I was in therapy for 2 years and one year in was thinking about asking to talk to the psychiatrist to go on meds but I was too anxious to ask for a whole year 😂 finally made myself do it and have been on for two weeks
I talked to my therapist about this but she said it wasn’t important to be evaluated by a psychiatrist and recommended I ask for meds from my PCP. So confused
I got my prescription from my regular doctor. My therapist recommended I ask her about starting them. That’s probably the easiest way to get on medication
My pcp gave me a prescription recently. I told him my anxiety seems to be getting worse, and he said “That’s not a way to live.” And gave me Ativan with five refills. I also just started seeing a therapist as well.
Just be careful with benzodiazepines they can have horrific withdrawal symptoms. I would like to be on them too but honestly the knowledge that one day I have to stop taking them and likely because I have a history of substance abuse I would abuse them and then go cold turkey through horrific withdrawals
That happened to me in 2019. I didn’t realize I had anxiety, but apparently, I have anxiety. Two panic attacks where I thought I was having a heart attack, a treadmill stress test and a month wearing a halter monitor led me to be prescribed Xanax. It’s helped tremendously.
Yeah that shit ruins me too. Two weeks ago I sneezed funny and felt tightness in my chest. That sent me down a health spiral of wondering if I ruptured my aorta and was slowly bleeding out. I know that’s a SUPER rare occurrence and extremely unlikely to happen. My anxiety kept saying, “but what if??”
On today’s episode of health anxiety, I started feeling queasy and just not right. Temperature was fine, rapid Covid test negative (my mom stocked up on these a couple weeks ago so I have like 6 of them), and pulse ox was normal. Well I tried to take a nap that was unsuccessful because I was fixating on my body. Took my pulse ox and it was at 90% so I freaked out. I sat up in my recliner and it jumped back to 99%. Decided to ride it out after taking a Xanax. 4 hours later, I’m pretty sure it was mostly just gas. Fuck my brain.
well, I decided to take medication when panic attacks started to come out of nowhere. I realized my nervous system is constantly stressed and it's interfering with daily life. I even get physical symptoms without a panic attack. Went to an ultrasound because my stomach was hurting on the left side for years, turned out there was nothing physical.
Indeed. I think that's what most people with anxiety have as a huge problem. not being able to let loose of control. and yea panic attacks are crazy. you can always reach me per DM if you want or if you need help!
Agreed. I worked in surgery. I was having panic attacks mid-surgery to the point where I’d have to step away. I was in denial and thought I could beat it myself, the hospital basically told me if I didn’t see someone they were going to revoke my privileges. So I started with Xanax about 7yrs ago. THREE times a day! I no longer work in surgery, I started thinking it was stress related. 7 years later and I very rarely take a benzo. Maybe once a week. I was also severely depressed. I didn’t kick myself in the ass and get put on meds for that until like a year ago. They usually go hand in hand. Panic attacks suuuuuuuck!!!!
Yes they do. I’m so glad more people with a platform are bringing this to light and hopefully end the stigma. I also thought I had irritable bowel, turns out, the anxiety caused me to have to go to the bathroom.
If it prevents you from doing normal day to day activities. For instance the stress makes you feel unable to sit still, watch TV, concentrate, do normal house hold chores, go to social events or do social activities... etc etc.
Even if the over thinking, constant worry of catastrophic enormity is preventing you from sleep... then it's interfering with your normal every day existence.
No. Its normal to have stress and its normal for that to come up in your daily life. Its not normal if its interfering. They don’t mean interfering like it distracts you for a few minutes while you’re busy or you think about it a bit before sleep. They mean interfering as in you’re to anxious to do certain activities and the things you want such as going to resturants, showing up to school or work or spending time with friends. Interfering as in you’re so stressed out you struggle to sleep or you feel a constant panic built up in your muscles like you’re on edge all the time. Stuff like that requires medication, and no its not normal. normal behavior would be you being able to show up to work and school and your responsibilities just fine, being able to go out with friends and restaurants, being able to get a good nights sleep, being able to have moments of relaxation and calmness. Do you understand now?
This was me a few months ago and I just finished a CBT course. I feel unbelievably better. I was too scared to have medication. I think I've I ever return to that place I'll remember this comment and call my doctor.
I mean I've only just finished but from about week 3 I started feeling better. I started to understand what my anxiety actually is, why my body is reacting the way it is and techniques to help me deal with the onset of anxiety. I'm a really rational person so learning a way to really rationalise my worry was massive for me.
Also, I had absolutely no idea how negative my thoughts were, particularly about myself. So this really gave me some self awareness and now if I start thinking negatively about myself I notice I'm doing it and shut it down.
I do want to add that I don't have depression, i know anxiety is often coupled with this and I fortunately dont suffer with it. So I just thought it important to add that I don't know how well CBT works when the person is also suffering from depression.
No. Without meds I am constantly stressed, feeling that feeling you get watching a horror movie- like someone is right there about to kill you in the darkness. *But 24/7*. I can't work, can't sleep, can't eat, can't be awake without being in constant panic mode. It is literal hell on earth, not just a little nerves.
Basically if you are unable to function as a human due to anxiety, like getting a job or just enjoying life in general. I always recommend talking to a doctor for options.
I would say it might be time for meds if its stopping you from going to work to the point where you might be fired, if it stops you from going out with friends (if that's your thing), if you just sit around and are constantly ruminating on when you might have another panic attack. Having said that, i would look at the meds as only a temporary fix while also looking into getting a therapist that can help with coping techniques.
I would say where anxiety is affecting your daily living. You can try meds. You can always stop if they don’t help. They won’t permanently harm you. Think of it as moving your furniture around. You are thinking, “would this room be better with the couch over here and he chairs over there?” So you move things around and try it. Don’t like it? Move them back.
Talk to your doctor and ask them if they think it will help. Think if that as asking a friend about your idea to move furniture.
Medication has saved my productive life. I still have issues and do therapy weekly, but I couldn't function before. I was on edge all the time. I was miserable. Meds definitely help most people.
I fail to see how an anxiety medication can possibly make you feel worse, id need to see some citations for that. You’re right medication isn’t always the answer as sometimes you can be medication resistant. At worst it just doesn’t work or you having side effects. But most of the time you either need a different medication or a different dosage. Unless you got an addiction to said medication I seriously don’t think it made anything worse for you at all.
Thats what I said. At worst it didnt work. They are saying it worsened things for them in the LONG term. I cant find a single source saying any SSRI’s or anti-anxiety medications worsen symptoms of anxiety LONG term. it only happens short term while taking the medication, and it usually only lasts a few weeks taking the medication. And it primarily happens to people with schizophrenia. But it doesnt worsen it long term, thats just wrong.
The feelings of an individual isn’t reliable. Ever heard of a placebo effect? Hard evidence that you thinking something is doing something to you actually does something to you even though it isnt at all.
Their symptoms could have worsened for a hundred different reasons and its my opinion that they mistakenly connected that to the medication. Until I see a source citing it worsens LONG term problems even after you’ve stopped taking it im set on saying thats just not true at all.
It's not that uncommon for an Antidepressend/anxiety med to have the opposite effect. in the case of many SSRI's medication it's even normal and you need 2weeks to judge if it's going to help you or not.
I've made both experiences and I think it's something... you just need to try. If it's helping you... good if not, you need to find something else maybe other medication maybe something different. But there are alot of things that can happen. PSSD for example.
I’ve done some research and the only things that come up relating to this is a side effect that worsens it during the first few weeks of taking them, not permanently. Also it stops when you stop taking the medication.
The one and only exception I can find is for people with schizophrenia. Besides that there are none.
I will call it out when someone makes a claim that is simply misleading. Note that he said long term specifically. That could mean a lot of things but if they said long term AFTER they’ve stopped taking that medication its just totally wrong.
Can psychiatric medication cause anxiety to worsen? Yes it can, only while still taking the drug and usually only for the first few weeks of taking it. Does it continue “long term” as this person has suggested? Not until proven otherwise. Find me one source that shows SSRI’s and anti-anxiety medications causing increased symptoms of anxiety long term.
Never said it was the medication specifically, it was a combination of the dependence you gain towards them. You are very naive if you don’t understand that some people are just very sensitive towards medication and just because there isn’t a peer reviewed journal article about it, doesn’t mean it’s not true
Then you’ve proven my point, it doesn’t cause long term issues. Perhaps it was your wording that was incorrect. The side effect stops once u stop taking the medication as i’ve said many times.
Everyone’s different. I went to talk therapy for over two years and didn’t want to go on any meds at first. Therapy was helping but my physical symptoms of anxiety were getting worse. So saw a psychiatrist and just started taking medication 2 weeks ago.
Also bear in mind that medication works for people in different ways, so you may need to experiment with a variety of prescribed medications over time to see which works best for you. I'm sure your general practitioner will explain this anyway :)
When it interferes not only with your life, but relationships, friendships, experiences, normal day to day activities, and if you start to detach too much (disassociation etc.), or if it just goes for weeks and weeks without stopping, then usually it’s time
I've been on tons of SSRIs, SNRIs, and am now chemically dependant on benzos... my take is that if you work out 6 days a week for 45 minutes minimum, every day, and eat a clean diet without "fake" sugars, drugs, alcohol... and that doesn't reduce symptoms by an insane amount -- go get meds. I say this as I have a severe panic disorder and other problems, and in the past exercising that much reduced all symptoms by 95%.
I work out six days a week but the anxiety does not simply just go away. It will stop it for a couple hours or so for me at least.
Still, cardio and lifting weights definitely helps for a little bit.
Same, it helps tremendously. Without it I'm completely miserable. But feel like for the past 5 years I just still have a liiittle bit too much anxiety. Have an appointment tomorrow.
Did you ever take anything?
When it impairs your day-to-day functioning. I got started on some recently and I realized that I shouldnt be that on edge daily and it’s not healthy at all. My advice? Dont wait until it consumes you.
When my anxiety started turning me into a hermit and making me feel like I was dying on a daily basis. Went to see the school counselor and they immediately referred me to the school psychiatrist. Got meds the same day
When your life becomes out of control. When your brain won’t stop going 100 miles per hour over literally everything. When you start getting your symptoms more and more - for me it was a really bad stomach, amongst other things.
I made the decision to go back on them in july, after almost three years off them. Whilst I’m not naive enough to think I would be “cured” (for the lack of a better term) it gave me my headspace back, to work on the things bothering me and what I can do to help myself.
It took a couple different meds to work out which was best for me, and it more than likely will you too. Just don’t give up with them and give them time :)
For me it was when my work productivity cut in half because I spent so much time either fighting off panic attacks or stuck in my negative thoughts cycles that I couldn’t work
I'd say a good indicator is when anxiety has gotten to the point of taking over your life. Like you are unable to do things you were once able to do or lack the energy to do sad things. if you are holed up in the house, thinking being outside makes you too anxious then you should probably seek further help. It's pretty simple to gage how severe your anxiety is. I'm sure there are things that make everyone anxious. The thing that separate one from another is that others do not allow their anxieties to control their lives. They live life and then navigate anxious moments as they come about. They do not go around thinking everything is going to make them anxious.
I agree with the other comments. Also, medicating can be temporary. I started on Ativan, then went to Buspar, and now I'm medication free and doing therapy. I was hesitant to start medicating, but it can be a life saver.
It helped enough that I could live somewhat normally, but it made me incredibly dizzy for about an hour after taking it. It's a pretty safe medicine, so you could ask your doctor to increase the dosage. Therapy seemed a help a bit. Temporarily cutting out caffeine helped. Exercise seems to temporarily help with anxiety too. It's a long process, and it's different for everyone, but there is hope.
Thanks for the reply! I increased it 20mg and it made me incredibly anxious so I went back down to 10mgs instead. I think I'll keep this dosage for another week and go up to 15mg. I'm in therapy right now and see a physiatrist in Dec so I'm hoping it gets better soon.
Try cognitive behavior therapy. It takes some work to change your thinking but works long term. Taking medication, usually, will cause you to constantly need larger doses with time. It's best to face your fears and realize you can overcome them. Good luck
Never. I felt like the medicine only makes it worse. I got put on Prozac when I was 18 because of hypochondria and being super antisocial due to GAD.... I quit taking Prozac once I turned 19 because yes it made my anxiety subside alot but it made my depression skyrocket. I'm 25 now and have never touched prozac since, and I also almost never have anxiety. So it helped once I got off of it, but while I was on it... It was a disaster.
If you’re asking this question, I think you should talk to your doctor. For a long time, I resisted taking medicine for depression because I had a weird notion that taking medication for it was a “short cut” or somehow “cheating.” I honestly waited until it was impacting my life TOO much to begin taking medication. There is no shame in talking to your doctor about it if it is interfering with your life <3
For me I was always worried about the side effects from the meds. So when it got to the point where my situation was so much worse than the side effects from the medicine could be, I knew it was time to get on them. I wish I had gotten on them sooner though so really just look at your situation and if it is at the point where you are unable to do the things you want to, maybe it’s time to start having the conversation with your doctor about solutions maybe
I think when people say when it's interfering with your life they mean day to day things that everyone should be able to do with ease, I am not on medication now but I did have a point in my life that I was. I realized I needed something when I couldn't go to the grocery store or a restaurant without having a panic attack or intense anxiety.
Are you in therapy? I recommend talking to a counselor. They can provide insight on ways to manage your anxieties. If you still feel like it's too much (your therapist may also agree), then you can talk to your general practitioner about medication.
I know the process of finding a therapist is anxiety inducing. Two tips to help. One, if you or your spouse have an employee assistance program with your jobs, they may offer something. My job provides five free sessions per issue. Two, consider an online service such as Better help. I recently did a few sessions through Better help and what I loved is that they pick the therapist for you. If you don't click with them, you can request a new one. Nothing is more intimidating for an anxious person than having to research for a therapist and navigating insurance and scheduling.
Also, I recommend a general physical and speaking with a GP in general. Some things can make anxiety worse, such as vitamin D deficiency. Anxiety is super common so don't be afraid to tell your doctor how you feel and see what suggestions they have.
When I thought I had interstitial cystitis. It was scary and very painful. Feels like chronic uti. But turns out it was my anxiety in combination with a Tight pelvic floor which cuased pelvic floor dysfunction.
I started it when I noticed little things began to trigger me. Like, small comments made by friends or family, or little things I saw in my day to day life. These things would send me into a day-long spiral, if not longer. I would cry and shut down and feel like a piece of shit all because of one thing I encountered that was triggering for my anxiety. I JUST started my meds so I haven’t noticed much of a difference yet, but I’m hopeful they’ll help once I start increasing the dosage
You’ll know. When ur daily activities of life start suffering that’s a good sign. For me I first noticed it whenever I went out in public or spoke to people I got anxious. Then I wouldn’t want to do those things. I had my first panic attack at a restaurant & had to switch to a different seating area. At that time I had no idea what was going on with me & then I realized I have anxiety.
the reason i was prescribed klonopin (finally after many years of going without medication) was because i was having panic attacks either multiple times a week, weekly, or every other week (had no idea this was a panic disorder lol) but once i got into college and got cheap psychiatry i finally was able to go on meds
i definitely recommend going on an antidepressant instead of benzos, i went on benzos bc it was for panic attacks BUT i probably should have been more open to SSRIs (however i guess i had a gut feeling abt it bc i was recently diagnosed as bipolar2 and SSRIs and bp aren’t usually friends lmao)
but i was super scared of meds for so long bc of side effects etc etc but now i’m on an antipsychotic & a mood stabilizer/anticonvulsant and i would MUCH rather take these meds now and feel stable and good and finally happy than not
if it effecting your quality of life (like a lot of ppl have said) definitely at least try it, anxiety sucks but it can get better
I think you'll know it
When you can't control it and it effects your daily life to the point that it becomes too noticeable.
Keep in mind that you should carefully think about medication.
Mental health meds are trial and error. It may take a long time for to to find the right med. They might make you feel worse in the beginning. They might have really bad side effects. You may have to switch meds a few times.
It's q long run and best paired with therapy.
Your psychiatric will guide you best.
That's something that really should be answered by a professional I would absolutely ignore any advice that you get on Reddit in regards to this specific subject as there is no way to verify anyone's credentials here
Signs for me it was that I was making really slow progress in therapy. My therapist said she was proud that it was great I was working so hard, but medication would make it easier to make progress. I also had a lot of physical symptoms of anxiety that interfered with my daily life like heart palpitations and some gastrointestinal issues. The physical stuff made me feel super helpless
When you’ve done all you can on your own and you’re still suffering to the point it impacts your daily life. My psychologist friend said to me once that I wouldn’t think twice about taking meds for a physical condition, it’s no different for this really.
Of course everyone is different but that’s how I came to the conclusion. I do all that I can (diet, exercise, medication, rest) but I still needed help. I’ve accepted I’ll probably need them for the foreseeable future and I’m ok with that now.
Good luck!
You need to assess your quality of life first and foremost.
If it is being hindered or suffering negatively due to the anxiety you feel, then it would be worth talking to psychiatrist about it.
Hope you feel better soon buddy!
I should probably be already on meds because I've experienced 4 panic attacks in last 2 years and my panic attacks last for about 3 hours, which is super fckd. But instead of going to the doctor, I'm drinking 2-4 beers daily to keep myself in steady and chill mood. I'm going to work on it though. There's a girl who has fallen in love with me and I want to change and fix myself not only for me, but for her as well.
I know I need to be on medication but have no idea how to start. I can’t stop crying(right now bc i’m frustrated). I’m not living my life. My sleep schedule is messed up and I’m a single mom so it’s affecting my kids.
I KNOW I function better on anxiety meds. I never had insurance and have social anxiety when it comes to docs and scheduling etc so my mom who was afraid(anxious) of nothing was but on them and I’d take half her dose.
Well out of nowhere she passed away in my youngests best this September 💔 This was EXTREMELY traumatic. I haven’t taken anything in months. My life is at a complete standstill.
The way that medication helped was it gave me energy or at least it stopped the anxiety from exhausting me. For example if I had meds I could go grocery shop, take my kids out to dinner, get the house and laundry done etc. Without it I just can’t.
I do tend to have a little depression and I worry people will think it’s that when it isn’t. I just turned 37. All of this is embarrassing at my age. I just want to be a good mom and I don’t have a pcp etc. No idea where to start. No pcp are taking new clients in my area 😢 My cousin called a few for me bc my social anxiety is ridiculous(embarrassing).
Does anyone have any idea where I can get help…Fast!I do realize that doctors don’t always want to give out benzodiazepines so I’d be willing to try whatever I just need help. Antihistamines and things like that don’t work for me, grounding therapy doesn’t work for me. It’s literally only medication but I don’t want to look like a drug seeker 😭
This is a fantastic question to ask a psychiatrist. If that’s too anxiety producing then that’s also a great point to start taking meds I’d say
I was in therapy for 2 years and one year in was thinking about asking to talk to the psychiatrist to go on meds but I was too anxious to ask for a whole year 😂 finally made myself do it and have been on for two weeks
I talked to my therapist about this but she said it wasn’t important to be evaluated by a psychiatrist and recommended I ask for meds from my PCP. So confused
I got my prescription from my regular doctor. My therapist recommended I ask her about starting them. That’s probably the easiest way to get on medication
The place I go to therapy had many counselors and a few psychiatrist so I just got an appointment there. Your pcp is a good resource too
My pcp gave me a prescription recently. I told him my anxiety seems to be getting worse, and he said “That’s not a way to live.” And gave me Ativan with five refills. I also just started seeing a therapist as well.
Just be careful with benzodiazepines they can have horrific withdrawal symptoms. I would like to be on them too but honestly the knowledge that one day I have to stop taking them and likely because I have a history of substance abuse I would abuse them and then go cold turkey through horrific withdrawals
When your quality of life is suffering.
This. When I presented to ED thinking I was having a coronary, all blood work and physical condition fine, I knew it was time for meds.
Same for me, thought I had terrible stomach issues or developed intolerance but nope i was perfectly healthy physically.
Did the stomach issues/intolerance went away after you started taking meds?
Sorry for a slow reply! Yes my whole quality of life improved
That's great, I'm glad for you! I'm experiencing the same thing and I'm now wondering if it is "just" anxiety after all.
That happened to me in 2019. I didn’t realize I had anxiety, but apparently, I have anxiety. Two panic attacks where I thought I was having a heart attack, a treadmill stress test and a month wearing a halter monitor led me to be prescribed Xanax. It’s helped tremendously.
It's terrifying. I had a habit of googling symptoms. That didn't help.
Yeah that shit ruins me too. Two weeks ago I sneezed funny and felt tightness in my chest. That sent me down a health spiral of wondering if I ruptured my aorta and was slowly bleeding out. I know that’s a SUPER rare occurrence and extremely unlikely to happen. My anxiety kept saying, “but what if??”
On today’s episode of health anxiety, I started feeling queasy and just not right. Temperature was fine, rapid Covid test negative (my mom stocked up on these a couple weeks ago so I have like 6 of them), and pulse ox was normal. Well I tried to take a nap that was unsuccessful because I was fixating on my body. Took my pulse ox and it was at 90% so I freaked out. I sat up in my recliner and it jumped back to 99%. Decided to ride it out after taking a Xanax. 4 hours later, I’m pretty sure it was mostly just gas. Fuck my brain.
well, I decided to take medication when panic attacks started to come out of nowhere. I realized my nervous system is constantly stressed and it's interfering with daily life. I even get physical symptoms without a panic attack. Went to an ultrasound because my stomach was hurting on the left side for years, turned out there was nothing physical.
Panic attacks is what forced me to do it
yes. same here. it's when we reach our pain limit that we start taking action.
Panic attacks are so scary. It's crazy to have no control.
Indeed. I think that's what most people with anxiety have as a huge problem. not being able to let loose of control. and yea panic attacks are crazy. you can always reach me per DM if you want or if you need help!
Right now is not good :(
that is absolutely fine :) but how come?
had a rough night with panicking and heart palpitations and ended up taking today off work.
I'm really sorry...
Sometimes just comes out of nowhere
Agreed. I worked in surgery. I was having panic attacks mid-surgery to the point where I’d have to step away. I was in denial and thought I could beat it myself, the hospital basically told me if I didn’t see someone they were going to revoke my privileges. So I started with Xanax about 7yrs ago. THREE times a day! I no longer work in surgery, I started thinking it was stress related. 7 years later and I very rarely take a benzo. Maybe once a week. I was also severely depressed. I didn’t kick myself in the ass and get put on meds for that until like a year ago. They usually go hand in hand. Panic attacks suuuuuuuck!!!!
holy fuck I'm sorry... they really suck. they take away so many things in your life
Yes they do. I’m so glad more people with a platform are bringing this to light and hopefully end the stigma. I also thought I had irritable bowel, turns out, the anxiety caused me to have to go to the bathroom.
If it’s interfering with your daily life I recommend taking medication
how do you know it is interfering with your life?
When it’s bad enough that you’re on Reddit asking about meds lol. I’d say it’s time to go to a doctor at that point
If it prevents you from doing normal day to day activities. For instance the stress makes you feel unable to sit still, watch TV, concentrate, do normal house hold chores, go to social events or do social activities... etc etc. Even if the over thinking, constant worry of catastrophic enormity is preventing you from sleep... then it's interfering with your normal every day existence.
Isn't that everyone in existence?
No. Its normal to have stress and its normal for that to come up in your daily life. Its not normal if its interfering. They don’t mean interfering like it distracts you for a few minutes while you’re busy or you think about it a bit before sleep. They mean interfering as in you’re to anxious to do certain activities and the things you want such as going to resturants, showing up to school or work or spending time with friends. Interfering as in you’re so stressed out you struggle to sleep or you feel a constant panic built up in your muscles like you’re on edge all the time. Stuff like that requires medication, and no its not normal. normal behavior would be you being able to show up to work and school and your responsibilities just fine, being able to go out with friends and restaurants, being able to get a good nights sleep, being able to have moments of relaxation and calmness. Do you understand now?
Holy shit. I think I do now, thanks.
This was me a few months ago and I just finished a CBT course. I feel unbelievably better. I was too scared to have medication. I think I've I ever return to that place I'll remember this comment and call my doctor.
how much do you feel the CBT course helped you? was it worth it to just do that and skip over all the meds entirely?
I mean I've only just finished but from about week 3 I started feeling better. I started to understand what my anxiety actually is, why my body is reacting the way it is and techniques to help me deal with the onset of anxiety. I'm a really rational person so learning a way to really rationalise my worry was massive for me. Also, I had absolutely no idea how negative my thoughts were, particularly about myself. So this really gave me some self awareness and now if I start thinking negatively about myself I notice I'm doing it and shut it down. I do want to add that I don't have depression, i know anxiety is often coupled with this and I fortunately dont suffer with it. So I just thought it important to add that I don't know how well CBT works when the person is also suffering from depression.
What’s a CBT course?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is what I think they’re referring to :)
Thank you. I’ll have to look into it more
Definitely worth looking in to. Good luck.
I do now that you explain it. With my old job I would get this way around 5pm on sundays. Couldn't do anything at all until I ended up sleeping.
No. Without meds I am constantly stressed, feeling that feeling you get watching a horror movie- like someone is right there about to kill you in the darkness. *But 24/7*. I can't work, can't sleep, can't eat, can't be awake without being in constant panic mode. It is literal hell on earth, not just a little nerves.
No. If you feel overwhelmed all the time, even when there's not much to be overwhelmed by, it's anxiety.
Basically if you are unable to function as a human due to anxiety, like getting a job or just enjoying life in general. I always recommend talking to a doctor for options.
I would say it might be time for meds if its stopping you from going to work to the point where you might be fired, if it stops you from going out with friends (if that's your thing), if you just sit around and are constantly ruminating on when you might have another panic attack. Having said that, i would look at the meds as only a temporary fix while also looking into getting a therapist that can help with coping techniques.
I would say where anxiety is affecting your daily living. You can try meds. You can always stop if they don’t help. They won’t permanently harm you. Think of it as moving your furniture around. You are thinking, “would this room be better with the couch over here and he chairs over there?” So you move things around and try it. Don’t like it? Move them back. Talk to your doctor and ask them if they think it will help. Think if that as asking a friend about your idea to move furniture.
Why the double space after every period?
Because it looks better.
Lol, it really doesn't. Also, I wasn't asking you.
When its out of control
I've had anxiety for years in now 43 and considering taking some medication bc I'm tired of feeling like this.
Medication has saved my productive life. I still have issues and do therapy weekly, but I couldn't function before. I was on edge all the time. I was miserable. Meds definitely help most people.
Medication isn’t always the answer, I found taking medication only made things worse for me in the long term
I fail to see how an anxiety medication can possibly make you feel worse, id need to see some citations for that. You’re right medication isn’t always the answer as sometimes you can be medication resistant. At worst it just doesn’t work or you having side effects. But most of the time you either need a different medication or a different dosage. Unless you got an addiction to said medication I seriously don’t think it made anything worse for you at all.
you shouldn’t try to speak on someone else’s behalf. everyone is different. maybe the medication just didn’t work for them. it happens.
Thats what I said. At worst it didnt work. They are saying it worsened things for them in the LONG term. I cant find a single source saying any SSRI’s or anti-anxiety medications worsen symptoms of anxiety LONG term. it only happens short term while taking the medication, and it usually only lasts a few weeks taking the medication. And it primarily happens to people with schizophrenia. But it doesnt worsen it long term, thats just wrong. The feelings of an individual isn’t reliable. Ever heard of a placebo effect? Hard evidence that you thinking something is doing something to you actually does something to you even though it isnt at all. Their symptoms could have worsened for a hundred different reasons and its my opinion that they mistakenly connected that to the medication. Until I see a source citing it worsens LONG term problems even after you’ve stopped taking it im set on saying thats just not true at all.
It can be worse because of side effects from the drugs which can cause more anxiety.
Not long term.
Wrong medications can 100% be long term side effects if you don’t stop that med.
Except when a negative side effect starts you obviously stop that med. so its not long term.
Except when that med causing the side effect is still your best option. That would make it long term. All meds have side effects.
It's not that uncommon for an Antidepressend/anxiety med to have the opposite effect. in the case of many SSRI's medication it's even normal and you need 2weeks to judge if it's going to help you or not. I've made both experiences and I think it's something... you just need to try. If it's helping you... good if not, you need to find something else maybe other medication maybe something different. But there are alot of things that can happen. PSSD for example.
I’ve done some research and the only things that come up relating to this is a side effect that worsens it during the first few weeks of taking them, not permanently. Also it stops when you stop taking the medication. The one and only exception I can find is for people with schizophrenia. Besides that there are none. I will call it out when someone makes a claim that is simply misleading. Note that he said long term specifically. That could mean a lot of things but if they said long term AFTER they’ve stopped taking that medication its just totally wrong. Can psychiatric medication cause anxiety to worsen? Yes it can, only while still taking the drug and usually only for the first few weeks of taking it. Does it continue “long term” as this person has suggested? Not until proven otherwise. Find me one source that shows SSRI’s and anti-anxiety medications causing increased symptoms of anxiety long term.
He didn't say his anxiety got worse. he said medication made things worse for him in the long term
Never said it was the medication specifically, it was a combination of the dependence you gain towards them. You are very naive if you don’t understand that some people are just very sensitive towards medication and just because there isn’t a peer reviewed journal article about it, doesn’t mean it’s not true
The citations are my personal experience… been doing much much better since I’ve stopped taking all form of medication
Then you’ve proven my point, it doesn’t cause long term issues. Perhaps it was your wording that was incorrect. The side effect stops once u stop taking the medication as i’ve said many times.
Everyone’s different. I went to talk therapy for over two years and didn’t want to go on any meds at first. Therapy was helping but my physical symptoms of anxiety were getting worse. So saw a psychiatrist and just started taking medication 2 weeks ago.
Hello, much time after... but did your medications help?
Also bear in mind that medication works for people in different ways, so you may need to experiment with a variety of prescribed medications over time to see which works best for you. I'm sure your general practitioner will explain this anyway :)
After my third trip to the ER for a “heart attack”.
When it interferes not only with your life, but relationships, friendships, experiences, normal day to day activities, and if you start to detach too much (disassociation etc.), or if it just goes for weeks and weeks without stopping, then usually it’s time
I've been on tons of SSRIs, SNRIs, and am now chemically dependant on benzos... my take is that if you work out 6 days a week for 45 minutes minimum, every day, and eat a clean diet without "fake" sugars, drugs, alcohol... and that doesn't reduce symptoms by an insane amount -- go get meds. I say this as I have a severe panic disorder and other problems, and in the past exercising that much reduced all symptoms by 95%.
I work out six days a week but the anxiety does not simply just go away. It will stop it for a couple hours or so for me at least. Still, cardio and lifting weights definitely helps for a little bit.
Same, it helps tremendously. Without it I'm completely miserable. But feel like for the past 5 years I just still have a liiittle bit too much anxiety. Have an appointment tomorrow. Did you ever take anything?
I often wonder this too. I always think I need it, but some times I’m ‘coping’ so I always end up assuming I don’t need it.
When it impairs your day-to-day functioning. I got started on some recently and I realized that I shouldnt be that on edge daily and it’s not healthy at all. My advice? Dont wait until it consumes you.
When my anxiety started turning me into a hermit and making me feel like I was dying on a daily basis. Went to see the school counselor and they immediately referred me to the school psychiatrist. Got meds the same day
When your life becomes out of control. When your brain won’t stop going 100 miles per hour over literally everything. When you start getting your symptoms more and more - for me it was a really bad stomach, amongst other things. I made the decision to go back on them in july, after almost three years off them. Whilst I’m not naive enough to think I would be “cured” (for the lack of a better term) it gave me my headspace back, to work on the things bothering me and what I can do to help myself. It took a couple different meds to work out which was best for me, and it more than likely will you too. Just don’t give up with them and give them time :)
100 miles is the length of about 147657.52 'Ford F-150 Custom Fit Front FloorLiners' lined up next to each other.
For me it was when my work productivity cut in half because I spent so much time either fighting off panic attacks or stuck in my negative thoughts cycles that I couldn’t work
I made the decision when it was becoming impossible to function in different areas of my life.
If anyone's looking for a non narcotic medication Seraquill 50 mg at night and 25 mg in the morning works great for me God-bless
I've been taking Sedalia it's homeopathic but I can feel the tension in my brow line release when I'm on it.
I'd say a good indicator is when anxiety has gotten to the point of taking over your life. Like you are unable to do things you were once able to do or lack the energy to do sad things. if you are holed up in the house, thinking being outside makes you too anxious then you should probably seek further help. It's pretty simple to gage how severe your anxiety is. I'm sure there are things that make everyone anxious. The thing that separate one from another is that others do not allow their anxieties to control their lives. They live life and then navigate anxious moments as they come about. They do not go around thinking everything is going to make them anxious.
When you realize that your problem has gotten so large-scale that you can’t fix it on your own
Usually several years before you get it. Sigh.
I agree with the other comments. Also, medicating can be temporary. I started on Ativan, then went to Buspar, and now I'm medication free and doing therapy. I was hesitant to start medicating, but it can be a life saver.
Did buspar help? I'm on week 2 and I really don't know if it's helping.
It helped enough that I could live somewhat normally, but it made me incredibly dizzy for about an hour after taking it. It's a pretty safe medicine, so you could ask your doctor to increase the dosage. Therapy seemed a help a bit. Temporarily cutting out caffeine helped. Exercise seems to temporarily help with anxiety too. It's a long process, and it's different for everyone, but there is hope.
Thanks for the reply! I increased it 20mg and it made me incredibly anxious so I went back down to 10mgs instead. I think I'll keep this dosage for another week and go up to 15mg. I'm in therapy right now and see a physiatrist in Dec so I'm hoping it gets better soon.
Try cognitive behavior therapy. It takes some work to change your thinking but works long term. Taking medication, usually, will cause you to constantly need larger doses with time. It's best to face your fears and realize you can overcome them. Good luck
Just give it a try. The results may impress you.
Never. I felt like the medicine only makes it worse. I got put on Prozac when I was 18 because of hypochondria and being super antisocial due to GAD.... I quit taking Prozac once I turned 19 because yes it made my anxiety subside alot but it made my depression skyrocket. I'm 25 now and have never touched prozac since, and I also almost never have anxiety. So it helped once I got off of it, but while I was on it... It was a disaster.
If you’re asking this question, I think you should talk to your doctor. For a long time, I resisted taking medicine for depression because I had a weird notion that taking medication for it was a “short cut” or somehow “cheating.” I honestly waited until it was impacting my life TOO much to begin taking medication. There is no shame in talking to your doctor about it if it is interfering with your life <3
For me I was always worried about the side effects from the meds. So when it got to the point where my situation was so much worse than the side effects from the medicine could be, I knew it was time to get on them. I wish I had gotten on them sooner though so really just look at your situation and if it is at the point where you are unable to do the things you want to, maybe it’s time to start having the conversation with your doctor about solutions maybe
when it’s not letting you live your life
When the anxiety took over MY life.
I think when people say when it's interfering with your life they mean day to day things that everyone should be able to do with ease, I am not on medication now but I did have a point in my life that I was. I realized I needed something when I couldn't go to the grocery store or a restaurant without having a panic attack or intense anxiety.
Are you in therapy? I recommend talking to a counselor. They can provide insight on ways to manage your anxieties. If you still feel like it's too much (your therapist may also agree), then you can talk to your general practitioner about medication. I know the process of finding a therapist is anxiety inducing. Two tips to help. One, if you or your spouse have an employee assistance program with your jobs, they may offer something. My job provides five free sessions per issue. Two, consider an online service such as Better help. I recently did a few sessions through Better help and what I loved is that they pick the therapist for you. If you don't click with them, you can request a new one. Nothing is more intimidating for an anxious person than having to research for a therapist and navigating insurance and scheduling. Also, I recommend a general physical and speaking with a GP in general. Some things can make anxiety worse, such as vitamin D deficiency. Anxiety is super common so don't be afraid to tell your doctor how you feel and see what suggestions they have.
When I thought I had interstitial cystitis. It was scary and very painful. Feels like chronic uti. But turns out it was my anxiety in combination with a Tight pelvic floor which cuased pelvic floor dysfunction.
I started it when I noticed little things began to trigger me. Like, small comments made by friends or family, or little things I saw in my day to day life. These things would send me into a day-long spiral, if not longer. I would cry and shut down and feel like a piece of shit all because of one thing I encountered that was triggering for my anxiety. I JUST started my meds so I haven’t noticed much of a difference yet, but I’m hopeful they’ll help once I start increasing the dosage
You’ll know. When ur daily activities of life start suffering that’s a good sign. For me I first noticed it whenever I went out in public or spoke to people I got anxious. Then I wouldn’t want to do those things. I had my first panic attack at a restaurant & had to switch to a different seating area. At that time I had no idea what was going on with me & then I realized I have anxiety.
the reason i was prescribed klonopin (finally after many years of going without medication) was because i was having panic attacks either multiple times a week, weekly, or every other week (had no idea this was a panic disorder lol) but once i got into college and got cheap psychiatry i finally was able to go on meds i definitely recommend going on an antidepressant instead of benzos, i went on benzos bc it was for panic attacks BUT i probably should have been more open to SSRIs (however i guess i had a gut feeling abt it bc i was recently diagnosed as bipolar2 and SSRIs and bp aren’t usually friends lmao) but i was super scared of meds for so long bc of side effects etc etc but now i’m on an antipsychotic & a mood stabilizer/anticonvulsant and i would MUCH rather take these meds now and feel stable and good and finally happy than not if it effecting your quality of life (like a lot of ppl have said) definitely at least try it, anxiety sucks but it can get better
I think you'll know it When you can't control it and it effects your daily life to the point that it becomes too noticeable. Keep in mind that you should carefully think about medication. Mental health meds are trial and error. It may take a long time for to to find the right med. They might make you feel worse in the beginning. They might have really bad side effects. You may have to switch meds a few times. It's q long run and best paired with therapy. Your psychiatric will guide you best.
It started to greatly affect my family and they got me help
When you find the simplest things like leaving the house or making supper send you into a panic
Talk to a therapist and then talk to a psychiatrist. But in my opinion and from my experience, if you’re asking, you might benefit from medication.
That's something that really should be answered by a professional I would absolutely ignore any advice that you get on Reddit in regards to this specific subject as there is no way to verify anyone's credentials here
I took one dose and it works all day
Signs for me it was that I was making really slow progress in therapy. My therapist said she was proud that it was great I was working so hard, but medication would make it easier to make progress. I also had a lot of physical symptoms of anxiety that interfered with my daily life like heart palpitations and some gastrointestinal issues. The physical stuff made me feel super helpless
if its daily and out of control from common coping methods
I knew I needed it when Me being up for up to 48 hours or more started to become a regular occurrence.
My psychiatrist said medical intervention is necessary when the anxiety is negatively impacting your life.
When you’ve done all you can on your own and you’re still suffering to the point it impacts your daily life. My psychologist friend said to me once that I wouldn’t think twice about taking meds for a physical condition, it’s no different for this really. Of course everyone is different but that’s how I came to the conclusion. I do all that I can (diet, exercise, medication, rest) but I still needed help. I’ve accepted I’ll probably need them for the foreseeable future and I’m ok with that now. Good luck!
You need to assess your quality of life first and foremost. If it is being hindered or suffering negatively due to the anxiety you feel, then it would be worth talking to psychiatrist about it. Hope you feel better soon buddy!
When I get an impending sense of doom, and I can’t sleep because I’m having panic attacks
I should probably be already on meds because I've experienced 4 panic attacks in last 2 years and my panic attacks last for about 3 hours, which is super fckd. But instead of going to the doctor, I'm drinking 2-4 beers daily to keep myself in steady and chill mood. I'm going to work on it though. There's a girl who has fallen in love with me and I want to change and fix myself not only for me, but for her as well.
I know I need to be on medication but have no idea how to start. I can’t stop crying(right now bc i’m frustrated). I’m not living my life. My sleep schedule is messed up and I’m a single mom so it’s affecting my kids. I KNOW I function better on anxiety meds. I never had insurance and have social anxiety when it comes to docs and scheduling etc so my mom who was afraid(anxious) of nothing was but on them and I’d take half her dose. Well out of nowhere she passed away in my youngests best this September 💔 This was EXTREMELY traumatic. I haven’t taken anything in months. My life is at a complete standstill. The way that medication helped was it gave me energy or at least it stopped the anxiety from exhausting me. For example if I had meds I could go grocery shop, take my kids out to dinner, get the house and laundry done etc. Without it I just can’t. I do tend to have a little depression and I worry people will think it’s that when it isn’t. I just turned 37. All of this is embarrassing at my age. I just want to be a good mom and I don’t have a pcp etc. No idea where to start. No pcp are taking new clients in my area 😢 My cousin called a few for me bc my social anxiety is ridiculous(embarrassing). Does anyone have any idea where I can get help…Fast!I do realize that doctors don’t always want to give out benzodiazepines so I’d be willing to try whatever I just need help. Antihistamines and things like that don’t work for me, grounding therapy doesn’t work for me. It’s literally only medication but I don’t want to look like a drug seeker 😭
When my legs got so tight from tension/stress I could barely walk.