How much medication for treatment?

[Lee2001]

So I am new to the medication part of therapy. I have been in therapy over a year and wasn’t making progress so T wanted for me take a small amount of medication to take edge off. Pdoc gave me klonopin and Cymbalta. I’m on 60 mg cymbalta but pdoc said he could go up to 120 mg if needed. But the T makes remarks he wants it in smallest amount while doing therapy. Question is what is the true goal? Barely take symptoms away to get through therapy, or major improvement with meds with possibility of relying on meds too much to get through therapy? Does that make sense? I am kinda confused on this.

 

[EveHarrington]

Can you explain where you are symptom wise? How is therapy going on meds?

 

[Lee2001]

Well not super great. Intrusive thoughts, anger, anxiety, jumpy, depressed, self harm and so on. Therapy helped in one major area of issues but the hardest stuff I just can’t go there unless something can help... just can’t do it. Also was told the chronic stress and anxiety of it all probably caused large amount of health issues... especially for some one as young as me. I internalize everything and convince anyone I am totally fine which is bad I guess since it’s really hard on your body.

 

[Friday]

Basically, on meds, you'll -ideally- do therapy twice. Once on meds to get through it, and once off meds to get it solid.

Like being a badass pool player when drunk, and sucking at pool sober. Have to practice both when sober and drunk to master the skill in both states of mind. Or doing PT on crutches, and then PT after you come off the crutches.

Using the smallest dose, or intermittently? Can reduce the twice to once & a tune up. Saves time, is all. But only if you can get through it to begin with.

To use random numbers... If it take a year -on meds- the first time through, and 6 months off meds the second time through? That's a helluva lot faster than if it takes you 5 years off meds the first time through. So it's a bit of a balancing act, as to what's best for your life both short & long term. Lowest level is generally best. What the lowest level is? Varies a lot person to person. Some people don't need them at all, some people need them badly but don't tolerate them, other people need very low levels, others very high levels... And ALL of them are using the lowest level possible for the, individually.

One of the risks with high levels is that these are short term meds. A lot of people make the mistake of "My life Is great now, thanks!" & discontinuing therapy... But then the meds stop working (again, short term meds), and then they HAVE to go through therapy without any assistance of meds. :wtf: When, if they'd done lower levels to begin with, or even high levels Round1 & stuck with it for both 1&2, they'd be off meds AND their life being great... Instead of dealing with symptoms as bad as they ever were, plus med rebound, minus any meds to help out.

 

[Lee2001]

Ohhh this makes sense... little nerve wracking to have it all work out ok. Exactly why I waited sooo long to even try meds. But here I am in the middle of it, and hopefully the shortest route to not feeling like crap and affecting friends and family will transpire. Thanks for your input as I will bring this up with therapist and pdoc. I get the feeling the pdoc wants much more med management just due to symptoms and physical health. The therapist wants less to not rely too much on it. I also get nervous taking klonopin since it’s a benzo and I don’t want to get too used to it since it’s short term I’m assuming.