Considering getting medication soon for my anxiety/also need advice

[Starcitty]

This summer or in the next month I plan on getting medication to help me. I have painful anxiety that gives me chest pains and headaches and causes me to over react and worry over the littlest things. I'm also overly emotional and that causes me to want to interact with people very little. I cry very easily.

The problem is is that I'm not experienced with handling or knowing about medication relating to anxiety or depression. I'm also debating whether I should try and talk to my psychiatrist this Spring Break or in the summer because I hear that it takes a while for the drugs to have any effect.

I've tried therapy in the past and I don't actually like it and it hasn't really done anything for me. Before I was very hesitant in getting medication for my problems but now I believe that it is the best option for me currently. Since I've also heard it can subdue your emotions which I very much need.

Does anyone who uses meds for their anxiety/problems have any advice?

 

[intheweeds]

There's a good chance you'll be prescribed a Benzodiazepine (Klonopin, Xanax, etc). They're one of the most popular medications for anxiety, but also have a lot of drawbacks. You'll have to continue taking it for the rest of your life, or you'll have to slower lower your dose to get off it. Benzodiazepine withdrawals are HORRIBLE.

If you decide to try them just be careful and educate yourself because a lot of doctors just write a prescription for the stuff without properly informing the patient of the drawbacks. I can personally attest to that.

As for therapy it's all about finding a therapist you're comfortable with. Shop around & make multiple appointments with different therapists if possible & stick with the one you like the most.

 

[Starcitty]

There's a good chance you'll be prescribed a Benzodiazepine (Klonopin, Xanax, etc). They're one of the most popular medications for anxiety, but also have a lot of drawbacks. You'll have to continue taking it for the rest of your life, or you'll have to slower lower your dose to get off it. Benzodiazepine withdrawals are HORRIBLE.

If you decide to try them just be careful and educate yourself because a lot of doctors just write a prescription for the stuff without properly informing the patient of the drawbacks. I can personally attest to that.

As for therapy it's all about finding a therapist you're comfortable with. Shop around & make multiple appointments with different therapists if possible & stick with the one you like the most.

Yeah the side effects are what I'm worried about. I've never went through withdrawal either. I'll have to do more research on that.

I might consider therapy in the future though but I'm not sure right now. I just need something to help control my emotions/anxiety and my choices look very slim right now.

 

[Flippy]

Here in the UK they really dont want to give you benzos despite how much good they might do for you. I would quite honestly snap my doctor's hand off if they offered me some diazepam. I think you would likely find it obliterates anxiety etc. I would quite happily go on taking fistfuls of the stuff for the rest of my life it makes such a huge difference to me. Though I guess everyone is unique but from what you described it might be a dramatic reversal for you! :-)

 

[Nem]

There's a good chance you'll be prescribed a Benzodiazepine (Klonopin, Xanax, etc). They're one of the most popular medications for anxiety, but also have a lot of drawbacks. You'll have to continue taking it for the rest of your life, or you'll have to slower lower your dose to get off it. Benzodiazepine withdrawals are HORRIBLE.

If you decide to try them just be careful and educate yourself because a lot of doctors just write a prescription for the stuff without properly informing the patient of the drawbacks. I can personally attest to that.

As for therapy it's all about finding a therapist you're comfortable with. Shop around & make multiple appointments with different therapists if possible & stick with the one you like the most.

My dr prescribed these to me and kept me on them for over two years without once warning me of the withdrawal problems or side effects. This was the beginning of my problem and when I went off I had horrendous withdrawals and my dr didn't even recognize them!!!
Peace/hugs

 

[Flippy]

My dr prescribed these to me and kept me on them for over two years without once warning me of the withdrawal problems or side effects. This was the beginning of my problem and when I went off I had horrendous withdrawals and my dr didn't even recognize them!!!
Peace/hugs❤

That sounds bad. I can imagine your body and mind must really miss those chemicals being in your system :-0 I'm amazed that the doctor didn't expect withdrawal symptoms and have some sort of treatment in place. I've been on quetiapine for so long I get withdrawal symptoms within 5 hours if I forget a dose. At times I'm so anxious I end up smoking almost none stop. When I had some benzos I didn't have anything like as much need to smoke. So I really think sometimes that life long use of benzos might ultimately be healthier for me in the long run!

 

[GinaIsReady]

There is an anti-anxiety drug that is little mentioned but I find it beneficial: Buspirone

 

[Sensei]

I don't know if this is of much help, but I have a friend that gets such bad anxiety at times that he looses his sight and hearing. He doesn't take benzodiazpines on a daily basis, just when he needs them.

 

[mathieu]

I've found that the meds which really help, one builds a tolerance to so they stop working. This is the case for the Rivotril (clonazepam) and Seroquel I take. I also take Prozac which doesn't seem to help much. So basically I'm taking all these pills but not getting any relief from them. Luckily I will CTB soon.

 

[randomz]

I have the exact same problem as you @Starcitty. I went to a couple of therapy sessions which in fact had some positive effect and made me solve some of my problems. My therapist is a psychologist not a psychatrist and that with the added fact that I actually lied about how heavy my anxiety is (don't really know why) made her tell me that I actually don't need any medication. I do however drink a homeopathy med called Neurostab in my country which is just Valeriana, passion flower and something else which used to help me a lot , but now I think that I developed resistance to it.
Speaking from personal experience living in a state of almost constant anxiety and depression, absurdly low self esteem, obsessive negative thoughts and suicidal behaviour is hell, so do whatever you can to get better.

 

[JoeFailure]

Prescription meds really didn't do anything for me personally. Adderall helped some but I think increased rumination sometimes. Lexapro and Buspirone didn't do much. Klonopin was amazing but you really do have to only take it when things get really, really bad because otherwise yeah it'll be habit forming and they're terrible for you.

Outside of Klonopin, what's helped me the most is a high quality CBD oil. It's expensive but if you have a good psychiatrist they can try to help you get it covered by insurance if you have it. Here's the one I use that's been helpful: https://www.getsava.com/shop/papa-barkley-1-1-tincture#product-info

 

[Flippy]

I think part of the problem I have is that I really want to solve my anxiety. I either research ctb or I research meds. I think sometimes when I suggest the possibility of having a small prescription of benzos for emergencies or that I want to maybe try different meds they put 2 + 2 together and end up with 31415926535 and think I'm just trying to get high. Or that I'm expressing a wish to ctb in order to get a prescription to get high. Anyone that knows me will think that's ridiculous, I haven't even so much as sipped alcohol for over 3 years for example. I like my mind to be clear and able to focus. I've tried CBD too but I don't think it helps me much :-/ It's also damn expensive for me :-0

 

[Epsilon0]

As far as anxiety medication is concerned, there is no one-size-fits-all. It's more of a trial and error type of situation.

Your doctor will prescribe you what they believe is the best option for your particular needs. After a couple of weeks, they will ask you to evaluate the drug and how you are feeling.

If the drug helps you with your symptoms without too many side effects, you will probably be encouraged to go on taking it. If the drug doesn't help you, or has bad side effects, the doctor may switch you to a different dose or an altogether different drug.

I wish you good luck! I know it can be daunting to take this step.

 

[Flippy]

As far as anxiety medication is concerned, there is no one-size-fits-all. It's more of a trial and error type of situation.

Your doctor will prescribe you what they believe is the best option for your particular needs. After a couple of weeks, they will ask you to evaluate the drug and how you are feeling.

If the drug helps you with your symptoms without too many side effects, you will probably be encouraged to go on taking it. If the drug doesn't help you, or has bad side effects, the doctor may switch you to a different dose or an altogether different drug.

I wish you good luck! I know it can be daunting to take this step.

Edit... Sorry forgot which thread I was posting in! Thought it was my private island one! Duh!

You're right. A few people were talking about this in who thread. Doctors will prescribe what they feel has the best statistical chance of helping. Though I have raised some concerns about my meds that I've been on for an awfully long time that seem to be causing some side effects that are probability not helping. It's those white hot distressing anxiety attacks that come from nowhere that I really can't cope with. I've been trying Lithium Orotate and unless it's a really good placebo effect, it seems to be working enough to take the edge off. Perhaps that might explain me starting such an optimistic thread! :-)

 

[Epsilon0]

Glad to hear it's working for you. I am all too familiar with this type of panic attacks. In my case, medication did not help. I did two CBT courses and a lot of therapy to learn to deal with them.

 

[k75]

Around here, beta blockers are used far more often than benzos. Also gabapentin and buspar.

If you do get a benzo, it's because your doctor decided it was necessary for your type of anxiety. I'd take it as prescribed. Resist the urge to abuse it.

Not everyone is guaranteed to get addicted or suffer withdrawals. If you do need to stop it, your doctor should gradually taper you off it to avoid withdrawal.

My recommendation is to let the doctor do their job. They will pick out the medicine for you. That's when you should research and educate yourself on side effects. Before you take it. If you don't like the sound of it, say so. You're not obligated to take anything you don't like.

Also, you should just do it as soon as you're able to. Why suffer longer than you need? Depending on what you get for anxiety, they don't take that long to kick in. Even beta blockers take just a dose or two. Benzos take effect in less than an hour depending on which it is.

 

[JoeFailure]

Around here, beta blockers are used far more often than benzos. Also gabapentin and buspar.

If you do get a benzo, it's because your doctor decided it was necessary for your type of anxiety. I'd take it as prescribed. Resist the urge to abuse it.

Not everyone is guaranteed to get addicted or suffer withdrawals. If you do need to stop it, your doctor should gradually taper you off it to avoid withdrawal.

My recommendation is to let the doctor do their job. They will pick out the medicine for you. That's when you should research and educate yourself on side effects. Before you take it. If you don't like the sound of it, say so. You're not obligated to take anything you don't like.

Also, you should just do it as soon as you're able to. Why suffer longer than you need? Depending on what you get for anxiety, they don't take that long to kick in. Even beta blockers take just a dose or two. Benzos take effect in less than an hour depending on which it is.

To this I would just say to be as sure as you can that you have a good doctor that you have a good relationship with if you're going to 100% follow them into the meds journey.

Some doctors just don't care and some are actually corrupt and will prescribe you meds from companies that pay them to push their drugs.

I went through 3 different psychs and 7 different therapists before I found the right ones. But it makes a huge difference once you find the best fit.

 

[Flippy]

Glad to hear it's working for you. I am all too familiar with this type of panic attacks. In my case, medication did not help. I did two CBT courses and a lot of therapy to learn to deal with them.

I'm really glad that you've managed to find a solution that helps you deal with the anxiety! :-) I really feel bad that others to through this kind of anxiety so when I find that someone finds something that works I'm really happy for them!

I think I may be one of the lucky ones that don't get hooked on benzos. I mean, I do notice the difference when I don't have them if I'm feeling really rotten. I manage to cope, but it's not a good "cope". I've been prescribed loads of diazepam in the past, and once I start to feel a bit better I don't even think about taking them. I had once a week's worth sitting in a drawer. I completely forgot about them. I did eventually get through them but it was over a period of months. The only thing I'm hooked on is nicotine. I've tried quitting in the past and I've done pretty good, no smoking for several months. Then it's like something snaps and I get really bad anxiety again. It seems quitting is a prelude to really becoming unwell for me. I think there must be something deep in my subconscious that is almost punishing me for quitting the cigarettes. It happens every time like clockwork, so I have accepted for the time being that I'm unlikely to kick that particular habit. :-(

 

[k75]

To this I would just say to be as sure as you can that you have a good doctor that you have a good relationship with if you're going to 100% follow them into the meds journey.

Some doctors just don't care and some are actually corrupt and will prescribe you meds from companies that pay them to push their drugs.

I went through 3 different psychs and 7 different therapists before I found the right ones. But it makes a huge difference once you find the best fit.

I'm not entirely sure I said what I meant before. My brain is a little pain addled right now. I'm just trying to post to keep sane.

Um... Basically, I was trying to say the Dr will pick out the meds, so don't think you have to learn them and pick out what you want now. But definitely research everything and ask questions before taking it. And don't feel obligated to take anything just because it's prescribed. The patient is in control, so don't allow yourself to be bullied.

 

[Flippy]

I think I could see what you meant :-) The thing is I'm not the most assertive of people and that is even more true when I'm in the grips of severe anxiety and depression. I did feel a bit bullied one of the last times I saw the psychiatrist. I was feeling really unwell at the time and I had lost my temper with a neighbor who had been behaving in a antisocial and intimidating way toward me and my family. It was really distressing me and adding to the anxiety. I wasn't proud of it but I can probably count the number of times I've actually lost my temper over the last decade on the fingers of one hand and still have enough left to count to four. So I told him what had happened and that it was troubling me, but that I had been feeling so unwell I just snapped. He told me quite condescendingly that I needed to take responsibility for my mental health. This was really upsetting as I do think I take responsibility for it. I wouldn't have been there if I didn't. I've experienced so much aggression and crap my entire life. I'm bound to occasionally over correct so to speak when I start experiencing it again. I'm usually viewed as the logical cool headed person. I don't like to be in conflict with people. Unfortunately there are people in this world who do like conflict. :-/

 

[k75]

I think I could see what you meant :-) The thing is I'm not the most assertive of people and that is even more true when I'm in the grips of severe anxiety and depression. I did feel a bit bullied one of the last times I saw the psychiatrist. I was feeling really unwell at the time and I had lost my temper with a neighbor who had been behaving in a antisocial and intimidating way toward me and my family. It was really distressing me and adding to the anxiety. I wasn't proud of it but I can probably count the number of times I've actually lost my temper over the last decade on the fingers of one hand and still have enough left to count to four. So I told him what had happened and that it was troubling me, but that I had been feeling so unwell I just snapped. He told me quite condescendingly that I needed to take responsibility for my mental health. This was really upsetting as I do think I take responsibility for it. I wouldn't have been there if I didn't. I've experienced so much aggression and crap my entire life. I'm bound to occasionally over correct so to speak when I start experiencing it again. I'm usually viewed as the logical cool headed person. I don't like to be in conflict with people. Unfortunately there are people in this world who do like conflict. :-/

Is there any way you could bring someone you trust to an appointment with you? That could really help. At the very least, write down things you want to be sure to discuss when you're feeling calm so you don't get overwhelmed?

Trust me, I get it. It's very hard to be assertive normally, much less when you don't feel well.

 

[Quarky00]

The thing is I'm not the most assertive of people and that is even more true when I'm in the grips of severe anxiety and depression. I did feel a bit bullied one of the last times I saw the psychiatrist

I am assertive (or I was) but still couldn't withstand most psychiatrists ;)
Three were super-nice and answered questions (but prescribed bad meds lol). Others noted "patient not cooperating" (lol). I was just asking simple questions. I have GI issues and they were not careful, and made my situation worse. Anyway, they are "doctors" and some don't like questions- just tell symptoms and follow orders.

I really needed a lawyer there (seriously)

~

That's also a good point to OP/@Starcitty (re advises given here) -- not sure you'll get all the answers from psychiatrist. You kinda have to do your own research on the subject, both before and after prescription.

Your anxiety does not* sound severely debilitating (can't sleep or function etc), you are a bit emotional*, so almost certain you will be given SSRIs and then SNRIs. No benzos.

Select several common SSRIs and read patients' feedback about those.
Experiences are similar but different, and stories are really helpful, it's better than reading [side] effects list, which provides little understanding.
Also search SS as many wrote about those.

If you are in serious distress, and have severe frequent panic attacks or crying episodes (dozen a day) etc, you may be given benzos. Prefer those with long onset and duration, as they are less addictive and withdrawal is easier. Clonazepam and Diazepam are very common and effective, and few report side effects.

* No disrespect there, that's how they label things ...

 

[Flippy]

I did try bringing someone to that very appointment :-/ the psychiatrist didn't seem too pleased about it :-( But it's a good idea to write stuff down. I used to do that for totally mundane things when my anxiety was getting the better of me. I would write a list of I was going to a shop that would have prompts on it to say "hi";etc. It sounds bad but I honestly had times where I just locked up and nothing would come out of my mouth. :-/ I guess that being unwell is so on my mind all the time that I take it for granted I will be able to communicate about it. There have been a few times when leaving my psych appointment that I realise I forgot to mention lots of things! :-/

 

[Quarky00]

the psychiatrist didn't seem too pleased

Yep, well, why are you bothering them;)

It's absurd.

We really need professional help at the appointment (another person with medical knowledge that knows patients conditions) -- to make psychs work for us attentively.

 

[Flippy]

I am assertive (or I was) but still couldn't withstand most psychiatrists ;)
Three were super-nice and answered questions (but prescribed bad meds lol). Others noted "patient not cooperating" (lol). I was just asking simple questions. I have GI issues and they were not careful, and made my situation worse. Anyway, they are "doctors" and some don't like questions- just tell symptoms and follow orders.

I really needed a lawyer there (seriously)

~

That's also a good point to OP/@Starcitty (re advises given here) -- not sure you'll get all the answers from psychiatrist. You kinda have to do your own research on the subject, both before and after prescription.

Your anxiety does not* sound severely debilitating (can't sleep or function etc), you are a bit emotional*, so almost certain you will be given SSRIs and then SNRIs. No benzos.

Select several common SSRIs and read patients' feedback about those.
Experiences are similar but different, and stories are really helpful, it's better than reading [side] effects list, which provides little understanding.
Also search SS as many wrote about those.

If you are in serious distress, and have severe frequent panic attacks or crying episodes (dozen a day) etc, you may be given benzos. Prefer those with long onset and duration, as they are less addictive and withdrawal is easier. Clonazepam and Diazepam are very common and effective, and few report side effects.

* No disrespect there, that's how they label things ...

At times the anxiety is quite debilitating, I have real problems sleeping and concentrating. Sometimes I just have to batten down the hatches and brace myself for it to run its course. I think I'm too good at hiding it. I've been told that because I managed to talk to a stranger for 5 minutes that I seem more like myself and people think I'm better. It's like a reflex action, obey the social contract type of thing. I can do it for a few minutes but it's exhausting and distressing. But by all outward appearances, briefly it might seem I'm fine.

 

[Quarky00]

@Flippy , to be clear , I wrote 'anxiety does not sound severely debilitating' to answer OP , not about you :)

Btw have similar reflex, but can't control it, it masks problems.. psychiatrists wondered why I talk about death but 'look okay'. It's excruciating. I need to rest for days after chatting to people. Ironically, real people (not psychiatrists lol) do wonder about my 'empty look' or 'spaced out'.

Funny thing, the cashier at the supermarket knows more than a psychiatrist. (tragic)

 

[Flippy]

No worries I I thought you were likely speaking in generic terms not necessarily about me :-) I have certainly had the psychiatrist tell me "you aren't experiencing panic attacks and it's not affecting your sleep..." When I just spent ten minutes telling him that I woke up having a panic attack and couldn't get to sleep again the previous night. Lol I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm a big lazy wuss! Lol!

 

[chris8000]

I've used lyrica for a while for pain, up to 150mg a day, and got the quite strong anxiolytic effect.

I found out later you can get as strong results from legal medicinal herbs. Ashwagandha is good and can be pretty strong with higher doses. It combines well with a fresh tincture of American skullcap or St. John's wort. You can get ashwagandha off amazon and the tincture I found herb pharm are good. This might be worth looking into as well as therapy such as mindfulness and CBT.

I'm not like one of those people opposed to pharmaceutical drugs and psychiatrists because some people do clearly need those for mental health problems, but many cases of anxiety and insomnia can be dealt with using herbs, therapies, and a bit of common sense.

 

[Quarky00]

psychiatrist tell me "you aren't experiencing panic attacks and it's not affecting your sleep..."

Unbelievable ..

Wel, you got your proper Baptism, at least we joke about it:)
System is so effed. I have no words.

 

[Flippy]

Yeah, at least I haven't lost my sense of humour yet! :-)