to be utterly furious with the GP for putting my DSD on sedatives?

[goldenteapot]

She is 16 and finding her GCSEs very stressful - but she is fine the rest of the time, and happy with her hobbies etc.

She sees her mother every other weekend (with whom she has a difficult relationship) and her mother has taken her to the GP about the stress, to see if he could advise about taking exams in a separate room etc. or refer her to CBT.

He has put her on sedatives, twice a day (beta blockers) with no end in sight.

She now thinks she is 'mentally ill' and needs daily sedation. I just want to cry. I hate being a step mother and having no control over this sort of thing. She is so young and vulnerable and I feel that this could be the start of her unravelling. She is spaced out - with no offer of counselling.

AIBU to be furious? What can I do?

My husband takes beta blockers and from what I understand they slow his heart rate so can (and do) make him feel tired, more so when the muppet takes his daily tablet twice because he's forgotten he's taken it first time round

My youngest son has also just been prescribed propanolol at a very low dose for persistent migraine and again, we were warned that tiredness can be a side effect due to the very nature of the drug. In the few weeks he's been taking it his health has improved massively - yes, he's tired but earlier nights and lots of rest are far easier to manage than the pain the poor sod was in constantly at the tender age of 9!

I think my view is that YABU to be furious with anyone - CBT would be a wonderful treatment for her and will help her definitely in the future, so continue to encourage her to pursue this by all means, but I seriously doubt she'd have much benefit to help her in time for her exams.

As an aside, anxiety/stress can also tire someone to the point where it appears they're sedated too.

My word! What a lot of "druggies" in this thread! :-D From reading this forum for a few days I have noticed a pattern emerging... everyone knows better than the doctors, the doctor is always wrong or mistaken unless they pump you full of drugs then they are right :-P

I agree with the OP it sounds like a horrible situation, she doesn't need drugs, therapy could help but most importantly she need coping mechanisms to deal with the anxiety.

Source: I have lived with anxiety most of my life - drug free and proud :-)

I've taken beta blockers for anxiety and am glad I had them as an option. Only took them at times of need though, wouldn't have wanted them every day.

It's hardly something to be proud of to not require drugs for a mental health condition. Some people need them, some people don't. Same with physical conditions.

There's no proud about it. It's not an achievement to not take them any more than it makes you a "failure" to take them.

Well done. Drug free. That just makes you the bestest ever person. And how funny you are with your comedic use of :-D

I've taken propranolol for anxiety. It wouldn't have occurred to me that not taking it was a source of pride. Bizarre.

well yes Helena but you openly admit to not trusting medical professionals and have your own agenda entirely - you can't speak for what might work for another, vulnerable 16 year old.

Anti D's and Beta Blockers worked well for my anxiety and PTSD

everyone is differnt

Wow Helena congratulations on not being a Druggy. Should I whip myself for not being strong enough to refuse medication when I had a mental health issue?

I am also interested to know where you got your medical degree from as you seem so confident that OP'd DSD doesn't need drugs.

You see I got mine from a genuine medical school and as I understand it, sometimes people do actually need medication! What a shock!

If she has anxiety or depression then she needs CBT. It is often self referral so she can ask the reception at her gp or look online.
Medication can be very helpful but only if used with therapy. Don't fear it but don't accept just that.
If this is simply about exams then she doesn't need drugs or therapy. Is this ongoing and affecting all parts of her life? Or is it just about exams? If it's just exams then meditation, gentle exercise, better organisation or revision so she also gets to relax. Meditation apps she can download on her phone or books on mindfullness would be great. These are things you can all do together.

Would you post
"I broke my leg - plaster cast free and proud of it"
Or
"I have cancer - chemo free and proud of it".
No didn't think so.
No wonder meantal.illness is so brushed undrr the carpet in this country when twats like Helena make out that its SUCH AN ACHIEVEMENT to manage without medication.
What a twatty attitude.

It's actually really ignorant and downright offensive.

You'd do her an awful lot more favours if you actually acknowledged that it is perfectly reasonable for her to be suffering anxiety over her GCSEs. They are stressful, and imo there is a hell of a lot more pressure put on kids of her age. I'm not surprised she is anxious, and your conflicting views with her mother are not going to help.

There's NO shame in being on meds, none whatsoever, and I think she's been remarkably sensible about it. Considerably more sensible than either you or her mother. She's acknowledged she had a problem, and she's dealt with it in an appropriate manner.

The best thing you can do is to support her in her decision. And let her sleep, her body probably needs it.

Sorry haven't read through but I was given a very very low dose of propranolol at a similar age by my GP, you need to find the dosage, as for me it was. Ore of a placebo thing, the dosage was too low to have any effect.

Well it should at least give the op some clarity that the only person agreeing with her is someone stupid enough to post 'my word! What a lot of 'druggies' in this thread'

That is one of the dumbest things I've ever read on here.

Helena all that means is your anxiety has never been that severe. If it had been you wouldn't say that. You are lucky.
Also you say she may need therapy but mainly just coping strategies. Well CBT is exactly that: coping strategies and management of anxiety/depression. Do you not know that either? Have you ever had therapy?

I'm on propranolol at the moment for migraine . Is that what she is on? Sorry if I've missed that part.

My gp put me on it as it also lowers bp , maybe that's why she feels tired.

I also don't see any shame in being on medication for stress/anxiety. I have been and it's bloody useful.

That poster has an agenda (or hiding fear behind the gift of eternal knowledge the young possess). Just ignore it.
Either that or again I'm shit at spotting a SP.

Well being happy and healthy hasn't really helped you manage this terribly rationally has it?

Ds is prescribed it for migraines too.

Well done. However, your experience is just that. Your experience. Not your DSD's.

Don't force your views on her and let her make her own decisions about her health. She sounds like a sensible young woman.

Have you ever had CBT OP? I have, for depression, OCD and Bulimia. Yes, it's a great technique, but IME doesn't work on it's own if a person has been having difficulties for a while, because the anxiety can be too intense by the time they receive an appointment. In my case, the intrusive thoughts and depression were so bad, I couldn't think rationally enough to make the techniques work. However as soon as I started meds, the worst of the 'fog' cleared and the CBT could get through. Now I take nothing. Maybe your DSD needs meds to see the woods for the trees and then she can come off them. I also think that sending her back to the doctors with her dad in tow to discuss her decision is really out of line and controlling! She is Gillick competent, therefore it's no body's decision but hers what goes into her body and what doesn't.

you are projecting so much you are not helping her at all - just step back

and if she's 'abusive' why aren't SS involved?

I often have to restrain DD for her safety and that of her sisters - she would say I 'hit' her - I don't