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14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Every one.

For those of you who have been on meds for a while, listen to sunny. There is a lag period from the time you feel fine and when you actually are. If you try to get off meds to fast you will relapse. It isn't worth it. Let your body decide not your mind. It is understandable not wanting to be on meds but if you have to go back on again it will reinforce the thought that you can't get off. Patience, it will happen in good time. I'm drug free and will probably never ever need more than a few valium a month when it gets bad. But then I haven't been off all that long and I still get relapses.

Actually what is drug free? No, drugs at all? If you had a head ache and took a Tylenol to get rid of it would you be on drugs? Yes, and no but mostly no. If one pill once a week or less will keep you from going into total relapse or going back on the SSRIs. then consider yourself drug free. But if it becomes a routine where you are taking the pill at the same time because you are scared not to, then you are not drug free.

As far as I am concerned if you relapse and have to take a pill for a few days to get over the hump you are Ok. If you try to tough it out and only make yourself worse then you are not. Nothing is cut and dried here. The object first is to become Panic free then think about drug free. And for that matter what is panic free. If you have a panic attack and shrug it off you are just as free as the person that never had one or had one and never knew what it was. You only have to be free enough to get through life without worrying about having one. If you get to that point then the next step becomes easier.

Now this is just my point of view but I think it is a good one.

Davit.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 192

Teebs: You wondered what others think/feel about being drug-free. I am drug-free, however, did take Paxil for a few years. Yes, I got the buzzy head while weaning off, but I knew what it was and it didn't bother me too much, though wondered how long it would take to get rid of it. If I remember correctly, it took about 2-3 wks. I believe it is perfectly o.k. to get help with meds. to help you get over the hump - that is, to help you be calm enough to study and understand what you are going through. And practice, practice, practice. The CBT program is terrific. Then as you begin to heal, because anxiety, stress is so exhausting, with the help of your doctor you can start to wean off, but don't be in a rush to do so. What I have heard is that once you start to feel well again - more sure of yourself and symptom free - most people want to get off the meds. right away. However, I've heard if you wait a few months before doing so and practice CBT faithfully then start to wean off, it is better. I don't know if this is true for everyone, but that is how I did it. I haven't had any panic attacks for years, though do get symptoms maybe every three months or so, usually when I haven't taken care of myself, got overtired, not enough sleep, or a big overwhelming problem happens. It's usually chest tightness for me, hard to breathe sort of thing. So I like this site because it helps me practice what I have learned and it reminds me to slow down and take care of myself.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 517

Hi everyone,

I have been on Lexapro (SSRI) for a year and a half and when I got off of them (I weened off by halves) I got really bad withdrawal symptoms. My anxiety was worse and I became really really depressed. Also I got brain-buzzy-feelings, which was really scary. But I got 'through' that following with divorce right after... and now, although I am still agoraphobic and have a lot of anxiety, I am feeling a lot better than that time. Still, I do wonder if I should try some other meds and ween off more carefully. When I was weening off, it was a bad time to do it. But it is still a debate for me. I plan on 'recovering' the slow way for now, since I have that advantage, but when it gets really bad, I thinking about the medication option.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 10

Thanks for posting Teebs - it's good to hear I'm not the only one here for a relapse. It's very frustrating because I went through so much to overcome it the first time, then here I am again. I'd love to hear more from you and how you are doing.

I've been on Effexor XR for nearly ten years now. It made a HUGE difference in my anxiety levels which in turn eased some of the depression. Over the past few years my dose has slowly increased to 300mg, then instead of upping that again my Dr added Wellbutrin XR 150 mg. The increases only gave me very mild side effects - a little dizzy or spacey some nausea/upset stomach for maybe a week or two. When I first started the Effexor the side effects were bad for a couple of weeks, but they got better and now they don't bother me at all.

This is only my 2nd or 3rd time logging in - I plan on being more consistent and following the program to get back on track.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Chrissy.

Hi. I do seem a bit abrupt at times. You could well be mentally ill. It would certainly be worth checking as it would give you a baseline to work from. I think that part or all of my lifetime anxiety came from the fact that my mother smoked and drank through her pregnancy with me. I and my brother were the only babies she didn't miscarry. And I was born with lungs that didn't work. Although I have a better than average IQ I still had a hard time with the social aspect of school and I still get bored easy. Fighting boredom is a daily fight for me. (I also have a tendency towards suicide which is annoying to say the least)

Some people definitely do spend the rest of their life on medication, I have friends in that boat and I hear their frustration since they want to be off but can't. I have friends with definite mental illness and they will never be off there meds. They function fine in the world and you can't tell they have any thing wrong with them. They are also anxiety free. My point is that I still think that even if you have to take medication you can be free of the anxiety or at least be able to control it without the use of Benzos, especially Ativan. Ativan is the worst of the worst. If you have been on it for any amount of time it will be very hard to get off it. There is no room to explain it here so I will put it in my blog after I get breakfast. The turning point in my fight against anxiety was when my therapist took the time to explain what was actually happening to me. I went from Celexa , Buspar and Ativan to nothing. (not really, I might take 2 1/2 mg valium a couple of times a month, usually after being on the Computer so long that I can't sleep.) But lets call it nothing since I could do without it. Life on this side of the anxiety fence is beautiful. It took a long time to get here but I am here now. I would like to see every one get control of the anxiety, with or without the drugs. The exception being Benzos. They really do more harm than good in the long run. I hope you will give the program a serious try. And post also. If you have any questions that I can answer please ask them. Use the forum to vent when you are depressed or anxious because just writing or telling someone will reduce it a lot.

Davit.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2606

Hi Chrissy,

Welcome to our online support community and thank you for sharing your story with us. There are many people within this support group that share the same questions and concerns as you. We are all a group of individuals who support each other.

If you look to the left of the screen under "TOOLS" you will find many supportive tests. These tests are not diagnostic tools and are not a replacement or substitute for a physician's advice. The purpose of these tests is to prepare you with information that you can present to your physician. When you're finished the test, you can either print your Final Report or email it directly to your doctor.

We also have developed a Panic Program. This program is 12-weeks and involves the tools mentioned above. Each session is based on the previous session, so we strongly advise that you work slowly through the program and not jump ahead.

These tests may or may not be for you but they are "free". If you have any question or concerns with our “TOOLS”, you can contact us at support@paniccenter.net. We are the Support Specialist for The Panic Center and are open to any questions or concerns you may have.

Please continue to strive forward and lean on us for support.

Samantha, Health Educator

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 286

Chrissy,

I'm in the same boat in the sense that I had my anxiety under control for several years, but have recently experienced a bad flare up and am trying to get things back under control. It's always good to know you aren't alone in your particular situation, so thanks for posting!

Do you experience many side effects from the drugs you're on? My flare up started when I got off the SSRI I had been on long-term. I went through a bad withdrawal and had a hard time learning to cope with anxiety again. I really, really wanted to be drug free, but I recently "gave in" and started on a small dosage of a different SSRI, at least for a while. It has made some very noticeable differences in my anxiety levels, but I do experience some negative side effects. I'm always curious as to what other's thoughts are on being drug-free, taking drugs, coping with side effects, etc.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 10

I was born drug free, but I also think I was born mentally ill. Finding the right meds for my anxiety and depression saved my life - it's only since then that I've felt life was worth living (therapy alone just didn't cut it for me). I believe you had posted somewhere that some ppl need them just like others need insulin for their diabetes. I also have Zopiclone and Ativan for use as needed - this I def. want to minimize - they're just to get me through rough patches. They say Zopiclone isn't addictive - but I sure had a hard time quitting when I wanted to. Thanks for your feed back.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Chrissy.

It's none of my business but why do you think you can never be drug free. You were born drug free. Don't answer this but unless you have an actual mental disorder you can be drug free. It is one hell of a lot of work and takes a long time but it could be done. It may take years but it could be done. You may not become totally drug free but you could reduce your dependance immensely. I know I did it. I went from more than four years of maximum dose Ativan and various SSRIs to nothing. What I call nothing, Actually I have taken 2 1/2 mg of valium twice this month because of major trauma. At one point because the SSRIs weren't working I was put on antipsychotics. I got off them in a hurry. If you are happy on the drugs that is fine but if you are not then I just wanted you to know you don't have to be. If you are doing Benzodiasapenes, I can explain why they are so hard to get off. I suppose I should put it in my blog so people can read it there.

Davit.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 10

I am 30 years old and have had anxiety and depression pretty much my entire life. I finally sought help when I was 21 - I kinda hit rock bottom and knew something had to change drastically. I was diagnosed with GAD, SAD and Major Depressive Disorder. I had a great psychologist, and completed two CBT based treatment programs - one for social anxiety and one for depression. I've been taking meds ever since. It would be nice to be "drug-free" but my reality is that I will need them for the rest of my life. They have actually made a huge difference in my life and I would never try to give them up. So after all the meds and therapy I did well for many years. I have had some difficult/stressful issues to deal with lately, and it seems to be making my anxiety flare up again - mostly in the form of panic attacks, which had not been a big problem in the past. I just started a medical leave from work and want to make the most of it - my doctor has referred me to this site to "brush up" on CBT coping skills.

I KNOW CBT works, it has changed my life - I just need to get back on track.

I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone on our journey to a more fulfilling, anxiety-free lifestyle.

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