Will a Psychiatrist help?

kimalicious · February 21, 2006

I am a very intuitive person I feel, and I am really having some trouble with a growing up issue. With no longer having 15 friends around to party all the time and being married and living with a boy that I love dearly. I am having compulsive eating problems and can't get back on track with my eating. I know people say that Psychiatrist or even Psycholgist have helped them with the head hunger thing. I have that issue and I am really off kilter once a month due to the hormones from birth control. During this time I would swear I am bi-polar. It only last during that PMS week so I know it is hormones and don't want to be on pills daily just to control that one week of craziness a month.

I feel like I will go in for a talk session and they will not be able to tell me anything I don't know already. Which I hope doesn't sound like I'm a know it all, but if I know it all about anything I would think it would be my own self. I am struggling with the idea of seeing a counselor whan I am en route at college to be a high school counselor myself.

I guess my questions is does counseling help even when I have never had any major issues in life and had the most generally relative happy childhood (Other that growing up fat)? Can you take paxil and meds like that just one week out of the month to curb your PMS? Any other input would be helpful, especially if there are any great docs in the Eastern Dallas, Texas area??

Tamyrn · February 21, 2006

Kim, I don't know the lastest PMS research, but a few yrs ago when I was dealing with it "they" were experimenting with 2-5 prozac each month to regulate PMS mood swings. Have you looked at dietary changes to help with PMS? Again, I don't remember everything I read back then, but I know caffeine and sugar were major offenders. Good Luck. Tammy

3loves · February 21, 2006

Hi Kim,

I have never been to a psychiatrist and the only psycholgist I have seen was a couple of weeks ago for my psy eval, but my first thought when I read your thread was that perhaps Dr. Phil's book, Ultimate Weight Solution, may offer some help. I have the book and still have not read it. Maybe I'm afraid to face the reasons I eat emotionally. :rolleyes Check it out if your a reader.

I do have experience with Effexor XR for depression and with my level of knowledge, which is small, that most antidepressants need to build up and stay in your system to be effective. The Effexor doesn't and hasn't had any effect on my eating habits.

I just had a discussion about 10 min ago with my husband about birth control b/c I am about to start and a bit crabby. I was on Seasonale for about 2 years and recently went back to monthly birth control. With the Seasonale you only have your period ONCE every three mos. which makes life much better for all of us. I think I will go back on it since I am getting the band and won't be having more children anytime soon. I highly recommend it if it's something your OB would approve.

Best of luck in finding your solution!!

lianna · February 21, 2006

I will definitely be checking this thread for replies. I cant answer your question because I suffer from one week a month of hell myself. My issue is not PMS related eating but just the PMS itself. I get so irritable and emotional for a couple of days that sometimes the irrationality of it makes me feel crazy.....or crazier, lol. Angry, boohooy, crabby, bitchy, sentimental.....just emotions all over the place for about 3-5 days. Then I start my period and life is all normal again. I have often wondered if it would be worth taking something all month long just to keep a grip for those few days. Like I said, I will be super curious to see what others respond in regard to this.

Archermom · February 21, 2006

Kim, have you ever tried St. John's Wort? Or something that has helped me tremendously is called 5 HTP. My MD recommended it - he is more for natural meds that hard core drugs. There is a lot of info out there on the internet just google 5HTP. And if you like what you read order it through the internet - it's a lot cheaper then GNC.< /p>

(I'm not selling or making money with this - just like feeling better)

Hope this helps you!:clap2:

Mikey · February 21, 2006

There's a lot of potential depth in this question - and I certainly don't want to presume that I can answer all of it.

I'll just hit one small part... If you do consider moving in the direction of therapy (or even counseling), please do a little homework and find someone who is qualified - and even recommended.

Bad therapy is WAY worse than no therapy at all...

Jachut · February 21, 2006

Have you tried taking Evening Primrose Oil?. My sister was truly scary during the week before her period and it's regulated her moods amazingly well. That and looking after herself well.

kimalicious · February 22, 2006

3-loves, I haven't read his book, but I'm wanting too...Ill have to check it out. I can't do the seasonale because I have PCOS and need a period every month since I want to have kids when I hit close enough to my goal weight also this wouldn't help me. I hope maybe once I am off the pills it will help my mood swings.

I will definately look into the 5htp and Primrose oil, I will look at anything at this point, I just don't want to take regular meds 24/7 since I only have the problem 1 week out of the month and the side effects of thos kids of drugs would kill me. Like the low sex drive and hunger.

Mikey, I think that is what scares me about therapy. There is a woman in my network, that is close to home and deals with eating problems also, so I might check into her more. I hope these people have weekend hours.

My week is coming to an end and I slept 12 hours last night and wild and crazy dreams the entire time, one which included Delarla, whom I've never met, but know from this site. That is another problem during PMS week, I can't get enough sleep and I have crazy dreams while I do it so I feel tired when I wake up. All of this should be over by tomorrow so I will be back to normal for a few weeks. I just need to get on top of this now.

Thanks for the input guys!

donali · February 22, 2006

Hi Kim!

I have had counseling for obsessive/compulsive, emotional eating, and I, too, had a relatively happy "normal" childhood - I was just fat, and beating myself up for it. I found it very helpful, even though I am still fat, I no longer feel out of control, and my self esteem is a thousand times higher than when I started.

But if you are only having troubles around that time of the month, I would suspect it is all hormone related, and while good counseling maybe wouldn't hurt, it probably wouldn't help too much.

I would explore the natural PMS remedies first and see if that helps.

If you do decide counseling/therapy is in order, I would make sure to find someone who is well versed in overeating disorders - preferably someone who has had a weight problem themselves that the were able to overcome and maintain.

Good luck, and hang in there!