Advice on starting medication for panic attacks?

[wilburs_98]

I’ve had general anxiety for as long as I can remember. I did go to counseling when I was 16 and seemingly got the anxiety (mostly social anxiety) under control. However, my senior year I started to experience panic attacks. It almost felt like I was pushing my normal anxiety down and it started bubbling up in these moments of panic. The doctor prescribed me celexa but I never took it since I wasn’t too interested in the idea of taking medication at the time. However, I am now a junior in college and the panic attacks are occurring multiple times a week and making me completely dread even going to class (this is typically where the panic attack happen). The attacks are not debilitating or nearly as bad as some people have them. I don’t leave class when I experience them, although I do want to. I thought that sticking them out and practicing techniques I read online would help to end them, but that has not been the case. I decided to see a therapist last week and she thinks it would be a good idea to start me on meds in addition to therapy. I’m open to this idea as the last few weeks have just been dreadful and I need improvement as soon as I can get it. However, my next two months are looking to be extremely stressful with important presentations/projects/exams and I’m afraid starting a medication will my make my anxiety much worse before it makes it any better. I’ve read many posts about how finding your correct dosage takes a while and I don’t really have the time to be experimenting with things that may not work for me. I guess my question is would you try medication as soon as possible or wait until the semester is over and I have some time to try out what is right for me? Additionally, has anyone had success with just CBT and no medication? Thank you and sorry this is so long!

[Paxiled]

There's unfortunately no definite answer to your question.  Individuals get really different reactions to medication, and you're right about what you've said, it takes a few weeks for them to start working but the side effects start right away.  While some antidepressants are very stimulating, the ones most recommended for anxiety without significant depression can be very sedating.  As for the CBT question, no form of therapy helped me, but the younger you are the better the chances are you can fix it there.  If you can, you've fixed it; drugs just tamp down symptoms and you've already done your homework, which is good, you know they are no picnic to take.  Some people have such an easy time on them they don't even notice they're taking them other than if they work they feel better, and others have big hurdles to get used to.  But do know that therapy takes a lot longer to work than does medication.  I don't know the quality or education level of your therapist or if your therapist specializes in anxiety treatment or not -- most of them don't.  If you've got a chat about your relationships therapist, won't help.  CBT is considered the one that works the quickest when it works, and if you don't have some traumatic event that started this all off in the first place, behavior mod is probably the only thing that might work.  You can sit and chat for years.  But with CBT you will also have to, once you learn some relaxation techniques and the theory of it, face what you're afraid of.  What interests me is you saying you're facing some stressful times ahead -- school isn't necessarily a stressful thing.  You an make it into one, but it never was that for me.  My anxiety was never from school or work or deaths in the family, so we're different in what we're actually anxious about, but if school is something you're good at and handle well, it's not going to be more of a problem than it is now and if it is stressful to you and the anxiety is focused there, as you say it is on going to class, these are the things you consider when you consider whether or not to go on meds -- how badly your life is being affected.  We live a med crazy society, they're given out like candy, other things are seldom tried first anymore.  I'm old now, but when I was your age and starting to suffer from depression and anxiety nobody ever suggested meds to me, they always wanted you to do therapy first and see if it worked.  I had agoraphobia for 7 years before my therapist and I decided medication was the only way for me to have a life.  I'm sure you'll get many answers here, I hope so, but none of us can tell you how you'll react to starting meds and how long it will take to find the right one for you.  Wish we could, but it isn't possible, meds are a lot less scientific than people are told, they are very very idiosyncratic.  It is trial and error.  If you do decide to go for meds, and the fact a therapist has suggested it is a very important factor if it's a qualified and good therapist, remember, if the drug proves to be too hard on you stopping is easy when you first begin to take them -- it's only when you've been on them for awhile that stopping becomes a problem.  Just another consideration.  My own opinion, for what it's worth, is if you're still functioning okay, meds are more like surgery -- they are invasive and risky and should only be used when necessary.  All other options should be exhausted first.  But when you need them, you need them, and at that point, you do what you have to do.  Peace.

[Fabia11]

Hello. I am
Under Lexapro for anxiety / panic attacks. And I do counseling. But counseling alone wouldn’t have work, I believe you do need meds. When you feel better and confident, you may start tappering off woth proper professional help. Get help and you will not regret. All
The best