Relapse

[sfournier]

I have been dealing with anxiety and panic attacks for five months. I started Cipralex a little over two months ago and I was feeling sooooo much better. I don't get any major disruptive anxiety symptoms and I was feeling happy and normal again. However, this week I started to have very anxious thinking and my mood dropped and I had crying episodes and panic three times this week. What is going on? Did the medication suddenly stop working or is this normal to have bad periods while on meds and after such a good long anxiety/depression free period. Its upsetting to go backwards after doing well for so long.

[staffi]

Hi. I'm pleased I've just read your thread has this is happening to me I've been really well more up days than down but the last couple of week I've had a couple of wobbles and was beginning to think the medication is not working any more :)

[Edie]

I'm sorry you're having a bad week.

Sadly it's normal to have good periods and bad ones. If the medication is working then hopefully the bad periods won't be as bad as they used to be.

Medication can sometimes stop working, but this is usually after years rather than months. But it may be worth speaking with your doctor about adjusting your dose or maybe even trying something new.

Medication can help to treat symptoms and lift your mood, but rarely cure the illness altogether. Therapy can teach you long-term coping mechanisms. Therapy might help you to break out of the anxious thoughts more effectively than the medication.

[Darbysa]

I think most people can relate to this. When you first start feeling good after taking meds it can be disappointing when you start to feel down again. This in itself fuels your anxiety further as you worry the meds arent working. I know how this feels because it has happened to me a few times, sometimes just for a day, sometimes for a few days. I've just had a big blip myself and found it difficult to cope. The thing is that it does pass. Edie is right, meds are not a miracle cure. We have to accept that we are not going to feel 100% fantastic every day. If you think about it most people have off days, even those who don't suffer from anxiety so it's unrealistic to expect to be on top of the world everyday. Now that I feel better it's easy to say that of course! If you'd asked me earlier this week I would not have been able to accept that, I was looking for answers same as you.
Hang on in there. It will get better.
Take care
Sal