Day 13 clean.. Aftercare question

[Real180]

So I'm in day 13 of being clean and been attending meeting almost everyday for the past week (trying to get as close to 90 in 90 as possible). In addition to meetings I wanted to speak with a addiction counselor in  one on one sessions as well to support my aftercare efforts. A friend gave me a number of a therapist so I called.. I get this guy on the phone and tell him about my addiction to pills.. He asked a few qualifying questions like how long, how much and etc... Basically, this guy knows my name and story (90 - 120 mg per day for about 5 yrs) -- he instantly says, well addiction  is a sign of having a serious mood swing disorder and in order to treat it properly I will have to be prepared to see a psychologist in addition to him so I can be prescribed medications to control my mood swings (btw, I never told him I have difficulty controlling my moods and he never asked me if I had any difficulty controlling my moods). I was a bit taken aback by his 30 sec diagnosis but I am committed to having an open mind in doing what it takes to treat my addiction properly... Anyway, I said to him let's talk first before we make any assumptions but this therapist shut me down mid sentence to say that he knows what he is doing.. Still taken aback I kept an open mind and set an appointment... I hung up and told my wife and asked some friends who know me and my situation all seemed to agree that this therapist was way off... Why would he A) diagnosis you over the phone? B) suggest medication as a treatment option for someone who has a history of abusing medication? So I decided to,call and cancel and look for a different therapist... Now, I know finding the right therapist may require going to a few first to see if we click but I wanted to ask the MH team if I should expect similar experiences or if this is an exception? I'm new at this so I just wanted to hear some opinions... Thanks!

[jessem85]

Also addiction is not caused by mood swings it is caused by dopamines in your brain a dopamine is your sense of happiness like when you eat something that taste good or any type of pleasure causes dopamines when you do mind altering drugs it makes fake dopamines that are more powerful then the real ones your brain produces so it is common to have mood swings when coming off drugs because what was pleasurable before the drugs don't seem so pleasurable now but in time your natural dopamines will regain control

[jessem85]

I seen a therapist for a while it took a while to find a good one but a lot of therapists are affiliated with physciatrists who work with pharmaceutical companies who are marketing there pills and they all get cuts from the prescriptions some only care about the money but there are a lot of good therapists out there and if you have had trauma in your life that pushed you towards drug use look up mindful based cognitive therapy it is great and there are no pills involved a councilor in a detox I was in told me about this good luck and keep trying

[ThePhoenix75]

Just wanted to back up what everyone is saying here.  I see a therapist (and have for years) and have never heard that addiction is caused by mood swings and all addiction patients need to see a psychiatrist for medication managment.

I think this is one very rare school of thought.

It took me a while too to find a therapist that worked and when I did I found it extremely helpful.

Congrats on your clean time, keep up the good work!

Phoenix

[JRyan1206]

Congrats on being clean for 13 days! This "therapist" was totally wrong! I do one on one counseling, it took me a few dr but it was well worth it!! I actually feel so much better going to counseling! Def focus on an addiction counselor who really understands what you're going through! Like I said it can take a bit but worth it! Make sure you find someone you are comfortable with! Great job and keep it up!! That's already a huge accomplishment!

[clean_in_ks]

Absolutely listen to your gut on this one!  Find another one....you were labeled, put in a box and cut off at the pass.....he sounds full of himself....

I have just been looking for a dr online...not a therapist...but still...same scenerio.

I have looked at the patient reviews, the dr's schooling, background, specialites, awards, etc.  I even found some videos where the dr presented their "style" or "focus" so new patients would know if it was a good "fit".
I found one I REALLY think fits.....you can learn a lot by reading what other patient's experiences are.

Good for you on the meetings and the thorough mindset....you'll find just the right one.....keep us posted, ok?

[ImDONENoMore]

I do believe this is the exception.  There are a lot of good Dr.'s out there, and if this one is already cutting you off MID-SENTENCE (which of course, means already he's NOT listening to you and he's hasn't even MET you yet for goodness sakes!), then you were absolutely correct in deciding to look elsewhere.

Keep looking and find the Dr. you deserve.  And good for you for being so proactive about your recovery!  :)