Hi everyone, this is my first post

[lisarose]

Hi everyone this is my first post and I am a bit unsure of how to use these message boards so you will all have to be patient with me while I get used to them. My name is Lisa and I am 30 years old, I live with my partner Jon and I have 2 children age 11 & 5. I have been suffering with Panic Attacks, anxiety and depression for nearly 5 years since my son was 5 months old and it was diagnosed as post-natal depression. I tried many medications which were of no help until last August when I was put on Effexor by a new GP. I had been drinking quite heavily for a couple of years and stopped drinking when I started the Effexor. I found this drug to be very helpful and becuase i wasn't drinking I wasn't having so many panic attacks as I think the alcohol brought them on. I have been on effexor for nearly 6 months but tried to come off them on my own 3 days ago and go cold turkey. This was the worst thing I could have done as all my old symptoms returned and I went through the most horrendous withdrawal. I gave in last night and had to go back on them as I couldn't stand it any longer and I definately won't be trying that again. I would like to know if anyone else has been through the same thing.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

[Tracy68]

Hi Lisarose
First of all welcome to the site, everyone is great and help and support you no end :D. Secondly....yes I've been thru it. After the birth of my second daughter i suffered with depression and the doctor put me on prozac. Took them for about five months and felt so much better that i decided to take myself off them, worse thing i could ever do. I hit rock bottom with such a bang i actually felt worse than before i went on them. Went back to doctors and got a telling off (to be expected i guess). Went back on them and then gradually came off which was so much better.
Take care
Tracy
xx

[henri]

Hi lisarose,
Welcome to the site - i only joined yesterday and already feel so much better for talking to people here. I've just had a terrible time coming off diazepam - wasn't even on it for that long but felt totally dependent on it. recently managed to come off it slowly - don't know how long it'll last tho - nearly took one last night i was freaking out that badly. maybe your doctor can advise you on the best way to come off effexor gradually. take care,
henri x

[Meg]

Hi Lisarose,

Firstly very well done for stopping the drinking. That can be tough and you did very well.

What happened with you with Effexor is extremely common. Some people do come off immediately with no problems but its not the norm. You did the right thing going back on them - get stable again and then when you decide to come off them do so extremely slowly. Do not rush off them to save another prescription- take all the time you need.

There is not enough information given about coming off them and many people just decide to do it themselves withhout consulting the doctor so do not get that information at all and some GP's can try to rush it too.


Meg
www.overcominganxiety.co.uk
You cannot conquer fear until you have learned what it is you're afraid of. The enemy is ignorance. Vivian Vance

[seh1980]

hello Lisarose,

Welcome to the site!! I'm sure you will find loads of support here.

Sarah :D

[Karen]

Hi Lisarose

Welcome to the site.



Karen



It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.

[FAN]

hi and welcome to the site theres loads of useful information on here and very nice people

fan x

[sal]

Hi Lisa

Welcome to the site. Sorry to hear that coming of the tablets made you feel terrible when you seem to have been coping really well.

You have done really well to stop drinking as i know how hard that is.

Take care.

Lots of Love Sal xxxxx

[~S~]

Hi Lisa

Welcome to the site, ive only been here for a week and its helped me loads already! Everyone is really friendly and understanding. Try the chat room sometime, it will help you a lot to talk to others who are going through the same thing.

Luv ~Sarah~ xxx

[jill]

Hi Lisa

Welcome to the site,

There are lots of nice people here who
will help and support you.

TAKE CARE

LOVE JILLXX


All problems have a begining and an end!

[nomorepanic]

Hi Lisa

Welcome aboard.

I hope we can be of some help to you on here.

Nicola

[Mike26uk]

Hi Lisa, I'm sure you'll find this site very helpful. I certainly have.

When coming off seroxat I tried cold turkey but it was horrendous. Survived two weeks but it was awful and had to go back. Currently trying to come off again and have reduced my intake from one every day to one every two days. Finding it much easier so in another few weeks i intend to drop to one every three days and so on.

Don't worry though because they are not addictive in the normal sense. just takes some adjustment.

no one ever died wishing they had spent more time at work

[bluebottle]

Hi lisarose,

Some AD have a liquid form and this can help during the withdrawal process as you can stop in smaller doses. I know Seroxat does but I'm not sure about others.

Regards,

Blue
--
Take little steps and remember it is OK if your recovery is not a smooth one.

[lisarose]

Hi everone, thanks for all your kind words.

this website has been so helpful, it is great that everyone is supporting one another and that you all know what it is like to go through similar experiences. I wished i had had the internet years ago as I am sure the recovery process would not have taken so long if I had found something like this then. Doctors should definately be writing out prescriptions for the "nomorepanic website"!!!! In reply to Mike26UK I am trying to cut it down to one every other day, but do you think this will do me any harm? I have got an appointment to see my GP next week to see if they can reduce the dose. I really hate being reliant on these drugs but know they must have done me some good to be able to get my life back on track but now I feel as though I am a junkie or something as my body can't seem to cope without them and I really hate that feeling of dependency. I also feel a bit stressed this week as my Kid's are on half term from school and they are driving me bonkers, plus my 5 year old son has just come down with chickenpox so he will be off school next week as well and all my plans for this week seem to have gone out the window so I feel as though I am not in control of my life yet again. I can't seem to get motivated to do anything, the house is a tip and I have a big college assignment to do for Monday on of all things Anxiety disorders as part of my psychology course and I can't seem to get any peace and quiet to get started so I feel really stressed out. I feel like running off at the moment!!

Anyone else feel the same?

Take care

LOVE LISAXXX

[FAN]

glad you find the website helpful its good knowing your not on your own with this isnt it, i wouldnt worry about feeling the need to run away im sure most of us feel this way sometimes and school holidays are stressful any way as the kids get bored after the first couple of days and the whining starts lol dont worry about the house work it will still be there when you get your motivation back i know this only too well im always hoping the housework fairy will come but never does, try get the kids to bed an hour earlier if only into their rooms just to give yourself some breathing time even if you dont do anything you still need time to be "you"

fan x

[lisarose]

Hi Fan
took your advice and got he kids to bed early which has given me some much needed space, still feeling stressed though but I have had a few drinks which has chilled me a bit but then again I will probably wake with a panic attack in the night or feel like a zombie in the morning and not want to do anything tomorrow either but it feels worth it at this moment in time!! I will let you know how I feel tomorrow!! Me and my boyfriend have been able to have a good talk about things tonight and also had a good laugh which we haven't done in ages and this has made me feel a bit better, i think he knows this website is really helping me and he is glad I have found people who know what I have been through. I think part of the problem in the past is that we haven't really been able to discuss my anxiety problems before properly because he has never known how to handle it but I have got a lot of things off my chest tonight that I have kept bottled up before wether it is because I have loosened up becuase I have had a few drinks I don't know but it seems to have hit home with him after nearly 5 years. Anyway tomorrow is another day as my dad always says!

Thanks for listening, looks like I am stuck in the house for the next 10 days until my son's chicken pox has cleared up so you will probably hear alot more from me as I will be bored out of my mind. Any tips for keeping a 11 year old and 5 year old from getting bored and trying to drive me round the bend?!!!

speak to you soon

Love Lisaxx

[sal]

Hi Lisa

Read you post to sickofit and you sound to be having a really tough run of it at the moment.

I hope your shingles are getting better.

It is a shame that you had to give up college but if it was getting too much for you you have probably made the right decision. As for the drinking you know you are doing it to console yourself just like i do, but dont forget you managed for a long time without it and did really well. I am sure with our help you can also get back to where you were.

Take care.

Lots of Love Sal xxxxx

[lisarose]

Hi Sal, thanks for the reply. I don't know how to get back on track, feel like I have failed myself and everyone else. I am so angry and frustrated with myself and know i can kick the alcohol but it just seems an easy way out at the moment, it gives me a lift and helps me cope in the short term, but the next day I get really panicky anxious etc and feel so disappointed with myself which leads to a lot of self loathing and self pity. Last night I just felt so depressed, I was snapping at my boyfriend and the kids for the slightest thing and I think my boyfriend is getting sick of my mood swings. We were doing the entertainment quiz on BBC 1 and he was just winding me up so much as he kept bragging that he knew all the answers, I ended up storming off to bed and didn't even wait to mark my answers as I thought that there was no point as it was clear he was going to win and couldn't hang around to watch him gloat about it. I thought it would prove what a failure I was if I didn't do very well with the quiz so ended up sobbing my heart out into my pillow and ended up falling asleep through sheer exhaustion of crying. I know this may sound silly as the quiz was meant to be a bit of fun but I am just so depressed at the moment that the slightest comment even if said in jest sets me off and I end up blowing up like a bottle of pop. I feel so guilty as my kids don't know what the hell is going on with me and neither do I for that matter, I feel like I am having a breakdown or something.
Thanks for your support
Love Lisaxx

[linjane]

Hi Lisa,
Just spent ages writing a reply only to find I hadn't logged in!!!

We all have bad days and you shouldn't feel bad about it. Maybe having a good cry helped. I haven't got any answers to give you because I am in about the same boat as you but at least you know there are plenty of people on here that care.
I'm in the middle of a bad day today. Both my kids are of school sick and because I have no help with them I have had to close my shop - not good for business. My husband annoyed me, he just went off to work without any offer of help - ie. ASK HIS MOM TO HELP - so it has made me mad at him too. Anyway I am taking advantage of being off by catching up on all my housework - lovely.
Don't feel too guilty about having a drink so long as it is in moderation. I am a fine one to talk, but have you tried any relaxation tapes or anything. If I could motivate myself to I am convinced they would eventually help.
Take care and if you need to talk feel free to e-mail me.
Linda.xx

[nomorepanic]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Hi Lisa,
Just spent ages writing a reply only to find I hadn't logged in!!!
Linda.xx

<div align="right">Originally posted by linjane - 14 March 2005 : 11:31:56</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

Linda - if the text is still on the screen then you can copy and paste it by highlighting it all pressing "cntrl c" then once you were logged in you can paste it back with "cntrl v". Sorry if you already knew this but useful if you didn't [:P]

Nicola

[linjane]

Hi Nicola,
Thanks for that, I didn't know, but also don't think the text was still there, it just came up - There was a problem!
Linda.

[lisarose]

Hi Linda&lt; thanks for the reply, sorry to hear your kids are sick, I now how that feels as my Kids have been off for 3 weeks, my daughter went back last wednesday and my son went back yesterday, just when I thought all the illness had cleared up, I had a phone call from my daughters school to say that she had been sick and could I come anf collect her!! OH no when will it all end!! She is still sick today so i have kept her at home, I hope its not a bug or something as I know I will end up getting it and I can't cope with that ontop of the shingles I already have. It's my birthday today so feel even worse as i can't go out anywhere so will have to have a drink to drown my sorrows LOL!! Well another year older but no wiser!!

I have tried relaxation exercises but they don't seem to work as I can't seem to concentrate and switch off for long enough.

Hope you feel better soon and your kids get better also
take care
Love Lisa
PS Are you still suffereing from the ectopic beats?

[sal]

Hi Lisa

Firstly a very happy birthday to you, i hope you can make the most of the day although you are restricted to stay in.

Sorry to hear about your daughter, you arent having much luck at the moment. Unfortunately there are loads of bugs going round but lets hope its just a 24/48 hour one and she is better soon.

Take care.

Best wishes,

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.

[lisarose]

Hi Sal, thanks alot&lt; I don't know what is the matter with her, she has been feeling sick alot lately with lots of tummy pains, I am worried that she might be getting ready to start her periods, I know she is only 11 but it is possible I suppose as she is having terrible mood swings as well. Another possibility is that she is having trouble with her friends again as she was being picked on by them a few weeks ago and i had to go and sort it with the teacher, it seemed to calm down for a while but I am worried that she is frightened of telling me what's on her mind, she insists that everything is o.k at school but somehow I don't believe her. Anyway I have cracked open a bottle of wine and am having spritzers (i know it's a bit early in the day but I am really depressed about everything, my boyfriend is at work and my daughter is in bed so I'ts just me and the PC at the moment - at least I have you guys on here, I don't know what I would do without this site as it has been a real help to me in the last few weeks.
How are you anyway, how are things with your mum at the moment?
Take care
Speak to you soon although after a few more glasses of wine I might not make much sense LOL!! Well it is my birthday!!
Love Lisaxx

[linjane]

Hi Lisa,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

You wouldn't believe how much we have in common. My daughter is nine, ten in July and is also having problems at school - being picked on by her friends. I spent most of last Monday at the school and have even been speaking to the other moms involved. Total nightmare, when do you ever stop worrying? Never is the answer to that, but I would never be without my kids.

Apparently there are loads of bugs going round. My little boy started off with a cough then ended up with diarohhea and stomach ache on Sunday and Monday and then last night developed a temperature as well. He is now sleeping. My daughter was ok yesterday after some calpol and is back at school today, just hope she doesn't have any problems there today.

Try to enjoy your birthday and not let things get on top of you. I was really depressed for some silly reason on my birthday (1st Feb) I was 38 and hate the thought of getting so close to 40!

Anyway, take care, speak to you soon.
Love,
Linda.xx