Dr Syl's Psychiatric Analysis: 'Anxiety & Depression - Giana' (Soft White Underbelly)

[@steveneardley7541]

I was having severe panic attacks, and was prescribed a number of SSRIs (none of which helped, and had awful side effects). I finally ended up on Xanax. It had fewer side effects, but I was still having panic attacks. I went to a nutritionist, who did muscle testing on me and told me I was allergic to milk products. I went off milk products and have never had another panic attack, and that was 23 years ago. I am no longer on any psychiatric drugs.

[@martinasikk6162]

Thank you for that information. I’m happy you are healthy now. 🌹

[@thatdutchguy89]

Weird

[@ItzaMystri]

Fascinating, thanks for sharing

[@Chels-fz5uq]

A milk allergy isn’t picked up on “muscle” testing. 😅

[@hannahmitchell87]

were panic attacks your only symptom? and did they correlate with you consuming dairy?

[@ritz6982]

I was put on antipsychotics to deal with my mood swings. Problem was I was being abused by my partner - and when I left I just didn’t have mental illness at all. Sadly the antipsychotics probably made me stay longer because I wasn’t connected to my own intuition. When I got off them I also managed to realise I had to escape the relationship.

[@ChristinaFromYoutube]

I went through a similar experience. Basically a target for people that want to call me crazy so they provoke me until i can't stand it anymore. Now that i isolate i have no anxiety.

[@OurTube_TheOriginal]

So sorry you experienced that AND thank you so much for articulating a strange unpublicized aspect side effect of medications and how ENVIRONMENT is often what needs changed not always the person’s responsibility alone. I imagine you might have had some social supports in order to leave and see the meds effects?

[@TashaRansomArt]

This!!

[@OM-or3im]

I am a fairly new clinician and i am soooo reluctant to suggest medication to clients especially if i learn there is a possibly toxic or abusive partner. I know it’s because i didn’t grow up in this country and i dislike meds in general for many reasons. Thank you for sharing your experience and i hope you are doing well!

[@Felice_Enellen]

Misdiagnosis is definitely a major problem in any field of medicine. There's an old joke, it goes something like, "Q: What do you call a med student who graduates in the bottom 10% of their class? A: Doctor." You really have to learn to learn to recognize a doctor who barely scraped by, and fire them ASAP so you can find a better one. Never feel guilty about switching docs or shrinks. Personally I find it telling when a doctor is very authoritarian. Good doctors look me in the eye and ask probing questions, rather than looking at a checklist or only talking to you while they're preparing the next part of the exam and have attention to spare. Avoid any doc that feels like he's running his office like an assembly line.

[@cathyjoy9214]

So very grateful that you are doing these videos. Distinguishing between the specific disorders - too many call everything 'anxiety & depression'. Also, loved that you specifically mentioned how 'being clean' should not be used to describe 'not taking your prescribed medication'.

[@HollyJordan15]

A lot of women are diagnosed with bipolar when really it’s ADHD or autism or a combination of the two.

[@sdc9368]

I just now watched your evaluation of this anxiety depression video. And you certainly have the heart for helping people. I read somewhere that the vulnerability of mental health care workers requires that they themselves require a psychiatric evaluation every so often because of their exposure to so many ill patients. I wish you the greatest success in your endeavor.

[@MegaWakingup]

This is hard for me to watch. At 26 I was put on Paxil for panic attacks. That started an ugly vortex of more diagnosis (including depression, hypomania, and rapid cycling bipolar) and more medications. Too many meds to list over the next 18 years. Weaning off them was one of the hardests things I have ever done. The last 12 years, off meds, have been the best years of my life.

[@sharonthompson672]

I've always wondered how many people who were diagnosed bipolar are actually on the autism spectrum. 🤔

[@szuber72]

The statement he made that you can't get addicted to SSRIs is completely false. I was put on Paxil when I was 25 years old and have never been able to get off of it because of the severe withdrawal. They try tapering it and replacing it with something else but it don't work. I have tried so many times to get off this poison that they call medication to no avail. Been stuck on it for 25 years. It has ruined my life and made it a living hell.

[@phendranaa]

Wow that must've been tough but worth it. Yeah I don't understand the casual way he promotes meds, especially since there's no proof that mental illness is a chemical imbalance and people get misdiagnosed all the time.

[@merin5230]

@offthecrook I'm interested in your opinion that there is no proof that mental illness is due to chemical imbalance, and therefore meds are unnecessary. I get the impression that you are one of the lucky people who have not experienced mental illness. I envy you. I would like to read the paper that disproves the chemical imbalance model. Of course, not ALL mental illness is due to chemical imbalance. And sometimes, naturally, chemical imbalance ,when it occurs, does not need meds to correct the balance. Our brain lies in a bath of chemicals. It's awash with them. So many that I'm sure we will be discovering hitherto unknown chemicals in our brain bath for many decades or centuries to come. Certainly, the chemicals in our brain do change many times each day, depending on the stimulation or lack thereof that our little lump of fatty tissue depends on to direct our thoughts and actions. If we are under a perceived threat, for example, our body manufactures stress hormones, like adrenalin and cortisol and ,ooh, many others, that will allow our muscles to perform above normal standard to get us out of the threatening situation. And at other times our brain may need to think very fast and hard to make decisions with little time for cognitive musing. In which case, our clever little brain demands and receives a larger than usual amount of Seratonin to help those synaptic transmitters to gear up a level or two. Of course, if the Seratonin produced remains after the stimulus ,necessity for the extra supply has passed, then the person in whom that brain resides may start to behave a little strangely as their brain is being overstimulated. But the brilliant design of the old grey matter has thought of that, if you'll excuse the pun! And has these little things that can be thought of as vacuums, which remove the excess Seratonin and recycle it so the brain, and therefore the mind, can safely cycle down to baseline levels. Anyone reading this, please understand I'm using layman's terms here to make life simple. Especially as I am a layman. Anyway, these little vacuums 'hoover' up the excess chemicals and get them cleared away to restore normal function. This is , as I understand it, referred to as 'reuptake'. Sometimes, though, the little vacuums get a bit enthusiastic, and keep on hoovering after optimum baseline has been achieved, and then the poor old brain is left struggling because the Seratonin level is now below optimum and synaptic signals are impeded by lack of Seratonin. This ,if it continues , is often referred to as 'depression'. Symptoms being, among other things, a flattening of mood. Perhaps a lack of affect, or possibly the opposite, accompanied by excessive lability. This causes the human hosting the mind to function erratically and experience distress and often loss of income. If the little reuptake mechanisms do not switch themselves off, and the brain is left choking for lack of Seratonin, then a Seratonin reuptake inhibitor may be prescribed, this allowing the Seratonin levels to gradually build up again to correct levels. While the brain and the mind remain largely a huge mystery, we do seem to have found some little things that can help rebalance things and so lift a depressive mood. By altering the chemical balance in the brain. What causes this to happen is not widely known, but the little bit we do know seems to work very well. As a lady who needed an ssri for quite some time, and felt very much better for it once levels had been restored, I am ,understandably, I think, very interested in the paper that has disproved the theory, ( fact), that depressive mood can result from an imbalance of Seratonin. I'd really appreciate the link, or the title and author of this very important body of work. Was the research done in the states? Harvard, maybe? Or was it Cambridge or Oxford in England? Edinburgh University has a very high standard, perhaps it originated there? It doesn't really matter , I suppose. Just that the knowledge is available to us all so we can avoid taking unnecessary medication.

[@ThePathOfLeastResistanc]

@@sharonthompson672actually lots of females

[@mandy3404]

SSRIs may be 'not addictive' but you still get nasty withdrawals when you stop taking them. Even with 'tapering slowly' it can be debilitating for some people.

[@christinfierro8009]

THANK YOU for differentiating depression from sadness!!!!! This is SO frustrating for me, as I experience severe depression. I HATE when people tell me to just think positive thoughts etc. Most often my symptoms are physiological at this point in my life. I've done a ton of work with my counselor, psych, and use my knowledge of ABA. Depression is not a choice and is not synonymous with being sad. Ugghh! This drives me bonkers when people dont get this and give advice from such an ignorant stand point.

[@heatherrae901]

I feel that way when people describe their nervousness as anxiety. Lots of situations would naturally make one nervous but to suffer from anxiety is debilitating and happens in situations where it's not even warranted, for me. It's frustrating.

[@avril.227]

Yep. This is why I can’t stand the big pseudo science people all over social media.

[@Thatshow8223]

💯🎯

[@Ciara-ASMR]

Absolutely! I have depression too and when I’m having a depressive episode, for some try to relate with their own episodic sadness and tips on how they just got over it used to make me feel like I was so broken for not being able to be happy, I would feel like it was my fault and that the world hated me for being sad. Now I am much stronger and I am very careful with who I talk to about it, and I always explain clearly that sadness when it continues and you can’t come to the root of it is exhausting and it’s the compounding of it that makes it hard. I don’t let them away with fobbing me off but I also don’t hold onto it if they don’t get it.

[@dopex89]

​@@heatherrae901everyone feels anxious at some point. Not everyone has an anxiety disorder. I wouldn't call myself an anxious person but I do feel anxious from time to time in specific situations. I don't think it's harmful to talk about it. Not trying to discredit your struggles, but I don't think people are being disrespectful if they share about their anxiety without being diagnosed with GAD or another mental illness.

[@Sophiedorian0535]

I distinguish between Sad, Blue, Down, Doomy, and Gloomy. I have experienced them as five very very different feelings, since I was about eight years old. I’m sixty-one, and a retired music teacher.

[@dsoule4902]

Music teachers ... thank you

[@HeyLetsTalkAboutIt]

Finding the right therapist for me has made so much of a difference. Especially as a first responder.

[@le_th_]

I appreciate your nuanced approach to dissecting this particular video of Soft White Underbelly. One of the biggest problems I have with this YT channel is that he chooses inaccurate titles (in order to get the most views) and it's quite misleading (at times). More importantly, I appreciate that you have the ability to diagnose these symptoms that so many psychologists can't (because they'd need post-doc education since it's not taught in most programs). As a layperson, when I hear childhood meltdowns, I immediately think of two possibilities: autism spectrum or bipolar disorder as the first consideration, although those aren't the only two.

[@OurTube_TheOriginal]

Also SWU doesn’t seem to provide a therapist behind the scenes to be there after someone talks about really difficult things. The woman in this video had a caring family or at least mom and seemed OK but many of those who are interviewed seem to find themselves unexpectedly going into tough things which is great to get out into public for society’s benefit AND to just walk off into the mean streets alone or even to a hotel room if mark feels charitable in their case is not ideal at all and can be damaging for many who have suffered severe trauma. He ought to ask “What sorts of support do you have now and for after this interview?” But he is an excellent videographer/artists not an excellent interviewer though he has chosen a population ground breaking for such in depth interviews. Wish he’d be a tad more humble and work more empathetically and as a team.

[@Roswell33]

I came here to mention Autism. I found out at 37 that I'm on the spectrum and it explains so much!

[@le_th_]

@@OurTube_TheOriginal Yes, he doesn't seem to care that talking about sometimes extreme trauma only reinforces the neural pathways of those painful memories. Very recently, I observed him showing zero empathy for a 20 year old female during her 2nd interview with him, shortly after she endured a violent SA while asleep on a couch at a friend's house. I had to turn it off because I was so disgusted with him. You're right, he is a "good interviewer" and photographer, but he's not really making sure these individuals, most of whom have severe personality disorders, are having an opportunity to speak with someone after recounting some of the most difficult experiences of their life. Most probaby want to go out and use drugs right away after these interviews, once those they are alone with those recently revived memories and feelings. I couldn't agree with you more, as I've observed almost exactly what you have.

[@le_th_]

@@Roswell33 Thank you for sharing your late diagnosis. I wish you the best going forward now that you have some answers! : )

[@M3ganss]

It’s crazy what the right medication can do. Went from the highest dose on one medication not seeing any benefit to my mental health to the absolute lowest dose on another and felt 110x better than I’d ever felt before

[@MassaCreatures1031]

I’m so happy you’re feeling better. Recently my psychiatrist switched my antidepressant to night time because it was making me feel groggy, exhausted and worsened my dissociation. But now I feel a hundred times better. I’m not tired in the day, my depression is still there but it’s not getting in the way of too many things, I only wake up once in the night instead of four times etc. It’s not just the type of meds but how you take it can drastically affect you.

[@OurTube_TheOriginal]

Specifics might help more people. Thank you.

[@debbieporter6581]

I've had mental health problems for over 25 yrs. Could you do a video on Borderline Personality disorder. I'm 67 now and it has completely ruined my life. I love your channel.Thank you so much for all your informative videos.

[@PortraitoftheArtistasanOldDog8]

I have been watching a cluster b youtubr Prof Sam Vaknin he is phenomenal inc blew my mind with bpd knowledge....

[@livinginparallel]

If you do, Dr. Syl, can you please talk about how BPD is one of the most common misdiagnoses for Autism? In general, I would love to see you analyze all the many and complex comorbidities of Autism and AuDHD, and how hard it is to diagnose in high masking, especially AFAB high masking people??? We need the industry to start talking about this!

[@CleoHarperReturns]

I'm so sorry you've gone through this. I'm sure because of the times you've had little to no emotional support system as the world just doesn't get it. Yet. It's coming around. Stay strong; your life isn't yet over. You've still got decades if you're careful and you can use them to become whoever you want -- not what someone else expects you to be. That's the shit you throw out the window. Just don't literally throw shit out the window. They arrest you for that nowadays.😉

[@melissareece8656]

My mom was a Borderline. It wasnt fun. Shes dead now. My sister and I are still in therapy from all her chaos.

[@asassynation9955]

@@melissareece8656I have it too, (diagnosed) and I can definitely understand that it must be difficult for others to deal with. I’m sorry for all of you that had to suffer because of this awful, awful sickness. ❤

[@amberkluga8949]

her comment, and your follow-up, to "clicking" with a therapist is something I discovered during my battles with anxiety, depression, and working through the abuse in my childhood. I went to several before finding one that had an approach that worked for me. It wasn't just about liking them, I liked a few of the ones I rejected because their their approach of affirmations or spiritual solutions just wasn't what I needed to figure myself out. Don't be afraid to end a therapeutic relationship that isn't working for you, and don't give up assuming all therapy/therapist will not work.

[@GailMailable]

I could not agree more! I'll share my experience. I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, which I didn't remember, until I was an adult. Interestingly, while taking psychology courses in college, I realized all the warning signs were present, looking back, but the memory was blocked for years. So, I went to a therapist. After two visits, this counselor, he actually said that it wasn't actually memories, but simply a "suggestion" from the MeToo movement! I KID YOU NOT!!!! I promptly left and got a new therapist, who actually began the process of helping me process and start healing. If your gut is telling you that something is "not quite right" with your therapist, trust that instinct and keep looking for someone you connect with.

[@safetyfirst3132]

The last time I tried therapy, (as a female, with a female therapist) she told me that there was no reason to masturbate once you’re married. Obviously she was a conservative woman with patriarchal ideals that was of the opinion that any sexual feeling I had should be shared with my husband. Meanwhile indicating that I was somehow responsible to resolve his every erection. She also insisted that I get on medication by my 3rd visit. After meeting with the psychiatrist and expressing an opinion against taking antidepressants, I was prescribed anti-seizure medication instead. I lied and said I was taking it. The only thing that changed was the way she behaved. “See how much calmer you are now?” After 2 weeks of visits post “meds kicking in” I disclosed that I never took the meds and canceled all future appointments. I haven’t returned to therapy since. I’m still holding a grudge against the money I spent. But at least I’m not leaving a comment about losing years of my life experimenting with a bunch of psych drugs.

[@aggravatedHart]

@@safetyfirst3132I’ve found this trend of religious therapists very disturbing. It’s about all I can find in my area and I’m not religious at all. Every time I went to a therapist it was horrible. One treated me like I was her therapist and would tell me all her problems. Another kept trying to get me to be ok with what happened to me when it is not something that was ok. Another kept wanting to try things that stressed me out really bad to “help keep me calm.” I would tell her they stressed me out more and she would get mad at me and say they calm you down and is part of the standard care for my issue and I should just do them and they would calm me….when they were actively stressing me out. You can only go to so many therapists before you run out of money when you aren’t rich. I saw several therapists and all that ever happened was my problems got 10xs worse, I had insomnia, hallucinations and brain shocks while coming off their awful drugs(I was also not ever told about that possibility when put on it) and I ran out of money.

[@ctidd]

This was great, thank you. Glad to hear that you want to become a psychiatrist. My grandfather was a psychiatrist. It’s so good to see the stigma start to be dismantled over mental health. Giana has a self awareness and understanding of her brain at 25 that I wish I had. I’m turning 50 this year and it’s only been within the past 6 months that I got my depression diagnosed and the right meds to help.

[@missellehayes]

This was one of the best videos on basic mental health care that I've ever seen! Thank you for making it.

[@TashkaGrace]

Nice to hear you’re view that it’s not just about medication. Therapy is also needed.

[@marykaykovalkoski5762]

Great video, you brought up some points that hit close to home. I suffer from anxiety and went to therapy for years, the changing of medication can be very overwhelming. I believe the best thing that worked for me was cognitive reconstruction. Also, the going “clean” made me roll my eyes…if you are a diabetic should you stop taking your insulin so you could be “clean”…of course not! Metal illness still has a negative stigma, although I am relieved it is getting better. Personally I live a peaceful life and have a positive outlook on life, for that I have an enormous amount of gratitude. Thank you for sharing your videos, hopefully it will open peoples eyes.

[@robynmills3934]

Hi, I too have experienced years of depression and thought I was in a good place and decided to do my counselling degree. I’m in year 3 and the self reflection and treatment has been awesome because I am in the best mental health space I have ever been. I realise there is always more tidying to do. I love your video’s, subject matter and your style. You are introducing new ideas but also edifying my learning- thank you. From across the ditch in NZ!

[@CleoHarperReturns]

I was misdiagnosed with bipolar and took Latuda for 3 years. Because I'm not bipolar, it was constant drool city for me and I barely remember those three years. I'm sure it would've been fine if I'd been properly diagnosed. Honestly I've had different diagnoses with each doctor so I take them all with a grain of salt. The effects of psych meds in general are as varied as fingerprints; I was told we still can't explain consciousness and psychology is still in its infancy. Be patient; once you find the right meds it makes all the difference (but so does therapy -- many people need both). For those of you nervous to take meds, they do NOT change who you essentially are -- what happens is that everything is brought into focus so that you have the clarity to get to work on the problem. With Latuda, I too temporarily had auditory hallucinations, though not voices...mechanical noises or music that wasn't playing. I never had a problem with rashes. Sorry this is scattered. Good luck!

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

100% agree about medication. My SSRI has helped me deal with anxiety and deal with anxiety causing situations. It does not make me a different person but it makes me a more complete person.

[@Marlayyna]

I was also misdiagnosed with bipolar and took Latuda too! It gave me terrible restless legs. I hardly remember the period of time when I was taking antipsychotics. This happened when I was young too and I really think that it messed with my developing brain because my short and long term memory is very poor now.

[@CleoHarperReturns]

@@Marlayyna It very well could be. When I stopped taking Latuda it took years but my memory did return. I think it was more about concentration than actual memory loss -- but I was in my 40s when I took it so my experiences will be different. The restless leg was a nightmare though! Worst side effect EVER. Seems that a bipolar diagnosis is the new catchall bandaid for things that can't be explained. Yet.

[@oroborousqueen1590]

Last summer my psychiatrist prescribed me Latuda. She has in her records that I have Bipolar Disorder but I have never been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Within 4 days of being on Latuda I started to experience auditory and terrifying visual hallucinations that ended me in a psychiatric hospital for 10 days. As soon as the Latuda was out of my system, I no longer had any hallucinations (by the way I’m 47 and had never once experienced hallucinations until Latuda). It made me so angry because she just threw this powerful drug to see if it would “help.” Instead it somewhat ruined my life. Many psychiatrists need to do their homework before just throwing medications at patients to see what “sticks.” I’m a person, not a lab rat. Just thought I would share my experience and see if anyone else has had similar experiences.

[@CleoHarperReturns]

@@oroborousqueen1590 Wow that's terrible! I'm so sorry you went through that. Were you going to a govt-funded facility? Because that sounds like what I went through until I got proper insurance (and even a couple doctors after). Either way yours seemed pretty irresponsible; no one jumps directly to Latuda before trying other things. Or at least they shouldn't *because* the side effects are so strong. Unfortunately psychology (esp psychiatry) is still such a new field compared to trad medicine that we are still in the "see what sticks" era. More unfortunately, some doctors take that literally. We are very much lab rats now except we have to pay for the privilege (depending where you live). Whether we want it or not. Some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them. The key word there is "thrust." We're currently in the era of Bend Over.

[@Who-en2vo]

Im glad i finally found an underlying reason for constant feelings of anxiety and depression. I have ehlers danlos and my spine is already degenerating in my 30's. It makes logical sense why I have a racing heart and can sleep a whole day when im dragging around a half paralyzed leg and process pain as anxiety and dont sleep eell because im exhausted. Anxiety and depression can vary so much from person to person and can be symptoms of other things, really appreciate your videos as im up during a pain flare and unable to find a comfortable way to lay down.

[@jbbeats7786]

It's always cool to hear your perspective about mental health, therapy, and psychiatry. I've been in and out of counseling for almost 9 years, and also am working toward my bachelor's in psychology (eventually also a master's in counseling) to become a therapist. Love your channel, Dr. Syl!

[@felixhenson9926]

As someone with bipolar 1 when she said she felt wired and couldn't sleep i immediately thought the same thing. Also that she said it was anxiety not hypomania is weird since hypomania can present in feelings like anxiety, agitation, restlessness, racing thoughts etc so i dunno that it's so easy to disentangle the two.

[@princessleia9735]

I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder with different doctors from when I was a teenager. Didn’t get a bipolar 1 diagnosis (months long episodes) until my late 20s. It’s tough because anxiety and depression are part of my bipolar, but depending on what presented at the time that’s what I was treated for.

[@sharonthompson672]

I was misdiagnosed With Bipolar II, when in reality it was cptsd and depression. The wrong medication and being spoken to like a child and not being HEARD is the WORST. My life is my own again. It went from gray to technicolor. 🥰 For anyone going through this, give yourself time. Find the RIGHT doctor. Yes, talk to your primary care doctor first. There IS a way to manage your brain health. And it's a beautiful, one of a kind brain. 👍

[@OurTube_TheOriginal]

@@sharonthompson672 so common and sorry you went through that. A therapist told me PTSD and cPTSD are the psyphilis of mental health conditions because it so often shares overlapping symptoms with other conditions and dr. Don’t take the time plus it is new that there is much understanding at all of PTSD…i is misdiagnosed all the time therefore. Sharing any details how you found a “Right” dr. Would be great for potentially helping others.

[@TonyaKay]

Biopolar 1 here. Thank you for mentioning that people are very open to talk about neurosis these days but still hush hush on psychosis. I find that to be accurate.

[@DenGirl12]

I’m not kidding you when I say I had the EXACT same thing happen in my late teens/early twenties. Being treated for BP (was told it was because I had one S attempt) and was on seroquel and lamictal. I was going to raves every weekend and taking ecstasy and lsd or shrooms and coke. The combinations of my habits with my medications was BAD. I wasn’t taking my meds regularly, I had super erratic behavior. It was not fun. That was twenty years ago. I was dx with AUTISM in February this year. So, my current and, finally, accurate (imho) dx is ADHD, Autism, OCD (trichotillomania), and anxiety.

[@OurTube_TheOriginal]

And do they consider hormones? Life stages before diagnosis with MH labels? Not often.

[@tammyd.970]

Sadness vs. depression, in case it helps anyone: in the example given of winning money, I'd say people depressed *know* they should feel happy, but because they don't, the winning may make them feel worse. Then they have to pretend, or deal with people windering what's wrong with them. It's not just a lack of feeling, it's the inability to change that, knowing the societal expectation. It is isolating and is parasitic in nature.

[@TheJenlavoy]

Omg thank you I have BP2 CPTSD ADHD and everything out of your mouth is so on point with everything to a T .. this gave me some peace today I feel herd

[@eliseintheattic9697]

I can't speak for other countries, but I can tell you that in the US, it's extremely difficult to find a good psychiatrist. Most are lazy, arrogant, judgemental and act like seeing patients is a bother.

[@SavannahSedai]

I had a WONDERFUL psych but the restrictions on how they practice with insurance providers (USA here) made him go to a no insurance accepting practice. The ones who know what they're doing get punished. He doesn't push medication. He wants to look into every route that could be causing things (which is wonderful).

[@ZeldasSword]

What’s really scary, is the US has the best psych care currently. It’s beyond terrifying

[@frickfrack7075]

My husband has bi polar depressive disorder. When he is manic, he's "enjoying" himself, but from the outside he's edgy and seems uncomfortable. He's been slowly increasing dosage of lamictal for about a year now. He's finally at a dosage that's considered therapeutic. It's definitely helped keep him more stable, but he's disappointed because he liked the mania. He said it helped him get things done. Now he feels like he's just depressed and doesn't get the week of mania to break it up. I can understand how that's frustrating for him, but for me seeing him from my POV it seems like the better option to be more stable. It's worth mentioning that he gets to points where he will stop medication for awhile and relapse. He's also been told he has had schizo affective disorder. So he doesn't want to add more medications on top of what he's already taking. His doctor wants to get to a certain dosage of lamictal to see how he feels at that point, before discussing other meds... To add, or to discontinue ECT. It's definitely a journey and it can take a really long time to find the right dosage/combo that works for you.

[@justinwebb3117]

I find these commentary videos absolutely absorbing, and your pauses and interjections and additions (even when you say sorry for interrupting, is so cute) are really helpful in my understanding of the terminology, thanks! ❤

[@kchardison9480]

Great video, thanks for posting! I have schizoaffective and was on lurasidone for a time also. Yeah, didn't go well for me either, and went way worse when I came off it. But everyone reacts differently. I really like that she, and you, point out that there is no one size fits all when it comes to treatment of any mental health disorder. Looking forward to your next vid(s)!

[@jgnz]

Probably one of the most relatable videos ive come across. Awesome video

[@GoldenVulpes]

Thank you for this video. It helps me understand what my brother who has bipolar is going through

[@Atleastihavemydog]

The best part of being prescribed antidepressants for anxiety is the ringing in the ears they cause. It’s the icing on the cake.

[@lizl2432]

I have GAD and my psych has put me on every SSRI under the sun but I always wonder why most psychiatrists are willing to put me on an everyday medication rather than a benzodiazepine for “as-needed use”. I was given clonazepam 15 pills each month to use as needed and it was perfect. I’ve been on benzodiazepines everyday before and have had no problem stopping so I know I don’t have a tendency for dependency so I just don’t understand why he’s willing to keep changing my anxiety meds when there is a good one that works, that I know I don’t become dependent on. Many psychiatrist’s are so hesitant to give benzo’s, but if a patient is telling you it works I think it should be fine.

[@avril.227]

You sound exactly like me. SSRIs can make some people more anxious or literally not help with GAD. Benzos worked but no Doctors in my area will prescribe them. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@deer105]

Paradoxical reactions to atypical antipsychotics aren't as rare as you might think. For some reason symptoms of the underlying illness may worsen in direct response to the medication, and a person who has Bipolar disorder without psychosis might develop transient psychosis. Sometimes anxiety in response to an antidepressant is a paradoxical response too, as opposed to a switch into dysphoric mania.

[@OurTube_TheOriginal]

Yes and antidepressants can cause anxiety to increase for those with PTSD and cPTSD too.

[@ksenijavranjevac2572]

I love the understanding nods Dr Syl does even if it's not him that is talking with the interviewee, that's such a psych move 😂 you can see the doc does a bunch of understanding nodding in his day job 😊

[@kitthekat1612]

I had SJS. Took 6 months of high dose steroids and silver packs to finally heal and not have it creep back. Was on my skin, eyes, nails, nose bleeds, sores all inside my mouth, even lower GI bleeding. Was from taking lamotrigine and fluoxetine at the same time. I still have the scars and watching your skin just sheer away and slough off and not hurt because it's dead is such a weird experience. Also had serotonin syndrome when they upped my fluoxetine, sumatriptan, sleeping pill, and pain pill for a migrain. Blown pupils, my jaw was gurning, arms like a Trex, spasms, nystagmus, fever, vomiting, etc. They tested my reflexes and had me inpatient. Felt awful.

[@hannahlacy8538]

So my pharmacist screwed up my lamotrigine script one time and filled it for a significantly higher dose than what I was taking. I didn’t take them and brought them back to my psychiatrist and told her that I thought the pharmacy screwed up. My psychiatrist told me that if I had taken them I could have gotten “the life threatening rash.” She then proceeded to call the pharmacy and tell the pharmacist that he was a moron 😂😅

[@princessleia9735]

Damn that’s scary! Good thing you noticed the dosage was wrong and didn’t just take it

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

My husband takes that as well and that's why we always double check the prescription and what he gets at the pharmacy!

[@katm5903]

I had the most success going to a psychiatrist vs pcp AND a good therapist. Therapy helped me identify triggers, how to cope with them, and then ultimately how to avoid triggering people or events. Having a psychiatrist really helped me get a more effective combination of medications. I feel "normal" now, not a zombie and such a better functioning human.

[@user-kn4vi9mt7b]

I would appreciate if you could do an episode about PTSD - this became so horrible for me I lost over 40lbs in a couple of months and then I stopped eating thank god I have my husband who was able to send me to FLORIDA a facility called TRANSFORMATIONS MENDING FENCES which is a PTSD FACILITY, where I had lots of group and differant types of therapy including EMDR . I had equine therapy which was amazing the. Came back to my life to find myself truly struggling . Any advise would be great . I appreciate you that you make these mental health videos. I kinda feel alone especially in my home - no one truly knows what I feel or think. I find myself less afraid and nervous when I listen to you . Thank you

[@rubytuesday7653]

🌿💙🌿

[@madisonanderson1266]

Instead of “antipsychotic” we use “neuroleptic” as the name for the class. I believe it is becoming more common in the psychiatric field to use neuroleptic as the name of the class.

[@raelewis9957]

This was so much like what I went thru. My journey took me thru many different drugs but we have finally settled on an anti depressant and a mood stabilizer. Mind you it took many years to get here.

[@aleanbh3808]

Also, anxiety is a symptom of both depression and PTSD. This poor woman was absolutely overmedicated. Never mind she uses some incorrect terminology (but NB this is the most inexact science of the inexact sciences!), at least now she’s educated herself. Consumers who just demand a pill from a white coat have zero skin in the game for their recovery. Empowered and educated consumers have the best chance. Which is why we need peer workers who relate to adolescents (teen peer workers!). Teens whose first experience of the MH system is in hospital are scared, clueless, waiting in the PECC…

[@persona5305]

I forgot the anti-depressant drug that a doctor prescribed to me back when I got diagnosed with depression because I didn't knew I had ADHD and the world was against me as a mother. anyway, after doing a lot of research online about why I feel this way and that way, I end up understanding what I truly had which is ADHD and then mentioned that to the doctor psychiatrist. then I just end up stoping my antidepressants because it did worked for a while, it numb the pain of my existence if you can understand what I mean but it also numb me from my other emotions. So then I end up replacing it with ADHD essential supplements like Fish oil and especially Magnesium and Vit.D and more like Iron since i'm also anemic. it solved it for me up until today, not to mention that I kinda end up adapting a stoic mindset. I don't feel sorry for myself anymore and I completely change. once a while I tend to recognize the symptoms of it si then I know I had been probably slacking off with following the right lifestyle so I end up getting back on track. eating my right, doing small workouts since I hate heavy workouts, be strict with my sleep etc. so I hope others will do the same, no one else can truly help you unless you take the first step.. good luck❤

[@OurTube_TheOriginal]

Yes to those supplements. Also a good psychiatrist who has since left our rural area as is always the case….did a test of my genetics and although i had enough trauma (“torture” someone trained in such things explained my trauma actually was) to warrant depression etc. …i had a severe case of cPTSD that didn’t take me down till my late 50s. Anyway found out i have a gene that makes absorbing folate more difficult or some such thing. I started taking B vitamins and methyl folate (NOT FOLIC ACID) when i found the paperwork years later during my breakdown..i had been so busy etc. ignored it until then and taking methyl folate and b supplement (b vitamins work together) it added 5 hours to my day that after the breakdown i had lost due to not being able to get out of bed. Founder of AA believed in B vitamins too…

[@oem8530]

She is so me, I can't even believe. At least she was diagnosed pretty early and not at 35 with your whole life down the drain. I also had a similar breakdown for a long long time with panic attacks and dissociation for weeks, I was terrified of leaving my room let alone go out the house, i physically couldnt move, but I never worked out what that was all about and what caused it because I wasn't on meds, and then I never had it again. Maybe it was just a breakdown which would be pretty justified by the whole situation. Anyway it's such a better time right now to be diagnosed quickly and correctly as opposed to 20 years ago when they didn't even quite know how to spot bipolar2 from depression and anyway I seriously doubt they would have diagnosed a teenager with it... but better late than never, some people are even more unlucky. I am so happy for people younger than me who are hopefully going to have a much easier and quicker time at least with acceptance and diagnosis, which is half the battle anyway.x

[@fancydancer2016]

I feel you. I slept around, sold drugs, and spent money until I was 25 and was diagnosed. I had a depressive episode that caused a general practitioner to try Prozac which sent me into hide in my bedroom spirals from hell. I told my boss I was sad and wanted to jump off the 9 story building. Every antidepressant I was given sent me down a paranoid, terrified path. At one point I started telling a friend “hey, I’m about to start a new drug. Can I call you if needed?” Around that time I FINALLY found a doctor who would give me a mood stabilizer.

[@brianmeen2158]

Right now is a much better time to get diagnosed than 20 years ago but I still find things to be quite messy in terms of diagnosis, treatment and medications . It’s a crap shoot . I can’t imagine how things were for our ancestors - talk about in the dark and hopeless

[@octonautical1263]

My understanding is that depression along with many other mental illnesses are usually the result of trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences. With this in mind, her description of hearing voices and blacking out run parallel with stories Ive heard from people with dissociative disorders, esp Dissociative Identity Disorder. Hope shes doing well and thanks for the great video!

[@Alice-si8uz]

She was on a lot of medications and taking drugs at the time, that is the more likely answer tbh...

[@tiffanylynn8376]

“Chill Syl” 😂 this journey is gonna be fun!

[@shieh.4743]

I was given an SSRI for my mental health breakdown and it made me super super super anxious and nearly psychotic. Full blown panic attacks. Unable to eat, sleep, think, etc. My cousin was on an SNRI, so I tried that and boom. Soooo much better! I've been on that for 12 years now and had a couple lapses , but am now on a low dose and have been for 7 years. So, not always is an SSRI reaction because of bipolar disorder.

[@eleanoredmunds7102]

This video came up randomly on my home feed and ive now currently decided to book an appointment with my Dr and see if i can get a referal. So thanks 😊

[@aspidoscelis]

At 18:30 - Regarding being honest with your psychiatrist... it would be nice if someone would explain how to do that. For me, at least, the basic problem is that every interaction with the medical system puts me in a very stressful and unfamiliar social environment, and the way I've learned to deal with stressful, unfamiliar environments is "pretend everything is fine and hope they don't notice". That isn't a conscious choice, it's more like a fail-safe that just starts running of its own accord while my executive functions go hide in the corner for a while. Usually, a couple minutes after the interaction ends, I'm thinking to myself, "WTF? Why do I do that? It doesn't feel like that was even me in there!" Assuming this isn't unique to me, presumably there is some workaround or accommodation that could be put in place, but I don't know what it is or how to get there.

[@MJJYANA]

You probably went through a lot and deal with feelings of distrust and unsafety. I recognize what you are saying. Been send away a few times, because of my coping mechanisms. But since I try to be more open and more vulnerable about my issues, the more the help got into tune. It's very important to take the time to become comfortable and trust your psy or anyone you talk to, before opening up, because opening up makes you feel vulnerable and makes you feel unsafe.

[@aspidoscelis]

Thanks. I just don’t really know how to do the “becoming comfortable and trusting” part. There ought to be a manual, or something…

[@MJJYANA]

@@aspidoscelis there isn't a manual, because it's about feeling and everyone has their own tempo in that. It's normal behaviour when you went through a lot and it takes time to trust again. Don't rush, you probably had times where your trust had been broken, abused and situations weren't safe for you. Counselers and psych need to have patience. You may share that it's a big issue for you to create a connection. For me I also wasn't used to reach out for help anymore, because I had to deal with things on my own for a long time. Be kind to yourself 💓

[@aspidoscelis]

Well, suppose you’ve never seen anyone play golf, don’t know any of the rules, how scoring works, or what any of the equipment is for. And someone just sends you out onto a golf course, alone, with the instruction to “play golf”. That’s what it feels like.

[@aspidoscelis]

I think there are some social abilities everyone else takes for granted, and I just don’t have. I could learn, but it’s hard when people don’t realize that these are things you can simply… not know.

[@frazzledeos604]

(PDD, GAD here) You would be surprised about the high dose thing--it depends on how bad your symptoms are. if I was ever in the hospital needing a meds switch, they'd start off very high, vs out patient they'd start low.

[@Gchili]

The feeling of waking up every single morning to instant DREAD and the feeling of having to do it all over again is one of the worst things imaginable. And not having the guts or motivation to end it all. Just stuck here. I haven't had this bad like that for a while but I remember like it was yesterday.

[@Saritabanana]

EMDR is the jam, man. I love my therapist, Gail. She changed my life. Got so much worse before it got better. My mood can get down and my life can feel really heavy still at times, but at least now I'm aware of my triggers and have rewired my brain in a way to not react in such self harmful ways like isolating and ruminating and thinking everyone hates me. I see life and people differently like I don't need external approval to exist. I like it though! This therapy has helped more than the meds for sure but the combo is the key. Thanks!

[@jetsandthebombers]

Dr Syl these videos are excellent. You know how to communicate effectively. Glad i stumbled upon ur vids.

[@albacan]

If you are anxious you over breathe. Do everything you can to slow down and reduce your breathing

[@schnupsyjen2552]

I wish it were easier to find a psych as clued in as Dr. Syl.

[@daisybennett1600]

Dr Syl I had the exact same side effects (the hallucinations) with seroquel. They went away permanently after discontinuing the seroquel. Tbh it was full blown psychosis, and I think that my psychosis was not caused by dopamine because I now take vyvanse without any other medication and do not have any psychosis symptoms.

[@faithoverfear1722]

I feel what she said about lack of awareness my mom went unmedicated for a lot of our childhood and it was not good. My dad worked alot so he wouldnt have to deal with her. And no one thought that she needed psychiatric help.

[@SonyaStarStudio]

I’m from the US. And I can say therapy isn’t very great here. I had a therapist who she slowly switched me to a different SSRI . Couple weeks I had a problem renewing my prescription. I tried contacting her for 2 weeks and she never responded. I was completely out of my meds by then. I had to go to my primary doctor to get back on a anxiety medicine. By then I felt so bad by the side effects. I never used that therapist again. Kind of afraid to use another. I have severe anxiety and high functioning depression. These videos help me being aware of what others go through

[@ThePathOfLeastResistanc]

Therapists in the USA can’t prescribe meds

[@mandibailey9104]

I've never met a medical student or resident who didn't want to look for SJS. In 2021, we had 3 cases of possibe CJD (was properly diagnosed during autopsy) . CJD is not funny. It's terrifying. What was amusing is the residents all wanted to meet the patients. One was from the UK (yes, the patient's age aligned with the possibility of BSE & the pt was also from the UK) It wasn't BSE, but it was a form of CJD. This is my 23rd year in practice. Those cases of CJD are the only ones I've ever personally seen. What's even more interesting is that they all came in within 60 days of one another, weren't related, we couldn't find a link between the pts, and after autopsy each case was confirmed CJD yet the type was listed as CJD NOS. That was a terribly sad time but very interesting.

[@MissReneeMichelle]

I thought I was depressed for my entire life..... Come to discover in therapy work recently that it's not depression.... It's the long term effects of narcissistic abuse. From my narcissistic family member growing up and more recently with my narcissist ex partner.

[@empoweredlifeco]

@14:00 made me so damn happy. The SJS countdown is just priceless.

[@hetaes]

Mania can last months. I work with a bipolar man. He did very well the first 2 years, but then he started acting out of character. He wasn't sleeping. He couldn't focus on anything. He had tons of projects going at once. It was very difficult. He then went into psychosis, which lasted a couple of months. He's better now, but it took nearly a year to get back in balance.

[@Enjoyinglifeonedayatatime]

I really enjoyed this, I am glad that she got the help that she needed and continues to work on it.

[@myshihtzudontstink]

My anxiety makes me want to go to sleep. I used to fall asleep at Christmas parties because I have bad anxiety in social situations. Now I’m anxious because I have zero control of anything in my life.

[@avarcine]

I'm in the south and I was diagnosed with anxiety/depression for over a decade, got a new diagnosis of Bipolar 2 recently

[@livNSomehow]

If she was over medicated according to some folk, I hate to think what I was. Currently 24 and been on at least 20-30 different psychoactive medications. Currently take around 4 different types a day. It breaks my heart that she is my age and finally getting somewhere with MH, I don’t feel anywhere close. Love your recreations Dr. Syl, you’ll be a great psychiatrist xxx

[@livNSomehow]

And please do some videos on BPD ❤

[@rubytuesday7653]

Hoping ,a big change in your life. 🦋

[@avril.227]

Keep trying. 🙏🏻

[@medicine2202]

I think this quote sums up our struggles "Drugs and alcohol are not are problems, reality is our problem and drugs and alcohol are our solution to that problem"

[@BrianaCunningham]

When i was trying to get a diagnosis for my panic disorder and cyclical vomitting syndrome - I had both gps and psychiatrists that shamed me for using weed, making me feel even worse about myself and finished their "assessment" of me within 30 min and gave me a very strong antipsychotic. Thankfully I understand this is mistreatment and changed both doctors for new ones. Dont let anyone make you feel shitty for telling the truth. Not all psychiatrists and GPs are good at their jobs. Theyre suppsed to have a least basic empathy to work in mental health.

[@laanaalove]

Weed triggers cyclic vomiting syndrome

[@BrianaCunningham]

@laanaalove it can yes. But I have cyclical vomitting regardless. Even after I quit smoking. Mental health was the cause and it was ignored. Took four years to figure out it was my panic disorder. If I hadn't told anyone about my weed use, I wholeheartedly believe I would have been diagnosed sooner. 4 years of vomiting caused me to have four teeth replaced with fake ones. More than on thing can cause the same symptoms. No one was willing to look past my weed admission. They stopped caring.

[@laanaalove]

@BrianaCunningham my sister has CVS and also smokes weed, it's definitely a difficult diagnosis hey? They treat you like you're crazy :(

[@BrianaCunningham]

@@laanaalove I'm sorry to hear that she has it too. It's the worst.

[@travelpalz]

Very interesting perspective. I usually watch SWU, new angle here. Are you from Australia or New Zeeland? Cheers from Sweden

[@DrSyl]

Aussie! Welcome :)

[@WendyVega-mi3fe]

I love watching Dr.Syl hes very educated in every aspect of mental health hes my favorite as u watched different Drs. And they just never make sense he is so young too wich is surprising love watching you Dr. Syl thank you for wonderful educating videos and awareness

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

I'm just taking medication for my anxiety and it's made *such* a difference. I am not comfortable speaking to a therapist, probably due to my anxiety and bad experiences with past therapists. I don't think you need to see a therapist all the time.

[@thelonemaiden]

Really appreciates the providing reactions, on multiple aspects! This is great just in that this would help the post's dimensionality and expand on the lens:)

[@Ellerenh]

I thought for 10 years a just suffered from anxiety and panic attacks turns out I have schizophrenia. I just thought paranoia was anxiety but apparently I’m on the spectrum of schizophrenia, and you don’t need to hear voices, I’ve been on antidepressants and just started a antipsychotic and I feel amazing!

[@LB-xe6rz]

i was diagnosed with depression at 12 and put on prozac which lead to some bad side effects and i began to SH. they thought i might be bipolar but i refused to take another medication. years later around 19 i was diagnosed as ADHD and now take medicine for that and recently got on buspirone for anxiety and it’s going good so far!

[@achyleftistwitch]

I love SWU. Mark is so good at doing interviews and letting people speak their truth.

[@KraftyKc]

I watch her episode and again with you on your channel. She actually reminds me of my daughter, and my daughter has BPD. Actually, i have 2 daughters, and they both have it. But my one daughter helps herself and sees a doctor, but my other self medicate, and honestly, i think that's what holds her back with having any kind of a relationship with people. And she won't hear anything from doctors, let alone family telling her anything she dont want to hear. God forbid the weed is helpful. I actually think thats whats holding her back from life. I've dealt with Bipolar in my young adult years. I was given Lamotrigine which to this day was my live saving medication along with citalopram. When she said 300, i nearly fell off my chair. I think she may be wrong with that. I think they only give that amount to people with epilepsy. Even then, they wouldn't start you there. It's weird that she would only be Lamotrigine. I agree with her when she said to be honest with your doctor, or you'll never get the correct help. 😊

[@OurTube_TheOriginal]

“SSRIs” are not addictive he says but he admits one has to be weaned off . (EDIT ok well there isn’t craving for more SSRIs but i feel research shows addiction is not inherently the drug nor the person but environment induced the majority of the time and therefore conditons need to be changed. Dr. Carl Hart and many others’ work in that area) . Also he mentions bi-polar as the only thing that could result in mania with SSRI’s which is so inaccurate ….(EDIT: also happens with cPTSD and PTSD then too likely to get diagnosed with bi-polar rather than the PTSD though maybe things improving with PTSD awareness but it was true just 5 years ago here in US, CA at County mental health and in private settings a decade or two ago). ANYONE NOT ACTUALLY low on Seratonin etc. can end up “Manic” it is called Seratonin Syndrome. Also they have recently finally shown that SSRI effect can kick in with day or days. I’m going to stop watching this (EDIT: i was reactive ..and am back after watching another of Dr Syl’s videos so full with great vital info and insights including Dr. Syl’s curiosity asking questions. Also so many of his interruptions, added info is too basic to warrant the interruption - (EDIT i dont’ feel he is interrupting too much nor the info too basic - my bad). Though his descriptions of depression are good, detailed and accurate.

[@jennymeyers1995]

Great video Dr Syl. Would you be able to discuss the differences in bipolar 1, 2 and 3 in a future video please

[@cxvzf]

I’m not clinical but I disagree a little bit with your analogy of the difference between sadness and depression. I think that someone with depression can certainly experience peak moments of happiness kinda like if they were to win the lottery. But it’s the overall day-to-day sadness that’s so distracting and something that’s not normal.

[@hollehpazouki7623]

You have awesome videos. I am glad that I found you. Thank you:)

[@eXcludeyStarling]

She’s talking the same way I do. Why is that? I start a thought, add an “um”, rephrase and end up with two unfinished thoughts. I also have adhd. Why is that? It’s like it’s hard for me to find words to complete a full sentence.

[@tinajarvis6486]

I've been on all of them in addition to ect, but I felt the need to comment on Latuda being you said you haven't heard of that side effect....the second day I was on it I had hallucinations. I thought I seen a rattlesnake in my hallway, I ran to get the only thing in my mind to kill it,which was a pen. By the time I got back to the hallway it was gone, but I could hear the rattling under my feet and underneath the carpet. Therefore, I pulled the entire carpet up in the hallway. After, when I looked up sitting there wondering if I should rip up the carpet in the whole house, something caught my attention. Millions of spiders coming down the walls, and hanging from the ceiling. For some reason I snapped because I tried to get away from them by running into my roommates room but the door was locked. I still don't know why, but it immediately made me think that he had my kids in there holding them hostage and I called the cops. Mind you, he was at work, my kids were at school. Needless to say I was admitted to the crisis center, soon to go through ect.

[@tinajarvis6486]

Also, as the doctor said before he sent me to ect treatment. "You're on enough thorazine to put down a full grown cow, I just don't understand it". I felt like a test rat after that and especially after all the ect treatments. I quit everything, I don't leave home, I don't talk to no one. Don't know what's wrong with me, but I also just don't care anymore.

[@felixhenson9926]

I'm not a medical student but i knew the answer to the lamotrogine question! Mostly because i was on it. Tho i didn't know the details, just knew to look out for a rash and that it wasn't to be fucked around with and could be fatal.

[@neverlandproductions1262]

When she said that "The doctor didnt tell me what i had he was just like , here you go [meaning the prozac]" ...I feel like that everytime i see a doctor

[@Felice_Enellen]

I strongly disagree with saying it's never just medication. I grew up with pretty severe Generalized Anxiety Disorder until I started Prozac in my 20's and it was like a lightswitch was flipped and I suddenly felt the way everyone else seemed to be. It's remained that way, with family and friends confirming it. Sometimes it's _just_ brain chemistry.

[@sarahoakley7212]

I think what he means is the way psychiatry approaches treatment of mental illnesses like anxiety and depression is to use medications to get over the first little bump to reduce symptoms and help consumers get to a state where they can function again. From there, it’s intended that the consumer strengthens their coping skills and “rewire” their brain by using CBT or cognitive behavioural therapy. This in theory lessens the relapse probability as that person will now have more self awareness and they would have built more positive neural pathways. Thats fantastic that you were able to find solace with medications, however he’s just simply making the point that it’s evidence based to combine medication and therapy to achieve better and longer lasting outcomes in MOST patients. 😊

[@avril.227]

I agree. I have literally been anxious my whole life. It wasn’t trauma induced. Very few things help. Unfortunately they won’t prescribe Benzos for my GAD. I’m still anxious on SSRIs.

[@Felice_Enellen]

@@sarahoakley7212 That's sort of my point. You end by saying combined therapy is best "in MOST patients", and my point was that it's wrong to say "it's NEVER just medication." If it were never, then people like me wouldn't exist. It's not never. It's the way you say, just inverted, i.e. if the video had said, "almost never," I wouldn't have objected. TL;DR - I think we're on the same page

[@Felice_Enellen]

​@@avril.227OMG do NOT use benzos. They are extremely habit-forming. Your body gets used to them very quickly and then they stop working unless you take 2x as much, rinse and repeat until you're in rehab. Benzos are only good for occasional breakthrough symptoms (i.e. your boyfriend just cheated on you with your bff and you're freaking out). It's ok to have some on hand for that kind of situation but do not _ever_ take benzos on the regular. Is it safe to assume you tried increasing the SSRI dose? I started on 10 mg of Prozac and ended up upping it twice over a year or three to 30 and I've been stable on that ever since (10+ years).

[@veronicalz2695]

I often tell myself that exact thing that I wish to be like everyone else seems to be… I always come to those type of videos just to read the comments and feel less alone

[@I3lacKLisTt]

I find it weird as from the signs and symptoms I could be diagnosed with both e.x: like there was a period of my life where i would not take shower until i could feel a bad smell, if i did not smell i would not shower. I got a job and rented a room just so I could live alone, and not socialize, talk or interact with anyone, i just wanted to isolate myself. During pandemic, it was a blessing for me, now I could stay in my room for as much as I want and nobody could say anything. I don't know if this also counts as a sign but I only take hot showers, as hot as my skin can handle it. I use weed only to sleep, like 1 or 2 joints every night (other wise i won't be sleeping for 30h+ and sleep 12h the next night) The reason i can not fall asleep is that my brain thinks of situations that don't even matter, and it kinda feels that is trying to hide the bad thing that is about to happened either after I wake up or the following days. I am 25 now and this all started when i was around 21, i lost all the excitement, is not like i would not feel good or bad, is just that i would accept the feelings as they came and not make a fuss about it, it would not seem important to me to share what i was feeling as everybody had their own thing going on so why bother adding mine as well. As I mentioned I could be diagnosed with anx/dep, but honestly I never wanted to know and never accepted it. I tried to find my own way of happiness. and to be honest, all I ever needed was a pet (cat/dog), or even my circle who would actually be interested on what i have to say and share, and not try to argue for everything. (What i mean is that sometimes i would not explain anything because most of people would listen to reply and not to understand) Currently i still face sleepless night if i do not smoke, I hate humans, and do not want to interact with anyone, but everyday i make it a challenge where i have to socialize and see who is worth hanging out with and who's not. Getting shit together and doing good in life (even if you do not care at all and see it as a burden) helped me at least to make a progress on not always feeling anxious. p.s the only time I truly felt happy was when a friend of mine who is diagnosed with schizophrenia told me about the voices that was leading him to kill him self, I did not know what to do so I just hanged around him and his family and that night i don't even know what i did or said to him, but he and his father keep telling me that since that night, he would never think of killing himself, he just somehow deals with it and it kind of does not bother him as much as it used to. It has been 1 year since that day, and I still seek to help/befriend anyone who is dealing with their mind and does not want to give up

[@adventuresofperseus945]

Do u have a video on intrusive thoughts? For most of my life I thought the thoughts I had were normal, found out recently that it's anxiety. The thoughts I have are like horror movies. When I asked people before I just got a weird look. I haven't told a Dr until recently because I was scared to be put in a psych ward plus because I didn't know what it was and assumed everyone had this.

[@livinginparallel]

Pretty common in all types of OCD, definitely doesn't make you crazy, or even too weird tbh lol. A Dr probably wouldn't even bat an eye, unless it is debilitating or concerning you. Some types of OCD definitely FEEL more concerning, with the topic of thoughts you have, but tbhbif you're recognizing them as intrusive thoughts that a sign of your good mental health. But intrusive thoughts aren't you and aren't bizarre, and your doctor will understand that🩷

[@adventuresofperseus945]

@@livinginparallel it is dibilitating, I have to stop what I'm doing, I drive for a living and it becomes a pain in the ass because I have to stop driving and it can take some time for them to pass

[@livinginparallel]

@@adventuresofperseus945 then probably worth bringing up. I would just do your research first. I personally didn't approach my doc about any of my issues until I had already diagnosed myself and was basically just asking for confirmation for treatment. Asking a Dr to tell me what I don't already know has NEVER resulted in correct diagnosis or treatment for me, unfortunately, but I have gotten lucky lately with supportive doctors who's egos aren't threatened by a patient that wants to participate in the intellectual part of their own healthcare. Younger docs seem so be the best👌

[@joolslorien3936]

There’s a book called Dare by Barry McDonagh that I think has a really effective approach for managing intrusive thoughts. There’s also an app now too.

[@catherinemarsh5453]

When I decided to come off Luvox (ssri) I went cold turkey. I had night sweats, nightmares, cramps. I felt like I was a nutter by the 3rd day. I went to the chemist and a lady who was a naturopath told me to take Kava Calm 3 times a day. When I woke the next morning there was absolutely no sign of the withdrawal. I continued to take kava for two months and then decided to stop. There was still no sign of withdrawal. I would recommend kava to anyone coming off SSRIs. A miracle really. I have heard people actually suicide coming off SSRIs. If only they new about kava.

[@ariasaber9737]

I like this channel. It's comforting in a way.

[@austinbunyard3284]

I was put on a bipolar medicine when I was 17 I had horrible hallucinations

[@jennasorscia9044]

Bc of my vast experience with autism, I immediately suspected that when she said she had fits on the floor and overreacting.

[@livinginparallel]

I feel like I mention Autism on half the videos like this. SO MANY undiagnosed people being diagnosed with everything BUT when it should seem obvious.

[@kahleenriojas2684]

This video is so insightful and interesting, I love it! Got me to subscribe immediately. But... could you try not to munch on snacks during videos? It was nearly imperceptible and only in the very beginning, but as someone with misophonia, the little tiny noises got me. Maybe I'm the only one, just thought I'd mention it in case I'm not.

[@leslietisdial5753]

You are right that you should not ever stopped meds especially without the dr knowing. Trust me i stopped all mine a few months ago because of my thoughts about my meds. Things went bad real fast. I got pychosis back after yrs of no symptoms. Now im going back on my meds but they cant start them again at the doses they were at becausd they were high doses. Im still having symptoms but its not as bad now that im back on meds.

[@sagamaraia]

My story is quite similar but a bit weirder: I've had anxiety and depression like forever, first I got diagnosed with bipolar, but I didn't feel right with just lamotrigin. The diagnosis developed, I'm not bipolar and stopped taking lamotrigin, but got adhd medication (concerta). After my doctor retired they just dropped me cold from my medication and I plummeted to depression. I started zoloft, which helps a lot but shortened my sleep into 4 hours. Anxiety startted to subside but I slept a lot, but not very well. Meanwhile I was in treatment with EDs and dissociative identity disorder and started to get info about my sleep. I went to a sleep clinic and thought I would get an CPAP for apnea. But after a year I found the reason for ALL my symptoms. I have narcolepsy type 1 with cataplexy. Zoloft shortens REM sleep so I slept really well for a narcolepsy patient, but as I had gone for decades without a diagnosis, I'd gone through several burnouts and horrible sleep for years and years. They dropped me off of concerta because the doctors were worried I'm coming for the drugs. Funny how with narcolepsy diagnosis (certified and checked with spinal tap) you get all kinds of uppers and downers without any problems, it seems to be because we can't get addicted or something. Which seems unbelievable but is said to be studied and proven. Now I'm slowly dragging myself up from this hole I've been. My endorphines are low, I don't feel anhedonia or apathia but I don't experience rush of endorphines of anything. Weird little feeling that one too. Now I will be here forever. I will be dependant for drugs like Xyrem to have any good sleep. But right now I get to sleep for about 2x3 hours a night, which feels amazing. You really don't know what you are missing until you get it back.

[@karmanozdin]

Hi Dr Syl , watching this video immediately bought to mind my own experience with the Ssri citalopram , the first time I took it it took me about 10days to metabolise it and during that time sleep was very hard to come by and I needed a lot of support , the second time I took it during a very stressful time in my life coupled with the onset of the menopause it took easily a month to metabolise , sleeplessness, 1 hallucination akathisia, sensitivity to movement and noise , difficulty eating, once suicidal feelings , eventually I settle down , I was left with bruxism but it stabilised me well , but highlighted the potency of these meds and difficulties with decisions about persevering and about coming off them

[@kandymich4861]

My councillor passed away last year and I just found out. 😭 Councillor was moving and opening a practice where they moved to. They passed away before they could set it up. So no one told me I found out when looking up his new practice information. Going from sessions every few months to confusion why he didn’t respond to emails to maybe I wrote it down wrong. To finally, they were dead when I emailed so they could not respond. Had this person as my councillor for many years.

[@aaronanytime8897]

"Oh no now I have to deal with $15,000,000."

[@Sue-ck5yk]

😂 Just give me the 15 million. Then you won't have to deal with it anymore. Aren't I magnanimous? 😊

[@cutley427]

Great explanations for what’s going on with this young lady and her mental health care journey. I too am bipolar and have lived through similar medication trial and errors. When I get “clean” as Mark called it, 😂😉, we call it a medication Holiday. It usually last a year or two. ( the holiday).