How has medication/therapy helped you?

[.Poppy.]

Some of you I'm sure know that I am very new on the road to actually fighting my anxiety. I've had two therapy sessions, a doctor's visit with another Wednesday, and as my doc doesn't feel he can best judge which medication would be best, he's set an appointment up for me with a psychiatrist on March 10th (the soonest I could get in).

I feel supported. I feel like I'm on the right path, anyway.

Yet as I sit her typing this, after a looong morning of counting my shedded hairs for fear that I'm losing them all, and after just getting done examining/fiddling with my eyebrows, panicking each time I shed one (which is apparently normal and I may be pulling some out at this point) and then consequently going through old pictures of myself to decide if my brows really ARE thinner in appearance, I have to wonder.

I know some of you have actually gotten better, but what does that mean, really? I'm taking hydroxine (sp) right now short term, as my doc felt that was the best thing he could give me without more weight from my therapist and the psych as to what would best fit me. I just take it as needed, mostly it makes me tired, sometimes it's like it creates a wall inside me - I feel anxious about something but that anxiety can't build past a certain level. Not sure if that's just because it's making me too tired to care, though.

Is that it? Do meds just make you more apathetic?

It's not really the same, but I have a dog with massive anxiety/fear and have done some research as to whether or not he'd be a candidate for drugs or not and apparently in dogs it makes them less likely to react immediately and makes recovery time much quicker. So, he sees the scary thing but is able to process it mentally better and once scary thing has passed he's able to "get over it" faster. Is that how it works?

Basically, I'm curious as to what you've tried and how it has made you feel.

I'm not sure if this is the right section, if not please move, but I'm struggling right now to see if there really is a way out of the tunnel or if you just numb the pain.

[faithfulone]

I've taken Paxil in the past for depression and anxiety and it really helped me. I was feeling apathetic prior to taking it and it helped me to be able to concentrate again and have the energy to want to do other things. It was also helpful with ocd / depresseive thoughts. This time around I was having more anxiety and felt like my anxiety got worse on the Paxil so weaned back off. Plus, I was having what I think were side effects, but not really sure (may have been some of the anxiety). One of them being lots of nausea which has now improved, but so has my anxiety. I believe medication can help, but depends on each individual and what they are going through at the time. Medication, especially anti-depressants are difficult though because you may have to try several before you find the one that works for you with the least amount of side effects.

If you're also asking if the medication cured me or just masked a problem, I'm really not sure. I think I'm a very sensitive person and sometimes just don't need to think all the time about everything. I believe my depression at that time had to do with specific life events that will happen to everyone that lives long enough. How life effects each person is different, but there's no underlying issue that I know of that needs to be dealt with. I think in those cases a therapist would be most helpful to uncover, but sometimes it's a combination that's needed.

[Fishmanpa]

I can say with all certainty YES! It helps. One on one therapy along with meds helped me out of depression in 2007 after my 1st heart attack. One on one therapy along with an online CBT workshop helped me out of depression and taught me to manage some "scanxiety" after my 2nd heart attack and cancer in 2013.

It takes a concerted effort and positive attitude as well as a real desire to get well but it works.

Positive thoughts

[.Poppy.]

Thanks, both of you. :) It makes me feel a bit better to know that there's a tiny bit of hope!

I'm finding out today that my mind seems desperate to latch onto something to worry about, if that's even a thing. If one worry passes, I find something entirely new - and not always strictly health related, either!

I think for me, "actual" illness like the flu or a sore throat or whatever would distract me from my HA (those things are easy to diagnose/treat so never have scared me much), but my HA now is a distraction from some of my low self-esteem issues. I seesaw back and forth - not anxious about my health? Well, now I can focus in on how awful I look. Worried about hair loss? Best put the other on the back burner and start counting shedded hairs and go crazy over that.

Surely there's a way to win - and I will. Somehow.