Medication - to take or not to take, that is the question

[Ankhsious]

Used Effexor in the past the last time I had major depression and anxiety and it seemed to work "well". I know I would feel better on effexor than I do now during my relapse.

That said, I am trying very hard to do REAL challenging therapy. I have the time and mostly have the energy. That said, every morning around 6:00am is extremely tough. 2 - 3 times a week I am popping an ativan in the morning, not because it's the only way I can calm down, but because, quite frankly, I grow tired of doing my deep breathing routine that calms me down and I also have a better day if I can get back and get those couple extra hours of sleep.

If it stays at 2-3 times a week I guess I'm okay with it. Question is, at what point do I make a decision to start taking Effexor?

[darkavenger]

Ankhsious - I'll try to give You an equation, and You can chose Yourself :)

First option is to overcome Your anxiety, GAD, panic attacks and depression, by using Your sheer mental force, which is - let's face it - really hard. But if You eventually do, please do share how You managed with us :). Second is, You try to overcome it without medication, and the collateral damage caused by side effects of GAD and depression will cause You plenty more times of damage, than medication - because whilst medication will probably damage You within a decade, or a few decades, symptoms of GAD and depression do like to be lethal in a signifcantly shorter period of time, than the collateral done by the medications. Third, You'll take the medication and risk getting hooked up on it, and will suffer from continuous deterioration caused by all of the medications, and will eventually face dementia, or another nervous system damage when You come of an age, but will create a time window, or time segment, where You can fight the GAD/Anxiety on meds, and trying to recover via Your mental force, by putting it to its original state, or close to the original.

Make Your choice :)

P.S.: I chose wise dosage of medications mixed with alternative medicine...though choice in this case will be Yours.

[Kixxi]

Ankhsious - I'll try to give You an equation, and You can chose Yourself :)

First option is to overcome Your anxiety, GAD, panic attacks and depression, by using Your sheer mental force, which is - let's face it - really hard. But if You eventually do, please do share how You managed with us :). Second is, You try to overcome it without medication, and the collateral damage caused by side effects of GAD and depression will cause You plenty more times of damage, than medication - because whilst medication will probably damage You within a decade, or a few decades, symptoms of GAD and depression do like to be lethal in a signifcantly shorter period of time, than the collateral done by the medications. Third, You'll take the medication and risk getting hooked up on it, and will suffer from continuous deterioration caused by all of the medications, and will eventually face dementia, or another nervous system damage when You come of an age, but will create a time window, or time segment, where You can fight the GAD/Anxiety on meds, and trying to recover via Your mental force, by putting it to its original state, or close to the original.

Make Your choice :)

P.S.: I chose wise dosage of medications mixed with alternative medicine...though choice in this case will be Yours.

I agree with Darkavenger. There are many pro's and cons to medication. I was very much against it when I started on SSRI's. But in the end I had to because my anxiety was so bad I couldn't sleep any more. However, I been taking them for seven years now and I want to stop. But it's never that easy. My agoraphobia and GAD is far from under control. Hence why I'm dealing with the source of my problems and trying some exposure therapy and CBT. I have my bad days still, but good days to. If I had the choice again I would have only used medication for the difficult times and not every single day.

[Anne1221]

What made you stop taking the Effexor in the first place? At least you know the side effects and what it does. I really don't know if Ativan 2 to 3 times per week, but personally, I prefer an antidepressant over a benzo. I actually think it's safer.

[Ankhsious]

What made you stop taking the Effexor in the first place? At least you know the side effects and what it does. I really don't know if Ativan 2 to 3 times per week, but personally, I prefer an antidepressant over a benzo. I actually think it's safer.

I weaned off Effexor very gradually because I was feeling happy and normal. The past year has been one of grappling what to do with my life and career and the indecision/inaction spiral has, I believe, contributed to my relapse.

That said, because I have been doing healing work for 6-7 months without medication, I have healed deeper junk than the first time when I started SSRI's right away and got 'back on my feet' within 3 months. At that time I only healed from a few recent triggers, nothing more.

So I guess there is another layer to this in that I feel that good and important work is being done. But it is overwhelming at times...

[darkavenger]

Kixxi - try this my friend. 3 months on traditional chinese medicine [wans] with normal psychofarmaceutics, combined with laserpuncture. This crazy shit helped me, but as the docs said: "There are 7 billion of people, and each of them needs a different approach. There's nothing, that works for everyone, or everything."

And my global advice. It's good to take a rest out of psychofarmaceutics for a while, like 3-6 months, but not putting them out "absolutely", just lowering the dose to so called "maintaining dose", so You can keep on going, but You become more fragile, etc.

It's a shame that medicine are designed the way they are. They do have the technology to create medicine that could cure literally "anything", within a few whims of a moment, they just don't want to. [pharmaceutical industry, and scientists].

[Kixxi]

Kixxi - try this my friend. 3 months on traditional chinese medicine [wans] with normal psychofarmaceutics, combined with laserpuncture. This crazy shit helped me, but as the docs said: "There are 7 billion of people, and each of them needs a different approach. There's nothing, that works for everyone, or everything."

And my global advice. It's good to take a rest out of psychofarmaceutics for a while, like 3-6 months, but not putting them out "absolutely", just lowering the dose to so called "maintaining dose", so You can keep on going, but You become more fragile, etc.

It's a shame that medicine are designed the way they are. They do have the technology to create medicine that could cure literally "anything", within a few whims of a moment, they just don't want to. [pharmaceutical industry, and scientists].

I must admit that I'm quite disappointed in the mental health care in this country. The doctor wouldn't change my medication before I see a licensed psychotherapist. However, I been waiting on them since November. I think I called them twice a week since November to try and get an appointment. They are so busy... Either nobody picks up or they said they'd send me a letter. Very helpful no?

About the Chinese medicine, I have no idea where I can get something like that. Could you be a bit more specific about the types you tried? Thanks :)

[darkavenger]

Kixxi - it's as follows. You don't "get" chinese medicine. It kind of doesn't work like western medicine. You get it prescribed by traditional chinese doctor, no one else. Western medicine works on a very simple principle. Removing symptoms. Well, that wasn't that hard to explain. Chinese Medicine on the other hand, is warming up/cooling down selected organs, depending on which organ is overheated/supercooled. In general when Your organ is overheated, it's most of the time in "hyperfunction", or inflamed. Therefore it needs cooling down. And when Your organ is supercooled, it's in general weakened, or deenergetized, it needs "heating up" a bit. TCM doesn't heal anything, or remove, or change some chemical levels in our organs. It simply takes away the excessive energy, or adds it to certain organs.

Therefore first thing, in case You're interested, is that You should seek out TCM doctor :)

hope this helps a bit,

kind regards

Bryan

[Dahila]

Anksious what can I say? Good luck is appropriate:) when you back on square one , come back and talk to us:)

[Ankhsious]

I made the decision to start back on Effexor XR 37.5 today.

The past weeks I have been triggered very easily, felt like crying several times per day, and while I know that the better response is to breathe into it and let the trigger subside I have been unable to stop the 'other' response which is to analyze and ruminate on how to avoid triggers, and what is wrong with me, blah blah.

It's a very emotional day for me because although I didn't think it would, the first pill has made me feel really bad. I don't know if it's the pill (doubtful) or my own self hatred telling me I have "FAILED" and that I am not strong enough to do it blah blah.

I'm hoping this is one step back two steps forward.

[superchick22684]

Ankhsious,
I hope you find the meds helpful. Just wanted to let you know that you are not alone on the starting back on meds. I started taking Lexapro a little over two weeks ago. I've previously been on Effexor and a few other ad's. You have not failed by deciding to taking meds again. Sometimes its necessary to combine meds with therapy or CBT to treat the anxiety. If you ever need to talk let me know.

[Ankhsious]

Thank you. Knowing you are not alone is half the battle!

[Anne1221]

You haven't "failed" at anything! If you had diabetes, you would take insulin if you needed it. I never feel one bit ashamed or frustrated with myself at taking an antidepressant.

[Ankhsious]

Ugh third morning after starting and it is killing me. Worse depression and anxiety than I have felt in a long time. I'm hoping this is an adjustment period :-(

[superchick22684]

My doc told me right before I started meds that it is normal to have an increase in depression or anxiety after beginning an ad. I'm glad that he warned me because I've seen a slight increase in both but thankfully that has gone away. Hope you are feeling better soon.

[JustaGal]

Thank you. Knowing you are not alone is half the battle!

I think taking action is the opposite of failing. You are a fighter!