Worst feeling ever

Ive had a bad history of mental health problems and any help is appreciated but it just keeps getting worse and worse lately. I think i have every symptom in the book of social anxiety and depression. All of my thoughts are negative, its hard to be social or even hold a conversation and it ruins my relationship with everyone. All i know is i cant take this **** anymore and im sick of all the people wondering whats wrong with me.

I know, i know get help but ive been on celexa and zoloft in the past and they didnt help a bit i told the doctor to take me off of them after i took over half a script at once( not fun). The only thing thats actually worked for me is benzos but i cant get any and if i wanted to get help i dont have health insurance anyway.

Has anyone out there had better luck with antidepressants? And do they help with the social anxiety part too?

Hi Tjj. Welcome to Psych Central. Sorry to hear your meds did not help you stabilize. That is usually time to explore other meds under the supervision of a psychiatrist and using the recommended dosages. Everyone reacts differently to meds so talking to a psychiatrist is the best place to start getting info on possible options.

You can also be an active member in other ways like supporting others in their questions, reading articles and posts http://forums.psychcentral.com that are applicable to your area of concern.

Tjj, I have had a couple of friends who have done well on Paxil to treat social anxiety.

If you need to get psychiatric care but don't have health insurance, you can call United Way at 211 and tell them that you have a history of mental health problems and are having problems now and need to find a doctor to see.

They should be able to refer you to someone.

Every US state is different, of course, but in my town, there are a couple of mental health agencies that accept patients who don't have insurance. The cost of care is covered by the state. They help you to fill out forms for Patient Assistance Programs for free meds from pharmaceutical companies if what you're prescribed is expensive.

Some generic psych meds are very inexpensive. I take Remeron/mirtazapine and it is around $11/month at a discount pharmacy.

I only have mild social anxiety (if you don't count completely avoiding some situations), so I don't have personal experience with meds for that, but I hope some of the other info. may be helpful.

I know this is probably no help at all seeing as I really don't have any social anxieties, but I am very experienced in having no insurance, haha.

What I found to be the best path to take was just doing some research into any clinic that used a sliding scale fee based on income. I was fortunate enough to find one here in Nashville that offered many different services, including mental health.
I am more than willing to help you find something if you'd like. I watch a lot of law and order, so I'm quite the detective now

I really do hope things get better for you.

hi Tij

I am sorry that things are so difficult for you. Getting the right antidepressant can be just a matter of trial and error till the right one is identified. Benzo's and tranquilizers, like Xanax are good for anxiety. But antidepressants do help also. But what would help more would be getting really good therapy for it. CBT is quite good and adapted for all conditions. Then there is the acceptance and commitment therapy, which I use. Self-help literature on these is available from the public library or Amazon. That would allow you to get skilled up on coping strategies to manage symptoms. Certainly keeping your mind occupied doing things, especially enjoyable ones does take the focus away from feeling bad.
There is Nami the organization for the mentally ill and googling them and phoning them will allow you to find out what services they have in your area. They do run Peer to peer support groups. Also there is WRAP which most states do run. This is an eight week two hour course which enables people to construct their own wellness plan for keeping well. I hope and pray everything does get better for you. Take care. God bless and best wishes from your friend Francis

Hi tjj945. I am so sorry you are feeling so bad. I understand how it is too with not having money or health insurance. I have been in that position. The best thing to do is to seek out a public health clinic or community clinic that goes by a sliding scale. I went to one when I found myself unemployed with no insurance and they charged me $4.00. They are very good. I have also had to go through a lot of different meds until I found a combination that works. I am on Prozac, wellbutrin, and amitriptyline for migraines.

Don't give up. Keep on fighting for you because you are worth it. Best of wishes.