s certainly not inexpensive to seek private care, as some have pointed out, but I believe it is worth the investment if you can afford it—particularly when it comes to psychotherapy. There are also certain advantages to working privately, such as having more flexibility to reach out when things are actually going poorly.
I am not necessarily advocating for a private healthcare system; rather, it is simply unfortunate that the government doesn't hire enough doctors, which would allow the public sector to dedicate much more time to us.
My primary care physician—and please excuse me for bringing this up repeatedly—strictly follows all the official regulations; she limits my visits to a maximum of 15 minutes, whereas a psychologist should really have at least 30.
I once saw a specialist who could barely spare 10 minutes for me.😢

Send FR

I pay $100 for a 45-minute session once a week, though in reality, it’s more like two or three times a month because either the doctor isn't available or life just gets in the way.
Yeah, it's a lot of money, but honestly? It's worth every cent to me. I sacrifice quite a bit to make it happen.