thanks i looked at it like fight it and be depressed all the time with horrible panic attacks or swallow my pride and realize its the best thing to do not only for me but for my kid. hard to be there for him the way i need to be when im 24/7 in fear of my life, i didnt have good dad and my son sure as hell dont deserve what i went through. so if i need the meds the rest of my life so be it. the inconvenience of taking a quick pill every morning to like a happier, less worry life style seems nothing but worth it.
Hey KK! Good to see you again, although of course I wish No ONE ever needed this forum's help again! To answer your question...YES, there are many many people who opt to stay on meds forever. Very successfully. It is not an indication of any sort of failure!
The good thing is...you've been down this road before, so you know what to expect with the Lexapro. Your experience will probably be similar but just try to remain patient and not have inflated expectations. If it DOES take a little longer to work than it did the first time around, that's OKAY.
Just do not lose sight of the fact that you virtually went into "anxiety remission" with treatment the last time, hang on to that success!! You'll get there again...just be open minded and take it one day at a time.
Even if you DO take meds forever, you still may have periods of time where your anxiety increases, it's pretty common. This is where having coping mechanisms on top of your meds is very helpful. You will always be very in tune to your anxiety and probably notice any increase very quickly. That's when it is time to get to your doc...it's always best to address any changes right away...it helps in reducing anxiety much more efficiently. I always know when my anxiety is increasing, and I don't mess around with getting to my doc for a discussion about what's next. The times I waited in "hopes" I was wrong (I think we all do this)...it was much harder to get a grip on.
Let us know how you're doing back on the Lexapro. In my personal opinion, it's the right choice for you!