Hi. I'm a 21 year old male. I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder, sided with mild depression in 2001. I started off 2 years ago with cognitive theropy, and the theropist was able to get me out of the anxiety cycle. Now, recently, from September of last year, the anxiety/depression struck again, stronger and harder. It started with panic while driving, in class, etc. After a while, I decided to try medical treatment this time. I was also diagnosed with mild hypothyroidism, and was prescribed Levoxyl last november.
The doc started me off on Paxil CR 25mg for a week, but it seemed to worsten the anxiety, and change my mood. So begginning the end of January, the doc started me on Zoloft, and gradually moved my dose up to 100, which was made early March. He also prescribed Xanax for a need-to bases which I only took at night to help me sleep anxiety free. Xanax works great, other than the addiction part, but I have little confidence with the Zoloft. I feel the zoloft has changed my thinking, and will make me lose my mind, go crazy, and even maybe move to suicide. I went to a psyciatrist recently, and he prescribed me Xanax XR, to go with the Zoloft. So far, I am pretty much panic free, yet I feel uncomfortable still, like I am still not myself, and see the world differently, and I am becoming like I just don't care about anything until this all gets fixed. A lot of people on here don't seem to have any positive answers, and typical anxiety stays with them for years and years.
I just feel I'm too young for this. I'm a DeeJey, who is party, outgoing kinda person, and I feel this is all going to ****. So here are my questions:
1) If the Zoloft isn't work by now, would it by wise to look around for other meds, or even taper off, and continue with the theropy like I did before, and keep the Xanax for emergancies?
2) If I taper off the Zoloft/Xanax, will my anxiety become worst than ever?
3) Is it fairly common for people taking Zoloft to experience "out of touch/disconnected" feelings?
4) Am I in good hands with these meds, even with all the suicide issues about anti-depressants on the news?
No one seems to be giving me reassurance of if this will all go away. I feel like anxiety treatment is based mostly on guessing, and experimentation, and that I'll never be the same. Based on the information I told you, please give me your take on this. Thanks!