Is medication important?

[edward]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Thanks.......very good advice.

[Meg]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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