My 17 year old daughter was just prescribed Zoloft for generalized anxiety with panic disorder. Her symptoms began about 4 months ago, unspecific panic with racing heart, insomnia, and subsequent depression from chronic lack of sleep, fear of not being able to fall asleep, and worry about what was causing the panic. After suffering for about 3 months, we took her to a psychiatrist. She has reluctantly started medication, and I am not keen on the idea either but the doctor says this is a chemical imbalance, plain and simple, and that SSRI's are the standard treatment. She began with 25mg of Zoloft, and has not increased the dosage yet as she is feeling exhausted during the day, and having trouble sleeping at night. I am hesitant to increase the dosage because these side effects are troubling enough and don't want to make it worse. The doctor is considering changing to Prozac. In my heart, I guess I am wondering if it would be better to get off completely and try something less invasive.
Have any of you had these side effects from Zoloft?
Did it get better or worse with an increased dose?
Have you had difficulty getting off of Zoloft?
Can CBT and talk therapy really be a replacement for meds if it is a chemical imbalance?
I really don't know where to turn. I feel like psychiatrists are prone to prescribe meds as the cure, and someone selling tapes is going to sell me tapes. Any advise?
Hesitant to start Zoloft
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Guest
lm46,
let me first start by saying that i am sorry to hear about the struggles that your daughter is having right now. i pray for an easy and painless solution for all.
in regards to answering your post; it is challenging. first off, she is 17 years old and a minor. you, as a parent love her and only wish her the best. legally speaking, she is dependent upon you for decisions on her safety and wellbeing. not that this is bad- my point is that this is pressure for you to sort all of this out and I am stating that i understand.
you, as any good parent would, want whats best for your daughter. you ask for medical advice. let me state that i am not a doctor, nor a medical professional. my only credentials are that i am recovering from panic disorder myself, am a 34 year old male, and can only offer my insight and opinion. to choose or not to choose medication is a personal decision for you, your family, and your daughter to best make.
i did choose this program, and just like i am not a medical professional, i am not paid to endorse this program. but Lucinda Bassett did help me get out of my own 'black hole' of anxiety and panic. this program does work; if YOU work it. i know that there are always people trying to sell you something- but I, like many others on this site, believe Lucinda.
Because it works.
As far as the chemical imbalance factor- I am not sure what to make of this argument. Lucinda acknowledges this as well in her books- is it solely a chemical imbalance and simple medication alone the remedy?
I think on a purely biological level- yes, it is a chemical imbalance.
but one must also think beyond the confines of western medicine, and think about what is truly CAUSING the behavior in the first place. I am critical of the western approach to treatment solely because everything can be traced to some drug to TREAT the patient (note I did not say CURE).
modern medicine may help treat the symptoms, but it most likely will not cure the cause of the problem.
to determine the cause, we will need to delve deeper.
not to offend you, but does your daughter use or hang around those who use recreational drugs?
i say this not to offend you, or for your defenses to go up, or for you to turn on your daughter (because she needs all the support and understanding that she can get right now) but honestly, use of marijuana can bring on this behavior in developing youths.
how has familial life been? has there been strife? recent divorce or conflict could cause these problems.
you also (and perhaps more importantly) mentioned the age of 17. Is she junior or senior? is she good in school? More importantly, does she have a college picked out? did you and your husband also go to college?
I ask this because both me and my sister suffered from anxiety over "what am i going to do with the rest of my life" syndrome. you see, neither my mother or father went to college. my dad went to the service, got out, and got a job at a local factory where he eventually retired from. my mother, graduated high school, got a basic job, met and married my father, and then started a family.
that was the way most of the baby boomer generation went along. unfortunately, jobs left, and times changed. now college is a necessity. i do not blame my parents, because they grew up in a different world; but they were unable to guide us along when thinking about careers and college.
and when both my sister and i saw peers planning college trips, getting scholarships, etc we were both stunned and anxious.
your daughter may be afraid of the next phase in her life. leaving home, not sure of college, making new friends, etc can all impact here. not to mention the very competitive nature of scholarships, SAT, ACT, etc and it is very understandable how this can impact youth.
you also mentioned 4 months ago this started. look back on your lives, talk with your daughter. what happened 4 months ago that could cause this?
has anyone in the medical community asked this? or are they just recommending popping pills as the cure all?
medication can help gain control of an out of control situation, but oftentimes they are not the cure.
it will take time, work, and that is where both this program and talk- therapy or CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) can really take over. if you are not sure where to begin, look for counselors (social workers) or psychologists specializing in anxiety.
talk it over with your daughter. she needs you and your family to be her best friend and 100% supportive of her. ask her what she needs.
find out the cause of this panic. for me, it was my horrible job, the pressures that i placed on myself to perform at school for a future career and pressures from my beloved wife to start a family, buy a house, etc. i had such a terrible job that to make these commitments made me feel trapped; which is truly where most panic and anxiety unltimately come from.
eventually by leaving the toxic job, moving to an area of better jobs, relaxing more and taking more time for me, things are evening out. but it took about 10 months of gradual improvement. and i am still working.
anxiety is natural. panic is natural. when man was out in the wilderness, and approached by a wild animal intent on eating him, he had to make a quick decision. Fight, or flight?
this is how the body responds in a crises situation. it is 100% normal.
what is not normal, is when it is constant and interrupts daily life.
what your daughter needs to realize (by herself), is that there is no sabretooth tiger in her life. there is no threat.
it is all imagined.
I hope that this helps some.
God Bless,
let me first start by saying that i am sorry to hear about the struggles that your daughter is having right now. i pray for an easy and painless solution for all.
in regards to answering your post; it is challenging. first off, she is 17 years old and a minor. you, as a parent love her and only wish her the best. legally speaking, she is dependent upon you for decisions on her safety and wellbeing. not that this is bad- my point is that this is pressure for you to sort all of this out and I am stating that i understand.
you, as any good parent would, want whats best for your daughter. you ask for medical advice. let me state that i am not a doctor, nor a medical professional. my only credentials are that i am recovering from panic disorder myself, am a 34 year old male, and can only offer my insight and opinion. to choose or not to choose medication is a personal decision for you, your family, and your daughter to best make.
i did choose this program, and just like i am not a medical professional, i am not paid to endorse this program. but Lucinda Bassett did help me get out of my own 'black hole' of anxiety and panic. this program does work; if YOU work it. i know that there are always people trying to sell you something- but I, like many others on this site, believe Lucinda.
Because it works.
As far as the chemical imbalance factor- I am not sure what to make of this argument. Lucinda acknowledges this as well in her books- is it solely a chemical imbalance and simple medication alone the remedy?
I think on a purely biological level- yes, it is a chemical imbalance.
but one must also think beyond the confines of western medicine, and think about what is truly CAUSING the behavior in the first place. I am critical of the western approach to treatment solely because everything can be traced to some drug to TREAT the patient (note I did not say CURE).
modern medicine may help treat the symptoms, but it most likely will not cure the cause of the problem.
to determine the cause, we will need to delve deeper.
not to offend you, but does your daughter use or hang around those who use recreational drugs?
i say this not to offend you, or for your defenses to go up, or for you to turn on your daughter (because she needs all the support and understanding that she can get right now) but honestly, use of marijuana can bring on this behavior in developing youths.
how has familial life been? has there been strife? recent divorce or conflict could cause these problems.
you also (and perhaps more importantly) mentioned the age of 17. Is she junior or senior? is she good in school? More importantly, does she have a college picked out? did you and your husband also go to college?
I ask this because both me and my sister suffered from anxiety over "what am i going to do with the rest of my life" syndrome. you see, neither my mother or father went to college. my dad went to the service, got out, and got a job at a local factory where he eventually retired from. my mother, graduated high school, got a basic job, met and married my father, and then started a family.
that was the way most of the baby boomer generation went along. unfortunately, jobs left, and times changed. now college is a necessity. i do not blame my parents, because they grew up in a different world; but they were unable to guide us along when thinking about careers and college.
and when both my sister and i saw peers planning college trips, getting scholarships, etc we were both stunned and anxious.
your daughter may be afraid of the next phase in her life. leaving home, not sure of college, making new friends, etc can all impact here. not to mention the very competitive nature of scholarships, SAT, ACT, etc and it is very understandable how this can impact youth.
you also mentioned 4 months ago this started. look back on your lives, talk with your daughter. what happened 4 months ago that could cause this?
has anyone in the medical community asked this? or are they just recommending popping pills as the cure all?
medication can help gain control of an out of control situation, but oftentimes they are not the cure.
it will take time, work, and that is where both this program and talk- therapy or CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) can really take over. if you are not sure where to begin, look for counselors (social workers) or psychologists specializing in anxiety.
talk it over with your daughter. she needs you and your family to be her best friend and 100% supportive of her. ask her what she needs.
find out the cause of this panic. for me, it was my horrible job, the pressures that i placed on myself to perform at school for a future career and pressures from my beloved wife to start a family, buy a house, etc. i had such a terrible job that to make these commitments made me feel trapped; which is truly where most panic and anxiety unltimately come from.
eventually by leaving the toxic job, moving to an area of better jobs, relaxing more and taking more time for me, things are evening out. but it took about 10 months of gradual improvement. and i am still working.
anxiety is natural. panic is natural. when man was out in the wilderness, and approached by a wild animal intent on eating him, he had to make a quick decision. Fight, or flight?
this is how the body responds in a crises situation. it is 100% normal.
what is not normal, is when it is constant and interrupts daily life.
what your daughter needs to realize (by herself), is that there is no sabretooth tiger in her life. there is no threat.
it is all imagined.
I hope that this helps some.
God Bless,
-
Guest
I so appreciate your response and support. I am completely freaked out by this and there is a certain level of discretion surrounding all of this--i really can't speak openly to friends or family about it as my daughter doesn't want anyone to know. In answer to some of your questions;
My daughter is a senior in high school with a twin sister. My daughter is a very strong student, self-motivated, graduating in the top 10% of her class. She has a twin sister who is also very bright and headed to a prestigious school in the fall. The daughter suffering with the anxiety and panic has not yet decided on a school but has great options and has not been rejected from anywhere yet.
I thought perhaps there was an issue about separating from her sister for college, or just college itself, but she says if there is, she is not cognizant of it. In fact, she says she is quite excited to strike out on her own.
I thought perhaps she was just sort of crashing after holding it together through a grueling junior year of SAT's and college apps and all the pressure. But now, with that pressure out of the way, the anxiety has not dissipated and if anything, it seems self-perpetuating.
Both my husband and I have post graduate degrees and have tried to guide our children in the importance of education, but have never really had to push any of our kids to do well in school. My daughter is a very hard worker, and with a mild learning disability, school required more effort, but she never complained or resisted.
As for alcohol and drugs, I don't believe that she is involved with drugs of any kind, but am aware that she drinks socially but infrequently and in moderation. Since she began with the Zoloft, she has not had any alcohol.
The only thing that "happened" that I can think of to have precipitated the first episode was that it occurred the night before our first college tour to a school she was not all that interested in going to. I thought that her uncharacteristically panicky reaction had to be related to some unconscious feelings of anxiety about going away to school--she has been the cool, calm one all her life--but even after months of talking about her feelings, she seems truly unaware of any college related anxiety.
Of course, I thought maybe it was just bad parenting on my part somewhere along the way, but even that suggestion has not turned up anything. Frankly, I would give anything for this to be about my having said or done the wrong thing. Then i know I could fix it. This brain chemistry thing--I just don't want it to be true.
And I keep thinking, even if it is true, how come? I mean, what caused her to suddenly have less seratonin or not enough, or whatever. Why now?
She has been working out everyday at the gym--we are a workout fanatical family--and that does seem to offer some relief. But the sleeplessness at night and the drowsiness and "heavy" feeling during the day. it kills me to see her like that when she should be just LOVING her life and all her great achievements.
So I order these CD's today and I have to tell you I felt a kind of desperation about it--like ordering magic lotion to lose weight. i don't want to screw around with my daughter's mental health, you know? I was glad to hear that you genuinely think the cd's can help. I was frightened by all of the negative comments online about medication side effects and the hardship of trying to get off.
I guess, like the rest of motherhood, I am going to have to wing it, hoping to always do what is in my daughter's best interests.
Just don't actually know what that is.
My daughter is a senior in high school with a twin sister. My daughter is a very strong student, self-motivated, graduating in the top 10% of her class. She has a twin sister who is also very bright and headed to a prestigious school in the fall. The daughter suffering with the anxiety and panic has not yet decided on a school but has great options and has not been rejected from anywhere yet.
I thought perhaps there was an issue about separating from her sister for college, or just college itself, but she says if there is, she is not cognizant of it. In fact, she says she is quite excited to strike out on her own.
I thought perhaps she was just sort of crashing after holding it together through a grueling junior year of SAT's and college apps and all the pressure. But now, with that pressure out of the way, the anxiety has not dissipated and if anything, it seems self-perpetuating.
Both my husband and I have post graduate degrees and have tried to guide our children in the importance of education, but have never really had to push any of our kids to do well in school. My daughter is a very hard worker, and with a mild learning disability, school required more effort, but she never complained or resisted.
As for alcohol and drugs, I don't believe that she is involved with drugs of any kind, but am aware that she drinks socially but infrequently and in moderation. Since she began with the Zoloft, she has not had any alcohol.
The only thing that "happened" that I can think of to have precipitated the first episode was that it occurred the night before our first college tour to a school she was not all that interested in going to. I thought that her uncharacteristically panicky reaction had to be related to some unconscious feelings of anxiety about going away to school--she has been the cool, calm one all her life--but even after months of talking about her feelings, she seems truly unaware of any college related anxiety.
Of course, I thought maybe it was just bad parenting on my part somewhere along the way, but even that suggestion has not turned up anything. Frankly, I would give anything for this to be about my having said or done the wrong thing. Then i know I could fix it. This brain chemistry thing--I just don't want it to be true.
And I keep thinking, even if it is true, how come? I mean, what caused her to suddenly have less seratonin or not enough, or whatever. Why now?
She has been working out everyday at the gym--we are a workout fanatical family--and that does seem to offer some relief. But the sleeplessness at night and the drowsiness and "heavy" feeling during the day. it kills me to see her like that when she should be just LOVING her life and all her great achievements.
So I order these CD's today and I have to tell you I felt a kind of desperation about it--like ordering magic lotion to lose weight. i don't want to screw around with my daughter's mental health, you know? I was glad to hear that you genuinely think the cd's can help. I was frightened by all of the negative comments online about medication side effects and the hardship of trying to get off.
I guess, like the rest of motherhood, I am going to have to wing it, hoping to always do what is in my daughter's best interests.
Just don't actually know what that is.
-
Guest
lm46.
i am glad you mentioned exercise, because that is helpful.
you know, the subconcious mind is an amazing thing.
your daughter may not be aware of any feelings of uncertainty, but this certainly could be the 'trigger'. the change in scenery, family situation, etc could be a shock that she does not realize or may be too afraid to admit to (even to herself- keeping up appearances, and such).
she may not conciously be aware of it.
The CD's work...if your daughter works them. Its a personal thing, but if she goes through the exercises, workbook, and tapes, she can LEARN how to deal with the feelings. By learning with how to deal, she can lessen and eventually end her attacks.
It will take time, so please don't go into it thinking that this is some instant, magic solution...as I said earlier, it is now 10 months for me and I am slowly making recovery every month.
But with effort, perserverance, and work, she can do it.
Just look at all the others on this site who have.
God Bless,
i am glad you mentioned exercise, because that is helpful.
you know, the subconcious mind is an amazing thing.
your daughter may not be aware of any feelings of uncertainty, but this certainly could be the 'trigger'. the change in scenery, family situation, etc could be a shock that she does not realize or may be too afraid to admit to (even to herself- keeping up appearances, and such).
she may not conciously be aware of it.
The CD's work...if your daughter works them. Its a personal thing, but if she goes through the exercises, workbook, and tapes, she can LEARN how to deal with the feelings. By learning with how to deal, she can lessen and eventually end her attacks.
It will take time, so please don't go into it thinking that this is some instant, magic solution...as I said earlier, it is now 10 months for me and I am slowly making recovery every month.
But with effort, perserverance, and work, she can do it.
Just look at all the others on this site who have.
God Bless,