Maybe meds?

[Olive Yew]

I've been trying so hard to get rid of my anxiety without meds but.... It's really wearing on me. I have been taking vitamin supplements every day and that had been helping but now I feel like I'm sliding back and the vitamins are losing their effect. I'm exhausted. I'm TERRIFIED of trying real meds. But I'm near about desperate to get better. It's like snowballing cuz the worse I get, the more scared I am BECAUSE i'm getting worse and I'm starting to think things like "maybe your crazy?" or "what if you develop schizophrenia?" or "what if you really ARE sick and dying?". I haven't had these thoughts in a long time but they're there. :( I just feel... Defeated... And I'm not looking forward to my doctor's smirk and "i told you so" when i come in looking for meds.... But i'm getting both physically and mentally exhausted of this.

[sammy2909]

I tried for a while to ignore it without meds. But it started to take over my life. One day I sat for hours googling heart attack symptoms it took up my whole day. Next day went and got meds. Feeling better after 10 days. So don't be afraid x

[tailspin]

Hi Olive! I'm so sorry you're struggling right now. I do think that learning to manage anxiety is a process with highs and lows and it's not unusual to slip backwards sometimes. I know you've been doing much better lately overall and I really hope this is just a temporary setback again.

That said, I know how exhausting it is to get caught back up in that "what if" anxious thinking again. I can't remember if you have talked about therapy before. Would that be an option for you? That could be something you try before going down the medication route (not that I'm anti medication - I take it myself - but I know it's something you have wanted to avoid and I'm thinking that therapy could be a good alternative. Or indeed, a good adjunct to meds if you do decide to take them).

Wishing you the best, Olive!!

[Olive Yew]

I have a therapist on my college campus that i see on occasion but i feel like she cant do much for me. I try to explain my fears Nd worries to her and instead of advice i get sympathetic "that sounds really hard". Well YEAH it's hard! If i just wanted someone to talk to, i have my mom, boyfriend, and best friend for that! I want advice! I want someone to go all brain analyzing on me!

[tailspin]

Hmmm, well, yes, definitely a good therapist is way more than just a sympathetic ear! So not sure what your campus counselor is all about but her approach does not sound helpful!!

CBT is generally considered to be the most helpful therapeutic treatment for anxiety disorders. So you would need to find a therapist who is trained in and specializes in that. CBT is definitely a form of brain analyzing because it looks closely at your thoughts and comes up with alternative, more helpful ways of thinking and behaving. The idea being that you re-train your brain. Really hope there is a way you can look into this!

[Olive Yew]

I shall try. Im in class and Im freaking out and I feel so incredibly awful.

[tailspin]

I shall try. Im in class and Im freaking out and I feel so incredibly awful.

Hugs to you! And slaps in the face to Moon Moon!! Hang in there!!! ((((((Olive)))))))

[Olive Yew]

After my meltdown in American History, i was able to get home and relax and I even went running tonight. I feel great now :) so whatever tantrum moon moon needed to throw, she got it all out of her system.

[tailspin]

I love running. Can't do so much of it anymore because I have a problem with my Achilles. Nothing beats that post-run high!!! Really glad you're feeling so much better now!

[Olive Yew]

Thanks :) i'm sorry about your ankle though :( that sucks

[NeverToo...Fear]

After my meltdown in American History, i was able to get home and relax and I even went running tonight. I feel great now :) so whatever tantrum moon moon needed to throw, she got it all out of her system.

Yeah, running or exercising personally helps me (well, whenever I'm not fearing a heart attack, lol) But I just loved that post-run high Tailspin mentioned and I missed that when I wasn't exercising...so I'm definitely going to exercise more when I feel crappy..I'm glad it helped put Moon Moon back in place. Tire her out! And hopefully she won't be able to keep up, hehe....sorry things are getting bad for you, tho.. :( Hopefully you can get by without the meds like you are trying to do, but if you have to that's still okay..you might find it will make things better...I was so close to taking medication one time, but then my anxiety let up...so it's like this whole anxiety thing comes in waves, some so strong they knock you underwater, and others just to throw you off a bit..the point is that we never let the wave knock us down completely........ :)

So hang in there, Olive ! Keep kicking Moon Moon's furry ass ! ;)

[Perses]

Olive,

Hmm. So, could Moon Moon harbor anti-American sentiments? Maybe she thinks, as I sometimes do, that it was a bad mistake to break away from the Brits. If we were still a part of the Crown today, we'd have those lovely posh accents, and unfettered access to the BBC. Plus there's national health care, low-cost education, and those beautiful stately country homes. Oh sigh!!!

So, what are you studying at the moment? Reading any good books for your classes?

[Olive Yew]

Thank you all so much for your help and support. It really is encouraging. :)

Im not sure how I feel on the subject of whether or not the Declaration of Independence was necessary or not. I feel like the king was being a dick at the time and we had every right to break away but at the same time, it was rather inconvenient for one ruler to preside over so much land, especially over hundreds of miles of ocean. I cant say Im too pleased with our government now either. The Brits have an older tried and true system but it TOO is flawed and it can be argued that their monarchy is corrupt. I feel like any government too involved with the people's affairs will not do well. Their job is to settle disputes with other countries and make sure our laws are being upheld. They SHOULD have no right to decide what types of programs we HAVE to support, what kinds of views we SHOULD agree with, and who should marry who. I do not SUPPORT gay marriage but I do NOT support government micromanaging either. If a gay couple wants to get married, it doesn't harm anyone in any way. My religious views may disagree with it but the government shouldn't be even interested in such topics. Why should they care? But I digress. I think British Government or American government, it wont much matter. Both are in bad sorts and neither will pull us out of this hell hole any time soon. I try to just ignore it best I can and trust in God for the rest.

As for what we're covering in American History, we just started on the War of 1812. Thomas Jefferson was just made president for a second term and Burr ran off to the west after shooting Hamilton.

[Perses]

Ah, yes, poor Alexander Hamilton. He was a early proponent of a more centralized government. That does seem, time and time again, to be a central quandary with the American system of governance. It is fascinating to read about the process of writing The Articles of Confederation and then how that was replaced by the Constitution. This tug of war between the states and the federal government is fascinating.

[HealthAnxNut]

Hey Olive! I just wanted to let you know, I was in the exact same boat. I had been asked by my primary care many many times about taking meds, or even having something "in case of emergency", but I was very reluctant to try any medication. It seems that everything I take gives me the worst side effects possible, whether that is all mental or not, that is what happens. Finally, after years of struggling to keep myself on the edge, instead of over the edge, I decided to try it. I was miserable, really, so I felt like I didn't have much to lose. SSRIs, like Prozac, were extra scary to me. So, the doctor put me on Wellbutrin. At first, my anxiety was worse. I'm not going to lie, the first few weeks were hell. My anxiety was worse, I had headaches from jaw clenching at night, and I had a problem getting to sleep. But every week, I found myself feeling less anxious. I had a very stressful week last week, but I didn't really feel on the verge of a panic attack, which is amazing. This week, I feel even better than last week. I started on 9/25, so it's almost been a month. I feel more balanced, in terms of my mood. I still feel a bit "amped up", but I don't feel my heart racing. Also, my left arm has felt a lot better, and also my stomach, which was a constant nervous wreck before. I didn't know for sure if I was depressed, or just anxious, and stressed from the anxiety. But I do believe I was depressed. My energy level is better. I don't feel like it would be a huge deal to interact with people (which used to be such an annoyance for me), and I haven't been as irritable since the side effects have lessened. This is just my story, but you sound a lot like me before I tried something, so I thought I'd share!

[Olive Yew]

Thank you. And i just might start meds. Gonn agive it a month to see if going off birth control will help at all And if it still sucks, i'm gonna try meds.

[Stephj526]

When I first started having anxiety about 6 or 8 months ago, I was completely against medicine. I have health anxiety and am typically anti all meds unless absolutely necessary because I'm afraid of side effects. But after 4 trips to the ER in one week, I gave in and asked for them. My doc prescribed Lexapro. At first I was more anxious and had an upset stomach and headache for a few days. But now I take 12.5mg and I feel so much better. I occasionally have a rough day or two, but typically I feel like the normal me now.

I recently saw a psychiatrist too. She recommended CBT for me, and said ideally once I complete that I should be able to wean off the meds. I hope you are able to feel better soon!

[Olive Yew]

Thank you. I'm glad you're able to be feeling better. Today was... So so... This morning my depersonalization was unreal. But then I got to Biology class and got to talk to one of my friends and it lifted pretty easily after that. Every once in a while I'll get a little nudge but then it'll ease off again. And then i've been having chest pain/fluttering all evening which is uncomfy but i'd rather have that than the depersonalization. My nintendo 3DS came today and I played pokemon with my brother all evening (yeah we're nerds) but that really helped to distract me. I guess we'll just see how things go for me this month.

[atcmom]

I fought this for almost three years before starting a full time medicine. My good times were getting smaller and the bad times longer and harder. I was finally to a point that I wasn't having joy in my life b/c I was too afraid. I've started lexapro and am slowly seeing changes. I'm still on the klonipin while waiting for all the changes. I also do counseling, etc.... In hindsight I wish I would have started the meds years ago before I got to this point.

[Olive Yew]

I'm only three months in. Hopefully if the no birth control thing doesn't work, it'll be decently easy for me to adjust and be okay again

[udinesio]

If you cannot manage it without meds, I'd recommend using them. Bupropion is a good one to start with.