My Semi Recovery - everyone needs hope :)

[anxiety-king]

For the full story, please read my thread I originally created called "my crazy 3 months (or has it been longer)". I refreshed the thread so hopefully it should come up at top of list.

I was prescribed Prozac back in May, originally the medication did not work and I was really feeling crazy, tearful and suicidal. After 6 weeks I upped my dose to 40mg per day, suffered a few minor side affects but they went away. My recovery really started from then on, to me the medication has saved my life. Although im not 100% I would say at least 80 - 90%. My sleep is back, im eating and chomping away like no tomorrow (although im probably enjoying my food too much and have piled the weight back on, so a diet may come in to place soon!). I still have the odd few moments a day where I fall in to a deep thought process of obsessive thinking, or thinking about thinking (which i know sounds very strange) however all these thoughts gradually reduced day by day, week by week, and my concentration continued to improved. I feel I have my life back, and I have goals again and have promised myself never to go back to how I was. Sometimes I don't remember how I felt when I was that bad or how I even coped but reading that below thread really upset and surprised me. Im still on the medication, Im not at all worried about dependence or even planning to come off them soon. My aim is to be 100% better then I can worry about lowering my doseage and then eventually coming off it altogether when I feel the time is right.

Keep your heads up people, I never thought I had a chance of getting over this. It took me 4 months to decide on taking medication. Yes it has worked wonders for me BUT.......... medication takes time!! It was not an overnight cure and every morning I woke up I wished it fixed me during my sleep, however over time you will notice improvements!

[mamadrama1985]

Thanks for the info....i have had prescriptions but never took them.....i just started therapy and i am trying to do it that way first but nice to know that you are doing better. i have had anxiety with phobia for 2 years now and have coped okay but not as good as i should.. if therapy doesnt help me 6 months from now (my own time line) i am going to try medication....the stress i have i cant change so........yea... thanks for giving some of us hope especially those that chose medication

[anxiety-king]

Howdy

I am glad you are feeling better but i would like to add something from what i went through.

I was on antidepressants when i crashed and had been for 15 years . They did jack . I the first course of treatment was to double these drugs . Like what good would that do . If they don't work then doubling is only going make them not work twice as much isn't it ? .

I don't want to buy into the argument on weather drugs work or not i know what i know for the time i was on them and were i am now .

I wish you well with your recovery but i would like to warn you that once these drugs are removed if you have not dealt with why you got there in the first place , the problems that you may have had and how you dealt with them then you will be no better off . It is very rare not to have a increase in anxiety when these drugs are removed and if you have not learned to handle that you will be caught in a circle .

cheers kev

Medication isn't for everyone and certainly isn't the cure to all problems in life, however at the time I didn't know what else to do and my parents begged me to speak to my doctor about it. The Linden Method wasn't helping and I really needed something to help me. Sure now I could do things like better dieting, exercise, a job that brings satisfaction and even attempt the Linden Method again that will help me improve further, but I know what I was like before I started the medication and how much better I feel now. I understand the whole relapse issues and "prozac poop-outs" so im in no rush to take myself off the medication, however when I feel the time is right I'll make sure it's done in a gradual way.

I have a good few ideas what started the anxiety/depression so im hopeful that this is something I can prevent in the future, or manage better if it was to strike again.

[acasey]

my doc just gave me some prozac, im scared to take it due to my experience on the others i have tried. how did you feel at first? did you have an increase in anxiety/depression. i know all the other ones i tried had that effect. and they made me feel weird. im hoping that the prozac wont. are you feeling more back to yourself?