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Confused about anxiety?
I am a 29 year old female. I have just been prescribed Effexor for anxiety. I have had problems with anxiety several different times in my life and did not get help. At the age of 19 and again at the age of 25, I had problems entering a croweded building or area of people and driving. I am currently not having either of those problems with severity. Once in a while, I will be in a crowd and start to feel it but manage to calm myself down so it doesn't turn in to anything severe. I have had other problems somewhat like a mood swings, sleep disturbances(take trazodone for it), difficulty concentrating, and a few other things I don't care to mention.
I went to a therapist a few weeks ago because I was worried that maybe I inherited some of this from my mother and father. They both seem to have some sort of mental disorder. My dad has in the past been diagosed with GAD. My therapist suggested that I try medication or therapy but my problem wasn't that bad. I am confused. I don't want to be taking something like effexor and have to go into withdrawl to get off it. I have only taken meds for 3 days and still have time to stop before withdrawl could begin. How do you know when a problem is bad enough to take med's for it?
I went to a therapist a few weeks ago because I was worried that maybe I inherited some of this from my mother and father. They both seem to have some sort of mental disorder. My dad has in the past been diagosed with GAD. My therapist suggested that I try medication or therapy but my problem wasn't that bad. I am confused. I don't want to be taking something like effexor and have to go into withdrawl to get off it. I have only taken meds for 3 days and still have time to stop before withdrawl could begin. How do you know when a problem is bad enough to take med's for it?
hey
I have had anxiety attacks off and on for about ten to twelve years. i don't know how it started i just know it's ruined my life. I got addicted (bad) to xanax... also took klonopin and ativan at times but i loved the xanax. I was at one time takin up to 200 pills a week. i abused them, my tolerance was so high that i had to have more to get the same effect. they helped my anxiety tremendously, i was able to drive in the car by myself and go places and do things with no anxiety, ifelt normal and like i had my life back because i was basically houseboud for about a year. the problem for me was that i would abuse these pills and take somany that it would alter my judgement and i lost my inhibitions and started doing stupid things like shoplifting, i also called in my own scrip two times when the doctors were not wanting to give me anymore. i ended up in jail and spent two years in jail away from my family my kids... it was hell. i even had anxiety there but was scared to get take the phsyc meds they offered.(few)
and now... i have been home a year. separated from husband but want to get back together, but he met someone while i was gone.... me and my kids have a great relationship now and i have a great job, my own car, apartment-- anyway all this past year i had no problems with the anxiety, it was great, i thought i was cured forever... but things have been so stressful with my husband and it's been going on so long that it just built up ( the stress) and snowballed...i started having the anxiety again and it is driving me nuts!! i am so afraid of being like i used to be...it's a little different this time I only have them when i am in the car driving around by myself..idon't know why
anyway i am taking Paxil right now just started a week ago but i had been gettin xanax again too, and was taking alot for the past three weeks. i am afraid i have ruined my life.i am still on parole. does anyone know how long it takes to get the xanax out of your system, i have to pass a drug test on the fourth and i cant even function can't even go anywhere alone by myself.//also does paxil really help with the physiccal sensations of a panic attack? help!
and now... i have been home a year. separated from husband but want to get back together, but he met someone while i was gone.... me and my kids have a great relationship now and i have a great job, my own car, apartment-- anyway all this past year i had no problems with the anxiety, it was great, i thought i was cured forever... but things have been so stressful with my husband and it's been going on so long that it just built up ( the stress) and snowballed...i started having the anxiety again and it is driving me nuts!! i am so afraid of being like i used to be...it's a little different this time I only have them when i am in the car driving around by myself..idon't know why
anyway i am taking Paxil right now just started a week ago but i had been gettin xanax again too, and was taking alot for the past three weeks. i am afraid i have ruined my life.i am still on parole. does anyone know how long it takes to get the xanax out of your system, i have to pass a drug test on the fourth and i cant even function can't even go anywhere alone by myself.//also does paxil really help with the physiccal sensations of a panic attack? help!
My husband suffers from severe panic attacks and depression. He's had depression for several years, but the panic attacks began IMMEDIATELY following a drug overdose of meth. He truly, truly doesn't feel that his attacks are a result of any "unresolved issues". He is convinced (and it makes sense to me) that this was caused from the overdose. He has been taking Serzone and Xanax for a few years, but when he began having horrible pain in his upper left abdomin and had to take Demerol for pain he had some severe attacks. He also had a few attacks prior. Just apx. two weeks ago,he stayed in a hospital for 8 days & changed his med.'s to Klonopin and Zoloft. He stopped taking the Zoloft immed. (made him feel awful) and is taking nothing in its place. Since this time, he has been having severe abdominal & chest pains, weakness, dizziness, nausea, and very high bouts of high blood pressure. (it was 220/121 today) He has been to the ER twice today alone. When he took a Xanax (first one in about 1 1/2 wks.), he felt instantly better. He's had EKG's,CT scan of his abdomin,endoscopy of esophogus & stomach-all normal. He was treated for "heliobacteria" in his stomach apx. 1 month ago. Are the symptoms from w/drawal from the Xanax? Please help me. I am LOST AND SCARED.
I am now taking .25 xanax 3xs a day and (1) .5 for sleep. Has been six days w/o one. My blood pressure goes so high its scary and I would rather take meds than have a stroke. Yes - I am trying more soothing music and easy breathing. Once I feel the other meds side effects are gone - I will try something else. I also need something for depression & obsessiveness. I am bipolar.
I did not take any medication for anxiety attacks. I was to embarrassed to go to the doctor. I only have them on occassion now and have learned to to relaxation breathing. The breathing helps because it keeps me from having them when I feel one coming on. I have also found that listening to calming music ( in the car) helps as well. (Where I used to have most of my anxiety attacks.) I am taking medication for GAD. I am taking Effexor XR and it is against my better judgment. My therapist kept mentioning meds the last time I went. He feels pretty strongly (I assume.) that I need to take something. I hope this helps. freckles
Anxiety or Panic attack - what's the real difference? These just began 1 week ago for me. I am bipolar and just quit Lamictal 1 week ago (bad side effects). It start within a few minutes - difficulty breathing, dizzy and off balance (feel like I'm dying - but no chest pains). As soon as it comes on I chew up (2) .5 Xanax and it takes about 1 hr. to completely go away. I have been to my psy. (just said to get off Lamictal for now) and then my primary care dr. both this week. When I got to his office my blood pressure was 175/95 - dropped to 150/90 before leaving office. No one offers any real help - just take xanax for now (til Lamictal gets out of my system). Is this what they feel like for you and how long does your last? What dod you take for these attacks?
Hiya..
If you are able to manage your life, and feel as though you can make a success out of the things you want to persue, and your anxiety is not getting in the way of you acheieving your goals, perhaps you could try therapy alone to deal with your anxiety.
If however you feel as though you cannot cope any longer, and your anxiety is getting in the way of you achieving your goals, may a small dose of effexor may help you.
The thing is, these are certainly difficult drugs to get off... and i've tried a few times, but have always come back to them. I find they are helpful for me... and I try and get away with the smallest dose. For me, its a trade off... a better life... but i have to take the meds.
Difficulty getting to sleep and maintaining sleep can be a sign of anxiety. If you find you are becoming an insomniac (as i was pre-meds), do not turn to benzodiazapines, are these are so terribly addictive, and worse than SSRI's (from my experience). I would rather be on a low dose SSRI such as effexor, and get some sleep, rather than being on a sleeping pill, which only addresses sleep, and not the root cause, ie the anxiety.
Anyway , good luck, the above is my personal view only, and not a professional view.
Hope it helps.
If you are able to manage your life, and feel as though you can make a success out of the things you want to persue, and your anxiety is not getting in the way of you acheieving your goals, perhaps you could try therapy alone to deal with your anxiety.
If however you feel as though you cannot cope any longer, and your anxiety is getting in the way of you achieving your goals, may a small dose of effexor may help you.
The thing is, these are certainly difficult drugs to get off... and i've tried a few times, but have always come back to them. I find they are helpful for me... and I try and get away with the smallest dose. For me, its a trade off... a better life... but i have to take the meds.
Difficulty getting to sleep and maintaining sleep can be a sign of anxiety. If you find you are becoming an insomniac (as i was pre-meds), do not turn to benzodiazapines, are these are so terribly addictive, and worse than SSRI's (from my experience). I would rather be on a low dose SSRI such as effexor, and get some sleep, rather than being on a sleeping pill, which only addresses sleep, and not the root cause, ie the anxiety.
Anyway , good luck, the above is my personal view only, and not a professional view.
Hope it helps.
Thanks for the advice.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I have been practicing psychiatry for 40 years and I only rarely prescribe medication. None of my patients are on medication even though many started with symptoms much more severe than yours. If you deal with the conflict causing the anxiety, the symptom will go away, or at least be controllable.
Not all doctors see it this way. Many younger doctors have not been extensively trained in the art of psychotherapy and know more about medications than I do.
The answer is; there are several ways of treating this problem, and you are the one who should make the choice. Personally I would avoid medications when possible and use them only when symptoms are severe or getting worse, and then only on a short term, transitional basis.
Not all doctors see it this way. Many younger doctors have not been extensively trained in the art of psychotherapy and know more about medications than I do.
The answer is; there are several ways of treating this problem, and you are the one who should make the choice. Personally I would avoid medications when possible and use them only when symptoms are severe or getting worse, and then only on a short term, transitional basis.
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