[wotchermuggle]

For those of you who take anxiety meds as needed, do you ever just feel better knowing you have the meds, even if you don't take them?

I probably won't take any as-needed meds all summer, but I still asked for them from Pdoc because I just feel better knowing I can stop overwhelming anxiety if it happens.

It's feels relieving to have a backup if my regular coping mechanisms don't work.

[Hope-Full]

YES! Just knowing that I have backup if I really need it is a big relief. I will say that in the 2+ years I've had panic meds, I've maybe needed to use them legitimately less than a dozen times. I have used them when I've been too lazy to use my DBT tools to move through the panic, but I'm getting better!

[kaliope]

Absolutely! I have been stockpiling klonopin, as i get it each month but i never take it. It just feels good KNOWING that i have it.

[Sabrina]

I have just 1 Ativan left that I have not needed but always feel good knowing it is there

[pbutton]

Yep, I tote my Ativan around often & don't need to take it. Knowing it is there is incredibly helpful.

Today i said this to my doctor but he said that it's bad to do that because im not confronting the anxiety and to do that is better.

[BlessedRhiannon]

Actually - no, not really. For me, the anxiety is pretty much a constant state and mostly a physical response. So, I'm on a very low dose of anti-anxiety meds daily rather than as needed. I can take more as needed, but because I'm so used to such a high level of anxiety, I'm not a very good judge of what as needed is.

For me, if I weren't planning on taking them, then having them on hand wouldn't make a difference. If I'm going to deal with the anxiety without meds, then I'm gonna do it without meds, full stop. However, I tried that approach for years, and even with the help of a therapist, it wasn't sufficient. The meds do not take away my anxiety, they make it so that I can deal with it.

[wotchermuggle]

Originally Posted by Alonewithmycat

Today i said this to my doctor but he said that it's bad to do that because im not confronting the anxiety and to do that is better.

Who are you referring your comment to?

I still confront my anxiety. My as-needed meds are for emergency situations. Emergency situations for me are when my anxiety has gotten so bad that I'm having chest pains/pacing/can't focus on anything or the anxiety is keeping me from going to work (which is something I HAVE to do). I can usually manage without the meds, but there are some time where I am so overwhelmed that if I didn't have the meds, I would never leave the house or I'd self harm in an attempt to relieve the anxiety.

Like I said, I probably won't use the meds AT ALL over the summer months, because there will be significantly fewer triggers. Even when there ARE triggers during the school year, I probably use the meds at MOST two times a week.

I've only had a prescription for these meds 3 times in a year. That's how rarely I use them. My last prescription hasn't even been touched yet.

[Blue_Bird]

I was recently prescribed medication specifically for anxiety and panic attacks to add on to the antidepressants I take for MDD. I stopped taking everything lately. I'm not really sure how I feel about it honestly. I'm supposed to take them every day but they scare me a little bit, I know that sounds weird. I've only had them 2 times. The first was a large amount in the hospital in an IV and the second time was half of what I'm supposed to take daily yesterday during a severe panic attack.

I have had extremely adverse and scary reactions on every antidepressant I've taken, I think that's what has made me so overly cautious about anxiety medication and medicine in general. I think the idea of having them is nice to know, even if I'm a little afraid to take them, if something gets so severe where I can't stop it no matter what I do I'm glad there's something to help me now. I can usually always feel panic attacks coming on and take 10 minutes to myself to calm down, try to bring myself back to reality. If none of that works and my heart still feels like it's about to explode then I will take it. It's relieving to know there's something I know will help me if things ever get too out of control.

[Hellion]

Yes I feel better having it, even if I don't take it every day...at least i know if I start getting panicky I can take it and it will help calm things. On the other side though I have the concern of not being able to afford re-fills though. I am prescribed 2.5 mg of valium as needed and unfortunately I tend to need it at least once a day so I don't build up a stash over time really.

[healingme4me]

I agree, there is a bit of a placebo effect to knowing that one has the meds they need, when they need them.