Doctor wants to put me on a mood stablizer, lamectil?

Question

SAYS THERE ARE VERY FEW SIDE EFFECTS. I DON'T WANT TO START THIS IF IT ISN'T GOING TO MAKE ME PRETTY CALM ALL THE TIME. I'M AN ANXIOUS PERSON. I CERTAINLY DON'T NEED ANYMORE ANXIETY. NOISES REALLY BOTHER ME AND MY KIDS GET UNDER ME WHEN I'M TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING & IT MAKES ME NERVOUS AND ANXIOUS. HOWEVER, I DO HAVE 2 SETS OF TWINS 19 MONTHS APART AND AM DIVORCED. I HAVE A SERIOUS BOYFRIEND BUT I AM THE ONLY ONE THAT TAKES CARE OF THEM.

Answer 1

My first question would be if this doctor is merely a physician (family doc) or a psychiatrist. Family doctors are a lot quicker when it comes to prescribing psychotropic medication, which bothers me alot because when you take the time to read the info about these medications, you learn about undesirable side effects, the potential for addiction/dependence, and the fact that once you start a prescription regimen you can't just stop, you have to slowly decrease your doses in order for your body not to flip out.

With four kids in tow, I wouldn't recommend taking the meds unless you feel that your anxiety is causing you to neglect your kids or that you're not able to fulfill your motherly duties. From the sound of it, it just sounds like you have your hands full and you lack a strong support system. I would try to find some help with the kids first (let that boyfrien start helping out, if you're serious about him then he should have met the kids and started getting to know them by now), before popping some pills that may result in your kids having a zombie for a mother.

By the way, kids will be kids, they're gonna make noise and get in your way for the rest of their lives, so unless you want to take medication for the rest of your life, I suggest finding a better alternative to dealing with the matter. Maybe you need a vacation or a change of scenary; take the kids with you, it doesn't matter. Just don't get so flustered when they get in your way, they don't mean to make you anxious.