medication - yes or no?

[richy1991]

hey everyone

okay i have been suffering from depression/anxiety/panci attacks for a good 3/4 months now and i havnt tooks medication as of yet.
i had it all bad and it got better, then went bad again, then it became better but now its gone bad again, so i dont feel like im getting anywhere

because its got bad again, i went back to see a doctor today and she said im best to start meds but im still very scepticle about it because iv been following the linden method and it says to not use medication

i was just wondering if i should go ahead with the medication or to carry on avoiding it?

does medication actually work? or is it a wast of time?

cheers
richy

[Robbed]

This is a decision that only you can make. But consider first of all that you really haven't had anxiety disorder for a long time. Given the potential pitfalls of taking medication (such as poor efficacy/incomplete relief, side effects, and dependency), I think you should give nonpharmaceutical methods more time. Remember, anxiety disorder doesn't go away overnight. And recovery is NEVER steady - you WILL find that you get worse at times while you are recovering. What you are experiencing in terms of feeling better, then worse, then better again is normal. Maybe if, after several more months have passed, you still feel bad, you might consider medication. But even then, I think you would be better off going with a different nonpharmaceutical method.

[richy1991]

thanks

i understand what your saying. im sitting down with my parents to discuss medication tonight i will mention this

what nonpharmaceutical methods are there that i can try?

cheers
richy

[Robbed]

There are actually quite a few nonpharmaceutical methods you can try. You say you have tried the Linden Method. And I know that it is, in many ways, quite similar to other cognitive treatments. But if it isn't panning out for you, you can try more standard cognitive treatments such as CBT, ACT, and/or ERT(which are all sometimes just lumped into CBT). In addition, lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise can be helpful. In fact, if you are sedentary, exercise alone is as effective as medication, but without those nasty side effects or the specter of dependency (and yes, you CAN have serious problems getting of those supposedly 'non-addictive' SSRI/SNRI antidepressants). Not to mention that sometimes, there is something (or some things) that are very definitely the cause of your anxiety. These can include bad relationships, work-related problems, and/or a generally dead-end life. Actually dealing with these things DEFINITELY beats simply going on a pill to try to make yourself feel better.

But there is one thing nonpharmaceutical that you just can't forget: patience. SO many people end up on medication for the long term with incompletely resolved anxiety issues (not to mention side effects such as drowsiness, 'spaciness', weight gain, and sexual dysfunction) because they are impatient. They are unwilling to wait out and work through anxiety issues. So they just go on a pill because their doctor told them that they NEED it and it is THE solution for their anxiety problem RIGHT NOW. But few such people are entirely happy with the outcome. The sad thing about this is that, in SO many cases, the anxiety problem would probably just have passed with time.

[richy1991]

thanks robbed

i am happy to say i sat down with my parents and my girlfriend and discussed whether to take medication or not, the final verdict was to not take them as they arent worth the risk.
i have my first cbt appointment next tuesday so i shall see how that goes first

thanks for your advice, it has really helped

however i am having troubles with my diet atm but i will start another thread for that

thanks
richy

[Robbed]

i have my first cbt appointment next tuesday so i shall see how that goes first

Again, be patient here. Don't expect miracles from your first therapy session, especially since you don't even know how good the therapist will be. Getting better takes time, and this fact CANNOT be emphasized enough. Whatever you do, DON'T consider this first appointment to be 'do or die'.

Another thing I should mention is that neither of us really knows what kind of CBT this therapist practices. CBT often means TEA forms, which may or may not be helpful for you at this time. I personally have found that ACT (ie acceptance - think Claire Weekes) and ERT (exposure) was MUCH more helpful during the initial stages of recovery. But keep in mind that ACT and ERT are VERY often lumped together with TEA forms as CBT.

[richy1991]

ahh okay, well i will see how this goes, hopefully it will go well

im guessing it will go well because i feel it is me that is causing it now with my thoughts, so if cbt helps you control your thoughts then it should all be good

cherrs
richy