[Alishia88]

Do you take medication for anxiety? would you recommend it?
How bad would the anxiety have to be before one should think about medication?
I can manage without medication, but I´m also not able to work or take classes or anything.
That would definently flip me around, I had to stop all my activies because of it.

Maybe if I took medication I could take up at least a few things.. what do you think?
I don´t want to become addicted though.

Also I don´t want to overdo it. I think in my case my anxiety put a stop sign for me, because I was really overdoing it and pushing past my boundaries.

[gayleggg]

Yes, I take medication for anxiety. And I would recommend in your case because the anxiety is interrupting you life. I would check with you doctor.

[IchbinkeinTeufel]

I wanted anti-anxiety medication for years, but they said no, at least once, and kept giving me anti-depressants. ¬_¬ Oh well, I "manage" without, so screw 'em. (not much of a life, but I'm relatively stable, which is good)

[Alishia88]

Originally Posted by Zwangsstörung

I wanted anti-anxiety medication for years, but they said no, at least once, and kept giving me anti-depressants. ¬_¬ Oh well, I "manage" without, so screw 'em. (not much of a life, but I'm relatively stable, which is good)

thanks, Zwangsstörung. (are you from germany by any chance, or just learning the language. Sorry for being off topic..)

[Travelinglady]

I take a med for anxiety--one of the powerful ones. But with my doc's help, I am trying to get off of it. It's thought that it might be the culprit in causing my memory problems.

[IchbinkeinTeufel]

Originally Posted by Alishia88

thanks, Zwangsstörung. (are you from germany by any chance, or just learning the language. Sorry for being off topic..)

Unfortunately not - just my second language.

[kaliope]

if anxiety if keeping you from activities of daily living then it is time to consider medication. benzos work great but can be addicting so I try to limit my use to them but I take buspar, which isn't addicting, and works great to take the edge off the anxiety on a daily basis.

[aakriti90feb]

Originally Posted by Alishia88

Do you take medication for anxiety? would you recommend it?
How bad would the anxiety have to be before one should think about medication?
I can manage without medication, but I´m also not able to work or take classes or anything.
That would definently flip me around, I had to stop all my activies because of it.

Maybe if I took medication I could take up at least a few things.. what do you think?
I don´t want to become addicted though.

Also I don´t want to overdo it. I think in my case my anxiety put a stop sign for me, because I was really overdoing it and pushing past my boundaries.

medication is bad for anxiety suppression. This can be dealt in some other ways. like eating good food and meditation. Medication may temporarily make you feel good. But for the long run will just add to the bad conditions.

[healingme4me]

Originally Posted by aakriti90feb

medication is bad for anxiety suppression. This can be dealt in some other ways. like eating good food and meditation. Medication may temporarily make you feel good. But for the long run will just add to the bad conditions.

Then explain heart palpitations and other physiological responses to anxiety. For some people, it's not all about 'eating better' and 'meditation', especially when one already does that.

It's not all black and white with these meds. It's a personal decision and something a medical doctor would prescribe, anyways.

[Alishia88]

Originally Posted by Zwangsstörung

Unfortunately not - just my second language.

well I´m german and I think it´s nice that someone chooses to like and learn it, because usually people from other countries think we all sound like cloned Hitlers, which just isn´t true. Nobody talks like that...
so.. how nice

thanks everyone for your answers!

Meds are so easily thrown around now when many people could be treated with talk therapy. CBT is brilliant for anxiety, it is a highly successful treatment, but it is one that needs to be fully committed to. Most people just cant be bothered and go for the easier option of meds, when CBT is a better treatment option.

Benzos can be hard to get (and rightly so) but there are SSRIs that are helpful for anxiety. A combination of Zoloft and CBT has helped me personally the most with anxiety, I have had extremely severe anxiety symptoms. Now I am learning to control it.

I take an antidepressant that has been approved for ocd but is off label for social anxiety called luvox it was added to my mix in April when I was going through an extreme amount of anxiety, beyond what the situation called for. The klonopin I use rarely, though I did just take one as I have ramped up today for some reason. Maybe you can talk to your dr about it.

[aakriti90feb]

Originally Posted by healingme4me

Then explain heart palpitations and other physiological responses to anxiety. For some people, it's not all about 'eating better' and 'meditation', especially when one already does that.

It's not all black and white with these meds. It's a personal decision and something a medical doctor would prescribe, anyways.

heart palpitations seldom require any medication unless the doctor finds any underlying heart condition. doctor may suggest you the methods to avoid the triggers that cause palpitations.

[Mustkeepjob32]

Supanova, I appreciate your post. It is very true that SSRIs are probably the best medication for long-term anxiety, not a benzodiazepine. However, in cases of extreme episodal distress, a benzo might be appropriate.
I would LOVE to do CBT, but don't have money for a therapist and just have the books and it's harder to devote time to it when I have no one to tell me how to do it.

[crazyincanada]

I take Paxil for depression (60 mg) and 2 yrs ago we added Cytomel (50mg) to combat anxiety. It helped tremendously! I have a couple of side effects, but they're a small price to pay for the relief I get. Without them, I have a hard time even getting out the door, and Paxil/Cytomel lets me work out of the house, talk to people all day, and not cry myself to sleep every night. I couldn't be a functioning member of society without my meds.

Originally Posted by Mustkeepjob32

Supanova, I appreciate your post. It is very true that SSRIs are probably the best medication for long-term anxiety, not a benzodiazepine. However, in cases of extreme episodal distress, a benzo might be appropriate.
I would LOVE to do CBT, but don't have money for a therapist and just have the books and it's harder to devote time to it when I have no one to tell me how to do it.

There are free CBT courses online There are certainly ways you can practice CBT on your own without a therapist. I do it every day.

In extreme distress yes I agree that benzos are good, but the majority of people with anxiety do not need something that strong and coping skills are a much more long term effective treatment. I am not against medication for people that really need it, but the truth is, many people will turn to meds as their first option rather than their last.