Do most pyschs. require blood tests/blood work?

I visited a new psych recently. She wanted a whole series of blood work done.

Aside from that being very expensive (and me being poor college student), I have a bad bad (understatement) fear of needles. Got a vaccine once as a kid and screamed so loud several floors of the hospital heard it. I literally cannot explain my fear of needles enough here. It's bad. No, I can't just "face the fear." My needle phobia has gotten much worse over the years-- it used to involve squeeling as a kid, then having to have strong sedatives/prescribed anxiety medicine before to handle, now it's an unbearable fear that I cannot face, and choose not to. It's just not necessary yet-- no new symptoms since I had the whole run of blood work last time when my levels were perfect.

If a psych requires blood tests, forget it. I'm out. No mental health treatment for me. My needle phobia is that bad. No, I don't do drugs or alcohol or anything of that nature. Nothing. Never have, never will.... my fear is a straight up needle phobia that I can't get over and can't deal with trying to get over.

I've had depression/ADD my entire life. I had the entire run of blood work done years ago-- all of it.

Nothing was off at all with my previous blood work/tests, perfect health. Perfect cholesterol, perfect thyroid, perfect blood pressure, everything. Just depression and ADD. No new symptoms since the last time I had blood work done. I had every blood test done, and even some body scans.

Had blood work done multiple times in the past in fact (when I still had depression/ADD) and all my levels each time were perfection. I find it hard to believe that my blood levels would be freakishly tragic now when I have no new symptoms and still have the depression/ADD that existed the last time I had blood work done. I'm young-- we're not talking blood work done 40 years ago, we're talking more recent than that. My blood pressure is also perfection.

I have zero health problems other than depression/ADD.

My needle phobia is bad enough that if someone tries to force blood tests on me, I'm out. My depression and ADD makes my life hell, but my fear of needles is more of a hell. It's not just "a few hours of blood tests, then you can go on with your life." I seriously can't explain my needle phobia enough. On top of that, blood tests usually throw me into a few days long migraine that involves puking every 10 minutes. I can't deal with that either right now.

The previous psych. I went to didn't require blood tests. Gave me wellbutrin and ritallin and sent me on my merry way. I live in another state now and can't go back to the previous psych for treatment (too far away to go regularly).

I know blood work is a "good prevention tool," but I'm seriously healthy. I don't want a doctor's office to try to talk me into blood work. Yes, I know it's a good idea. No, I'm not willing to do it. That much of a needle phobia (huge understatement there). No other symptoms, young, etc.

This shrink's office has a blood lab there, and I can't help but think it's mostly about the money with them. The total was something like $3500. I paid about $35 co-pay to see her. Blood tests that her office profits from rubbed me the wrong way a bit, but mostly my needle phobia and perfect blood work last time I had it done makes me think it's unnecessary for me at this point. She ordered every blood test that her lab offers, not just ones like liver and kidney. Do I seriously need a vitamin B and vitamin D test? I'm active, go outside, take a multivitamin, had depression literally my entire life and had blood work done previously in life with no blood levels of anything off at all.

So,... do most psychs require blood tests for basic depression/ADD?

I don't have a fear of needles but I have a general fear of medical examinations and procedures that nearly rivals your needle anxiety. I can't answer your question but I'm greatly interested. I can't bear the thought of having to have a medical work up. Unfortunately I AM an old fart, and going to have to give in someday. Your question confirmed my fears, that I may have to have other stuff ruled out.

I'd like to know about this as well. I know I need it, but I need the help with my anxiety to face the tests.

If you can't find a new psych willing to work on previous records.... I've thought in my case trying a therapist to help me with my initial anxiety? And then I maybe can graduate to the shrink.

Is that possible, if you find no other way to get the prescriptions you need, could you maybe start out with a therapist to work with the anxiety, at least enough to face the needles? Or is that something you've already tried?

snaga2.0 wrote:
I'd like to know about this as well. I know I need it, but I need the help with my anxiety to face the tests.

If you can't find a new psych willing to work on previous records.... I've thought in my case trying a therapist to help me with my initial anxiety? And then I maybe can graduate to the shrink.

Is that possible, if you find no other way to get the prescriptions you need, could you maybe start out with a therapist to work with the anxiety, at least enough to face the needles? Or is that something you've already tried?

I'm glad I'm not the only one afraid of medical tests. Well, sort of... you know what I mean.

I've tried therapists and had no luck with that, didn't help me at all and their lack of understanding made things worse for me and I felt more desperate and misunderstood. I'm sure there are good therapists out there, but I'm not sure I'm up to risking a disaster like last time again and I can't afford it anyway, and definitely not often enough to actually help me. I've had depression all my life and also doubt that there's enough talk therapy in the world to 'cure' my depression, anxiety, ADHD, and OCD. A few hundred dollars an hour every week adds up, and I don't have the money/time/energy or hope that they'll actually be helpful next time to try it again.

My new psych is actually a "mental nurse specialist," not a psychiatrist.
I misunderstood what she was. She's new to the field as well.

I suppose I could try to get talk therapy to help with my needle fear, but I don't want to have to deal with anything else right now (and can't afford it even if I was willing to try). I can hardly handle my life, and adding dealing with needle fear for completely unnecessary and excessive blood tests annoys me.

On top of that, I've been freakishly afraid of needles my entire life- even as a toddler, so I can't imagine some talk therapy would help me.

Innate fear, one I really don't need to try to face right now. If I was terminally ill and blood work would save my life, then it would be worth it... not when there's not science backing the desperate need for it.

I suppose I would try to face my needle fear if there was a legit need for blood tests, but there simply isn't. Just because I said I was tired, this nurse wants every blood test they offer because "why not." That's not medicine, it's liability fears or trying to find a needle in a haystack when the needle isn't in the barn to begin with. If there was a proveable dire need for blood work and my life was a stack, some talk therapy plus my life at risk would probably help me face my fear.

I guess my issue is thinking this nurse's request for every blood test in her lab is ridiculous.

This nurse doesn't seem to be skilled or know what she's talking about.
She didn't say "you are... X..." and "that could mean kidney problems."

I said I was tired, which probably made her think blood tests were a good idea.
(Or covering her butt from liability worries.)

I'm tired because I stay up all night, can't sleep, had a lifetime of depression, and am fighting a 24/7 mental battle in my head. And because I don't go to the gym. That's why I'm tired, not kidney failure.

I just don't have symptoms to indicate kidney or liver or cholesterol problems that would deem blood tests actually necessary. I've had blood tests and other exams in recent history, and I'm young-- it's not like I'm 50 years old with high blood pressure or anything. I'm young, healthy as hell, and had depression literally all my life. I know some things could mimic depression- like thyroid problems- but I've had depression literally always, have no other thyroid problem symptoms, and if I had thyroid problems I doubt I would be healthy still after all these years since depression set in when I was a kid.

The psychiatrist I went to previously simply asked medical history and didn't want blood tests.

The previous psychiatrist had decades of experience as a doctor and was incredibly skilled.
Knew every medicine and it's generics, knew insurance, understood why my childhood would affect such and such, really "got it."

The psychiatrist noticed my ADHD within 10 minutes of meeting me.

And was very sure I had in, the psych had seen it many times in their decades of experience.

The mental nurse specialist doesn't even realize I have ADHD.

I suppose that, aside from my intense needle fear, is my doubt of this mental nurse specialist's skills and experience. She's fairly new to the field and couldn't remember what medicine she had given me 2 weeks before our last appointment. Apparently she didn't take notes on what she prescribed me either. She typed during the entire appointment, and just didn't seem to get it. She didn't ask anything about my childhood or much about my life like a psychiatrist would.

My thoughts are more that my depression is two-fold: 1) genetically flawed with lifelong depression 2) childhood tragedy and a rough life triggered #1.

I suppose I am a little, actually rather annoyed, at her lack of understanding me, her seeming lack of skill, and her wanting me to take on more pain/stress/anxiety/pressure/to dos than I already have to deal with, when I'm already in a weakened and desperate state.

The nurse is asking a toddler with a sprained leg to run a marathon just to "test out" the sprained toddler leg, not trying to at least help the toddler (err, me) get to a point where I can even handle my existing life-- she's just adding more unnecessary stress/medical tests when I'm emotionally overwhelmed that my good health simply don't call for.

She's only giving me a low dose SSRI. If I was being prescribed something like lithium or seroquel that could really affect the liver with any realistic likelihood, I could see blood tests being a must. But for a very low dose SSRI?

The SSRI hasn't actually helped yet either. The first brand I tried made me have headaches and sleep all day. The next SSRIs I tried haven't eased the depression at all.

I suppose I'll try to find an actual psychiatrist again and see if they want blood tests.

And if they want them, try to find someone else... and not mention that I'm tired which would just egg on blood test requests (lifelong insomnia and depression).

All else fails, I'll go back to treating myself with supplements like 5-HTP which has a SSRI-like effect anyway.

I don't want to get an absurd amount of blood tests when I'm already overwhelmed with life for some freakin' SSRIs that I could mimic with natural supplements. The mental health nurse doesn't even realize I had ADHD, and isn't treating it. I can't treat that with natural supplements, but I've lived with it untreated for years and could manage if I can lessen my depression.

Yeah, this mental nurse specialist is just not the proper match for me... /end rant.

I hope the rant doesn't seem anything other than directed at my frustration for this nurse adding more stress/tasks to an already overwhelmed exhausted person just because "why not" and her inability to understand me. I really should find a psych who is a good match for me, sometimes personalities and experience/medicine skill levels just don't match, like I guess is the problem with my situation here.

A nurse practitioner for the head. That's a new one on me. Not that I know much.

Well....

No need to apologize about the rant. It's your topic, for one thing- and it sounds as if a rant was in order!

I'm tempted to say I envy your fear of needles, if only my own fear was that 'simple'. But terrified is terrified no matter what the object of terror is. I don't *like* needles (although several piercings and a dozen tattoos might lead one to think otherwise) but can stand them (even though I can never bear to watch getting my flu shot). My hook are medical procedures. From as young as I can remember, like you and your needles. So afraid they'll find something wrong, usually cancer. I loathe and fear being on the other side of the wall in a waiting room. Can't bear it but I have to. I'm 51 and gonna start needing maintenance. Sigh. I desperately need some mental help also. But figure with my age and lack of medical history..... in my case blood tests would be prudent. Enjoy your youth while you have it. I've lived in fear of the big 5-0 for over a decade, knowing that my avoidance will eventually have to end. And now that it's here..... sigh.

Innate fear... People who do not have a strong one just don't get it. It's so hard to overcome. Eventually you'll have to, just as I have to overcome mine. It sucks. Oh I hate this existence sometimes.

Your mix sounds rather like mine, BTW. Obviously I have no official Dx, but I've dealt with lifelong anxiety, OCD, and ADD symptoms, from my earliest memories. Only in the past year or so have I come to wonder if I'm depressed, which seems likely cause my general mehness kicked into high gear after the death of my mom.

Anyway, wow now that you've elaborated they sound as if they're lucky to have any business at all. No they do not sound as if they are a fit at all, much less a good one! I agree you have plenty of reason to not be happy, even if it weren't the needles being a factor.

Well I figured you'd tried the talk therapy. But I thought it worth mentioning. I understand about it doing little. I'm determined to try that first, however, if I can afford it. Baby steps. If insurance helps with it-again, your words don't encourage me about that... I can't afford much out-of-pocket, either.

That supplement sounds interesting I may have to look that up.

We want to hear how things go for you please keep us updated! Hugs.

someonesomewhere77 wrote:So,... do most psychs require blood tests for basic depression/ADD?

All the good ones would WANT it, both to rule out any somatic reason for the symptoms and to monitor the drug therapy. REQUIRE it is something else though, I'd guess no.