AUDIO TERRORISM

Dear Dr. Archer,

I need help. I’m totally isolating myself. My problem is what I consider “audio terrorism.” I can’t walk in a park, eat at a restaurant, attend a funeral, or attend a class without being assaulted by extremely loud exhausts and loudspeakers. There is no quiet left. I know the noise is illegal, but the police can only do so much. I’ve dropped out of life. 

 Constructive noises like leaf blowers, airplanes, etc., don’t bother me. With my apologies to the deaf community, if I could have my eardrums removed tomorrow, I would. 

I desperately need help. Antidepressants don’t help this matter. I’ve almost given up on life; the quality is no longer there. The noise even comes through my walls at home. Thanks.

Chris

Hi Chris,

Your condition sounds much more serious than depression. Often, an increase in noise sensitivity is an early sign of either a developing psychotic disorder (such as schizophrenia) or a neurological problem such as a mini-stroke, seizure disorder or tumor.

So, first you need to have a full evaluation, including a CT scan, MRI, EEG and blood work. Don’t delay; see your doctor immediately.

The good news is that if your brain work up is normal, early intervention with the appropriate psychiatric medication can make a huge difference in the course of an illness such as this.

Also, from the symptoms that you describe, it doesn’t surprise me that the anti-depressants were not helpful. There are other medicines which, based on your medical evaluation, would most likely be more appropriate.

Dr. Archer

Dear Dr. Archer,

I’m 39, and a friend of a friend introduced me to a new guy. We hit it off and began dating. Even though he lived three hours away from me, we commuted back and forth to date on weekends.

At first, everything was great; but as we became closer, a new side of him began to emerge. He became totally insecure, controlling and all-consuming. He started sending me at least five emails and 10 texts a day and called constantly. I finally decided I had enough and declined a weekend trip with him just to have some personal time. Well, he wouldn’t accept no for an answer and called and texted me all weekend. 

 Finally, on that Sunday morning, I was awakened very early by a knock on my door. He had stayed up all night and when I stopped responding to his calls he drove to my hometown unannounced! I was totally freaked out, afraid and angry. He said he loved me more than anyone and that he had to be with me no matter what. 

After a talk, I finally convinced him to leave. Now it’s Monday and he’s texting, emailing and calling constantly and said he’s driving back to see me after work today. Help!

Ruth

Hi Ruth,

Unfortunately you now have a potential psycho-stalker who’s become obsessed with you. I term this level of obsession “The Fever.” A person gets the fever when they become obsessively in love with another. I’ve seen this occur in perfectly normal, healthy and successful individuals. So, how do you deal with this?

I believe you know this isn’t a healthy situation. You must end the relationship — now! Tell him on the phone that it’s over and you no longer want to see or talk with him and you want to have a good life. You may have to tell him more than once, however. The conversations should be short and to the point, with you repeating: “it’s over” and “please stop calling me.” Hopefully this will be enough, but what do you do if he continues to harass you?

You must totally stop any and all communication with him, which means blocking him from your phone at home, work and cell. Your phone company can tell you how to do this. Also block or at least don’t open his emails. Instantly delete them. Give your friends and co-workers a heads up in case he tries to contact them.

Finally, if at any point you feel physically threatened, then you must call the police, though most episodes such as this don’t get to that point. In most cases, once contact is completely cut off, the fever eventually breaks and that will be the end of it. Interestingly, I’ve treated many cases such as this with my patients and once it’s over they are stunned and embarrassed to realize how irrationally they had behaved when they had the fever.

Dr. Archer

Dear Dr. Archer

I’ve seen Suboxone at my daughter’s home. She said a physician prescribed it for her boyfriend as a painkiller. Can it be used as a painkiller?

Mark

Hi Mark,

Suboxone was originally developed as a painkiller with low abuse and addictive properties. It didn’t work very well except for mild pain, and two years ago it was approved to treat narcotic addiction. It’s become a “miracle drug” for those trying to stop abusing opiate pain killer medication.

This medicine is ideal for this type of treatment, because if someone abuses it and takes too much, they will actually feel worse due to the complex way the drug both stimulates and blocks the opiate receptors in the brain.

Thus, the abuse potential is low and the black market diversion to the street is minimal. Though the overwhelming use of Suboxone is now for narcotic addiction, for which it eliminates withdrawal and cravings, some doctors still prescribe it for pain.

Dr. Archer

Dear Dr. Archer,

My father was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. My family is still shocked, especially my mother. He’s 74 and she is 70. He seems to be deteriorating quickly. 

She feels like she can take care of him and refuses to discuss the idea of putting him in a facility that can provide specialized care. My sisters and I will be available sometimes, but we all work. 

 My worry is that my father will do something to hurt my mother or that she will hurt herself by caring for him because he becomes very agitated and hard to control. How can I get my mother to accept this diagnosis and the changes it will mean in her ability to care for him?

Brent

Hi Brent,

This is an extremely difficult situation that all families with an Alzheimer’s relative face. This illness is devastating, not only for the patient, but also for the family as well.

There is no right answer as to when it’s time for the patient to be taken out of the home and placed into an assisted living environment.

What’s important is that an open dialogue be maintained at all times between the caregivers. A monthly conference with all family members present to discuss the division of care and concerns you all have is important. Also, understand that your mother will try to hold onto the care of your father as long as she can, and you need to be supportive of her as well.

However, the eventual need for assisted living needs to be acknowledged as a reality by all, for at some point it will be necessary. Then your family can come up with a game plan as to when to take that step. One good intermediate step is in-home care by a professional for full- or part-time duty.

In addition, at this time you may want to arrange for your mom to visit a good facility nearby to see how others are being cared for. Two good books on the subject that I recommend are: The 36-Hour Day by Nancy Mace, and When your Loved One has Dementia, by Glenner, Stehman, Davagnino, Galante and Green. Good luck.

Dr. Dale Archer is a board certified psychiatrist who founded the Institute for Neuropsychiatry in Southwest Louisiana. He’s a frequent guest on Fox News, CNN Headline News and other national TV programs and the author of the New York Times’ best-selling book Better than Normal.  Visit him at DrDaleArcher.com.