Anxiety medication

[TSE]

Alright guys, so... I just want some opinions.

I have diagnosed Panic Disorder that is caused by stress, whenever I have stress or a big event that is coming up or if I think about what others are thinking, I get a panic attack.

I have been going to counselling and it's helped a little, like it helps me control them... but I still get them.

I asked the counselor and he said that yeah I will still get them but atleast now I know how to control them... That's great but what am I supposed to do for say in the middle of a job interview and I get one? "Can I take five minutes so I can meditate to help get rid of my panic disorder?"

I also am very nervous for my ACT, I can see myself getting one there and not getting it done in time.

I just want to ask at what point do I start considering meds? My parents are absolutely against it so I don't know if I can convince them but this problem has literally taken most of my life away from me.

I just want opinions.

 

[MacDawg]

I am very sympathetic to your challenges
However, my opinion is, you should limit your discussions to your counselor, your doctor and your parents
This is something for professionals to deal with, not random folk on the interwebz

Rule of thumb... things never to do on the interwebz

1. Ask for medical advice
2. Ask for legal advice
3. Ask for relationship advice

 

[MikhailT]

Be aware that it can screw up your mind and the side effects of stopping the meds will be ...annoying and can be painful.

I suffered a year of shock headaches from stopping one meds that I only used for a year. It did help initially but it also screwed up my mind and I have never recovered from it really. I don't have the same disorder as you but I just want you to be more aware of the possiblity of your mind changing and side effects of stopping (not during, after).

Secondly, this isn't the right place. People can share their experiences but you should never consider people's answer to answer your questions. Everybody is unique and thus their mind won't work the same as the other minds.

 

[63dot]

I am very sympathetic to your challenges
However, my opinion is, you should limit your discussions to your counselor, your doctor and your parents
This is something for professionals to deal with, not random folk on the interwebz

Rule of thumb... things never to do on the interwebz

1. Ask for medical advice
2. Ask for legal advice
3. Ask for relationship advice

This makes sense, especially the first point. The second point is being challenged by the likes of legalzoom.com and Nolo Press, and the third one by the likes of Dr. Phil and Dr. Laura who at times seem to go for ratings instead of giving out sound relationship advice.

 

[MacDawg]

This makes sense, especially the first point. The second point is being challenged by the likes of legalzoom.com and Nolo Press, and the third one by the likes of Dr. Phil and Dr. Laura who at times seem to go for ratings instead of giving out sound relationship advice.

I am referring specifically to open forums like this
I realize WebMD and some legal sites can be of benefit
But even then, self-diagnosis is never a good idea

 

[63dot]

I am referring specifically to open forums like this
I realize WebMD and some legal sites can be of benefit
But even then, self-diagnosis is never a good idea

Agreed.

ABC radio had a great series on this. Dr. Dean Edell said it's even hard for a doctor to self diagnose, so one could imagine how hard it is for the average person.

Going to a doctor may not be cheap, but sometimes it's the most rational decision. I doubt the internet, no matter how advanced it gets, will fully replace a living breathing doctor there with you.

 

[kellen]

I would post on the internet until all your problems go away. Its sure to work.

I agree with Macdawg, keep it to the professionals.

 

[rdowns]

I'm glad you're getting treatment TSE but I don't understand why you persist in creating threads about your health. Have any of the dozen or so previous ones helped?

 

[Rodimus Prime]

While for general medical advice it is see a doctor. Since he is asking about medication and may want some people experience with it I will fill in mine and little things I do know.

Based on the fact you have not taken ACT yet I am going to assume you are under the age of 18. The human brain does not fully develop until about the age of 21. Anti- Anxiety/Depression meds target a brain chemistry. They are not sure what the long term effects of those meds are when given to non fully develop brains and that is the reason why good doctors try to avoid giving it to people under the age of 21 if at all possible because they are very powerful drugs.

Now that being said my opinion about medication for things like Anxiety is not to rule them out but make them one of the last things you try and to continue consoling. The meds mostly take the edge off. They are not happy pills but pills that balance things out and give you a easier time controlling the problem.

Another thing to remember about Anti-Anxiety/Depression meds is they have some nasty and I mean NASTY side effects when you first go on them until your body adjust. Back when I first went on an antidepressant medication it gave me a debility head ache that last threw the weekend and when the dose got upped a week later I went threw another round of sever headaches.

Now I have talk with others who been on different antidepressants and she told me that when she first went on it felt like she was having a heart-attack and her chest was in pain from the meds.

Sum it up the meds have some nasty side effects. As for convening your parents you best hope is to talk with you counselor about it and have him/her talk to them. They might be more willing to listen coming from a professional and have the counselor refer you to a physicist and move on from there.

 

[skinnylegs]

I'm glad you're getting treatment TSE but I don't understand why you persist in creating threads about your health. Have any of the dozen or so previous ones helped?

I don't know why you persist in using that profile pic. It drives me 'freakin crazy!

 

[toolbox]

I just want to ask at what point do I start considering meds? My parents are absolutely against it so I don't know if I can convince them but this problem has literally taken most of my life away from me.

Why are your parents against the meds?. I suspect it is because some forms of medication can make you feel suicidal.

however

It is obvious that everything you have tried is not helping you. I have been in your position for almost 3 years now. It has consumed my life since 2007. I am only now starting to come back out of my shell. Even at work i participate more in group conversations / meetings and voice my opinions. Before i couldn't do that.

Just remember that medication is only there to help you, and you have to have the correct mind set to get your self better. The best way i have found is to get your self out of your comfort zone. Try something different. You will feel 100 percent better and then know you can do it again.

 

[kinkster]

I was also in a similar position. Social anxiety and depression are pretty big problems for me. I talked to my parents about it but they didn't think it was a good idea to go on antidepressants.
I accepted that decision as it made allot of sense but still wanted to try an antidepressant. Besides impotence which didn't bother me, I didn't experience any side effects. Zoloft is in the class of drugs called SSRIs. They increase serotonin, which plays a part in the attenuation of emotions (doesn't let you get overly depressed or anxious).

As for keeping to a doctor..well, doctors aren't perfect, okay? They don't have time to take a really in depth look at every patient. Furthermore they're usually going to take an overly safe route because there's the worry of being sued. Many of them don't exactly have a huge interest in reading all the newest medical journals and finding out about the newest drugs, and all the nuances of their action and interactions with other drugs (it gets quite complex). If doctors were such authorities, then there wouldn't be such a huge variance between the opinion of one and another. I'm not saying doctors shouldn't be trusted at all or that they're in any way at fault, I'm just saying you shouldn't feel bad about looking into your own problems (and frankly, when it comes to mental problems, you should be researching it yourself).

If you do make the decision to try a medication there are many pharmacies which will send you pills without a prescription, usually at lower prices then local pharmacies. Google "drug buyer" forum, it's all about reviews of these overseas pharmacies.

I would also suggest trying a supplement called phenibut. Allot of supplements that are meant to affect your brain in one way or another are fairly weak, but phenibut is not. It works quite well to decrease anxiety and improve your mood, without the side effects of other drugs. If you take it for over 4 days straight, you'll begin to be addicted, but it could still be quite useful to you for days where you know something stressful is coming up. Seriously, please try it. I'd be surprised if it didn't help.

Benzos are the prescription option for panic attacks. These are strong, and will really get rid of your anxiety 100% while your on them, but come with a host of side effects. They're very addictive, in part because of how much fun they are, and in part because of their chemistry. Withdrawing from them is said to be just as bad, and difficult, as heroin withdrawal.

Good luck with your problems regardless of what treatment you choose

 

[yojitani]

I wonder if your doctor and parents would be open to trying supplements before going onto the hard stuff. DMAE and GABA, I believe, are supplements people with anxiety have benefited from. An acquaintance of mine uses DMAE for her anxiety. I'm not sure how she got onto it though. I do know that whatever the doctor put her on initially reduced anxiety but caused other problems.

 

[mscriv]

Why are your parents against the meds?. I suspect it is because some forms of medication can make you feel suicidal.

This is not true and is a common misconception that has been perpetuated by the warning labels they are putting on some antidepressant psychotropic medications. There is no pill out there that suddenly gives a person suicidal ideations. People that are depressed or suffer from a mood disorder may experience suicidal thoughts and may even choose to act on these thoughts. The danger lies in the fact that often people who are severly depressed also suffer from a lack of motivation, lack of energy, and failure to organize their thoughts into actions. When a person begins taking antidepressants this medication can improve the lack of energy, motivation, and overall functioning. If this individual is still suffering from suicidal thoughts they may now choose to act on those thoughts because of the improvement in energy and motivation. In other words, prior to taking the medication they did not have the energy, motivation, or focus to follow through with their suicidal thoughts, but now they do.

I'm not saying that taking antidepressants is completely safe. There are definite risks and individuals taking them, especially those with a history of suicidal ideation or attempt, should be monitored closesly. What I am saying is don't perpetuate the misinformation that taking antidepressants suddenly makes people who have never once thought about self harm want to kill themself. Big drug companie are simply adding this warning to their literature and their advertising to cover themselves from a legal perspective.

For clarity, I repeat, no pill makes a person who is not suicidal suddenly want to kill themself. No medication can put thoughts into your head, they just don't work that way.