Dear Gaia:

Sometimes psychiatric drugs are the answer, for a short while at the least. The brain is habitual, same operations tend to repeat, and when those habitual operations are maddening, drugs can stop those operations and what a relief that is!

Years ago, I suffered a lot from obsessive thinking (OCD) and finally had the chance to see a psychiatrist who prescribed sertraline for me, it is one of a family of drugs called SSRI drugs. Like magic, that drug cut my obsessive thinking as if it was a pair of scissors, a great relief!

If only I had effective psychotherapy at the time of that relief, I could have made great progress, because a combination of drugs and therapy was what I needed.

You wrote: “I feel like I deserve some serious professional therapy + meds”- I agree. This is exactly what professional help means: drugs to relieve the overwhelming distress and once relieved, have psychotherapy.

I am excited for you, that you arrived to this conclusion. I can’t wait to read from you that you did see a psychiatrist and that he or she prescribed (probably an SSRI) for you. It will be a hopeful and promising way to start the new year!

anita