I'm new to this forum

[mid]

Dear all, I am currently being treated for chronic mild depression, generalized anxiety disorder with social phobia, extreme startle response, and was advised to join a different forum to help me learn more techniques to improve my well-being connecting the depression and anxiety together to balance in the center, rather than the wild, hang on with the bare fingers fly by night seat of pants roller coaster ride techniques that sometimes bring other issues into the mix.

My medication for anxiety and depression is 50 mg of zoloft taken in the evening meal to reduce the resting tension of night time. I have other medications for other medical conditions and keep a journal to show my pain and what works when to release it.

The pain from anxiety and depression is real, it is physical, and it can be released naturally. Learning what works takes practice, determination, and time.

I am in cognitive behavior therapy treatment, and as Joan mentions, it's a significant path to learning to manage your thought process normally rather than trigger explosion. My original goal in the beginning was to improve my well-being. I got rid of some of the worst triggers and then the real work began...those thoughts that live beneath the surface. Knowing that this is normal is sometimes all it takes to give me a moment of calm now.

I am glad to have found this forum. Thank you!

[Tova]

Did you know Zoloft and mixing with other drugs can actually cause anxiety?
The pain is real because the meds are intensifying the sensory system....
How long have you been on these meds,I ask because getting off of them is worse than having the anxiety!
I know,I'm doing just that right now.
We have a fight or flight mode for a reason.
After being on several meds and having ALL of the side effects I think I'd rather learn they way we are meant to handle anxiety,natural ways to cope !
I was the worst of the worst when it comes to anxiety.
Just believe in yourself and you can do it!
Plus don't let some MD or Therapist tell you otherwise, they are in it for the money!
If they didn't have patients they wouldn't have a job!
Believe in yourself!

[mid]

Tova, the zoloft works and yes, I am well aware of the side effects of other medicine increasing anxiety. I have been free of panic attacks since I started the zoloft, which was the worst symptom I needed immediate temporary help with. The techniques I'm learning to use to naturally tame the "flight or fight" , "rest stay at rest", "motion stay in motion" are helped because as the anxiety symptoms appear, I am able to recognize them freely and move forward.

The end result is that I may be able to come off the medicine in the future. I didn't go on the medicine without a lot of thought, planning, and communication with family members. The use of the medicine results in my being able to move without injuring myself, and that was a medical necessity. I share this story this way because I see a lot of people attempting to shrug off pain associated with anxiety and depression, and I use the relaxation techniques to share natural relief.

I'm glad you are doing the natural relief option for the "flight or fight" overload. It's awesome when you can manage the sensory changes with a smile!