“Doctor, I can’t sleep!” “Here, take this Ambien.” “Ambien scares the crap out of me; it makes my friend call me up late at night and ramble incoherently at me, and I’ve heard it makes people have sex and forget it happened.” “Eh. Take it anyway, that doesn’t happen to most people.”
“Doctor, I still can’t sleep, I worry all the time, and it’s wrecking my motivation at work. And the Ambien works, but it makes me trip out more than I probably should most nights.” “You have an anxiety disorder. Here, go to this psychiatrist, Doctor #2. And don’t take so much Ambien.”
“Doctor #2, I can’t sleep, I worry all the time, and it’s wrecking my motivation at work. Oh, and Ambien makes me trip out before I fall asleep.” “You have anxiety and depression. Here, take these antidepressants, and these benzodiazepines if you need them, plus these folates and vitamin D … oh, and replace that Ambien with this Lunesta, and come back every week. And let’s talk about the work situation, something’s messed up there …”
Anecdotal, sure; and pretty recent. But I didn’t start out with the idea “I’m depressed and should seek antidepressants”. I thought I had a sleep disorder, but it turns out our reality doesn’t issue time machines for those.
Then there’s me.
“Doctor, I can’t sleep!” “Here, take this Ambien.” “Ambien scares the crap out of me; it makes my friend call me up late at night and ramble incoherently at me, and I’ve heard it makes people have sex and forget it happened.” “Eh. Take it anyway, that doesn’t happen to most people.”
“Doctor, I still can’t sleep, I worry all the time, and it’s wrecking my motivation at work. And the Ambien works, but it makes me trip out more than I probably should most nights.” “You have an anxiety disorder. Here, go to this psychiatrist, Doctor #2. And don’t take so much Ambien.”
“Doctor #2, I can’t sleep, I worry all the time, and it’s wrecking my motivation at work. Oh, and Ambien makes me trip out before I fall asleep.” “You have anxiety and depression. Here, take these antidepressants, and these benzodiazepines if you need them, plus these folates and vitamin D … oh, and replace that Ambien with this Lunesta, and come back every week. And let’s talk about the work situation, something’s messed up there …”
Anecdotal, sure; and pretty recent. But I didn’t start out with the idea “I’m depressed and should seek antidepressants”. I thought I had a sleep disorder, but it turns out our reality doesn’t issue time machines for those.