help

[Louise2009]

Hi everyone,

I just want to ask peoples opinions.

I have been working overseas and have been signed off work until March. In the meanstime I am now back in the UK and I need to start antidepressants for my panic attacks and anxiety. I've been having councelling for a while, but have not started the antidepressants yet...I want to ask, do antidepressants really take the panic attacks away?? I am wondering if I start them now, will I be able to return to overseas in March?? Am frightened.

Louise

[hana]

Hi Louise,
I wouldn't say that medication is going to completely cure you, sometimes you will find that they just significantly help you on a day to day basis
for example before i was on medication i feel paniky for a majority of the time, now i dont all the time, but i still have bad spells and panic attacks. If that makes sense?!?!
I think if you have been recommended medication it is def worth having a try at it.
Dont be frightened, i know its scarey but you might just find that the medication gives you a better quality of life, and if it does work for you, you can always come off them
hope that helps :)

hana x

[markko]

Hi Louise,

Well, there's no way I'm going to contradict what has been agreed between you and your doctor.

What I would say is that anti-depressants get alot of bad press and in my opinion it is mostly deserved. They can cause more problems than they solve.

As I say, if your situation is bad then going witout could be a bad idea too.

Good luck,

Markko

[carter]

I bloody hate self righous ...you must not take pills people...why they join this forum i never know...its ment to be a help site

lets be honest...Your gp has recommeded you take pills to help you..

Ill be honest these are the facts

They will give you a better quality of life
They are not a full cure, you have to work with them too
For at least the first 2/3 weeks you will feel alot worse before you get better...its a tough time
You have to give them at least 6/8 weeks to feel the full affects
You will most likely get some kind of side affect for the first month this will pass in time...its more irritating than worrying
Positive thinking is key..
Its not heroin.. so your not going to be addicted like that..but you have introducted a drug to your body ..so when you dont need to take it anymore...you may need to be weened off it...to prevent a possible relapse and to keep your bodys balance
They dont turn you into zombies.
your choice have a read through some of my threads ive been on pills for 19 days now...you can see the ups and downs ive had.

good luck and all the best

we are here to support you :bighug1:
xxx

[gypsywomen]

i think you should give them a go ,,dr thinks they will work you will e fine

[onceagain]

Hi Louise

Absolutely right I have been on meds now for just a month, went through some really bad anxiety etc and very depressed as initially they heighten the negatives but whilst I still don't feel they have taken their full effect I am feeling a little better, they haven't taken all the anxiety away but I am starting to be able to go with it a little better and thanks carter cos now I know in another month they would be giving their real benefits! Good luck everyone x

[Downsinthenorth]

Hi Louise

Oh dear, it's a bit of a difficult one to answer - especially for me as I suffer from anxiety AND depression. I'll try and answer it based on my own set of problems, and my personal reaction to medication and other remedies.

I am beginning to suspect that my depression is largely caused by prolonged anxiety - my body and mind just shut down in reaction to the stress. Well, I do very well on Prozac, although I loathe having to take medication in any form. It doesn't really tackle the root cause/s of the anxiety, although it brought it down to a level where I could start to think about checking out other remedies.

For me, the first step was finding out why my mind and body react to stress in such an intense and frightening way. This is fine as long as you do enough research to understand the situation, but not too much so that you become obsessed with it.

The next step (for me) was finding ways to desensitize myself. I kept a journal so that I had a record of what triggered the worst attacks, and how well I responded to potential remedies. For example, I have found that it is best for me to drink very little alcohol and not very often (I refuse to give it up entirely), as I now know that it will make my anxiety and depression worse in the long run. Running or swimming seems to take the edge off of the worst of the anxiety (I hate exercise!), especially if it is caused by performance anxiety (e.g. a presentation, interview, driving test). Finding new ways to think about things that frighten me seems to be vitally important. It is no good just accepting something intellectually (I find), but I have to really feel instinctively that it is right. I call these my "Road to Damascus" moments, even though I am actually an atheist.

The final step, and the one I am having problems getting to grips with, is that I am having to accept that I will probably always be prone to anxiety and depression, and that all I can really do is manage the situation. This is just me - other people I know have recovered completely and never looked back. Even so, I am finding it easier now that I am trying to stop fighting myself (possibly one of the least helpful things you can do when you suffer from anxiety), and have started coming to terms with my situation.

Sorry about this long and convoluted response, but I think (as a sufferer, not an expert) that most forms of severe anxiety and/or depression can be caused by a combination of things, so generally there is never going to be one straightforward way of tackling them. I also believe that the sufferer is in the best position to judge what is best for them - professional help is invaluable, but sooner or later we must be able to decide what is right for us.

All the best

[Jessilynm]

I'm sorry to jump in on a pretty old post here....I'm new and still reading back posts so I feel like I know my way around here a little!

I feel pretty strongly about this. The poster who said that antiD's only make everything worse, was merely expressing an opinion. There was no judgment about it. Everyone is different. And the poster did not say all meds are bad.

I have found that SSRI's are quite damaging to me. I have a panic disorder, I am not depressed. The meds treated symptoms I don't have, and therefore caused a rebound like response....I became numbed out, unmotivated, miserable. I became depressed. I do not personally understand why SSRI's are pushed so hard on patients with anxiety disorders who do not also suffer from depression. It is klonopin which has saved my life. Doc's are afraid of addiction. I see nothing wrong with being so called "addicted" (meaning I don't want to go back to the way I felt without it). There are people who can't handle the addictive properties, but everyone's different.

It is merely an opinion, not self-rightousness which I saw in the post. I also have an opinion that SSRI's are far too widely and mistakedly given out for anxiety. I am not "anti med" in any way at all.

I know there's a whole other forum for this! I just felt the need to jump in. I'm new here and hope I have not affended anyone.

Jessica

[twhitetina]

Hi louis,

How are you? I have had panic attacks for eight years. I have been on and off Anit- depressants for years I honestly don't know why i ever get off I guess I start feeling so good I don;t think I need them any more. I have recently started back on my ad because my attacks are once again running my life. In my opinion they help tremendously but I am speaking for my self. In the beginning they do heighten and make you a feel a little bit worse but once it is in you system it helps big time, makes me fell normal again. And you still get attacks but less frequently. When I am not on something I have about two to three bad ones a week versus when i am on ad I have maybe one a month if even that. everyone is different but if there running your life I would give them a go and don't get scared at first hang in there and the pay off is rewarding.

Best wishes Tina