Medication - a temporary fix or permanent?

[ama]

Hey Guys,

From joining this forum a couple of days ago I've come across a lot of threads where people mention the medication they are on and it really surprised me.

I'm 27 and anxiety started to cause me a problem when I was about 18. Throughout this period I've had my ups and downs and have tried a few different meds from the doctor, but nothing stuck because I only ever saw meds to be a temporary measure. Now, I'm not sure if this is too much of a general question but is medication a temporary measure? I'd love to hear from people and what medication they are on and how long they have been taking it for, if this is not too intrusive of course.

[paula lynne]

HI AMA I was put on anti-dep and valium after my 2nd panic attack..dont remember the next 2 yrs really!!
Have been medication free for 8 yrs now, still get panic but much better than I was. Meds made me much worse.
They are a life-saver for some thought, even essential. x

[olderfella]

We are all different in the way we can cope with this illness speaking for myself i dont think i could manage without my meds dont think im mentaly strong enough i take my hat off to those that are, they obviously have more courage than me:unsure:

[PoppyC]

I could not imagine not taking medication now...It has saved my sanity I am certain. I think so anyway :unsure:
Yayyy to the people who developed mental health medication :yesyes:

[ladybird64]

For me, temporary.

I have stopped my medication this week as I felt it was the right time for me to do so, if I felt I needed to go back on them I might consider going back to see the GP.

Unlikely but possible :winks:

[PoppyC]

Ladybird
How are you feeling?

[ladybird64]

Good question Poppy. :)

In the great scheme of things I'm ok. I also happen to be one hell of a stubborn cuss so that might influence how I feel!

No seriously..No disrespect to anyone but I believe strongly that we are all individuals and our responses to medication and it's cessation reflect that.

I had a few minor side effects when starting Citalopram but was quite content to live with them for a while until they eased off.
The same has gone for stopping, I have had week like you wouldn't believe but for me, what better time to stop? If I can get through this while my anxiety is heightened then I know I have done the right thing and so far so good..ish.:winks:

Will keep you posted xx

[supersezza]

citalopram for 4 months, i dont think it helps me much though...i imagine i'll be changed soon x

[blueangel]

For my two pennyworth, I've only found medication to be a temporary fix. It works fine - I've taken various ones oevr the course of my life so far and they've always done the job. BUT.... in my humble opinion, they treat the symptoms and not the cause, and if you don't nail the cause, it will come back and bite you on the bum sooner or later.

[Snap]

I've been on medication for 8 years. Avanza (an antidepressant) and valium.

In my view and in my experience, it depends on the individual and the circumstances.

I had an undiagnosed medical condition that made me feel awful in ways that brought on anxiety. I am also hyper-sensitive to fluorescent light, and worked in an environment in which it was the only light source for many years. This combination of factors caused immense strain on my nervous system that wore me down to an anxious state on a daily basis.

Because this went on for months by the time I'd worked out what was going on, I had valium for months. By that time, it was hard to reduce it.

However, it gave my life back and enabled me to do all sorts of things I simply could never have done.

So I don't regret it at all. I just keep an eye on how much I have. I'd rather have this than self-medicate with alcohol every day, which I used to do once upon a time. I now drink nothing.

My Psychiatrist has what I think is a great way of looking at it. Look at anxiety like pain. If you're in pain you need to take it. If you're not, you don't. If your pain (anxiety) goes on all the time for a long time, there may be little choice. On the other hand, if you can work out what's going on or find strategies to keep things OK, then why take medications?

I think it all depends on the individual and her or his circumstances. I am not someone who thinks the answer to this question is the same for everyone, irrespective of circumstance.

S

[heavenly]

I have been having anxiety attacks on and off for the past 9 weeks. I am on 2.5mg Olanzapine and I have 2mg Diazapam at home, only for emergencies.

I am determined this will only be a short term fix, but I need it at the mo, and will see how it goes. I am having counselling as well, that will be ongoing and is starting to get the bottom of these anxiety episodes, these sessions are tough but they are really helping.

[BunnyMazonas]

I think it takes everyone differently. I went for years without taking meds because I had heard they didn't work - I had no faith that they would do anything and had heard all the scare stories about them making people worse and being placebos.

When I finally reached the point where I felt I had to seek help and was put on medication, I always planned on it being a temporary fix. My GP has convinced me to stop trying to plan to come off the meds and honestly I think he is right in my case. Of course the meds aren't a cure and don't completely resolve issues, but they add that extra buffer that makes me more able to cope.

That said, my other half used to get meds for his issues and they never did anything for him. It takes everyone differently; brains are complex things and some people just don't respond well to medication.

[ama]

Thanks to everyone that posted on this. It's interesting to hear about other peoples situations and medications.

I think a few people here have said that every individual is different and hearing from people, its quite clear that it really does depend on the individual, their situation and coping, to what sort of medication will help, or in some peoples situations, not help.

Thanks again to everyone for sharing. :)