medication?

[tricia56]

hi i have struggled with GAD for ten years now and always been afraid of taking meds because of side effects and how they will make me feel ,ive had cbt 3 times but didn't help much and the last time I had it early this year but the therapist stoped the sessions after 6 wks because he said I wasn't consistant enough with the therapy and because In not on medication he couldn't carry on with it , so now I don't have no support, my anxiety has been so bad lately and there is days when I think should I try medication but then the fear just overwhelms me, i then start questioning about medication as i have a son inlaw who last dec had a break down and is suffering with depression and anxiety and has is taking 3lots of antidepressants but is still no better and all he does is sleep all day every day and is still in a bad place even tho he is on the 3 lots of medication also i read on here a lot of stories about meds and either don't work, bad side effects or as soon as the stop takin the meds they are back to square one , so that makes me even more anxiouse and confused about taking meds , as i then start thinking if the meds are supposed to help you then why are so many people still no better when taking them, i just cant seem to get my head round it all and beat myself up everday over it and think maybe it just me and my brain is so mixed up. sorry if this post doent make much sence to any one as i just want to tell someone how im thinking and feel as the medication thing is really bothering me thk u

[MrAndy]

why cant you try them and come off them if you feel no better,the problem with the internet is you will only hear the horror stories about side effects and such like.People who do well dont bother posting and simply move on.
I tried quite a few SSRIs and settled well on sertraline,the side effects were quite minimal to get on and off them.If you get the right support from your family and doctor you shouldnt have any problems with medication
What have you got to lose

[Sunflower2]

I can relate to this.. I also have a crippling fear of medication yet I know that at some point I probably will need to take it. If you have spent 10 years feeling miserable and anxious, then do you really want to spend the next 10 years feeling the same?
I agree with MrAndy, what have you got to lose? My doctor said that its very unlikely severe side effects continue after a week, and even if you do, you just stop taking them and they are gone.. 1 week is much less than 10 years of anxiety you have suffered.

[MrAndy]

being honest about it,they are bumpy to get on for the 1st few weeks but the doctors usually prescribe diazepam to get over the hump.Ive got a mate at work whos been on venaflaxine for several years ,he has zero side effects even though he forgets to take them all the time and also drinks on them.He leads a normal life and is now dropping his dosage and is ready to slowly come off them.In his case they were lifesavers ,I remember how ill he was you couldnt even hold a conversation with him ,he would just burst into tears

[debs71]

I agree with MrAndy.

It really does come down to a question: 'which is the lesser of two evils?'

Is it preferable, and is your quality of life better the way that you are feeling with the GAD now, than it is to at least try meds to address the anxiety, even with their potential side effects?

I agree that you hear a lot of scare stories, other people's 'experiences' and (frankly) a lot of hocus-pocus crap about anti-depressants/anxiety meds. Medication is very subjective. Just because one person has had to try more than one, or had bad side-effects or found they 'hadn't worked' for them, does not mean they cannot help you.

As much as I feel for your son-in-law, as I suffer from depression myself, I do wonder if he is also taking steps to help himself? I do not mean that to sound harsh or presumptious, but mental health problems are not just solved by popping meds. It takes a lot of self-help, and as far as depression goes, a lot of inner strength and determination to start to feel better, along with the crutch of the meds. Is he having therapy, or has he had any? That also makes a huge difference.

When I was severely depressed, along with having GAD and panic attacks, I was referred for counseling through MIND. I didn't want it, and refused it, but my doctor said that if I didn't go for therapy, she would not prescribe meds. She also said that the meds alone do not address the underlying reasons why I am depressed and why I am anxious, and that needs to be talked about. At the time I was furious and in a mess, but in retrospect, she was totally right. Meds alone do NOT solve the problem. If the problems are still there that caused the depression, a pill won't solve that on it's own.

It is your choice whether to accept meds, but I do think that they are absolutely worth a go, as it is no life living with anxiety or depression or any other mental health illness. Yes, there is always a probability of starting side-effects, but that is a means to an end, not forever and ever.

[MrAndy]

Debs thats great advice from your doctor,you need to tackle depression and anxiety from all sides.CBT and group therapy really helped me ,probably more than medication if i am honest

[tricia56]

thks mr andy i know its true what u said about the internet the horror stories etc, and i shouldn't think that just because someone else isnt or doesnt get better on them that i will be the same as deep down i know that we are all different and unique, but i just cant seem to get over the fear of taking them i even tell myself i have nothing to loose and that they cant harm me or hurt me but the fear just overwhelms me with the wat ifs etc i think im scared of the unknown if that makes sence,its even not just the antidepressants i fear taking its any kind of medicatication i wont even take vitamin d my doc gave me because my vitamin d is low and i even wont take a inhaler for my c.o.p.d that i have which i know i should take to help open my airways when i get breathless because im so scared of the side effects, i never used to be like this its only when i started suffering with anxiety , i know deep down these fears are irrational but cant seem to stop them wish i could.

[MrAndy]

I was the same i was very scared to swallow the 1st pill,but guess what it didnt hurt me or send me doolaly.Ive told people this before ,I used to pretend I was taking vitamins just to blank it out of my mind.Millions take ADs you just need to be a bit stronger and brush the what ifs aside.Sertraline really got me over a bad hump of depression,as soon as I felt better I stopped taking them.You dont have to be on them for life but so what if you are

[tricia56]

thks debs its true i don't have much of alife at the moment suffering the way i do with anxiety and i understands that meds alone dont fix anxiety you have to work at it and help urself which i do try to do the best i can as i want to get better one day, like i said in my post ive had cbt which really has helped me a little bit to be honest and i think i have a good knowledge about anxiety but i cant seem to practice most of the time what i know and should do , i don't seem to believe in myself my self asteem and conviedence is really low and think that these are the things that's stopping me from getting better , i don't know if councilling will help me in away

[KK77]

Give it a go Tricia. Everyone's different and if it doesn't work out you can always stop. Meds don't cure illness, they just help you to be able to help yourself.

[Jayamashey]

Hi Tricia,

I would also agree to try a medication to see if it helps. Every person is different and reacts differently to medication. I personally couldn't stay on them but I am glad that I tried them so I knew what my options were for working through my GAD / Depression. However, I also don't post much about my experience since I know others have done really well and for many it has been a life changer.

As the others have said, if you don't feel well on them then stop and try another.

However, as Debs/Mr Andy said, meds are just a tool to help you. They don't cure you. You must do that work through therapy, self help, better understanding, or whatever it takes.

There are so many options out there to help you just need to explore and try them.

[courierdude]

i wouldnt be one to recommend medication of any kind unless it was a life threatening condition that you had.

i would also add that beta blockers are one of the oldest and most safe group of drugs in use and have little if no side effects.

when i first accepted that i was having bouts of panic attacks many years ago, i eventually gave in to trying medication. i was prescribed a low dose of propranalol which i took for 6 months-half of that time i lowered my dose myself until i felt well enough to quit them. by the end of my 6 months i would always carry a couple of tabs about me 'just in case' but i dont think i ever needed them. this treatment keep me in good stead for about 10 years.

you would have to put a gun to my head to make me consume ssri or anything that might alter my mood or personality so i understand the concern with not wanting to take meds.

i would recommend trying beta blockers at a low dose of say 20mg for at least a month. you wont barely notice them and you will literally forget your anxieties. for me they just made me not really care about having a panic attack which i know is a big horrible aspect of living with an anxiety problem.

my next bout of attacks came after my 10 year break and after a few months of debilitating episodes i went back on meds with a different doctor who prescribed a high dose slow release. i would only suggest that you reject these in favour of the smaller dose as these were pretty heavy for me and i was pretty much tripping on them-hallucinating, hearing things, losing depth perception etc and i had to stop them very quickly as i wasnt even safe to drive on them.

so from a staunch anti pharmabiz perspective i would still suggest the propranalol beta blockers. just dont be on them forever and start to ween yourself once you feel they have done what they are supposed to and dont let the doctor use you as a consumer to keep the pharma companies cashing in on peoples misery!

good luck : )