Is meds necessary for anxiety

[stef115]

So i just wondered does any one not take meds and still have there anxiety under control? I wonder if i need the meds that is why i am wondering if i dont need them than i dont want them ya know....
well please give me some advice and let me know ur opnions on this please

[russ939]

Hi, I am new and also new to this illness that I have. It was so hard to understand and scarry to go through but the meds I am on seem to make a difference but we are all different so I would think I could not get it undercontrol without medication. But I am just starting and have so much to learn,.

[jdb7560]

I agree with the other posters as well. Seeking help from a psychiatrist with or without the use of meds may be the best plan. In my case, the meds were a lifesaver. My blood pressure and heart rate would get dangerously high during an attack. The physiological effects of the anxiety were adversely affecting my body.

[ruffles1]

Thanks for your informative post.

Yes sounds like a great plan...I will be ready with my broom in
hand to sweep the *anxiety monster* out the door. lol

[Beewoman]

You should get the book by Claire Weekes (that Nursegirl 6572) mentioned above, it's called "Peace from Nervous Suffering" and it was recommended to me on this forum and I have found it GREAT help.  There are coping methods that really make sense and work.

I have never been on meds for my anxiety and it does pop-up and I used my own methods of dealing with it, but Claire's book shows far better ways that have been helping me over the last few weeks.

This forum has been great, just reading how others feel and noticing that we are not alone and we are not going crazy.  Anxiety is something that is only understood by those that have and are suffering from it.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[stef115]

Thank you to all of you who have wrote me on this means alot to me and I am going to take some of your advice adn I am going to go the mental health and see what type of this I have and what I can do because honestly i would love to try it without meds i can still do things normal and it dont interfere it just makes me feel real bad like when my heart races and stuff dry mouth and all the things that i think are wrong with me all the time i go to the doctors wayyyyyyyyy to much lol but that is also something anxiety suffers do i guess well thank u again

[nursegirl6572]

I agree with the other posters.  There are many different approaches to anxiety treatment.  I am also a big proponenet of a combo of meds and therapy.  Just taking meds without some form of therapy, to me...is like putting a bandaid on a gaping wound.

It all depends on the nature of your anxiety, how severe it is...and most importantly, if and how significantly it is affecting your daily life.  A few things you can do...exercise is a valuable tool in fighting anxiety.  If you don't currently have an exercise regimen...then start slow...with a daily brisk walk, and work your way up.  Talk with your doctor first before starting a new exercise program that is beyond something simple, like walking.

Also, avoiding a few things is VERY helpful...like caffeine, alcohol, any kind of stimulant basically...nicotine, if you're a smoker, etc.  Lastly...read up on anxiety as much as you can...learn about it, and learn what others have done to address it.  There are great books out there....some by the author Claire Weekes (sp?), also "The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook" is a great one.  In addition....reading and participating in a forum like this is priceless.  You begin to understand just how NOT alone you are in this battle, and you get the benefit of learning from others' experiences, as well as helping others with THEIRS by sharing your story..

Stick around...there is a wealth of knowledge here.  If you are going to consider meds, my advice to you is to get a referral to a psychiatrist...that way you can be officially diagnosed, if you haven't been already...and a treatment plan, that includes therapy, can be formulated.  While family docs are certainly capable of prescribing meds for anxiety/depression...unless it is simply some kind of isolated situational anxiety, I strongly feel that a p-doc is the best way to go.

The worst thing you can do is to sweep it under the rug, "hoping" it just goes away.  I promise you...that anxiety is a sneaky little devil.  It finds a way to surface someway somehow....often when you least expect it.  Once you have learned valuable tools on coping with it....when it DOES pop in for a visit, you can easily "show it the door".  :0)  

Best of luck to you!  Keep us posted on your progress!

[cj29]

There are quite a few people that do it without medication.  I am a proponent of medication as long as it is combined with talk therapy.  There is no 'magic pill' to cure people of anxiety, but I think of medication as a tool to use along your journey to understanding this condition.  I used to be strongly against and fearful of medication until I tried it with the advice of my doctor.  

Medication is a personal choice and one that many people face. How you do it is entirely up to you, but the most important step in this, in my experience, is to understand the condition and then confront it...keep us posted.

[MrGreen]

You can get it under control without meds. Works for some people. Though everybody can do it. Just with some people the anxiety is so bad they need the meds to help them along. Therapy alone could help. Or if you could manage to alter how you see things and feel about things. Confidence is the word. Face up to your fears and don't give in no matter what. It will hit you hard. But by letting it hit you hard you are accepting the feelings and they will become less and less with each encounter. Problem is that most anxiety sufferers run when the fear kicks in. Hence they end up on meds. Each day is a new begining.

[Pum]

I don't currently take medication and feel my anxiety is under control (for now), however, I have taken meds 3 times in my life, the last time being about 3 years ago. I think it all comes down to how well you are functioning. If you are able to work or study well, maintain relationships, maintain a healthy weight and sleep well then you're managing. If you can't keep those things going or improve things with self-help measures then maybe consider them.

Life is there to be lived and I personally found medication a life saver.