# Going to the docter to get meds



## Biscuit (Mar 20, 2009)

I'm supposed to be going to a walk-in clinic soon to request meds for my anxiety (first time). I feel like they're going to think I'm stupid for going there because it's always filled with people getting flu shots, or getting infected cuts checked out. I am so worried that I will go and they will think I am so stupid. I should mention that the clinic is a tiny two-room place the size of an average store and is located inside a strip mall. There are usually only poor people there (like me ).

Does anyone have experience with getting a preliminary prescription from a walk-in clinic doctor?


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## sidekick (Mar 20, 2009)

No, but depending on what you're trying to get, it may be difficult. If you're looking for benzos, you probably don't have a good shot of getting them. And really, pretty much anything they'd prescribe for anxiety requires a fair bit of supervision and tweaking. Not like you go with an ear infection and they give you 10 days of antibiotics.

If you have a regular doctor, you're better off going there. And if you don't have one, you should get one.


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## ThisGuyRightHere (Apr 28, 2008)

you know what's crazy is that my job provides benefits and i could go to the doctor but i don't. i can't even get past the point of choosing a doctor.

how difficult is it to pick a doctor and set up an appt? when you go in for the first time what do you do exactly? 

sorry i don't mean to hijack the thread.


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## Cast Away (Feb 12, 2009)

Making the first appointment and first trip is the toughest part. It was one of the toughest things ive ever had to do. Once you go to that first visit, going to the others is pretty much a breeze.


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## sidekick (Mar 20, 2009)

Picking a doctor.... you may want to pick a doctor close to you for ease of traveling, or you might want one further away so you're less likely to run into someone you know. You'll have to decide how far you want to travel, and how many doctors are in your area. Perhaps you could ask someone for a recommendation. When you've decided (or narrowed it down), you call and ask "is Dr. Whoever taking new patients?" If yes, they'll probably ask you what insurance you have and if you have any ongoing comp or no fault cases (if yes to either of those, they may not accept you--it's a lot of paperwork). If they accept your insurance, you can set up an appointment. You'll probably be able to get in within a few days. Once you're there, they'll give you paperwork to fill out, which will probably include a section about health problems, and you can write down that you have anxiety. I imagine the doctor will look that over before seeing you and will bring it up. If nothing else, the doctor will probably ask what brought you in, and then you can start talking about the anxiety. Doctor will probably write you a prescription for something and may recommend counseling. If you get a scrip, doctor will probably tell you to come back in a few weeks for a follow-up.


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## Biscuit (Mar 20, 2009)

the reason i asked in the first place is that i don't have a family doctor. I just turned 18, and my parents haven't taken me to the doctor since i was about 6. Everytime i pressure my mom to set something up for me, she says we should go to the walk-in clinic. I just can't picture them knowing wtf to respond with when they're used to ear infections and sprains etc. How do i even set up an appointment with a "real" doctor, like at a doctor's office?


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## bcarroll (Mar 28, 2009)

The walk in clinic will likely just refer you to see a regular doctor.

Maybe you could printout the info from the following link and show it to your mom. It shows what conditions a walk in clinic usually treat.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/walk-in-clinics/GA00055

As far as selecting a doctor, most insurance companies web sites have a "find a doctor" section. Also, some health care providers allow you to schedule doctors appointments online. Whatever the case, take it one step at a time, start with finding out who you have your health insurance with and go from there.

From the Mayo Clinic Article.

What conditions do walk-in clinics treat?

It depends on which clinic you go to, but most walk-in clinics treat conditions such as:

* Sinus infections or upper respiratory infections
* Bladder infections
* Strep throat
* Pink eye or styes
* Minor injuries, such as burns or sprains
* Skin conditions, such as warts or eczema

Some clinics also provide other services, such as flu or tetanus vaccinations, routine physicals for school or work, and pregnancy tests.


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## gadman80 (May 10, 2009)

*Local clinics*

Hello Biscuit. I find that mental health clinics funded for the poor are the best. At the same time I mean mental/not just a regular health clinic. At the same time if you want a Benzo or other type of drug that can have any dependency issues you are not getting it right away. In state funded clinics alot of pill poppers just wease on in begging for drugs making the doctor scrutinize every decision that he/she makes even more. If you give them a couple of weeks/months and you earn the doctor/therapist trust then they are definitely open to your ideas but if you beg for certain drugs you will just not get them. Just show them you are educated on your mental health status. I like small community clinics that are focused on mental health because nobody there is in it for the money and the Psychologists,therapy couselors,and Psychiatrists all work together to try and really help you from my personal experience. I have never seen it work so well and I have seen many in the private sector and they are really not up to par or really don't have an understanding of what is really going on in your head. Take what you can and if you feel uneasy with a doc or the treatment you think you should be getting dont be afraid of moving on....you are there to help yourself........trust me from experience....I was too afraid of moving on from one Doc. So I suffered in agony for 3.5 years don't do the same..WORDS OF ADVICE I am not telling you from an article or my own idea of what possibly it could be like it is from my own experience..I know its hard but you can do it.


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## gadman80 (May 10, 2009)

*from my experience*

heres what you need to do. Get a Primary care doctor. Takes a few days. Ask for a referral to a mental health clinic after the initial physical...if the doctor is scratch'in the noggin find one on your own...just check on your insurance plans and find out coverage plans and who you can and cannot see. Next call a mental health facility for a psych evaluation(sit down and talk to a therapist and they will usually find out your needs and where on the spectrum of anxiety depression you are)......this evaluation appointment it might take a day or even a few weeks depends on facility, staffing, time constraints ect.....ok sweet your finally getting help..next thing....most likely you will be set up with a therapist. You will talk about your initial syptoms like the evaluation but go more in depth...may take a few weeks to see the shrink but the case worker or whomever is helping you will make decisions or help you make an appointment with a psychiatrist for the chemical aspect with what your noggin is missing or may not be missing at all...seeing a Psychiatrist and psychologist/therapist ect....is definitely the most effective way from my experience and most others. Also see if you can get therapy and meds at the same facility that way the therapist and doc can both evaluate your needs...I dont want anyone to suffer in silence like I did for a long time...hope this helps.


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## Cast Away (Feb 12, 2009)

I called my insurance company and got a list of psychiatrists in my area. I skipped the whole primary care doctor thing because i felt like with a psychiatrist would have a better chance of getting help and the meds i wanted from a psychiatrist. I came out of my first visit with klonopin(clonazepam) which has provided some help, not a "cure" but has provided some help nonetheless. Im also going to be starting nardil in the not so distant future.


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## Danny lightning (Mar 20, 2009)

i went to a walk in clinic for poor people when i was much younger and he gave me paxil it was free and so was the treatment and it did nothing but make me freak out and have worse attacks. they gave me something else and it did the same thing..

a few years later i tried a few more types of drugs and they all have done the same thing to me. well some worse than other but either gave me crazy, crazy thoughts or more anxiety attacks..


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