Anti-Anxiety

Anxiety is almost a prerequisite for adults in America. Luckily, these cool people in lab-coats and goggles make the most wonderful drugs for this condition. Wonderful because they offer a reprieve from dealing with stress. The down-side is the habitual nature of anxiety, and the drugs that follow. Doctors are important, and they generally want their patients to feel as good as possible. There is a screaming loud over prescribing of anti-anxiety medication, and someone has to be blamed. I choose the patients, and the doctors.

The fault of the patient is two-fold. The first is education. The internet can tell you almost everything you could possibly want to know. So instead of looking up what anxiety is and how to get xanax; look up why you have unmanageable anxiety. Read about long-term use of a drug that should be used for emergencies, and people who have actual anxiety disorders. Find out the difference between habitual drinking and prescription drug use to escape. I think most of us were taught what "escapism" is in health class, during the showing of illicit drugs they were enticing me with. They told me that it was unhealthy to attempt escape from life all the time.

The second fault of the patient is the delivery of their sob story to the doctor. I have witnessed this type of exam room acting, and it works. Most of the time, thinking about your anxiety is what makes you anxious. Keep that drama out of the doctor's office; there are therapists that deal with that. Be honest with yourself and your doctor. If you are drug-seeking, prepare yourself for frequent doctor changes; they aren't stupid.

The doctors... First, an internal medicine doctor should never treat serious mental disorders. They are not qualified, even though they may be knowledgeable. If your anxiety is bad enough to justify long-term opiate use, the doctor should know that he needs to write you a referral to a psychiatrist. There are much safer drugs out there. The other glaring issue with an internist is their inability to give the correct advice on how to manage anxiety. Find a therapist or support group if you are brave enough. It can be scary to delve into the truth about what you look like on the inside. If you truly want to deal with a problem in a positive way, the best course of action is to see the right professional. Most insurance providers have excellent mental health coverage.

This is what your doctor is probably not telling you: Anxiety is a warning. It is the same as pain. If you hold a lighter up to your hand, it burns, and you immediately remove your hand from the flame. Your brain makes that decision in a split second; subconsciously. By the time you become aware of your anxiety, your brain has already been warning you. The problem is that it doesn't hurt as bad as being burned, so it is easier to ignore. The meds for anxiety are tricky. The tolerance factor leads to increasing doses or loss of effect. They also breed anxiety. Your brain will not relent on the warnings either; it will increase the level of pain until it is truly dealt with. There is a reason your brain is warning you, and shutting it up every day is cowardly. We are equipped with so many amazing systems for managing almost any problem. We need to take a look at what we can do to manage stress on our own first, and if you come up short, and are consumed with anxiety or depression, then it is probably time to get outside help. Oh yeah, you can save a co-pay if you have support from the people who love you. "It takes a village", and if you have even a small one, they might be able to help too.

Note: I am not presuming that all anxiety is trivial, or that there are not people who truly have disorders that make life impossible to manage without medication.