I was under a lot of stress at the time and had many responsibilities. I didn't have a place like this to go to and my husband was gone a lot starting a new business and I was running a daycare out of my home. Anyway, at that time, I really felt I was in a deep, dark hole, and was very depressed. And pretty much didn't care to live anymore. But I wanted to so that I could raise my 5 children and be a comfort to my husband. That was my prayer...
Anyway, I made an appt to see a Dr and he asked me what was happening at home, when he couldn't find anything wrong with me. I burst into tears...he asked me if I knew any Therapists, I said, "Yes." since I use to work at a Psych Hospital. That's when I went to my first Psychiatrist and he put me on Zoloft.
It helped, but made me very mellow that I didn't even care if my 3 little sons were arguing in the next bedroom. So the Dr changed my prescription to something different.
Anyway, I had functioned fine without meds for most of my life, until I had was worn down from overdoing it and my father was putting a lot of mental stress on me at the time as well. It took me awhile to figure out that my body had enough of all the stresses I had endured and expectations of others.
I stopped the Daycare and the meds helped me to cope, besides some talk therapy. But now my children are grown, my parents have passed on, my kids are raised, except on is left at home and life if different for me.
I did go off of my anti-depressants gradually between a 2 year period, then was off completely, then I experienced my first panic attack which brings me here.
If you can deal with things w/o anti-depressants, then that would be great and I'm all for that. And that is why I'm weaning off the Remeron and working Lucinda's program as well as therapy. I only went on anti-depressants when I didn't feel like living anymore.
So that is the question...that people need to ask themselves. Which I don't see that you are at that state of mind. And I wasn't at that state of mind when I was put on Remeron, some young Physician Assistant felt I needed to go on it along with Beta Blockers to take care of my panic attacks and/or anxiety.
I was just experiencing hormonal changes along with lifestyle changes brought on by family conflict that caused my first panic attack. This was all a new feeling for me and I hadn't been on the anti-depressants I had been on for years that had smooth out these changes in lifestyle. They no longer were desirable to take with their side effects.
So I am now here working with my new found anxiety without the anti-depressants I'm use to. And so far, I'm doing okay. Sometimes things would be much easier if I were on them. But then I wouldn't address the problems that brought on the depression in the first place.
And that is really what needs to be done in my case, is finding out what is really troubling me.
Does this make any sense to you?
Paislee