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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 22 of 22. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Chris2011 on April 21, 2011, at 14:20:53
I have multiple mental health conditions that have been affecting my life for years now (OCD, social anxiety disorder, depression, mild paranoia) and I have not taken medication(s) mainly due to my OCD obsessions about the meds and partly because of not being able to tolerate the side-effects. I'd go into detail about the obsessive thinking about the meds but it's difficult to explain and wouldn't make much sense. In short, I have obsessions about the neurotransmitters that a certain med might affect and if I take a med and I'm not sure if certain neurotransmitters are being increased/decreased then my thoughts are interrupted when I interact with others. I'm pretty certain this is the OCD and social anxiety interacting and .....
Anyway, I'm at the point of desperation and I don't care about the OCD fears about the medications anymore. I just want to take a med and stick with it for a month or so. Something I've been so fearful of for literally 10+ years due to OCD fears. I've been on Lexapro 2.5mg and klonopin .25mg 4x's a day for the past 3 years, which has sort of stabilized me but I'm still barely treading water. The only other meds I have been able to give an adequate trial are Paxil, all the the Benzos, all the natural supplements, and Anafranil. All of which I couldn't tolerate. The Anafranil did help with OCD but I couldn't tolerate the apathy and somnolence that came along with it. I tried Parnate on a few occasions but only for a day or two. This is the one med I feel would help me significantly as it would address my severe social anxiety and OCD. I know it's not usually prescribed for OCD but I've read several posts on this site from OCD/social anxiety sufferers who have benefitted from Parnate. My main concern is that I don't think I can handle the increased anxiety from the med in the first few weeks of taking it. My anxiety is already bad enough and from past med trials, the increased anxiety has always resulted in embarassing social interactions which then causes me to quit taking the med.
From brief trials of other meds of all classes, and from the extensive internet research I've done on meds, the only other meds I will try are Anafranil (again) and Abilify (for the mild paranoia and to see if my social anxiety is actually a form of psychosis - My social anxiety is a feeling of being watched and criticized/judged when speaking to others). I've already tried to increase the Lexapro dose to a "therapeutic" level (15mgs for 6 weeks) but it didn't make any difference. I know that agonizing about which medication(s) to take is part of my OCD perfectionism. I also know that meds might not even be the answer and that there is a lot to be said for cognitive therapy, exposure, exercise, etc. Especially CBT and exposure for the social anxiety. If you're reading this you can probably sense my extreme frustration in trying to figure out the perfect answers to my problems, which is why I'm posting on this message board that I've been reading for years but never thought to post and ask for help and advice.
If anybody out there has any ideas, advice, insights, please let me know. I'm sure I'm missing something. Paralysis from analysis I guess. I need to get my life on track. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any responses.
Posted by bleauberry on April 21, 2011, at 16:37:05
In reply to Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA, posted by Chris2011 on April 21, 2011, at 14:20:53
Just a couple thoughts.
I understand you've tried all of the natural supplements and nothing was good. If you didn't try several of the potent anti-infection herbs or the OTC med DMSA and/or Alpha Lipoic acid for detox and various anti-inflammation meds, then there are still important areas to rule in or rule out. Your symptoms are consistent with those things. And of course things that support adrenal glands. The symptoms are consistent with an irregularity there too.
For anyone else reading I think it is important to note that most herbs and other supplements work on a gradual basis over months. There might be some bumps or bright spots early, but it's really hard to make a good judgement unless several months have passed. While many of them can accomplish equal or more than meds they generally take a while.
There is a percentage of people who are exquisitely sensitive to just about all supplements and meds. Side effects are generally intolerable with these people. Paradoxical reactions can be common. My Lyme doctor said most of his patients were like that. With those people, normal doses do not apply. The strategy requires extremely tiny doses. In the same way a supplement or med can be too powerful with too many side effects with these people, it works the other way too....it doesn't take much to get good effects. In the Lyme doctor's examples, 1mg of Lexapro or less (as low as 1/10th mg) were starting doses and sometimes the final ending doses as well.
I'm one of those people.
Parnate....in my opinion you should do this one again. But different. Cut the pill in 4 quarters. Since they won't be exact sizes, take the smallest one. The next day, or even skip a day, take the next larger size. Ok now after 4 to 8 days you've actually taken a full dose of 10mg. To someone that has the frustrations of sensitivities and side effects, that is a huge victory.
I had the same worries as you with Parnate. It would be too stimulating. I was already a wreck I couldn't take the chance on a med making that any worse. To my surprise, 2.5mg a day had me grounded and comfortable in my own skin in just a few days. I was even comfortable and relaxed in a crowd. The first day was weird. In the first few hours it kind of made me feel more depressed and blah. After that I couldn't really feel like it was doing anything. The next morning I woke up though and knew something was different in a promising way. Had started at say 10mg or 20mg, forget it, I'm sure it would have been a failure. Maybe that would have had the stimulation I feared. I don't know. All I know is I did decent on 1/4 of the smallest pill. So I don't pay much attention to what the dosing directions on a bottle say. Those directions are appropriate for a general sample of a population, but not every single person. Some people need extremely high doses while others need extremely low.
I've been through periods of symptoms like yours. I can sure relate. That is pure hell. Definitely the kind of stuff that totally strains the adrenals, which makes the whole thing even worse, sort of like a spiral that feeds on itself. For me I found Lemon Balm tincture (not pills) was immediate relief without any negative side effects. Other decent ones were Skullcap and PassionFlower....all tinctures not pills. These medicinal plants helped through some really tough times.
But the real progress was made with a combination of all the things I mentioned....
Assume infection and assume both bacterial and fungal. Treat them with appropriate botanical medicines, or meds.
Assume metals, plastics, chemicals, and take clinically proven detox substances (DMSA, ALA, NAC).
Assume the adrenal glands are fried and do things to support them, which involves trying some adrenal specific herbs and buying specific foods at the grocery store while avoiding others.But most important with any or all of them, and anything you might do going forward, make the starting doses ridiculously low and ramp it up slowly. Get too aggressive and all potential for that substance to help you goes down the drain.
Allow me to say it again.....parnate.
My experiences and opinions anyway.
Posted by Phillipa on April 21, 2011, at 18:47:35
In reply to Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA, posted by Chris2011 on April 21, 2011, at 14:20:53
You wrote that lexapro at 2.5mg and klonopin three times a day was helping somewhat. Think you might raise the doses a bit? One at a time and see if it helps? Since you are already on these meds seems the least scarey to me? Phillipa
Posted by Chris2011 on April 22, 2011, at 15:24:46
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA, posted by bleauberry on April 21, 2011, at 16:37:05
Thanks a lot for taking the time to respond to my lengthy post. It's good to know there are others out there who are as sensitive to meds and supplements as I am. I think people just metabolize drugs at different rates for whatever reason, whether it's a genetic . Your advice on the Parnate dosing and titration makes a lot of sense and will make the initial few weeks much more tolerable.
As far as natural supplements, I'm also considering Inositol for my OCD. From what I've read, it's helped a lot of OCD sufferers who didn't have any success with the traditional OCD meds. I'm not sure if it's contraindicated with Parnate though. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
Posted by Chris2011 on April 22, 2011, at 18:23:47
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA » Chris2011, posted by Phillipa on April 21, 2011, at 18:47:35
> You wrote that lexapro at 2.5mg and klonopin three times a day was helping somewhat. Think you might raise the doses a bit? One at a time and see if it helps? Since you are already on these meds seems the least scarey to me? Phillipa
Thanks for your response. I've tried to increment the Lexapro in very small amounts(.25mg each week for several weeks) and relatively large amounts (2.5-5mg each week...)and never achieve any relief. Same goes for klonopin. Any more than 1mg/day makes me even more nervous. If relief outweighed side-effects with any of the meds I've tried I would definitely stick with them. A funny thing about the SSRI's I've tried (paxil, prozac, lexapro) is that the day or two after I stop taking them I get the antidepressant effects. Seems to have something to do with my metabolism. Coincidentally I just noticed a post on this board within the last few days from someone who has the same experience with SSRIs. I should probably read through the full post and responses.
Posted by Chris2011 on April 22, 2011, at 18:45:29
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA, posted by bleauberry on April 21, 2011, at 16:37:05
> Just a couple thoughts.
>
> I understand you've tried all of the natural supplements and nothing was good. If you didn't try several of the potent anti-infection herbs or the OTC med DMSA and/or Alpha Lipoic acid for detox and various anti-inflammation meds, then there are still important areas to rule in or rule out. Your symptoms are consistent with those things. And of course things that support adrenal glands. The symptoms are consistent with an irregularity there too.
>
> For anyone else reading I think it is important to note that most herbs and other supplements work on a gradual basis over months. There might be some bumps or bright spots early, but it's really hard to make a good judgement unless several months have passed. While many of them can accomplish equal or more than meds they generally take a while.
>
> There is a percentage of people who are exquisitely sensitive to just about all supplements and meds. Side effects are generally intolerable with these people. Paradoxical reactions can be common. My Lyme doctor said most of his patients were like that. With those people, normal doses do not apply. The strategy requires extremely tiny doses. In the same way a supplement or med can be too powerful with too many side effects with these people, it works the other way too....it doesn't take much to get good effects. In the Lyme doctor's examples, 1mg of Lexapro or less (as low as 1/10th mg) were starting doses and sometimes the final ending doses as well.
>
> I'm one of those people.
>
> Parnate....in my opinion you should do this one again. But different. Cut the pill in 4 quarters. Since they won't be exact sizes, take the smallest one. The next day, or even skip a day, take the next larger size. Ok now after 4 to 8 days you've actually taken a full dose of 10mg. To someone that has the frustrations of sensitivities and side effects, that is a huge victory.
>
> I had the same worries as you with Parnate. It would be too stimulating. I was already a wreck I couldn't take the chance on a med making that any worse. To my surprise, 2.5mg a day had me grounded and comfortable in my own skin in just a few days. I was even comfortable and relaxed in a crowd. The first day was weird. In the first few hours it kind of made me feel more depressed and blah. After that I couldn't really feel like it was doing anything. The next morning I woke up though and knew something was different in a promising way. Had started at say 10mg or 20mg, forget it, I'm sure it would have been a failure. Maybe that would have had the stimulation I feared. I don't know. All I know is I did decent on 1/4 of the smallest pill. So I don't pay much attention to what the dosing directions on a bottle say. Those directions are appropriate for a general sample of a population, but not every single person. Some people need extremely high doses while others need extremely low.
>
> I've been through periods of symptoms like yours. I can sure relate. That is pure hell. Definitely the kind of stuff that totally strains the adrenals, which makes the whole thing even worse, sort of like a spiral that feeds on itself. For me I found Lemon Balm tincture (not pills) was immediate relief without any negative side effects. Other decent ones were Skullcap and PassionFlower....all tinctures not pills. These medicinal plants helped through some really tough times.
>
> But the real progress was made with a combination of all the things I mentioned....
> Assume infection and assume both bacterial and fungal. Treat them with appropriate botanical medicines, or meds.
> Assume metals, plastics, chemicals, and take clinically proven detox substances (DMSA, ALA, NAC).
> Assume the adrenal glands are fried and do things to support them, which involves trying some adrenal specific herbs and buying specific foods at the grocery store while avoiding others.
>
> But most important with any or all of them, and anything you might do going forward, make the starting doses ridiculously low and ramp it up slowly. Get too aggressive and all potential for that substance to help you goes down the drain.
>
> Allow me to say it again.....parnate.
>
> My experiences and opinions anyway.Thanks a lot for taking the time to respond to my lengthy post. It's good to know there are others out there who are as sensitive to meds and supplements as I am. I think people just metabolize drugs at different rates for whatever reason. Your advice on the Parnate dosing and titration makes a lot of sense and will make the initial few weeks much more tolerable.
As far as natural supplements, I'm also considering Inositol for my OCD. From what I've read, it's helped a lot of OCD sufferers who didn't have any success with the traditional OCD meds. I'm not sure if it's contraindicated with Parnate though. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
I never considered supplements for detox and adrenal support. It makes sense that my adrenal glands would be pretty taxed from all the excess adrenaline/cortisol that's released in my body every day. I suppose some form of cardio exercise would help address this, although strenuous cardio can sometimes increase my anxiety considerably.
Posted by mogger on April 25, 2011, at 17:40:18
In reply to Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA, posted by Chris2011 on April 21, 2011, at 14:20:53
I encourage you to try 18 GRAMS of Inositol a day for OCD. It has proved very beneficial for my OCD and the side effects are benign (a bit of a funny tummy at first but that fades).
Posted by Phillipa on April 26, 2011, at 0:27:44
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA, posted by mogger on April 25, 2011, at 17:40:18
Mogger how is the Deplin going? Phillipa
Posted by mogger on April 26, 2011, at 12:24:46
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA » mogger, posted by Phillipa on April 26, 2011, at 0:27:44
Thanks for thinking of me Phillipa. I am seeing my doctor next month so I will get a prescription from him then as he is very excited about Deplin and has had great success with it. I tried gobbling down 10 L-methylfolate tablets for a week but couldn't keep up with it any longer. It was like eating an entree. However I did feel a brightness I must say. Are you trying it? I remember you were looking for your bottle and you were going to talk to your pdoc about it? Hope you are well,
Joseph
Posted by Phillipa on April 26, 2011, at 19:35:42
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA, posted by mogger on April 26, 2011, at 12:24:46
Mogger tried it for about a week nothing feel don't have that missing gene. Let me know how it goes? Phillipa
Posted by mogger on April 26, 2011, at 20:25:08
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA » mogger, posted by Phillipa on April 26, 2011, at 19:35:42
I am sorry to hear that it didn't work for you Phillipa but don't you need to take it for 2-6 weeks to hopefully see a positive effect? You know best. I will definitely let you know how it goes!
Joseph
Posted by desolationrower on April 30, 2011, at 4:12:23
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA, posted by mogger on April 25, 2011, at 17:40:18
I would try to get onto phenelzine, i think it would be more helpful with the OCD than parnate, and more effective for social anxiety.
also, n-acetyl cysteine might be helpful. for the OCD.
anyway, sa sucks, hope things improve
-d/r
Posted by Chris2011 on April 30, 2011, at 18:35:38
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA, posted by desolationrower on April 30, 2011, at 4:12:23
> I would try to get onto phenelzine, i think it would be more helpful with the OCD than parnate, and more effective for social anxiety.
>
> also, n-acetyl cysteine might be helpful. for the OCD.
>
> anyway, sa sucks, hope things improve
>
> -d/rThanks for the response. I tried phenelzine a few years ago with great hopes that it would help the SA but could not tolerate the increased agitation and stopped after 3 weeks.
I think I'll try NAC for the OCD. I have a prescription for Anafranil but I'm hesitant to take it because I want to start a strenuous exercise program and I'm afaid of the cardiac implications (of the med). I don't have any heart problems but the possibilities of arrhythmia, tachycardia, etc freak me out. I tried a low dose of Inositol (1.5gms) one day this week and had trouble thinking and sleeping. I might try a combo of NAC and Inositol for a week and see if I can tolerate it. If I can't, Parnate is next on the list. Anafranil would be the last resort.
My SA is pretty bad but my OCD is more debilitating and is the kind that doesn't really respond to CBT/ERP (pure obsessions, doubt, contamination fears), so it is the priority for me to deal with right now.
Thanks again for the response and suggestions.
Posted by mogger on April 30, 2011, at 18:42:50
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA » desolationrower, posted by Chris2011 on April 30, 2011, at 18:35:38
Chris,
If you can try and power through the weirdness going on inositol which I felt as well, I was irritated and frustrated for a week but then it passed, I think it will help you. I know it is so hard trying new things but if you can give it three weeks no matter what I say go for it. Please babblemail me if you would like to chat more about it as I am happy to help.
Joseph
Posted by Chris2011 on April 30, 2011, at 18:43:58
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA, posted by mogger on April 25, 2011, at 17:40:18
> I encourage you to try 18 GRAMS of Inositol a day for OCD. It has proved very beneficial for my OCD and the side effects are benign (a bit of a funny tummy at first but that fades).
Thanks for the reponse Mogger. I tried 1.5gms of Inositol a few days ago and experienced a lot of brain fog. Felt spaced out and had difficulty thinking in general. Also had some minor stomach cramps and increased social fear. I'm curious if you experienced the brain fog I'm referring to and if it is just an initial side-effect.
Posted by mogger on April 30, 2011, at 18:55:37
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA, posted by Chris2011 on April 30, 2011, at 18:43:58
Absolutely Chris, I was frustrated with the side effects but my pdoc promised me they would wear off and he was correct. It is a habit of mine that if I try something new I get scared, over analyze the side effects and go off it. Ever since I got used to the inositol I can actually read books now. It has helped my cognition not to mentioned helped my purely obsessional tendencies. So in answer to your question yes I was spaced out, angry as hell and had stomach issues but now I don't have a single side effect. However I will say this, 18 grams is the dose that works for me, anything less and I don't feel nearly as good. It took me time though to build up to the 18 grams.
Posted by Chris2011 on April 30, 2011, at 19:12:52
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA, posted by mogger on April 30, 2011, at 18:55:37
> Absolutely Chris, I was frustrated with the side effects but my pdoc promised me they would wear off and he was correct. It is a habit of mine that if I try something new I get scared, over analyze the side effects and go off it. Ever since I got used to the inositol I can actually read books now. It has helped my cognition not to mentioned helped my purely obsessional tendencies. So in answer to your question yes I was spaced out, angry as hell and had stomach issues but now I don't have a single side effect. However I will say this, 18 grams is the dose that works for me, anything less and I don't feel nearly as good. It took me time though to build up to the 18 grams.
Thanks for sharing that. That's really good to know the side-effects go away eventually. And completely. I think I just need to resign myself to the fact that it's going to be 2-3 weeks of discomfort but it'll be worth it in the long run. I'm going to try to exercise every day to possibly counter some of the brain fog and irritability. Thanks again.
Posted by mogger on April 30, 2011, at 19:23:15
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA » mogger, posted by Chris2011 on April 30, 2011, at 19:12:52
Great plan Chris,
It is not going to be easy but there could and hopefully be major payoffs for sticking it through! Again babblemail if you need to.
Joseph
Posted by desolationrower on May 1, 2011, at 17:19:18
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA, posted by mogger on April 30, 2011, at 19:23:15
btw you can get inositol by the kilo; for the 18g/d dosage it can get expensive if you get it in small amounts..
For the stomach issues, i'd try to break it into a couple doses with meals in between
also, overlap with this thread going on right now too http://dr-bob.org/babble/20110418/msgs/984054.html (i am sort of getting them confused in my head, honestly)
i do think phenelzine is superior for anxiety, although you could try the valproate! I think you both mentioned too much anxiety when first starting phenelzine. And my best guuess is excess 5ht2 activity, and take risperdal to fix.
abilify is a somewhat unusual drug, even for atypical antipsychotics. It would probably be worth a trial of another ones, like risperidone or ziprasidone,
-d/r
Posted by Chris2011 on May 5, 2011, at 22:00:08
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA, posted by desolationrower on May 1, 2011, at 17:19:18
> btw you can get inositol by the kilo; for the 18g/d dosage it can get expensive if you get it in small amounts..
>
> For the stomach issues, i'd try to break it into a couple doses with meals in between
>
> also, overlap with this thread going on right now too http://dr-bob.org/babble/20110418/msgs/984054.html (i am sort of getting them confused in my head, honestly)
>
> i do think phenelzine is superior for anxiety, although you could try the valproate! I think you both mentioned too much anxiety when first starting phenelzine. And my best guuess is excess 5ht2 activity, and take risperdal to fix.
>
> abilify is a somewhat unusual drug, even for atypical antipsychotics. It would probably be worth a trial of another ones, like risperidone or ziprasidone,
>
> -d/rThanks for the response d/r. As far as possible excess 5ht2 activity, did you mean as an existing condition or as a result of taking phenylzine? Hard for me to think too clearly right now as I started 25mg of Anafranil this week and it is somewhat cognitively numbing. I do think you're on to something with the suggestion of risperdal or Abilify. I have generalized social anxiety, with most of the hallmark symptoms, but the most debilitating symptom is an almost irrepresible feeling of being criticized and judged by anyone within earshot of me when I speak, whether it's at work, or anywhere in public, despite the lack of any evidence. A feeling that almost everybody is observing me in public and waiting for me to screw up or act unconfident so they can do something to make me feel bad. Cognitive therapy has helped somewhat as far as reasoning through those thoughts/feelings, but I wonder if I'm dealing with paranoia or a paranoid flavor of social anxiety. Supposedly what separates psychosis from SA is that the person can't fully realize the irrationality of their beliefs, as is the case with me a lot of the time.
Posted by desolationrower on May 5, 2011, at 22:49:50
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA » desolationrower, posted by Chris2011 on May 5, 2011, at 22:00:08
> > btw you can get inositol by the kilo; for the 18g/d dosage it can get expensive if you get it in small amounts..
> >
> > For the stomach issues, i'd try to break it into a couple doses with meals in between
> >
> > also, overlap with this thread going on right now too http://dr-bob.org/babble/20110418/msgs/984054.html (i am sort of getting them confused in my head, honestly)
> >
> > i do think phenelzine is superior for anxiety, although you could try the valproate! I think you both mentioned too much anxiety when first starting phenelzine. And my best guuess is excess 5ht2 activity, and take risperdal to fix.
> >
> > abilify is a somewhat unusual drug, even for atypical antipsychotics. It would probably be worth a trial of another ones, like risperidone or ziprasidone,
> >
> > -d/r
>
> Thanks for the response d/r. As far as possible excess 5ht2 activity, did you mean as an existing condition or as a result of taking phenylzine?Well my guess is overactive in general, and not responding well to phenelzine. Normally with an MAOI (i know it was shown for tranylcypromine, but i think phenelzine as well ) and half the time ssri activate 5ht2 so much that they downregulate 5h2 receptors over several weeks, and this might be part of why it takes a few weeks for it to really lift depression. If that isn't working well for you, doing it artificially by just blocking it might be better. I think its worth a try.
>Hard for me to think too clearly right now as I started 25mg of Anafranil this week and it is somewhat cognitively numbing. I do think you're on to something with the suggestion of risperdal or Abilify. I have generalized social anxiety, with most of the hallmark symptoms, but the most debilitating symptom is an almost irrepresible feeling of being criticized and judged by anyone within earshot of me when I speak, whether it's at work, or anywhere in public, despite the lack of any evidence. A feeling that almost everybody is observing me in public and waiting for me to screw up or act unconfident so they can do something to make me feel bad. Cognitive therapy has helped somewhat as far as reasoning through those thoughts/feelings, but I wonder if I'm dealing with paranoia or a paranoid flavor of social anxiety. Supposedly what separates psychosis from SA is that the person can't fully realize the irrationality of their beliefs, as is the case with me a lot of the time.This could be true, but i think it could be a false lead. Not many people with social anxiety respond well to the higher doses of antipsychotics that reduce DA function and lower positive symptoms for schizophrenics (and as well, those higher doses tend to make the negative symptoms worse. and neg symptoms have some commonality with social anxiety). Personally, i had some improvement on .25 mg risperdal, but felt much worse (lethargic, no emotion, just would lay on the ground not interesting in doing anything) on 1 mg (or 2 mg, i forget)
I'm reccomending them more because low doses primarily antagonize 5ht2, not for higher doses that block DA function (though this might help with OCD, so keep that in mind for dosages).
-d/r
Posted by hyperfocus on May 12, 2011, at 23:20:11
In reply to Re: Need to figure out meds to take for OCD and SA » desolationrower, posted by Chris2011 on May 5, 2011, at 22:00:08
I can recommend the meds in my sig as they've helped my severe SP more than anything else. I have symptoms pretty close to yours and yeah the paranoia does seem to approach psychosis levels - but if you're always aware that they're irrational then it probably doesn't count as psychotic. But anyway I've found low-dose risepridone helps me a great deal while higher doses seem to make me worse.
CBT helped me but not very much. I read about SP starting at below the executive level - as in autonomic responses by the brain. When I'm out I feel like the air is alive with threats - like every window or car passing is pregnant with danger and violence. It really does seem to approach psychosis. I also have these very negative thoughts that seem to have me 99% emotionally convinced they are true, except for the 1% that knows they're not. You might want to read up on the circumstances and symptoms of C-PTSD. Good luck to you.
This is the end of the thread.
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