My health

[krazymonkey]

Hello..
This is my first post..So I'm not sure If your the right doctor..but my question is a general health question.  
I am 26 years old...I've now live a healthier lifestyle then before.  College days were a lot of partying, alcohol, weed, drugs, ( Extacy , Meth, Coke)...I've had a long time with drugs..now I am done with it..and plan on never doing drugs again.  These days I drink , smoke ciggaretts, and smoke week ocassionaly.  I eat healthy and excersice frequently.  
But i've been depressed ..because I feel I am not healthy due to my past.  What should I do for better health..and will the days of parting affect my future? ..My main concern is am I going to be able to have kids and have healthy children? If I stay drug-free, eat healthy and excersie for next few years...will my sperm create a healthy child?  Is there a way I can get my sperm tested to see if its ok...I've notice that ...when masturbating..my sperm seems low.
Is there a way to ask a family doctor to check me on that? what should I ask the doctor?...What advice to you have for me?


Thanks

Jk

[Jaquta]

I know what you mean.  Sometimes it seems like a great big freight train roaring past and something not to be ignored.
I think it's OK to have the memories there as a reminder so that we don't go back to past behaviors.  I think as a deterrent it can work really well.  It is when it starts to interfere with our daily life and drag us down that it becomes problematic.

For me, I have a lot of shame and guilt attached to my behavior as well as fear (of having sustained permanent damage) and also a huge sense of loss.  How can one even begin to explain the losses?  They seem endless like that freight train too at times.

The sweating could be due to a number of different reasons but in the context it is written it is most likely to be a stress response.  You may have noticed other symptoms too, such as your heart pounding away and your breathing being much faster and shallower.

This may be too much information but here's a diagram my T (therapist) used with me.  I'll adapt it a bit to include some of your issues too.

We start with a stressor.  For me these are: family, weight (I severely restrict and then binge eat) and medication (I am very anti-meds.  It's a complicated issue.  I was sectioned for severe depression and then threatened with ect but not given it.)
For you the stressor could be dinner dates, taking the subway, the barber, etc.  I expect there could be some deeper issue.  Another stressor for us would be the fear of being damaged.

A stressor is something we evaluate psychologically as life-threatening.

Other physical stressors include: sugar, tea/ coffee, chocolate, alcohol, tobacco, weed.  For you drugs, for me asthma meds.

These all affect our central nervous system causing a stress response (fight or flight).  Fight is associated with noradrenaline and causes aggression.  Flight with adrenaline and causes anxiety.  These cause increased heart rate, blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol, fatty acids, etc.  Which in turn can lead to ulcers and coronary heart disease, etc.

Increased adrenaline is associated with sweating, nausea, headaches, lethargy, depression, etc.

Sorry that was rather long-winded.          

stressor -> CNS -> stress response -> fight (noradrenaline) -> aggression
                                                     -> flight (adrenaline)    -> anxiety
                                                                            |
                                                         -increased heart rate, blood pressure, etc
                                                                            |
                                                         -ulcers, coronary heart disease, etc

I'm not very computer literate so that's about the best I can do.  Sorry!

Seeing your family doctor is a good first step.  You should discuss your main concerns with them.  Asking if they have a longer appointment available may be a good idea.  This way you won't feel so pressured to get through all the stuff quickly.
Some ideas about what to ask/ discuss:
-you could ask about the effect your past will have on you.  I think you're wanting reassurance and closure on this.  (Personally, I believe our pasts do affect us.  I expect the mh expert distracted from the issue but he did give good advice.  We can't change our pasts so we need to confront our reality as it is today.  Working on our emotional issues will help us move forward and in turn will help us not feel so damaged (either physically or emotionally)).
-ask your doctor about your sperm count and your ability to have healthy children.
-definitely ask about the drugs and alcohol and ways you can go about decreasing and/ or stopping these.
-tell the doctor how you feel.  Include the depressed and anxious feelings.

Depending on when you stopped the drugs you could be going through withdrawal??  Probably not but maybe??  The sweating could also be from that.  You sound kind of healthy so maybe not.

I think you're right.  If tests do come back fine then you will feel better.  I still think counseling may be a good idea.  You could discuss this with your doctor also.
Psychotherapy is therapy where you talk to someone and work through your issues, thoughts and feelings, etc.

Treating depression, if in fact you are depressed, does not have to include medication it could involve talking to a T about things which are making you feel depressed.

I think discussing the drugs and alcohol and mood are the most important.  Just trust yourself and be honest with your doctor.  The doctor should be able to help guide the appointment too -they should be able to discern what is and isn't important.  Just put the information out there for them.

This has probably confused you even more but good luck.

J

[krazymonkey]

Hey Jaquta..

I want to thank you for taking your time in reading my post and for giving me that info.
I do feel okay these days..but there is that thought in the back of my mind..constantly reminding me of my drug days...I can't get it out of my head sometimes.  My main symptom or problem is I sweat and feel my uncomfortable when I'm nervous.  I could be in a restraunt with people..and I'm the ONLY one sweating , forhead, head, and chest.  When i'm on dinner dates that happens frequently..but lately I realized it happening lot more..subway train, public indoor events, golf range, and even going to my barber for a hair cut.  Why is this happening? ...
I plan on seeing a family doctor...what should I say to the doctor, I don't want to take medication unless its a must( especially anti depresseants).  I think if doctor does tests on me and i'm healtly..then I won't be as depressed.  You also mentioned psycotherapy??what is that and what happens there.  

THanks for your time

[James G Beckerman, M.D.]

I agree with Jaquta - stopping smoking (tobacco and marijuana) and drinking alcohol are the next step. It does seem that you have depression - I really do suggest you talk about this with your doctor - treating depression is so important...your physical health should fall into place.  Take care.

[Jaquta]

I've asked a similar question on the mental health expert forum.  I've had a history of significant drug overdoses and have had concerns about the effects of this on cognition, etc.  The doctor said the issue was not about physical damage but about emotional damage.  He said if you view yourself as damaged then you become stuck which means permanently defeated and you lose confidence in yourself and your ability to change.

My advice would be to stop drinking and smoking.  And to get psychotherapy to help address the issues which are driving the addictive behaviors.

You should endeavor to make healthy lifestyle changes permanent and not just for an established period.  I expect that is what you meant (and not just get healthy, have kids, then drink and smoke again).  Sorry, that was my misunderstanding.

With a healthy lifestyle your sperm count should increase.
The doctor will be better able to answer your questions.

Working on yourself will help with the depression too.  Whatever positive changes you make they will only ever benefit you and your health.

Good luck with the changes (and the family).

J