Anti-anxiety treatment

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Sorry to again invade your forum for advice, but I’ve tried asking my family about this and nobody really has experience with it, so here goes.</p>

<p>Basically, as some of you may remember, I’ve been seeing a counselor throughout the semester to deal with problems I’ve been having. After numerous sessions, she finally told me that she felt I had an anxiety problem and that I should schedule an appointment with my physician to discuss the possibility of being put on anti-anxiety medication.</p>

<p>I have the appointment on the books, which is not for a few weeks yet, so in the meantime I was wondering if there were other options, and if not, what to expect with medication. My family has a really odd attitude toward medications for conditions that are not apparently physical, so I’m really wary about potentially going on medication if that’s what my doctor and counselor thinks is necessary. </p>

<p>Provided that I find a “right” medicine, will it have repercussions on my personality? Will I behave like a different person, or just a slightly less stressed out version of myself? Also, are anti-anxiety meds something you take every day regardless of what your plans are, or are they something that you have on hand as needed for if you’re experiencing a lot of anxiety? Finally, and this is probably what has been bothering me most of all, are conditions like being overly anxious a character flaw or something that people can’t help?</p>

<p>This is just really new territory for me, and I’ve balked about dealing with it for a long time because of the uncertainty. Now it’s just getting to the point where it’s affecting my ability to sleep, my pulse is running high just sitting still, and sometimes my heart starts to race just thinking about having to do mundane tasks like laundry or packing lunch. When I mentioned something to my sister about what the counselor said, her reaction was something to the effect of “Well, of course you have an anxiety problem!” Supposedly it’s something that she has noticed in me since a very young age, but I guess I’ve always been this way so it never occurred to me that it wasn’t normal, until it started getting out of control. </p>

<p>Well, I went off on a bit of a tangent there, sorry about that. Thanks in advance for any advice you have. :)</p>

2

<p>There are different kinds of medication for anxiety. If you have occasional anxiety attacks, a benzodiazepine, like valium might be sufficient. Most of these medications can make a person very sleepy, though. If it is more constant, SSRIs, like Prozac, are preferred. Sleepiness is not a major side effect. If it occurs, it normally goes away after regular use. Some use a combination of both medications.
These drugs should not affect your personality.</p>

3

<p>Ask about Buspar. It is something you take every day, as a preventative, but doesn’t have the addiction/dependence properties of benzodiazepines. Only drawback is that it sometimes takes a couple to few weeks to get the full effect. It can be used as a very mild anti-depressant, but mostly is used to treat generalized anxiety. You didn’t really indicate if you have anxiety attacks or if it’s just generalized anxiety (not that either is particularly fun). </p>

<p>You don’t hear about Buspar very much, but I’ve known several people for whom it’s worked very well, with a very small prescription of xanax or valium (or something similar) thrown in for true anxiety attacks when they occur. If you’re not having anxiety attacks, you won’t even need the xanax or valium. Just another option to ask about. Good luck.</p>

4

<p>This may be dumb, but I’ll throw it out there just in case. Have you thought about Valarian? It’s an herbal supplement reputed to have a significant calming effect on some people. Granted, I know next to nothing about it, so feel free to ignore me. Perhaps you could google it, and see what you find. I’ve heard that for most people, it has few side effects. Good luck!</p>

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<p>Who is this counselor? A lot of people do CBT for anxiety, which is a type of therapy that is designed to change the way that you think about things. I know that meds work great for a lot of people, but in my experience, with general anxiety, I have tried meds and found that the only way that I will make myself feel better is to change how I think about things. Meds can sort of cover the problem while you are trying to work on that. If you get panic attacks, benzodiazepines can be great to stop those. </p>

<p>In my case, though, the main treatment that I could do for GAD was and is through therapy, and meds really have not helped all that much, which is why I was asking about the counselor. Does she think that meds are what will fix your problem? If so, can you maybe find somebody else? The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook is also a really great resource.</p>

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<p>Buspar (buspirone) is rarely prescribed. It was specially designed to be a serotonin agonist. This was supposed to be a big player for depression/anxiety, but it turned out it wasn’t more efficacious than anything on the market. The SSRIs do increase serotonin levels as well, but by stopping their reuptake. It is certainly an option. It is generically available.</p>

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<p>By all means, keep the appointment with your physician. Ask these questions of him/her. For many patients it comes down to how severe/intrusive/disabling the anxiety is right now. At its most intense, anxiety can inhibit your ability to make gains in a talking therapy (including CBT). You might also have an open discussion with your therapist as to why the decision to refer for meds rather than CBT. At “worst” you’ll leave the physician’s office with a script in hand, with answers to most of your questions, and an opportunity to try meds to see if they help. If they don’t, you can stop taking them. If they do, you can continue therapy (including CBT) and after you’ve mastered some of the skills, taper off meds if you wish. Good luck. Having options is a good thing.</p>

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<p>I have family members and friends with mild to severe, debilitating anxiety - along with depression. For the ones with mild-ish cases, meds like Celexa, Zoloft, and Wellbutrin have worked, along with talk therapy, and continuing check ins with a doctor. One of them checks in with a psychiatrist occasionally - that one is a child and is on other meds for other physical issues. None of my family members or friends have reported side affects with these meds - though I am sure they are possible.</p>

<p>I would caution against do it yourself, herbal remedies and trying to fix yourself with self help books, tapes, etc. See a doctor and maybe complement your therapy under their care with things you have discussed with a professional. Your family’s attitude about taking medicine for (medical) problems such as anxiety and depression should be intelligently questioned. </p>

<p>Melatonin caused a terrible problem in combination with another medication for one of my family members. It was prescribed by their psychiatrist. The severe interaction they experienced cause months of problems. It was fortunate they were under a doctor’s care to rectify the complex problem it caused. Please take all supposed herbal remedies with extreme care - or not at all. I do think they are effective for some people.</p>

<p>In an extreme case, social anxiety preceded an eventual diagnosis of mild schizophrenia for someone I know. This person attempted to somewhat self treat for many years with herbals, meditation, acupunture, strange diets, etc. They were under the care of professionals, but it was on and off - not consistent. The person is very intelligent, academically successful and “shows well”. The real illness strongly presented in this person’s 30s. They experience psychotic episodes on rare occasions, and the social anxiety is always present (though it is probably really the ‘negative’ symptom of schizophrenia - maybe not really social anxiety)</p>

<p>In the worst case scenario I know, my friend’s husband who was vehemently against taking any medication for anxiety or depression recently committed suicide, leaving her with several young children. She is confused and lost because he masked his illness so well. His family had a history of being ‘shamed’ by mental illness - she is surmising that he could not share his problem with anyone because of this shame he felt.</p>

<p>So, anxiety runs the gamut of severity. Sometimes a simple drug can help people function very well. Sometimes people’s issues are far more severe and really need more than that.</p>

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<p>my medication for something else is increasing anxiety, so I know what you are going through.
There are ways to get support along with meds and therapy- ( medication often can help you get to the point where the therapy or behavior modification can be more effective)</p>

<p>[Manage</a> Stress With Diet & Exercise | LIVESTRONG.COM](<a href=“http://www.livestrong.com/article/85984-manage-stress-diet-exercise/]Manage”>Definition of Healthy Lifestyle | Healthfully)</p>

10

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<p>Well said.</p>

<p>The only change to your personality should be that you are less anxious. If there are changes beyond that, you’re on the wrong medication. </p>

<p>My anxiety was so severe that I used to take several pills a day, now I take one maybe every other month or so if I feel a panic attack coming (I’ve learned to recognize the very early signs.) In otherwords, anxiety meds can be everyday, they can be as needed, and what you start with is not indicitive of where you may wind up. </p>

<p>One of the hardest things for me to do when I am anxious is to take it one day at a time. However, that can really help. Remember that nothing is carved in stone. If you do decide to try medication, you can always change meds or stop them all together. I wish you the very best of luck.</p>

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<p>I just want to point out that it might not be a great idea to be giving specific advice about the treatment of anxiety. I know that everyone has good motives and is trying to be helpful but it’s important to remember that every individual is unique in their symptoms and response to treatment. What works or does not work, or causes side effects for one, may do the opposite for another.
Hyper Julie, just a word of encouragement. It is great that you are seeking help. There are many, many effective treatments for anxiety and, when you find the right one, whether it is through therapy, medication or a combination of both, you will be so happy that you took that step. And once you have started the process of getting your anxiety under control, don’t be discouraged if the first thing or second thing doesn’t work. There are many options to try and it sometimes takes patience to get the right fit.</p>

<p>Here’s to feeling better!!!</p>