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11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Just Adam

When you find you have not got the time to physically write on paper or on your computer then you can air write.This is basically writing it in the air or on nothing, sort of like doodling. The object is to store it in memory for future reference. Reading, writing and speaking store thoughts in different spots so it helps to do all three so you cover all the bases. This will give you more options when the negatives start to push the boundaries.

SSRIs can make you worse for the first two weeks and take six to reach peak effectiveness at which point they may need adjusting for dose. Try to stay on them that long at least even if they don't seem to help because there are no tests for deficiency other than trial and error.

It doesn't matter how long you take to learn CBT techniques or how many times you start and stop as long as you keep at it. Every little bit helps and makes it easier to continue. It takes time and often you don't notice the improvements because you are conditioned to notice negatives but they will be there. Small as they are to start.

Davit.

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 356

Hi Just Adam,

Yes the first week or month I was on Celexa I had to adjust and it even bothered my stomach the first week which totally went away after a while.

Every body is different. Even doctors will admit that. This is how they justify that there are all these different brands of medications for anxiety and depression out there and most doctors admit that one that works great for one person doesn't work for the next person - so obviously everyone is different with their body and which drugs are going to help. If one brand helped everyone the same, eventually everyone would go to that brand and there would not be 10 or more different brands of ssri's out there. That is what I think anyway. It takes a while to see if Celexa is helpful to you or not. You are doing the right thing by staying away of how it is affecting you so far. I bought a cheap calendar at the store and jotted down notes on days where something was affected - i.e. sleep disrupted, couldn't stop crying, felt great, etc.. Then you can bring that to your doctor so you can look back over the month and see overall any patterns or other things to discuss.

The medications should make it easier to do CBT and other therapeutic work with yourself. Personally, and I am no doctor but personally I have not met someone who has been cured of anxiety from the medications alone. And I do know a few people who are just on SSRIs, are not doing therapeutic work with themselves, and are not really improving over time in terms of their anxiety, depression, negative thinking.

Anything I can do to help you keep up feelings of hope and optimism, I would gladly do because I have been through this and I believe and know you are able to get management of the panic and anxiety. A part of you believes that too so this forum is here to fertilize and water that belief to make it stronger and stronger in your mind . :)

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 177

Just Adam,

That's something most people go through when starting an SSRI. It makes you feel very aggitated. Even when they increase the dosage you get this for a few days. The good thing is that it will most likely be gone within the first week, and definitely by the second :)

If you continue to feel aggitated after that, then it may be worthwhile considering increasing the dosage. Usually, your therapist won't increase it before 4-6 weeks as this is when it reaches its most affective point.

It's always comforting to know there are others going through similar situations. :)

Kaitie.

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 20

Hello all,

I am feeling some of the effects of the medication already. I actually feel more anxious then I did before I started taking them and have had some trouble sleeping. I hope that this is just my brain getting use to the hormone changes and that in a few weeks it gets better. I made the mistake of reading the possible side effects of the medication which also made me uncomfortable. I am glad to hear that many of you have been on medication with some success I will definetly give it a try.

Davit it is an excellent point to not expect the medication to do all the work and keep up with therapy and CBT. I know part of me is hoping that the medication will cure me but that is not the case. CBT is a lot of work and discipline and I have a very hard time keeping up with writing things down and doing the homework..

Loves trees and Kaitie thank you for sharing your success stories. It gives me hope in this long struggle I have been in.

Kaitie I enjoy babbling ;-)

Teebs I have heard not to stop taking the medication suddenly and that the withdrawal symptoms can be pretty bad. If they do work I do not see myself off of them anytime in the future but hopefully one day.

Thanks everyone ;-)

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 177

Hi Just Adam,

I first started on an SSRI about 2 and a half years ago. I was 15 at the time, and my anxiety was so bad I couldn't sit still and even eating was a struggle so I lost 5kg in a few months. I had so much stress at home, school and at work and I didn't know how to cope. My psychologist just told me to "do the opposite" of what the anxiety told me. So for months I struggled with the anxiety symptoms, forcing myself to go to school and work. But it only made the anxiety worse. This wasn't the first time I'd had trouble with anxiety and avoidance, actually I'd dealt with those since I was 10 years old, but this was the first time my anxiety was related to panic attacks.

I was prescribed Prozac and Olanzapine because of my age, and these did help. About a year ago, I started having the same struggles once again. I was starting my senior years at high school and the stress was getting to me, so my psychiatrist changed me to Zoloft and I'm now on a fairly high dosage. She told me that there aren't any pills that can just get rid of anxiety but the state I was in, it was obvious I needed some assistance.

I'm 18 now and I've only just started to feel like myself again. I know it's not because of the medication, which does help relieve the physical sensations of anxiety, but it's because of me. As my physical health has improved, I've reached a new state of mind. At the moment, it doesn't look like I'll be coming off the medication anytime soon but I'm okay with that. It helps relieve the anxiety symptoms so I can do my exposure work without having a huge breakdown. One day I hope to be able to live my life to the full and be medication-free but that day hasn't come yet.

Needing to take medication is totally fine. To start overcoming the anxiety, you need a state of mind in which you can actually sit still and have enough concentration to work through it. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the medication.

I hope this gives you something to think about, and it actually helps (and I haven't babbled on too much haha).
Kaitie.

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 356

Hi JustAdam (good name!)

I struggled with anxiety and refused to go on any medication because I knew the root problems were not ones medication could address. I ended up going on Celexa and it was ok. The goal from the start was to get off of it and live without the SSRI. I totally agree with Davit that the biggest problem with SSRIs is when someone is taking them indefinitely without doing anything else to learn how to manage their anxiety. If the medication provides some peace so that a person can learn new skills, do some therapy on their own or with a therapist, then that is a good use of them in my books.

I know someone who has been taking medication for anxiety and depression for years and this person wants the pill to do all the work. I do not think it works like that. I think you have to learn what works in regards to your anxiety and depression but medication can be used to get there. It does not help that most doctors seem to also be fine with someone staying on these pills indefinitely.

I am living proof that anxiety is not a life sentence, it is a condition that is treatable and CBT is one part of that treatment.

Good luck!

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Just so everyone know that it is possible to get off medication once started. I did a few SSRIs looking for one that worked. They were not necessary and did little good but did no harm. Wrong chemical imbalance. Tricyclics helped and are no longer necessary. Quitting both the SSRIs and the Tricyclics was no trouble. But then I have lots of CBT Techniques to use in place of them. I don't remember any unusual setbacks on quitting.

The one thing that they definitely do is allow you some peace so you can do CBT. But and here is a big but, I know more people who have decided to just live with the meds and not do CBT than those that have used it as a tool to help do CBT. It is an easy trap to fall into. Hopefully your therapist and those of us here that care can help you to not do that because you know medication will not cure you whereas CBT will.

That said, good luck I think you are doing the right thing. Please post your results to help others who are thinking about doing meds too.

Davit

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 286

JustAdam,

Medication isn't for everyone, but it can be a very helpful tool in recovery. I also found there was likely a strong biochemical imbalance contributing to my constant anxiety. I started on an SSRI and it definitely helped take the edge off, which gave me enough confidence to start on the real tough CBT stuff. I plan to get off of it eventually, but it's been one of many tools I've used in my recovery. I hope you find it just as helpful!

If/when you do decide to get off of it, make sure you taper off slowly. I was advised to quit cold turkey which led to horrible withdrawal symptoms. I swore I would never take another SSRI again, but I was convinced to try it again and it's helped me in my recovery.

Teebs

11 years ago 0 +0 / -0 20

So today I took my CBT therapists advice. She told me in chronic cases such as mine that involves widespread generalized anxiety it is often beneficial to do combination therapy with Medication. I hate the thought of taking medication and the side effects scare me but today I went and discussed this with my physician and was started on Celexa. She stated that in longterm anxiety it may be caused by a chemical imbalance in which SSRI have proven to be beneficial.

My thought is that it is worth a try because many other things have failed and the frequent adrenaline rushes can not be good for my health and wellness throughout my entire life.

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