5 mg lexapro

[stephanie21]

So for a few months I was feeling great thinking I beat anxiety naturally
With no medication because that's my BIGGEST FEAR! I won't even take DayQuil or NyQuil
Then the past 2 weeks it hit me so hard!!
Panic attacks lasting a long time everyday
I am really scared right now
I'm scared to go to the hospital now too
I'm scared of everything! I use to love going to the doctor I felt safe there! I for some reason im scared to leave my house and it's scaring me! :(
My mom called my dr she explained I'm scared of meds! He prescribed 5mg of lexapro
I was wondering if anyone felt great taking it
I'm not suicidal I'm scared to die
My fear is I will take it an then become suicidal I'm really scared for my life right now!
What if I take it an can't take the scary side effects an want to just die ? I just want to be at peace for once in years I'm sure a lot if us do!
I need a positive support system right now
My family is over my panic an think I'm crazy!
Does anyone have tips for preventing a panic attack?

[alfred24]

Panic attacks suck, I'm sorry you're experiencing them. It's been about half a year since I got over my anxiety disorder naturally. I didn't have panic attacks too often but I did have them especially during the beginning of my anxiety disorder. I don't know what triggered them. I just remember constantly being afraid. Afraid my health, afraid if never get better, afraid something bad was going to happen to me. Then a panic attack would come out of nowhere. My dad even dealt with panic attacks for awhile when he was younger. He was able to overcome it all too.

When I had my first panic attack I had never heard of the notion. I never knew people experienced these things. I didn't know panic attacks existed. So when the doctor told me what I had experienced i wanted to learn so much about it and why it was happening. All while being scared out of my mind. I had agoraphobia for a short while also. I started finding out what panic attacks were and why they happened. They suck but they are not harmful. When I found out they were only reactions from our fear i was relieved. Every month of so that passed I was getting better at preventing them. After a while I stopped having full blown panic attacks and once I felt them coming on I was always able to stop them before they became full blown.

I guess you need to understand that a panic attack is a reaction to extreme stress. It's designed to actually help you during a stressful situation, but because you don't feel you are in a dangerous or stressful situation you take the physical sensations for what they are and they because frightening because you don't understand why you are feeling it. And that fuels the panic attack to get worse. Realize that a panic attack isn't harmful and try to stay calm when you feel it coming on. It's pretty hard to do this but eventually you start to get better at it. As long as when a panic attack happens you don't become bewildered. Let it happen and let it pass, each time is another chance to try.

[stephanie21]

Panic attacks suck, I'm sorry you're experiencing them. It's been about half a year since I got over my anxiety disorder naturally. I didn't have panic attacks too often but I did have them especially during the beginning of my anxiety disorder. I don't know what triggered them. I just remember constantly being afraid. Afraid my health, afraid if never get better, afraid something bad was going to happen to me. Then a panic attack would come out of nowhere. My dad even dealt with panic attacks for awhile when he was younger. He was able to overcome it all too. When I had my first panic attack I had never heard of the notion. I never knew people experienced these things. I didn't know panic attacks existed. So when the doctor told me what I had experienced i wanted to learn so much about it and why it was happening. All while being scared out of my mind. I had agoraphobia for a short while also. I started finding out what panic attacks were and why they happened. They suck but they are not harmful. When I found out they were only reactions from our fear i was relieved. Every month of so that passed I was getting better at preventing them. After a while I stopped having full blown panic attacks and once I felt them coming on I was always able to stop them before they became full blown. I guess you need to understand that a panic attack is a reaction to extreme stress. It's designed to actually help you during a stressful situation, but because you don't feel you are in a dangerous or stressful situation you take the physical sensations for what they are and they because frightening because you don't understand why you are feeling it. And that fuels the panic attack to get worse. Realize that a panic attack isn't harmful and try to stay calm when you feel it coming on. It's pretty hard to do this but eventually you start to get better at it. As long as when a panic attack happens you don't become bewildered. Let it happen and let it pass, each time is another chance to try.

I think because I've had a panic attack lasting a really long time daily for the past 2 weeks I'm starting to think its something serious or I'm actually really going crazy!
I'm just Hoping I can get it together
I cannot find a good therapist for natural help
Every therapist convinces me that the only way I can get better is by taking prescription meds
And I guess if I absolutely have to take meds
I'm going to need to check myself in a hospital
There's no way I can take a pill an be okay (so I think...)
Basically I panic over everything!
And I embarrass myself!! :(
It's nice to hear people can over come their panic an anxiety naturally
At the moment I'm not mentally strong enough
I try my hardest to be.

[BrookeLynnnn]

I think because I've had a panic attack lasting a really long time daily for the past 2 weeks I'm starting to think its something serious or I'm actually really going crazy! I'm just Hoping I can get it together I cannot find a good therapist for natural help Every therapist convinces me that the only way I can get better is by taking prescription meds And I guess if I absolutely have to take meds I'm going to need to check myself in a hospital There's no way I can take a pill an be okay (so I think...) Basically I panic over everything! And I embarrass myself!! :( It's nice to hear people can over come their panic an anxiety naturally At the moment I'm not mentally strong enough I try my hardest to be.

I was just like you! Scared to death of taking anything. I wouldn't even take vitamin c when I got sick.. But then my anxiety got to the point like where you are, & I couldn't handle it. So, I took the meds. One day I couldn't handle the side effects & went down to the urgent where they prescribed me Xanax. Saved my life.

Don't be afraid. Any side effect won't be as bad as the anxiety!! & don't think about becoming suicidal. I thought the same thing & nothing happened to me..

Getting through the first two days of taking the med will be a little hard but once you see you're okay, it'll be easy for you :) Good luck!! Try to do meds & therapy.

[stephanie21]

I was just like you! Scared to death of taking anything. I wouldn't even take vitamin c when I got sick.. But then my anxiety got to the point like where you are, & I couldn't handle it. So, I took the meds. One day I couldn't handle the side effects & went down to the urgent where they prescribed me Xanax. Saved my life. Don't be afraid. Any side effect won't be as bad as the anxiety!! & don't think about becoming suicidal. I thought the same thing & nothing happened to me.. Getting through the first two days of taking the med will be a little hard but once you see you're okay, it'll be easy for you :) Good luck!! Try to do meds & therapy.


Thankyou
The hardest part is opening the bottle
Reading everyone's experiences help me out in wanting to try medicine

But thinking about it I would much rather suffer
For 2 days rather than 2 more years with this anxiety an panic disorder!

[BrookeLynnnn]

Thankyou The hardest part is opening the bottle Reading everyone's experiences help me out in wanting to try medicine But thinking about it I would much rather suffer For 2 days rather than 2 more years with this anxiety an panic disorder!

Yea I know how you feel! I got the meds & put it off for two days.. Then I finally said screw it. I will be honest, the first day I stood there with the pill in my hand for a few minutes lol.

& yes, nothing is as bad as suffering with anxiety & panic for that long.

Good luck :) don't psyche yourself out.

[BrookeLynnnn]

& btw, 5 mg is a very low dose! 10mg is considered a child dose.. So don't worry :)

[REMgirl]

Hi there, I'm new to this forum, my very first post in fact, but I can offer some advice on this.

I have Panic Disorder and currently take a very low dose of Lexapro, 5mg. I started out at 2.5mg and also took Remeron to increase my appetite. I'm now getting off the Remeron, so last month my Dr. upped my Lexapro to 5 mg.

I too am very cautious about taking meds. I'm highly sensitive to a lot of meds and usually only need a very low dose for stuff to work. The idea of having strange chemicals in my body on purpose seems "unhealthy" to me. I fear the possible side effects and I worry over the time when I have to get off of them and deal with withdrawal. I'm afraid to take my Xanax for the random attacks because I fear becoming addicted to it. I fear taking too many meds at once, even if my Dr. prescribes them. It all comes down to the fear of death essentially. That is the anxiety talking. Yeah, living a natural lifestyle free of meds is a good idea in general, but it may mean not having a satisfying life if you suffer from anxiety. For myself, I see it like this (in very simplistic terms): My brain isn't producing the correct chemicals to keep it working correctly. My meds aid my brain to help make it produce the right chemistry. There are a whole range of drugs these days to try. If one doesn't work, another might. It is not an exact science because everyone's brain chemistry is different.

You may wish to look into Mindfulness exercises ( I love Diana Winston's guided meditations on the iTunes-U app. It's free). Also, The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook is helpful. Just reading about it and seeing that all these "symptoms" I have are all due to the anxiety helps me deal with it, and realize what I'm going through is what millions of people are going through too.

I hope that helps, even a little. I'm sorry if my writing is all over the place. Last night was not a good night for me.

[alfred24]

You can overcome it without meds. I did. I think it's about will, realization and time. I think you need to start at why it's happening. What panic attack is and what adrenaline is and what it does. Your nerves are over sensitized and need rest. When I fully understood what anxiety and panic was and the factors that cause it I was able to start focusing on being brave and getting out of my comfort zone to even further realize I wasn't dying or anything instead of always being scared I was dying or going crazy. My anxiety stood with me for about 1 whole year then I overcame it. Learn it and understand it. Then help yourself desensitize

[stephanie21]

Hi there, I'm new to this forum, my very first post in fact, but I can offer some advice on this. I have Panic Disorder and currently take a very low dose of Lexapro, 5mg. I started out at 2.5mg and also took Remeron to increase my appetite. I'm now getting off the Remeron, so last month my Dr. upped my Lexapro to 5 mg. I too am very cautious about taking meds. I'm highly sensitive to a lot of meds and usually only need a very low dose for stuff to work. The idea of having strange chemicals in my body on purpose seems "unhealthy" to me. I fear the possible side effects and I worry over the time when I have to get off of them and deal with withdrawal. I'm afraid to take my Xanax for the random attacks because I fear becoming addicted to it. I fear taking too many meds at once, even if my Dr. prescribes them. It all comes down to the fear of death essentially. That is the anxiety talking. Yeah, living a natural lifestyle free of meds is a good idea in general, but it may mean not having a satisfying life if you suffer from anxiety. For myself, I see it like this (in very simplistic terms): My brain isn't producing the correct chemicals to keep it working correctly. My meds aid my brain to help make it produce the right chemistry. There are a whole range of drugs these days to try. If one doesn't work, another might. It is not an exact science because everyone's brain chemistry is different. You may wish to look into Mindfulness exercises ( I love Diana Winston's guided meditations on the iTunes-U app. It's free). Also, The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook is helpful. Just reading about it and seeing that all these "symptoms" I have are all due to the anxiety helps me deal with it, and realize what I'm going through is what millions of people are going through too. I hope that helps, even a little. I'm sorry if my writing is all over the place. Last night was not a good night for me..

Thankyou for taking the time to reply about my post
And don't worry you didn't sound all over the place but I know exactly what you mean sometimes I write on here after having a bad day an none of it makes sense because of my racing thoughts!

How did the mindfulness exercises help for you?
I def need to check both out

An I'm definitely trying hard everyday to try out the lexapro my dr prescribed I start hyperventilating before almost trying it it's so scary! But at the same time I hate suffering!
Hopefully I can have the mind strength to get the help I really need :(

[stephanie21]

You can overcome it without meds. I did. I think it's about will, realization and time. I think you need to start at why it's happening. What panic attack is and what adrenaline is and what it does. Your nerves are over sensitized and need rest. When I fully understood what anxiety and panic was and the factors that cause it I was able to start focusing on being brave and getting out of my comfort zone to even further realize I wasn't dying or anything instead of always being scared I was dying or going crazy. My anxiety stood with me for about 1 whole year then I overcame it. Learn it and understand it. Then help yourself desensitize


In 2 weeks will be 2 years I've been going through this awful anxiety panic BS I have not been my normal fun self since this one panic attack almost 2 years ago! I haven't been the same since :( hopefully I can read some really good books an see a therapist to help me out. This is really starting to depress me! An hopefully fingers crossed I can have the strength to really realize panic attacks aren't as dangerous as I think

[alfred24]

In 2 weeks will be 2 years I've been going through this awful anxiety panic BS I have not been my normal fun self since this one panic attack almost 2 years ago! I haven't been the same since :( hopefully I can read some really good books an see a therapist to help me out. This is really starting to depress me! An hopefully fingers crossed I can have the strength to really realize panic attacks aren't as dangerous as I think

Trust me. Your first panic attack scares the living shit out of you. It is traumatizing. It really is. That's why it leaves you with an anxiety disorder. It is the same as if you take a child into a haunted house made for adults, they're going to be afraid for a long time and feel kind of anxious in similar situations as they grow older. But they can realize that it's not such a big deal. Panic is harder though I think because it leaves a morbid feeling. At least it did to me. I was scared I was dying and sometimes that I was about to die at any moment. Just ridiculous things. A panic attack sensitizes your whole nervous system to a point where any little thing can startle you. I remember laying in bed full of anxiety and a car horn would sound outside and make me almost jump. Everytime you become bewildered or stressed you are keeping your nerves sensitized. You need to stop reacting to your anxiety, and let it happen. Let your nerves rest. It's so hard sometimes though because you're just so afraid. But after some time you start to feel less anxiety as time goes on. That's what happened to me. I recommend you read "Hope and Help for your nerves" by claire weekes. That book helped me. There is also a psychologist's website, search David Carbonel. I found a lot of good info on anxiety and panic attacks. Also google his name and an interview he did on a European radio show. He talks about anxiety and panic. I used to listen to it all the time to help reassure me I was ok and help me realize that anxiety and panic is not truly a disease. It is simply a REACTION. You can get better. It just takes time. You will get better

[stephanie21]

Trust me. Your first panic attack scares the living shit out of you. It is traumatizing. It really is. That's why it leaves you with an anxiety disorder. It is the same as if you take a child into a haunted house made for adults, they're going to be afraid for a long time and feel kind of anxious in similar situations as they grow older. But they can realize that it's not such a big deal. Panic is harder though I think because it leaves a morbid feeling. At least it did to me. I was scared I was dying and sometimes that I was about to die at any moment. Just ridiculous things. A panic attack sensitizes your whole nervous system to a point where any little thing can startle you. I remember laying in bed full of anxiety and a car horn would sound outside and make me almost jump. Everytime you become bewildered or stressed you are keeping your nerves sensitized. You need to stop reacting to your anxiety, and let it happen. Let your nerves rest. It's so hard sometimes though because you're just so afraid. But after some time you start to feel less anxiety as time goes on. That's what happened to me. I recommend you read "Hope and Help for your nerves" by claire weekes. That book helped me. There is also a psychologist's website, search David Carbonel. I found a lot of good info on anxiety and panic attacks. Also google his name and an interview he did on a European radio show. He talks about anxiety and panic. I used to listen to it all the time to help reassure me I was ok and help me realize that anxiety and panic is not truly a disease. It is simply a REACTION. You can get better. It just takes time. You will get better


Wow You make a very good point
I never thought of my panic in comparison to how a child gets traumatized with scary movies houses etc
I'm def traumatized from that one panic attack that ruined the past 2 years an I'm def still reacting
But thankyou for the references I'll def check them out
An I think I just feel like I'm going to get worse since I've let 2 years go by an haven't seen a change or improvement : /
I guess I just need more time

[alfred24]

Wow You make a very good point I never thought of my panic in comparison to how a child gets traumatized with scary movies houses etc I'm def traumatized from that one panic attack that ruined the past 2 years an I'm def still reacting But thankyou for the references I'll def check them out An I think I just feel like I'm going to get worse since I've let 2 years go by an haven't seen a change or improvement : / I guess I just need more time


It is the exact same thing, but on a bigger level because a panic attack feels like something really bad is happening to you. When in reality you are just in an intense state of fear. And the anxiety left over is basically just a fear of a panic attack happening again. When you are in discomfort from your anxiety you have to let it happen and let it pass because it always passes. When I realized that my anxiety was there because I was so afraid of another panic attack happening that it was in my head all day, I started reacting differently or not reacting, I should say. And over a years time I was getting better at not reacting and become less afraid and more aware of my actual well being. You are just so afraid of that feeling from your first panic attack that you think about it when you feel something similar to it and you automatically become afraid and panicky. You will get better. You just have to know you will. Anxiety will never go away if you never realize that you're actually not dying or going crazy. And you don't need meds for that. Sure they can help but you really don't need them to overcome this. Best of luck to you :)