panic disorder/depression

[Dawn08]

Hi, I suffer from panic disorder/depression and have just been told by my doctor that he recommended I take anti-depressants .... this terrifies me as I have heard so many stories about horrific side effects.Has anyone got any advice they could offer me on this one ? I would be very greatful for any help on this topic.

[milly jones]

hi

i have gad and sa and depressive illness too

in fact im low tonight and was thinking bout posting a thread

im on citalopram.

my belief is that the meds help u get space in ur head to allow therapy time to relearn behaviours.

the side effects may or may not happen, but in my experience the benefits far out way the anx/depression itself.

i do feel for u hun, this is an awful illness, esp the depressive side cos its all consuming, and u feel ur never going to escape.

the other piece of advice id offer is to catch it as soon as possible. my first depressive episode took over 18 months to clear because i didnt realise what was happeneing to me.

take care hunny

milly xxx

[Dawn08]

Hi Milly
Sorry to hear youre feeling low tonight - I know that feeling only too well. I have suffered this panic disorder for 6yrs and got better through CBT, only to take a relapse 7mths ago which resulted in depression too, and I am now in bed scared to even get up.
This is where my doctor is suggesting anti-depressants, and it terrifies me. Ive even been contemplating a natural method like 5-HTP, but honestly dont know which way to turn for the best. I am really grateful for your advice and thank you - hope youre feeling much better SOON.

[pooh]

Hi Dawn!

I 've suffered sever bouts of depression throught my adult life at various points and went through them without medication. Yikes. I hit my thirties developed anxiety disorder and pas along with depression and was prescribed anti depressants. They work fabulously for me.
Ok the initial couple of weeks of feeling worse had to be off set with diazepam and i felt nausea for a while on a daily basis but it all went away.
I'm on prozac and was previously on seroxat. The ad's definately help you as milly said generally to focus on other things and learn new behaviours. I reckon its worth giving them a try, but that is only a personal opinion. You have to find the right thing for you... oh and most of it comes from sheer will anyway lol the tablets just help let you exercise it.

Take care

Pooh xx

[Tom_M]

I always recommend people to go for the older antidepressants like Clomipramine. What I've heard from people who are taking the newer SSRI's is that the side effects are much worse than the older types. The older types are also very easy to come off - no side effects whatever if you come off them gradually. And they do work far better than the newer types. Ask most psychiatrists and they will tell you that the tri-cyclic's are excellent antidepressants. Why don't doctors give you them? Well they can be fatal if you overdose on them, and seeing that most people take them for depression, that's why. You can take a whole lot of SSRI's without them doing you any harm.

Tom

[Allye]

I started with PA/anxiety and ended up with depression. I took Citalopram - best thing I ever did. It gave me a break from the PA so that I could re-learn behaviours. There were some minor side effects but no worse than a PA. I still have some anxiety but I can deal with it much better now. I was in such a state before now I am improving all the time.

Good luck

[Bill]

I have suffered this panic disorder for 6yrs and got better through CBT, only to take a relapse 7mths ago which resulted in depression too, and I am now in bed scared to even get up.

My guess is that 7 months ago you suffered a bad panic attack which no doubt was brought on by something that was going on in your life such as a very stressful period or a particular bad event.

Whatever the cause, this panic attack really frightened you into worrying about "what if" it happened again so you retreated indoors which then made you feel trapped causing your depression because you are now too scared to even get up because you fear the symptoms of a panic attack will return and something will happen to you.

If I'm right in what I've said, fear is a strange thing. When something frightens us, we sit and worry about it because we then become afraid it'll attack us again if we try to move. However, the more we sit and worry, the more terrified and incapable we feel so the more we feel we can't move so in the end our worrying drains us of all our energy.

If you are reluctant to take medications which can lift your mood and ease your symptoms, I would test yourself by trying to force yourself to get up and start doing something you really enjoy.

The thing about fear is the more you think about it, the more it'll keep you under its thumb but if you ignore it, it'll forget you so that you are then able to get on with your life. Medications "can" provide you with that strength you need but it is possible to find the strength without by putting the things you learnt in CBT into practise.

[Dawn08]

Hi Bill
Thanks for the help and advice which certainly makes loads of sense to me. I forgot to mention that I developed panic attacks 6yrs ago, received cognitive behaviour therapy and became well enough to get around only to suffer a relapse 7mths ago which has now resulted in panic disorder/depression. Prior to that I lost my mother , so that has made me worse, and probably the 100% cause of my relapse....but thank you so much anyway for that great advice - I appreciate it.
Dawn08

[Dawn08]

Hi Pooh

Wow I wish I had the same courage as you to pick up the medication and swallow, but I guess I am just one of those type who isnt brave enough to go ahead and do it. Probably listening to other people's experiences in the past with this type of medication has done me no favours now.
When I first developed panic attacks 6yrs ago, I had more courage in me then to fight ahead and received CBT which helped me a great deal, but then I suffered a relapse 7mths ago, shortly after losing my mum, and now have panic disorder/depression and my courage has gone down the drain. Perhaps I may find the strength, hope and encouragement from all you lovely people in here to pick up the threads again soon. Thank you so much for the help and advice

Dawn08

[Dawn08]

Thank you Tom and Allye for the advice and help, I'm still trying to muster the courage and willpower somewhere to pick up the medication. Its not easy and being scared isnt helping either. I just hope that by reading all the encouragement in here and reading more positive sides about anti-depressants, I will eventually be brave enough. Thanks again

Dawn08