# 1st visit with Psychiatrist



## Guest (Apr 14, 2016)

Yesterday, I met with my primary physician after suffering several weeks of intense and chronic DR. My doctor then got me in touch with the psychiatrist they have available. He was not there in the office, but we were able to speak on the phone during the appointment. I described my feelings of derealization, which I really tried to emphasize. He prescribed me Sertraline (Zoloft) 50 mg.

I feel like he completely ignored my feelings of DP/DR and focused entirely on the anxiety and depression, rather than treating the DR as the main problem. He seemed dismissive of it. I've read here and elsewhere anti-depressants do very little for this. Anyone have experience with Sertraline?


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## Court Jester Stephen (Oct 20, 2015)

Another informative post by the king himself.


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## Ianar (Oct 31, 2015)

I also have my first appointment with a psychiatrist tomorrow. It will be interesting of sorts to have a pros diagnosis. My symptoms do not fit nicely in to just depression or DP. I do not have textbook DP symptoms but they did have a very sudden onset after experiencing bad anxiety, which seems typical of DP and less typical of depression. Meh, all labels and the brain is infinitely complex.

I suspect I will be told I have depression and leave with an SSRI script 300 quid lighter.


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## TDX (Jul 12, 2014)

I just accepted the depression diagnosis because I can get more medication with it than otherwise.


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## Ianar (Oct 31, 2015)

Makes sense I guess. The med merry go round must begin. When I tried citalopram at the start it put "suicide montages" in my head, which is why I've delayed this time for many months. That and having seen my best friend maimed by psychiatric medication. No choice now.


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## Guest (Apr 15, 2016)

As soon as you begin describing your dpdr symptoms, the first thing they do is ask questions about head trauma, seizures, accidents. They jump to the conclusion that the dpdr is physical, and once that is ruled out they they settle on the depression/anxiety diagnosis.

We only spoke for a few minutes over the phone so I understand it may have been difficult to properly diagnose me in such a short time, but still. One of the reasons given for the Zoloft prescription was because it would "help me sleep". I found it all very lazy on his part to rush to anxiety/depression. It's not anxiety/depression.


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## Ianar (Oct 31, 2015)

Strange. I thought zoloft was one of the most activating ssris, and prescribed more for people with apathy/hypersomnia issues. He probably said that to try and induce a placebo effect in you.

I think most psychs probably have their 'goto' first drug of choice, whatever the symptoms, then move down the list.


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## Max XR (Apr 9, 2016)

Ahh, I had a feeling most doctors believed DP to be non existent because every doctor I talk to, literally does not respond when I talk about depersonalization/dr... they might ask what my symptoms are but their response is either null or "interesting...".


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