Anxiety Medication

Hello, I was wondering what it is like to be on the correct anxiety medication. I have been dealing with anxiety for 5-6 years and it's been on and off. I have a CPT therapist that I goto frequently. After all these years of therapy I can manage it a bit better but I still have really bad pockets where I can barley function and enjoy life. I'm 15 and I was wondering if I would be better off continuing my CPT with meds. That way I will be able to come off the medication in the future but (correct me if I am wrong) be able to enjoy life to the fullest again.

Thanks

Hi -

I think that it's important for one, to stay with the therapy, as medication can't cure the problem but only aid in handling the symptoms. That said - most professionals do believe a mixture of medication and therapy is a good way to go. Have you asked your therapist about it, to hear what they think and recommend?

I have been on anti-anxiety medication for severe social anxiety before. They are generally really effective, in my opinion, at combating the anxiety. But the downfall of the medication, is that anti-anxiety meds are really addictive, and they can be difficult to withdraw from. Meeting with a psychiatrist and discussing the options, side effects etc is the place to start as no one here is a professional, so we can only give our anecdotal experience.

Welcome to the forum, by the way. If you need support talking about your anxiety, people here will listen.

- EGD.

Hello,
I have to agree with the poster above. Most doctors recommend that anxiety is treated with both medication and therapy which is currently what I am doing and have had some success so far. I know most doctors give out benzos (Xanax, Ativan) which can be very effective but also addictive. Antidepressants can also be used to treat anxiety without the worry of becoming addicted. I have G.A.D and have been taking 60mg of Cymbalta for almost a year now and have had improvement in my anxiety symptoms. I attend therapy sessions once a month also. I still have problems with irrational thoughts and occasional panic attacks but the overall the level of my anxiety has been reduced. Maybe you could talk to your GP or psychiatrist about medications they think would be right for you. Best wishes!

Hi all,

I have been battling with social anxiety, depression for the last 10 or so years (28 y/o male). I have been doing therapy for the last 6 months, have started exercising regularly for the last year and have also recently quit marijuana (6 weeks clean) and eat healthy (organic mainly and very little processed foods).

After implementing these activities in my life I have not yet seen a noticible sustained difference in my outlook on life - still have no interests, dont engage in social interaction, no friends/social life, still suffer from pits of bad depression and rarely suicidal thoughts.

I would really like an alternate, natural way of treating my depression/anxiety as I have read alot of alternate information that recommends natural treatment. I have a healthy distrust for bigpharma so maybe this contributes to my hesitation in trying anti-depressants.

I am sitting here right now with a newly bought box of esipram 10mg, prescribed by my GP. My therapist seems to think Im not bad enough to warrant needing anti-depressants although I have trouble implementing his techniques of mindfulness, and changing my thought patterns in real life.

I dont really want a crutch that I will rely on long term to deal with this and I dont want to experience a lack of feeling ANYTHING which I have heard some ADs can cause.

What should I do???

Thanks In Advance.

Many different types of medications are used in the treatment of anxiety disorders, including traditional anti-anxiety drugs such as benzodiazepines, antidepressants and beta-blockers. These medications can be very effective, but they shouldn’t be thought of as a cure. Anxiety medication can provide temporary relief, but it doesn’t treat the underlying cause of the anxiety disorder. Once you stop taking the drug, the anxiety symptoms often return in full force. It’s important to be aware of the risks of anxiety medication, too. Anxiety medication can cause a wide range of unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side effects. Many medications for anxiety are also habit forming and physically addictive, making it difficult to stop taking them once you’ve started.

Hello,

My own experience as a psychological counselor is that drugs have proven to be addictive in a number of cases when consumed for a long duration. On the other hand, I can point you to systematic research studies where conditions such as GAD have been treated with a high success rate, using the technique of CBT. Perhaps you may consider trying this option too, in consultation with your therapist.

Here is the article that discusses the paper; it was published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy & Experimental Psychiatry, and the study was conducted in Dresden, Germany, with 22 GAD-diagnosed participants.

http://psychotherapyandcounseling.org/using-cbt-in-treatment-of-gad

Hope this helps.

My anxiety attacks though suppressed frequently through CPT therapies used to occur anytime. Handling simple daily tasks at that stage seemed difficult. A keenness to move ahead too appeared to be lost. I believe that my present condition has improved due to C13 Circulation Formula. I have been on regular doses of this herbal remedy for the last 2 months. No weakness, weariness but life filled with energy is all what I experience today.