meds in general

[msduty2013]

It seems like I see an awful lot of people trying to come off of their meds. Is that because they all stop working or what because if you need them why would you stop them? Doesnt give me much hope.

[alankay]

Some feel better and after a while want to drop them, others just needed them short term, some get more or enough help via psychotherapy, CBT, etc, others get little or no real benefit, some just hate/don't like meds(most of us I'd say) and want to give dropping meds a try or natural/herbal approaches(5-HTP, St Johns Wort, Valerian root, Kava kava, Passionflower, etc), some have bad side effects that never pass, some seem to have the med stop working or have a peak effect that passes, some have bad reactions or even paradoxical effects, others are just trying the med and want to try another(common with ssri's), the list goes on......................Alankay

[msduty2013]

Personally one of my feara is if I get past the fear of taking them and they help then someday I will become immune and be worse than before!

[alankay]

I would not take a pass on treatment. You're anxious about that maybe. If I never went in and asked a fine pdoc for help........I'd still be at home suffering. Thanks to meds and just as important, education on anxiety and some therapy to identify the source of my anxiety, I can travel, work with all sorts of people and live a full life. I can't say my potential didn't sufffer but well that's the way it is and it's my job to make to most of it all just like a diabetic or epileptic needs to still live as best he can no matter what. In spite of it in fact. Alankay

[sterri]

I have to agree with Alankay. Prescription meds for anxiety have gotten a bad reputation, but they can be part of an effective recovery program if used with proper guidance. Why do people want to get off them? Here are the reasons I can think of:
1. Most people don't want to be dependent on prescription meds for their entire life unless necessary - doesn't matter what they're for.
2. Some anxiety meds do lose their effectiveness over time and others can become either physically or mentally addictive.
3. Medications can be expensive!
4. Anxiety seems like something we should be able to control - or at least that's what I thought at first. So, I considered meds to be a crutch. Thankfully I've come a long way.