[starshinelady]

I've been diagnosed with Bipolar-NOS for about a month and a half. The most startling change I've noticed since beginning medication is my social anxiety seems to have reduced. It hasn't disappeared completely, but it's definitely gone down. Even my mother noted that I've been chattier.

Has anyone else had this experience? Is it the meds? Was it my bipolar disorder that caused the anxiety?

[Travelinglady]

Hi, starshinelady, and welcome to Psych Central! What medications are you taking? Are you basically talking non-stop and feel a lot happier?

Valium will fix your wagon.

[starshinelady]

Originally Posted by Travelinglady

Hi, starshinelady, and welcome to Psych Central! What medications are you taking? Are you basically talking non-stop and feel a lot happier?

No, it's not like when I'm hypomanic. It's more like my tongue has been untied and I can actually think of what to say. When I'm hypomanic, the talkativeness has more a pressured feeling.

[downandlonely]

I don't have bipolar, but my social anxiety was almost totally eliminated when I started anti-depressants. They definitely help with anxiety as well as depression.

[starshinelady]

Originally Posted by Frank Crankshaft

Valium will fix your wagon.

I take valium every night. Must be my savior.

Before diagnosis, I took sertraline for my anxiety. Clearly it didn't work and only made the hypomania worse.

Originally Posted by starshinelady

I take valium every night. Must be my savior.

Valium is best taken during the day, preferably while operating heavy machinery.

I still get crushing social anxiety on bipolar meds. I had a date recently and my anxiety was thru the roof, i felt turned inside-out, i woke up five hours early that day. But i wasn't on an anti-depressant. I've only been on Wellbutrin two days. I read one post that says anti-depressants help with anxiety as well as depression. Here's hoping! Glad you're feeling better with your meds -- everyone reacts differently.

[starshinelady]

Originally Posted by whatever2013

I still get crushing social anxiety on bipolar meds. I had a date recently and my anxiety was thru the roof, i felt turned inside-out, i woke up five hours early that day. But i wasn't on an anti-depressant. I've only been on Wellbutrin two days. I read one post that says anti-depressants help with anxiety as well as depression. Here's hoping! Glad you're feeling better with your meds -- everyone reacts differently.

Unfortunately I've been removed from all traditional antidepressants. I'm only on zyprexa, lamictal, vallium, and lithium.

[Blueberrybook]

Anti-depressants tend to help a bit for me, specifically SSRIs, which the pdocs tend to avoid since I got the bipolar diagnosis.

I tend to care less when I take anxiety meds or even a fibromyalgia muscle relaxer, but sometimes (especially if I've had to take low dose Seroquel), I'm told I start slurring my speech and that makes me self-conscious, so I still hate social situations & get nervous about them.

[yellow_fleurs]

My psychiatrist told me that they have found that treating the bipolar by stabilizing moods can often help anxiety/panic if they also exist. So that could possibly be it, or some meds for depression are also approved for treating anxiety. As I get better at paying attention to my moods, I notice my anxiety fluctuates with them a lot, and is not a constant thing.

[starshinelady]

Originally Posted by yellow_fleurs

My psychiatrist told me that they have found that treating the bipolar by stabilizing moods can often help anxiety/panic if they also exist. So that could possibly be it, or some meds for depression are also approved for treating anxiety. As I get better at paying attention to my moods, I notice my anxiety fluctuates with them a lot, and is not a constant thing.

I've noticed that too. When I'm depressed, my anxiety is worse. I'll have anxiety when I'm hypomanic but it has a different quality.

[bewise93]

I think, yes valium, but also lamictal. Lamictal increases GABA, the calming chemical in your brain. As does valium. But lamictal is better for social anxiety from what I've read. (Im studying biochemistry,pharmaceutical science.