[GravelyPam]

#1059986

Does anyone else have severe agitation and anger? I was pulled over yesterday for a traffic ticket and I became so agitated and angry that I was almost arrested.

Before Grave’s, I was a person that remained the most calm in any situation, that is no longer who I am–sadly.

I was officially diagnosed a year ago. For a year before that I was seeing a natural doctor for symptoms and acupuncture which helped little. When I started having heart palpitations, the natural doctor directed me to Western medicine…where I had radiation, I went hypo and I’m now on generic Synthroid and my levels were high last month and my dosage was reduced. I feel that diet and yoga is key for most of my symptoms, I follow an Ayurvedic diet and I juice everyday. However, it does little for my agitation and anxiety.

Does anyone see a psych as well? I’m in the Long Beach, Ca area, if there are any recommendations.

[vanillasky]

#1179398

I am sure I am in the minority, but in my opinion, you do not need one.

You are not mentally ill, nor disturbed. Who is to define what is and who is mentally Ill?

We have Graves’ Disease and there, Graves’ Rage. I used to think it was my hot Italian temper, my mother used to say and still does “you were such a sweet little girl.” This is ignorance on her part. She doesn’t understand Graves’ and never will, I don’t try to make her. She’s 87 years old.

Sometimes we need to chill. I have a friend that is a priest. He’s good to talk to and not judgemental. You might just need a “friend.” But as far as giving someone $200 an hour to lie on their couch? Personally I don’t believe in it. This is just my opinion and I hope everyone can agree to disagree.

Karen

[Kimberly]

#1179399

@GravelyPam – Unexplained anxiety and anger certainly can be symptom of hyperthyroidism, so I would say that your first priority is to make sure that your levels are stable on this new dose. Hopefully, your new doctor has you scheduled for follow up labs to see if any further tweaks are needed. Most doctors prefer to prescribe a brand name replacement hormone (Synthroid, Tirosint, etc.). There are multiple generic manufacturers and if you are switched from one to the other (which your pharmacist *should* tell you if that happens, but that doesn’t always occur), the body could absorb the meds differently.

However, in some cases, there is another underlying disorder that could benefit from treatment. If you are still having issues once your levels are stabilized, your endo or general practitioner should be able to refer you to a specialist who can give you further direction. This presentation from our 2012 San Diego conference on the emotional aspects of Graves’ might be of interest:

(Note on links: if you click directly on the following link, you will need to use your browser’s “back” button to return to the boards after viewing, or you will have to log back in to the forum. As an alternative, you can right-click the link and open it in a new tab or new window).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB8_5rbCso8

@Karen – Yes, we can agree to disagree. In most patients, getting levels to a point where they are normal and stable will help get them off the Graves’ emotional rollercoaster. However, I do believe that there are other patients who can benefit from counselling, medications, etc. if there is another underlying disorder.

[SueAndHerZoo]

#1179400

I respectfully agree to disagree.

I’ve always had issues with anxiety and panic attacks but pretty much had them well under control for the past several years. That is, until my thyroid came out of remission. The anxiety and panic attacks came back in full force and they have really tried to rob me of my life again. I made an appointment with a psychiatrist who suggested some meds, and then I made an appointment with a therapist. After only two sessions I feel SO MUCH better. My thyroid hasn’t changed any but the issues that are bubbling beneath the surface (that I used to be able to stifle and hide) are getting worked through and I wouldn’t be surprised if more of the agitation is my anxiety and NOT the thyroid.

It can’t hurt and it can only help. If you have insurance, give it a try.
Sue

P.S. I believe EVERYONE could benefit from some counseling sessions.

[vanillasky]

#1179401

It is my strong background in Scientology that keeps me away from those people and for good reason.

I did see one 2 years ago by the advice of my husband. She called me “stupid” and I lost it. Stupid? Why? She explained because my choice of vehicles was not practical. At that point, I was earning a lot of money so I purchased a beautiful red Porsche. She claimed I was “stupid” because I didn’t drive it in the winter. I told her I wanted the car and driving in the winter would destroy the oil pan had I bottomed out on the snowy streets.

She then told me I had gynecologist issues with hormones and to go “away.” She ordered me to leave her home. (yes, she conducted her business out of her home) and made me stand in the laundry room next to a pile of dirty, smelly laundry until I could get a ride home.

I found her to be nuttier than a Christmas fruitcake. So that’s my take on it.

My cousin who married a man that had a child, went to see a shrink because the child hated her. When she left the sessions, she was a basket case. She cried for days claiming the shrink made her feel worse about her self when all she wanted to do was love this child.

My Scientology background saved me from SSRIS and the poison these so-called doctors dish out. I was sweating, vomiting and hallucinating on 4 different brands and it wasn’t for depression. It was for perimenopausal hot flashes.

I owed a lot to the Church at the point to get me off those drugs as they are addictive.

My aunt had surgery to replace one of her knees. They gave her Cymbalta and she tried to jump out the window of her 3 story home. Suicide is always listed with anti-depressant mild-altering drugs.

I am not here to change the world, but feel I had to speak out about these types of doctors, abusive drugs and the licenses that have been yanked by abusive psychiatry. In 2011, The Church of Scientology yanked nearly 300 medical licenses away from abusive psychiatry and their doctors.

This year, we strive for more. Scientology has saved me from getting sicker than I already am.

But if it works for you, I say go for it. Personally, it did me more harm than good.

Karen

[Kimberly]

#1179402

Hi Karen – It’s definitely important to connect with the right specialist…and it sounds like you and your family members have unfortunately crossed paths with several “bad apples” in the bunch.

I think the gentleman who gave the presentation in the link above is an example of how psychiatry *should* work. First, he talks about getting thyroid hormone levels under control, recognizing that symptoms can overlap that of panic disorder, depression, and anxiety disorder. But for those who do have an underlying disorder, he talks about *all* the options. Some are simple lifestyle changes (getting group support, exercise/diet, meditation, etc). Others are more involved, such as cognitive behavior therapy. And for those who need it and can benefit from it, he does discuss the option of medication.

I do agree with you, though, that there needs to be an open discussion of potential side effects prior to starting *any* medication, whether it’s cholesterol meds, anti-thyroid meds, antidepressants – or any other drug.

[vanillasky]

#1179403

@Kimberly, Yes, that’s exactly it! I had the misfortune of finding a real winner and it was just by a small booklet sent to me by United Health Care. I had never heard of her and just took a shot at it. She was strange. She had conducted her counseling in her “plant” room. Talk about HOT! I was sitting among spider plants and all sort of tropical stuff.

She had signs posted all over the place about not getting her rugs dirty and you had to wear paper slippers. LOL!

You had to leave going through her laundry room. I found that unpleasant. It was a bad day for me I’ll never forget because it was my birthday! I had one other session prior to that and I really liked her. I thought she was eccentric but nice. The second session was like “Jekyll and Hyde.” Complete turn around. I even did my homework that she gave me.

She was insulting. And she said other things that were just out of control that I took offense to as well. And I had to pay her a co-payment,the insurance picked up the rest.

I reported her behavior to the insurance company. They contacted her and I got a letter of apology from her. She asked me to come back and see her again. At that point, I thought the damage had been done and declined another session with her. I didn’t think she understood me and this was before I was diagnosed with Graves’ and even if she knew I had Graves’ I don’t think it would have made a difference to her.

My cousin certainly would not recommend her doctor because he put her in such a state, all she did was cry. Talk about depression. She sank very, very low. It took a long time for her to pull herself back together again. And she had issues with just feeling rejected by this 12 year old child.

I also have another cousin. He is in Attica State Prison. He got 10-25 years. He has a psychiatrist that he meets with several times a week. Unfortunately, it is not helping him with his progress of being a model prisoner. He has more time added because he has gotten into fights, made homemade knives, attacked other prisoners and refuses to take his computer course. So it leaves a sour taste wondering what exactly this doctor is doing for him? Or is he a hopeless case?

A neighbor of mine has an 18 year old that tried to commit suicide on Lexapro. He was depressed because his girlfriend broke up with him.

A friend of mine with a 12 year old daughter feels rejected at school. she is now taking Zoloft. Her mother is worried about her. She seems very withdrawn.

All of this makes me feel very negative about counseling. I do like talking with my Priest. He doesn’t cost anything and he doesn’t prescribe drugs. LOL!

**If anyone is interested, Tom Cruise has a youtube video with Matt Lauer that was done when he goes off about depression pills and the use of them for post partum depression and mentions Brooke Shields. I think he really sheds some light on the subject.

Sorry for the soap box. But I really have a strong conviction about those pills and I certainly am no doctor but I’d hate to hear someone got very ill or killed themselves because of them. On the same token, I realize they do work for some people and I think that’s wonderful. Mike Wallace used them for years. he claimed they saved his life. So I guess it’s different strokes for different folks.

Karen

[gerical]

#1179404

HI to all again. I first want to say that I am not HAPPY that I hear all these psych complaints, but it is a relief to understand now I am not the only one who feels at times I am losing my mind. I sometimes step back and say to myself, the old Geri would not have reacted this way. I am at times short-tempered, impatient and notably distressed. I find that when i remind myself it is not “me” but this syndrome I am going through I can put a better handle on it. I personally don;t feel like talking to someone or going on meds will help me. I need to help myself. If nothing else to put myself first, rest when i need to and know that I am not alone and will eventually feel “better”. I guess this is the way I cope with all of these emotional swings. I will say that this forum certainly helps!

Best to all

“Won’t let Graves get in the way”

[Raspberry]

#1179405

In the agreeing to disagree spirit…. I think counselors are a lot like car mechanics. It matters who you see, it matters a lot and just because some car mechanics will rip you off doesn’t mean that all car mechanics are incompetent and that sometimes your car really does need someone to fix it. I’ve seen some baaaaaad counselors and a couple of a good ones that really mattered. I’ve taken some antidepressants that had bad side effects, I took one that literally saved my life and kept me employed. I think the trouble is that it is such a high stakes issue, letting another person or a drug, mess around with your heart and brain.

[vanillasky]

#1179406

@geri, couldn’t agree with you more. I think you are handling things very well. When I get really, really frazzled, I know I have Father McKenna to listen to me. Aside from that, I have my books, “Dianetics,” “Self-Analyis.” and “Introduction to Scientology.”

If you want to read some great things about the psychiatry, please read “Dianetics.” It gives the history of it in one chapter and how the old methods of electro-shock therapy came about. That is now a thing of the past so we rely on Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Celexa, and when those don’t work, the pharmaceutical companies add a booster shot like “Abilify.”

This is an added shot in the arm for the pharmaceutical company to make more money! And I know a pharmacist that has filled many prescriptions of Abilify and said his quote “it’s nasty stuff.”

@Raspberry, you definitely have a valid point and I agree with you. The car mechanic comparison is great! However, how do you find a good counselor? Do you interview them first? I think that might be a good idea. And as far as the pills? Personally I’ve yet to find one that works for me. Especially Effexor. that did the most damage to me.

[SueAndHerZoo]

#1179407

I think another thing that would distinguish whether or not we feel we need help via medication/therapy is whether or not there were any pre-existing anxiety or depression issues. I have struggled with anxiety since I was about 6 and have seen therapists and used medication to keep it under control. That was long before Graves hit, but once it did, all the pre-existing conditions took off like a rocket.

So if you’re only dealing with a little agitation due to the increased metabolism I wouldn’t rush to take anxiety meds or therapy, but if the problem was already there and this pushed it over the edge, this may be the perfect time to do something about it.
Sue

[gerical]

#1179408

I just feel like “How can someone really get into your head? How do they really know how you feel? Repeating it over and over to a third party has never really helped me although I do know other people who swear by it. It is a personal choice but I say whatever helps GO FOR IT! I prefer the calming affect that knowing others feel the same way you do! Anyhow, I do really appreciate the therapeutics of this message board. It is great to vent to others who know EXACTLY what you mean! Love to all!

[vanillasky]

#1179409

No one can get into your head. That’s the problem. It is a pseudo-science. It is all based on opinions.

If you’ve ever seen the two little blobs floating around on the commercial for Zoloft, it says “it’s been thought that there is an imbalance of…..”

“It’s been thought.” There is the key. It is therefore a theory. No one can measure your brain chemistry through blood work to see if you have an imbalance and if you are depressed.

Depression has many causes. Personally I can say I am depressed because of a number of things that have happened to me in my life. Illness, the loss of a loved one, problems with money, marriage, etc.

For someone who has an imbalance, it goes much deeper than that. What is the root of depression? A little blue pill is not going to cure my Graves’ disease, my brain tumor, the way my husband talks to me. It may make a living dumbbell out of me, but that’s all it’s going to do. Those pills are a band aid for the things that bother us. Just zoning out will make things easier but it’s really a mask we hide behind.

And the drug companies? they just get richer as they charge high prices for these so called “depression” pills. I do not believe in them, sorry. I had bad experiences with them, my family has and now that I’ve turned to the Church of Scientology, I can see why they are on the bandwagon to get people off of them. There are many sites on the net of people screaming about addiction to these pills, gaining weight, feeling worthless and suicidal.

[Kimberly]

#1179410

vanillasky wrote:

If you want to read some great things about the psychiatry, please read “Dianetics.”

I’m glad that this approach has brought you peace, Karen. We each need to find our own path! But just to clarify for others, this is not something that is on the GDATF’s reading list.

[Naisly]

#1179411

My take on it all (not like you people listen to me anyways)

People are getting in your head every single day, and not just once but over and over. And that is marketing. The basic of Marketing is psychology. The goal is to make you NEED the product, not just WANT it.

Here in Canada, only psychiatrists can prescribe medicine since they have a phd, where as psychologists can’t because they only have a MA. And obviously councilors can’t, they have to be careful because they are not allowed to give ‘ideas’ their job is to only listen. Only one able to give you ‘ideas’ is a psychiatrist.

But if you were to see a psychiatrist, you can ask in the first appointment that you do not want medication. At that point their technique in treating you changes, so this is important. And just because you had a bad experience with one, doesn’t mean the other you will. It’s like seeing an endo, you went and found another after your first bad experience didn’t you? You didn’t give up – What if you did give up after the first bad experience with an endo? More than likely you would be dead.

Any type of counseling will only work if you want it to. It’s the same as an addict who goes for treatment, if they do not want to help themselves, then counseling won’t work either. So in other words, if you walk into your appointment with the idea that it won’t work, then it won’t, simple as that.

We are very social creatures, and no, not just going out for coffee with your friends. Like the psychology of this board as an example how groups work. If one person was to pop up and say, “hey, I had great success with a councilor”, more would follow. Not now of course, since I have already put it in your psych. Another example is – when someone on this board chooses a treatment such as RAI, almost all will follow suite with the same treatment. You are looking for affirmation. Currently everyone is talking about TT, same thing. Much like ‘mob mentality’, people tend to loose their self-awareness. And for this reason, I don’t really like this board. I only come on to watch really.

If you notice, not many talk about ATD’s as a treatment choice. For most part this is because we are a lot better, we really have no need to join in, there is not much to say. There are literately tons of other groups focused at ATD therapy since ATD’s are a growing trend, as well as first treatment choice in Europe, China, Japan and Australia. And GDATF is about the only group that focuses on RAI or TT. My point here is, if there where not other places for ATD patients, and more stood up and talked here, you would see a major shift on treatments on this board. It is just how our society works.

But the moral of the story is, whether you like it or not, people are ‘getting into your head’ everywhere. I can guarantee I have, and you know what? It’s ok to be angry with what I said, it is healthy after all.

Btw, I study both marketing and psychology.

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