meds or no meds

[Lessara]

I'm fighting indecision.
I used to take Prozac about 4 months ago. I stopped when I lost my first job and I haven't resumed since. I'm already meeting with a counsillor and he said he could make a recommendation for me to see a psychiatrist for meds.
I have Anxiety and Depression and as many of you have seen on previous threads and replies, it flares from time to time.
But I have these swings even with prozac and it gives me panic attacks like you won't believe. :rolleyes:
I like the fact that I've handled my mental "stuff" pretty well.
I was able to pull myself out of pits of dispair and such.
What have you done? Are you medicated and dong fine, or are you also not taking meds anymore?
Anyone in my boat?
Thanks

[agonycat]

Lessara at one time I took prozac....about 8 years ago when going through a divorce from the psycho. It wiped me so far out I didn't like taking them but it was better than going through the emotional rollcoaster ride.

Now I find myself out of work due to the company downsizing and I am experiencing once again those panic attacks. I know in my heart we will be okay, however the other part of me goes through fits of crying, depression and an over all feeling of helplessness. I refuse to go back on medications, since I have totally changed my lifestyle by quitting smoking and drinking.

I have a hard time here lately of staying focused. So I have started needlepointing again to keep the mind numb and the hands busy. It seems to have a calming effect so far, even though it kills my old eyeballs these days.

Maybe a hobby or craft would help refocus that depression and anxiety for you as well?

:bhug:

[Lessara]

I, too, have hobbies that I do, wallpaper quilting, and drawing.
Also I do relaxation meditation at night which helps me to fall asleep faster.

Its amazing how resourseful you and I are when faced without meds.. but do you think, that the fustration and depression I face while lowcarbing would be easier to deal with if I was on the correct medicine.. .this is what's plaguing my mind!!

[Talon]

Everyone differs, but I for one would never give up my Prozac! I'm not in a fog, nor does it deaden me - it makes me feel alive! Early on they put me on it for 6 months, took me off to see how I was.... the put me back on for 12 months and took me off again. Nope no go, I've been on them ever since, about 12-13 years.

If going without them is OK with you, then great! But if you feel you are better on them, then it is something you may want to consider taking up again.

[agonycat]

Originally posted by Lessara


but do you think, that the fustration and depression I face while lowcarbing would be easier to deal with if I was on the correct medicine.. .this is what's plaguing my mind!!

Only you can answer that my dear ;)

Would I personally find it easier to go through the depression of job searching and the panic attacks I am going through on medication? No. I found that while I was on medication I felt like a zombie. Absolutely no will power to do anything. I was numb from the drugs, I had no feelings about anything at all.

After all the abuse I have done to my system I have decided that I will be kind to it from now on. :) I am learning to cope with the attacks, little by little and well if I need to cry, then I cry. It doesn't make my hubby happy to see me cry or panic, but he knows it is my way of relieving the stress that is building up.

If you feel you personally need to go back on the medications by all means do so Lessara. Do what is right for you. No one knows you better than yourself and you are the only one that can say "yes this is exactly what I need to do for me".


Keep that pretty chin of yours up ;)

[wangeci]

Lessara,
There is also many many more and different anti-depressants out there then just Prozac. You and your doctor may need to find the right one, prozac, may not be the one for you. Just another thought.

Good luck.
Cindy

[foofaraw]

what other meds have you tried? i had to try like 8 of them before i found one that works. i've been on zoloft for several years and it works great for me. it has also completely solved the problem of panic attacks that i used to have.

although, since i have been lc'ing this week, i have been extremely depressed. i feel absolutely awful today. but i am really determined to lose weight and see this program through. so i'm hoping that it will balance out and that i will eventually feel better.

good luck!

[Lessara]

I talked it over with my counsillor and I decided to not do meds for my anxiety. I am thinking about talking to the psychologist about meds for my ADD.

I have tried several meds and yes they worked alittle but because my anxiety moves on different levels they just can't keep up or balance my brain. Relaxation exercises and focusing activities have helped me way more.

[fiona]

I'm with agonycat. No drugs but you do need support Lessara and it is being responsible to make sure you ask for it and MAKE yourself heard.

Something I discovered which helps me Try it for yourself (http://positivepause.com/).

Autogenic Training is also great for managing anxiety without drugs. In UK you need to get your doctor to send you on an 8 week course which helps you to make it a part of your daily routine.

I don't ever like to tell anyone NOT to take meds because not everyone can manage without them. It is a personal choice.

Take Loving Gentle care,

[razzle]

no matter which choice, therapy. So good for you for doing that! I still can't believe docs give antidepressants (which has not been proven to help in the long term) without requiring therapy (which HAS been shown to help).

It's possible that the chemical imbalance the depressed (and those of us with PMS, etc.) resulted from the miseries of early life experiences. So treating only the biochemical effect is like giving aspirin for the headaches that come from a brain tumor. It's simply treating the symptom. The underlying cause has to be addressed, too, or the 'tumor' of misery, bad thinking habits, dysfunctional family patterns and poor coping skills will never go away.
My heart goes out to you--you're working hard and making progress, but it's slow stuff, isn't it?

Crafts are cool. For me, the best non-drug treatment is time in nature. There's nothing like looking at the deer grazing, hearing the wind whispering in the trees, or watching sunlight ripple off a lake surface to soothe my troubled soul.

[Lunula]

I agree with Razzle on this one - definitely see a <b>good</b> counselor in addition to whatever other therapy you seek.

I view drugs as a temporary solution. I was put on Paxil for severe panic attacks & anxiety and then moved to Zoloft for depression, but was off all drugs within a year. The Paxil helped me <i>physically</i> calm down and the Zoloft helped me not go nuts - but I knew my body was a self-repairing machine, so I started counseling at the same time and learned how to heal myself. Honestly, I'm a new person (and I didn't believe it would work when I started, lol). It does still "flare-up" from time-to-time, but now I know how to detect it early and how to actively work through it.

Best of luck to you and don't be afraid to try things to make you feel better (different meds, different counselors, new hobbies, exercise classes, whatever!) - anxiety mixed with depression is a deadly cocktail - one that <i>no one</i> should have to "live with".

[fiona]

That's right Lanulla. It is about learning to heal yourself - finding out what works for you!

It is an ongoing process. What worked at age 20 to snap me out of depression might not necessarily work at age 40. My body has moved on and I need to try new ways or perhaps just fine-tune the old ones.

I was recently in the privileged position of watching close-up the struggles of a 90 year old. He's still fighting but the vulnerability brought on by his weakened body only goes to show the strength of his spirit to overcome. It is truly heartening to see a man wishing he were dead (in fact praying to be released) begin to look forward to enjoying what he has left of it and being thankful for it knowing that the struggles may get harder.

Take loving, gentle but courageous care,

[Kristine]

Hi Lessara - I'm not a med fan, but that's just my philosophy. :thdown: I think anxiety and depression is such a multi-layered problem, and it's a chicken-or-the-egg type thing. Which caused which? If everything in your life is cool and your symptoms are purely because of a chemical imbalance, nothing more, then you'd probably do well on meds. You'd also do well if your symptoms are so bad, that you'd need the meds to calm down enough to function. OTOH, if you have "naturally depressing" (eg job-hunting) stuff going on in your life, meds are just a band-aid, as Razzle said (albeit still useful temporarily.) So it depends on your philosophy. But bottom line, whether meds or no meds, it's good that you've got a counsellor. Good luck and good health to you!

[Wombat]

I have struggled with depression and anxiety off and on for a good portion of my life. There is a genetic disposition, in my case. Three years ago my younger brother attempted suicide by shooting himself in the head (he survived and is back in school, believe it or not); that same year I got married, relocated to another state, and several months later, was evacuated from our home due to a forest fire!!! I am NOT making this up! I was off of the 'stress' scale!! So naturally I had to go to counseling and take meds for a while.

What I find irritating are doctors who INSIST on your taking meds. If you aren't a danger to yourself or anyone else, and if you don't feel you need them, then DON'T LET THEM BULLY YOU into taking something you're not comfortable taking. I have FINALLY convinced my doctor and therapist (husband and wife team) to reduce my Wellbutrin because I am ready...past ready....to get off of the meds. I have been on Wellbutrin for 2.5 years. And the only reason why I think they finally relented is because I told them I may try to get pregnant at the end of this year/beginning of next year (which is true). Otherwise I may still be trying to pull teeth trying to get them to reduce them.

daBAT

[Lessara]

Today I'm starting a new Med called Wellbutrin.
I was prescribed this for my ADD, which surprised me.
but I was researching it and found that this is a common practice, to give Wellbutrin instead of Ridalin.
I wonder if any of you have or had taken it?

[paige17257]

i too have been lowcarbing for a couple of months, and i have been on zoloft for 2 years. lately, i have been having alittle trouble with the OCD, and feeling down and not focussed? i wonder if this WOE plays with your chemistry sometimes? i decided that i needed some carbs, so i ate abunch!! i think that i felt better, but i am not going back to my old diet. i am going next week to see if i need a med. adjustment or a new drug. this is a disapointing set back!!
paige17257