Why do doctors want to give you anti depressants and not listen when you say you want counseling??

Question

I told my doctor i thought i had an eating disorder. She said ok lets put you on prozac, you must be eating cause you are depressed. UM no i'm not depressed i eat too much!! So I say is there counseling available i mean come on and she says well the prozac will help you be less compulsive about your eating. GRR so now i have a new doctor and i don't want to ask her about it but i really think i need help!! Ok that was ranting my question is tho why do doctors want to give you antidepressants but not REAL help????

I tried to ask for a counselor, she just kept wanting me to take the prozac. I said no. I mean there's help for anorexia and bulimia why not for eating too much????

I'm really enjoying some of your answers. Ya'll are awesome

I SAID I AM NOT DEPRESSED!!!!

And honestly, even tho i don't do it anymore, i would trust marijuana before i'd trust an antidepressant that you have to take for months before you get any results and then can't get off when you want to cause you are addicted.

Answer 1

What you need to do is call several psychologists in your area and ask about their fees and policies. Once you have the list narrowed down to a couple you might like, go visit their offices. If you feel comfortable in the office, make a consultation appointment---a meet and greet appointment. See if this is the person you want to tell your thoughts to. Then, by all means, share your thoughts. Psychologists can't prescribe antidepressants, but they can contact your general practitioner if they think such a prescription might be helpful.

Answer 2

The most current help for anorexia and bulemia is a 12-Step Program just the same as those followed by alcoholics and addicts, because it has been determined that these are addictive disorders.

You, too, can get all the counseling and understanding you need by attending Overeaters Anonymous meetings!

You are very, very right! You do NOT need prozac or any other meds at this point. What you need is compassion, people who understand you because they are walking the same path you walk, testimony from those who have overcome the addiction of overeating, people who understand that addiction, in any form, is a disease that can very effectively be treated without medication.

Find a local meeting of O.A. and go let yourself feel what it is to be accepted, understood and be in a whole roomful of people who want to get better WITHOUT USING MEDICATIONS THEY DON'T NEED.

Good luck to you! I think you are incredibly brilliant for refusing to take the medication.

Oh, and the reason doctors do it? Pharmaceutical companies pay them for how many prescriptions they write for it! Why do you think they have closets full of all those free samples? Give someone a magic pill, the someone likes it and wants a prescription and there ya go! The more scripts, the bigger the check.

I worked in a psychiatric facility for 5 years. Prozac is NOT for everyone. Don't take that stuff, please. Check out O.A. first and give it a good, solid chance. I think you'll be pleased and proud that you did.

Answer 3

I would have gotten rid of the first doctor, too, but for different reasons. The answer to your question is : NO good psychiatrist is going to want to see you only for counseling. A good psychiatrist needs to see you, make a diagnosis, then refer you to a counselor/therapist....UNLESS you have a psychiatric disorder which needs to be monitored by a doctor.
Psychiatrists are DOCTORS. Most of them have therapists/counselors working in their practices so that meds can be monitored.
I think you need to ask what your specific diagnosis is. Over-eating is a symptom of depression, and maybe your ex-shrink was correct, but get the second opinion. If you have Major Depression, perhaps you need to be on an anti-depressant. You will not need to be monitored every week for taking Prozac, in my opinion.
So, tell your new doctor everything. If you cannot do that, you should not even be going to the doctor at all, because it is a waste of time and money. Counseling may well be the answer, with follow-ups to your shrink occasionally. Good Luck !

Answer 4

I agree with a lot of these answers in that MD's aren't trained in therapy so you're going to have to find a therapist such as a counselor or a psychologist, preferably someone who specializes in eating disorders.

Eating disorders of all kinds are an (unhealthy) coping skill and things like depression and anxiety can be underlying problems. But if you don't need Prozac then there's no reason to feel forced to take it.

You have more power than you think and if you don't like the advice you're being given then look elsewhere. Believe me, I learned long ago that it takes a little aggresive action to find good help for yourself.

There's a toll-free number that you can call that might be helpful that offers free therapist referrals for whatever area you live in. It's 1-800-Therapist. They can possibly find you a therapist in your area who specializes in eating disorders.

Also, find out if you have any Overeater's Anonymous meetings in your area. To do so, you can check your local paper or go to their website at http://www.oa.org/all_about_meetings.htm

A good website to check out is Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center. They not only have a referral system but if you scroll down the page you'll find information on a lot of different eating disorders. You can access this page at http://www.edreferral.com/

Good luck and I hope some of this is helpful for you.

Answer 5

Unfortunately many doctors trained in Western medicine (like here in the States) reach for the pills as treatment before exploring other things.

Remember, it's your body. If you don't want to take pills, you don't have to. You can say "No thank you, I'd rather try therapy first." Actually, I wish more patients would do this.

I suggest you try counseling first. You can contact your local health department and find a listing of counselors who specialize in eating disorders.

It may be that you do have a component of depression and that you should go on medication, but I'd start with a good evaluation by a psychologist first. Then, if they agree that you should be on medication, you can reconsider trying it.

Answer 6

this is going to sound sad, but it is true, Dr. invested lots of cash to think they know so much that they don't want to listen to you and rather have you take a pill and get dizzy and shut up.
Dr.s backed by lawyers and other educational enterprises generate trillions of tax dollars invested in disease. so to be honest if they listen to people and fix things they will lose a lot or revenue and the government needs the taxes.
its my professional opinion if your eating to much you may be compensating for many things.
one being a pain in you tummy . try first a glass of water. then try just a little snack or maby try some acid reducer if necessary but proceed with caution and read all labeling and look things up before you do them.good luck and take Cair.
oh and mail congress and the house along with the president and staff about this international crisis. "they should get paid for fixing problems not helping them."

yours truly
DW

Answer 7

Because it's easier than going through hours of counseling listening to someone who may not be able to afford the amount of counseling necessary to overcome the thinking that leads them to eat a lot.

Then there's the feedback when the doctor advises the next time you get the urge to eat, let it be fruit and water, and try to get in touch with your feelings at the moment you want to reach for something to eat.

If they could push that EASY button, they would.

Answer 8

I have had some of the same experience with doctors and I've come to realize that they don't know everything. Nobody does. I'm glad you found a new doctor. Instead of asking your new doctor if counseling is available, tell him/her that you're going to seek counseling for it, but you don't know where to go. That will put it in their brain that you've already made the decision.

Answer 9

You know that nice waiting room you sat in before your appointment? See the high tech equipment sitting around the examining room? Do you think your doctor paid for all that? Nope. The kickbacks from the drug company that he prescribes paid for it. On a regular basis a drug company sends a Representative to your doctor for a commitment to prescribe a certain amount of their drug. In exchange they offer to remodel the office, donate a new machine, set up new computers, etc. This is why he prescribed medication rather than honor your request for counseling.

Answer 10

Many of these answers are correct with saying that it is money related. Bureaucratic nonsense.
I had to call my own therapist and set up my own appt because I initially had a doctor who was doing this very same thing to me. You don't always need a referral to see a counselor. Many facilities have good reviews for physicians posted on websites.
Good luck and follow your instincts.