Considering Medication?

[Deleted member 27340]

My anxiety levels are sky-high close to constantly. Everything will startle me, and the smallest things will put me off and make me incapable of doing anything productive because all my energy goes to staying calm (both consciously and subconsciously).

I recently quit therapy, but my father says he's going to force me back into it again. Kinda pissed because of that, but anyway... so far therapy's never had any positive effects on me, rather the opposite. Should I consider talking to someone about medication for anxiety? I can cope with most of the PTSD symptoms, but the anxiety is a tricky one.

Thoughts?

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

In my view medication and therapy go together when you are so early in your healing. Try with a new therapist. I wouldn't go with medication alone.

 

[Deleted member 27340]

I've tried 4 or 5 therapists. I didn't want to talk to any of them, and they all just made me worse. My dad will find another one regardless of what I say, so I'll end up in therapy again anyway.

 

[Hydrotroop91]

Despite my reservations about meds it has helped me greatly. I am more calm. Tell your doctor you don't wanna be hooked. We put me on ativan last month when I was really bad anxiety and now are weaning me off of it. Try to trust the therapist. It also helps. May I ask why you do not like any of them? I'm also trying to get a service dog to help my anxiety problem and hopefully get off all meds together.

 

[Maggiemay]

Maybe worth considering something like a beta blocker e.g propanolol or atenolol - they did wonders on ny anxiety, & not psychometric drugs... Xxx

 

[Justmehere]

Medication can be a useful tool. It's no quick fix, and without dealing with the underlying issues, it won't work as well as it could. Medication could make therapy easier.

Medication can be tricker to figure out when younger, and it can affect developing brains differently than people who are older. If you go the medication route, I would suggest finding a doc who treats lots of teenagers.

Have you seen a therapist trained specifically for trauma therapy? It's normal for therapy to lead to worsening of symptoms. It tends to get worse before it gets was better. Which stinks. Medication may help you get through that time of symptoms getting worse until the therapy starts to kick in and improve things.

 

[Anarchy]

Medication seems to help some people, but seems to be a loosing proposition for others. For example SSRI's don't have any therapeutic effect on about 40% of people with depression, but still have the side effects, which vary from person to person, but in the examples of some people who I've known, can be devastating and some can be permenant, continuing for years after the medication is stopped. e.g producing breast milk, inability to lubricate when aroused and difficulty reaching or complete inability to orgasm...

be certain to weigh up the possible costs, which are much less talked about than the possible benefits.

also, try checking out some of the actions which you can take yourself, for example mindfulness practices have been shown to have equal effectiveness in alleviating symptoms in several conditions (though perhaps the individuals who respond to one may not necessarily be the same ones who'd respond to the other) compared to medications. the mindfulness does not have side effects and, once learned, there is much less likelihood of future relapses, and you don't have to wean yourself of them.

 

[Mit]

I think medication has its place as one part of a treatment programme, along with therapy, lifestyle changes etc. But I don't think it should ever be the only option, although I'm sure medication is handed out without any thought given to any other support and treatment. I'm coming at this from the opposite direction, having been on medication for three years, and now off it, but getting awful anxiety attacks, I am doing all I can to avoid going back on medication.

I agree with @Anarchy about side effects too. I had to try three different types of anti depressants until I found something that didn't make me feel suicidal. This is an even bigger risk for young people. It's a bit of a lottery until you find the meds that don't cause bad side effects (and most cause some side effects). Also with anti depressants remember it takes weeks, even months before they start to have any effect.

Diazepam can have an almost immediate effect, depending on the dose. It made me feel more relaxed, but fuzzy headed and affected my memory. Diazepam is addictive, and initially will send you to sleep (not necessarily a bad thing). I got fed up with feeling spaced out all the time, and over time people tend to build up a tolerance to diazepam so it becomes less effective, unless you up the dose, and hence a spiral into an addiction.

Medication helped me through a protracted and very frightening traumatic period - but if you can I would really try other options first. @Anarchy is spot on about mindfulness. It really can make a difference, if you have the discipline to practise it and use it when anxiety arises. I've failed miserably to make use of it in recent months, but intend to really try and make it part of my life. Mindfulness courses are free on the NHS although you might have to wait a while until the next course starts.

I really understand how you feel about the anxiety attacks, I'm having similar struggles coping with them. I hope you can find the support both at home, from your GP and here to get you through this.

 

[TonyG]

I to am also fighting anxiety, at first I refused meds until I had my first really bad week after my first bout of extreme anxiety, the doctor gave me Diazapam 5mg and I had three of them in twelve hours and they did nothing so I caved in and I'm now on Zoloft 50mg and I had two almost perfect weeks until I had a flashback Friday night and Saturday the anxiety was as bad as it has ever been so I took a Diazapam and it put me to sleep for ten hours and I woke up in a daze with anxiety, not as bad but still there.

 

[Anarchy]

Mindfulness courses are free on the NHS although you might have to wait a while until the next course starts.

There's a full length audiobook of "the mindful way through depression" up on youtube. it is the version which has excellent clinical trial results. Although the book is aimed at depression, it is easy enough to adapt the techniques.