Medication or Not ???

[margaret jones]

Hi just wondered how everyone feels about taking Medication for Anxiety /Panic attacks ?? I have been suffering from them both for approx 18 mnths they have gradually lessened over that time I did not have any medication but counselling and self help groups also NMP have been my treatments . Do you think had i taken medication i would have been able to recover a lot quicker ?? Maggie xxx

[Neo]

Hard to say that Margaret really for sure. It's really up to the person how they react to meds and if they are on the right type for them.

You can only try them and see how they work. If you have had issues for so long, and you think meds may help, I'd say perhaps try them as soon as you can so as not to be wondering about it any longer than necessary.

All the best.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[joannap]

hi maggie - my opinion is that you did it the right way lol. i do not mean to knock meds - i myself have been off and on them but this has meant i have never truly got to grips with overcoming fear of fear - i really wish now that i had been able to do without them because at the end of the day - it cannot be good for us being on medication for years and i know myself that they have caused side effects. i have to say that i did feel like they were life savers at some points but that is because i did not know much about anxiety and how we can deal with it in other ways.

also - the thing about taking meds is that unless you want to take them forever - we have to come off them. i have been going through a bad patch since march (although much improved with acceptance! and just getting on with things with anxiety in the background) and refuse to upp/change my medication because i am now 35 - have been on and off them for over 10 years and want to learn to deal with this myself - yes - it is hard work but no success rarely comes without hard work. i am down to 7.5mg and always feel anxious/suffer physical symptoms but at the same time - am learning to deal with my worries and living a full life so i reckon i can;t be doing too bad!

well done you! x

[Baggs]

My own opinion is that, if you can manage without meds, that's best. But my opinion may change next week. All the best. Baggs.

[margaret jones]

Thanks for your replys xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[joannap]

i think baggs says it perfectly! xx

[margaret jones]

Thanks Baggs Thats how i feel and at present i am managing without meds but who knows what tomorrow brings xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx MAGGIE

[blueangel]

I too have been on medication a number of times, and to be fair, anti-depressants have always worked very well on me, but the problem is that they treat the symptoms and not the cause.

About 10 years ago I managed to get some sessions with a really, really good counsellor who did help me a lot - but sadly she has now retired and I can't get in touch with her again. I did try another counsellor a couple of years ago, but her techniques seemed to be based more on reflection, which I didn't find helpful, and eventually made me feel as though I was going round in circles.

I'm having a very bad time at the moment, and although I know it would give me some fairly immediate relief if I went on medication, I feel that's not really the answer for me now and I have to find another way. But day to day, this is making things very tough; I really lost the plot yesterday and now feel extremely fragile and don't know how long this will last.

I'm less worried about myself than about the effect it will have on my partner, who has been marvellous, but I don't want to become a burden on him because of the way I am. After all, I have lived with this for most of my life; he hasn't - and I don't want to foist it on him.

[margaret jones]

Hi blueangel thanks for your reply i feel that looking at other peoples journeys re Meds or Not that i have made the right choice for me at this time , My niece has been on Meds for years and she copes very well ,but when she tried to reduce and stop them she was straight back to the way she felt at the start of her illness ,so i was always a bit weary of starting the Meds. For me the acceptance of my HA and the fact that I will always have it has proved to me that i can and will beat this HA (well at least learn to live with it ) Sorry that you are not to well at the moment but i am sure with your attitude you will get there soon

Take Care Maggie have a :hugs:xzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx