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edward
29-12-03, 13:54
I have been suffering with General Anxiety,for just over a year now,and because i know what i have,and believe myself to be quite a strong minded person,i have been very reluctant to take any medication for my illness.

Do you think i should carry on telling myself "this will go away"(it has got slightly better,but not much!!!)or should i take something to help the process?

I would be grateful for any replys.

Thanks........Edward.

benoo5
29-12-03, 14:17
hi edward,

medication is important,when it comes to cardio vascular disorders..diabetes..auto imune disfunction,etc,etc...but the medications your referring to..for instance..mood altering drugs,are purely hobsons choice,there are a lot of people here,who are not taking medication,they are going through CBT,and some are doing really well.

if you feel,you can overcome your anxiety,with a good diet,exercise,quality time relaxing,and a good vitaminB complex,then go for it...best wishes..bryan.

Laurie28
29-12-03, 14:33
Hiya Edward,

i have chosen not to take medication, however alot of people on this site say it is great along with all the things Brian has mentioned above, anxiety won't just go away on it's own but hopefully with some work and possibly lifestyle changes it will get better.

It is entirely up to you, if you feel you don't want to take meds then don't, but if you feel they will help your symptoms and feel comfortable taking them then go for it. There is no right or wrong just go with your gut instincts

Love
Lucky

sarah
29-12-03, 14:39
Hi Edward

I have chosen to take medication as I thought it would be a 'quick fix' answer. Although it has helped me a lot, its not a cure and I have found that I still have to use other methods (breathing, distraction etc) to continue getting better.
Like Bryan and Lucky both say, its a personal choice. Its helped me but its not a cure...the symptoms dont just magically dissapear, they just get a bit easier while you work on curing yourself.
Does that make any sense?

love Sarah

edward
29-12-03, 14:40
Thanks.......very good advice.

Meg
29-12-03, 18:53
Hi Edward .

Mood altering meds can give you a welcome break from panic and anxiety but unless you make changes in your life the same issues will still be there once you come off them ....

CBT in conjunction with meds are the most powerful proven combination of treatment but if you can go it without, it may save hard work later on.





Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

bananarbabe
29-12-03, 20:02
Hi Edward,

Medication can be helpful to some (like me) but I personally think that using non-medication methods to control anxiety have been much better. I'm also seeing a psychologist and learning more about panic attacks, and I can see some gradual improvement.

nomorepanic
29-12-03, 22:06
Hi Edward

I started off taking medication but gave it all up 6 years ago. I wanted to feel normal and with medication I never did and it also felt to me that if I had to rely on drugs then I was never really cured.

That is my opinion.

I never intended to stay on the medication and to be honest it did nothing for me - I still felt just as bad so I figured it was pointless being on it.

Everyone has different stories but to me the real aim was to cure myself without drugs and that is what I am aiming to do.

Nicola

uryjm
29-12-03, 23:54
On the one hand, I'm pretty anti-drugs because it seems to be a cop-out and puts the responsibility for a "cure" onto something else other than yourself. Then, on the other hand, my drug of choice - alcohol - has really taken the edge off of a bad, bad day. I feel, however, I can cope with alcohol as I'm no alcoholic and boy, do I suffer anxiety if I overdose on the booze, so it's kind of self-regulating for me. I'd say drugs could be good for breaking severe, persistant anxiety, but get off them as soon as you can and find another way - exercise, relaxation, long walks, good diet, golf, whatever - of tackling the problem.

Jim

sadie
30-12-03, 00:32
Hi Edward,

Im also a bit anti-drugs like Jim but its a personal preference. Some people do well under medication others dont. Only you can decide whats best for you.

What I would say is though..drugs can help take the edge off some seriously scary anxiety symptoms which can affect a persons normal daily routine. So how bad does your anxiety affect your normal day to day living?? In the end though the cure to anxiety is learning to cope with the symptoms. Not being frightened of them, relaxing, eating well, exercising and changing our thought processes. No drugs in the world can do this for us..it requires dedication and commitment from ourselves. Its not an easy battle to win but it has and can be done!!

I have just stopped taking my medication and to be honest although it has been tough it was the best thing for me to do. I believe its only me that can do this and I now have the courage of my convictions to do it.

You need to decide what you feel is best for you! We will help you along the way whatever you decide..no judgements made.

Take care.

sadie

bananarbabe
15-01-04, 00:17
Hi,

I have a question for those of you out there who started off on meds but then decided not to take them. How did you deal with psychologists or counselors who were reluctant to see you not take meds? I felt like I kinda acted too quickly in deciding to take meds for my anxiety. After consulting with my MD on Monday, I told him that I wanted to try to deal with my anxiety without using meds and he totally supported and respected my decision.

Today, I went to my psychologist and told him that I decided that I didn't want to take meds and he seemed kinda annoyed about the fact that I didn't want to take meds anymore. He seemed to be kinda pushing me to try to continue staying on the meds and it kinda upset me. I'm doing a lot better than I was when I initially had panic attacks and didn't have a clue how to deal with them. And the more I read and learn about panic and anxiety the more I am convinced that I can do this without meds.

Lottie32
15-01-04, 11:50
Hi Edward

I'm managing fine with diet, exercise, supplements, CBT, this site, Meg, my friends, self analysis and positive thought!

I've never taken a course of medication and have beta blockers for intense moments. (The last time I took one was when my gran had a cardiac arrest whilst I was visiting her in hospital and the crash team were working on her, and we were waiting to find out if they had managed to recusitate her)

I've always been wary of taking drugs, and also like to have the idea that I have a "last option" to fall back on if all else fails.

However, some people find that they need to take something to break the cycle, and so long as other help is available (i.e. working to resolve the problem) alongside the drug therapy, they are a very useful tool.

I think it really depends on the person and circumstances. Personally I was worried that the drugs would make me feel so much better that I would have big problems coming off them. I have quite an addictive personality, and the thought of having to struggle to wean myself off them put me off.

I find that the things I have listed have helped me imeasurably. However, if I had exhausted all the available options, I would have no hesitation in trying medication. Have you given diet, exercise, supplements etc. a good go?

Good luck with whatever you decide is the best FOR YOU.

Charlie

Laurie28
15-01-04, 12:59
Hiya ,

Just to follow on from Charlie,

I am getting alot better - touch wood (madly tapping head) witout meds. I like Charlie prefer to change my eating habits and also have learned to stop my thought processes before they spiral out of control. I think if I had taken meds I might be worried about coming off them. I haven't anything against meds in principal but they are just not for me (i hope) and even though i am not 100% 'normal' I really feel I am getting a bit better every day!!

Love
lucky

Meg
15-01-04, 17:07
Hi,

I took Prozac for a few months after a dreadful time with panic and was talked into it by GP, I got the ready brek glow feeling and thought I was cured as I was back whizzing around with no issues. I did very little else at that time .

5 weeks after I stopped it , I had a mega panic attack on the slopes of Vesuvius. Not fun. When I got home I did some intense reading and decided against going back on them and put my all, into keeping going and finding another route. Which it seems I did find !

I think that if you're in a bad way and are unable to self help through continous panic , severe anxiety or depression or perhaps with very little support from family or friends then meds can bring great relief and break from the cycle and can do wonders to help you into a place where you can take over again.

The danger is not to deal with any issues and when you come off them - it reoccurs.

Whats the saying - if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got ..a basic law of physics and chemistry.

Not that I'd know about physics as I got chucked out in year 3 for being disruptive and argumentative !!


Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...