Stress Center Peer Support

I'm having a hard time guys. I wa on Xanax for anxiety for 3 months and back on it again. My doctor wants to put me on Zoloft for my obsessive thinking and srop the Xanax. I just started the program. How does a person know when they have battled these monsters and its not just the medication? I know the medication will make a person feel a certain way, happier able to cope? I feel like if I take meds, I will be lazy and not train as hard on the program? I fear!! Please give me some insight on this. Please tell me YOU CAN get off meds and feel great. Please tell me I won't be dependent forever. PLEASE!!! I am scared to take a new med and feel great. Please tell me there is hope to do it on your own. THANKS!

Terry,

YES YOU CAN! I went through a really tough time with agoraphobia and panic disorder...(really bad) about eight years ago. I tried a few SSRIs and Zanax. I took a few different SSRIs for a short time (a couple months) and didn't like them. I stayed on zanax for a little bit a slowly got off of it as I applied the skills. (I pretty much had a nervous break down and wouldn't leave my mom's room, so needed the zanax to help me get it together enough to work on the program.)

Anyway...I totally recovered. I am dealing with some of those issues again, eight years later due to extreme stress, but have complete faith in this program as I have seen it work for me before. I have already made a lot of progress in the short time I have been working it again.

Best of luck to you.

Terry you have to try and calm down. Talk calmy to yourself, take a few minutes and lay down and BREATHE DEEPLY, take 2 breaths in through your nose counting 1 1000 two times, then exhale slowly 1 1000 4 times. try to breathe from you abdomen just above your belly button. Think of anything that you like, love, that makes you feel happy, even cake or a party you may have had or a trip you enjoyed, birds, a sunset, whatever you can picture that makes you feel good. Don't worry about the meds...you can take them and still do the program...down the road when you feel you have learned the skills to be able to talk yourself out of the fears and attacks you can go off them slowly with the advice from your doctor. It's just BABY STEPS HUN.
I have been where you are and it's going to take some time to feel better but you have to try so very hard to stop thinking in the negative way because as you get more worked up all the bad hormones are just feeding your anxiety and making you feel more anxious, and more anxious. It's such a viscious circle and you are the one who has to stop it. Listen to some music, watch something funny...just anything but sit and think about all bad negative things.

I'm really trying to help but you have to listen to the advice because it works.

PLEASE< JUST TRY TO STOP THINKING AND CALM YOURSELF DOWN...You will feel better once you do.

We are all here to help you...just listen to us.

I'm so worried about you but can't think of anything else to add right now.

My heart and thoughts are with you, prayers too!

Regarding the meds...I don't think it would hurt you to try them if you want. Then when you go to get off of them, you will have had a lot of practice working on the skills, and can see how you do!

People take different routes...do what YOU are comfortable with. The only thing I watch out for are doctors who prescribe these meds and pretty much have NO expectation of helping someone recover and get off of them. (Some people need the meds for different things for a long time...however, I think a large amount of people with the anxiety issues can recover completely with the skills in the program!)

Why would you be afraid of feeling good because of meds? Would a diabetic be upset because they couldn't will their pancreas to produce insulin?

Meds are not a cure all. You will STILL have to make yourself your #1 resource. There is no med that can build life skills for you, but some meds can help get you stable enough to learn the skills to build your life.

Don't fear meds. Use all your resources to fight this problem head on. Learn all you can, and use what works FOR YOU!

We are all different, and each one of us will get back what we put in to our own development and growth.

THERE IS HOPE. You can get past this. Patience will be your key asset. Never give up.

Heather

Great reply from fightback76!!!! I agree with eveything fightback says. Don't fear something that may help you. I am sooo glad I started meds and I am still practicing my skills.

Thank you guys for all your replies. I'm just having a hard time accepting this you know? This is all new to me. I'm not used to taking meds. I just feel like I'll be dependent on them and I amnot ok with that. Do people really know though, hey I am learnig this. I feel better, and its really not the meds talking?

Hi,
From what you've said it sounds like you are afraid them meds will run your life, as if they will now have control of your mind and body- not you and I'm here to say that is so untrue. It may seem like at at times if you are having bad physical side effects that the meds are running your body but guess what, YOU are in control of your mind!
I want to remind you by quoting Lucinda out of the workbook, " an antidepressant doesn't make serotonin [a chemical in your brain that effects mood]-it encourages your brain to do so" and from what I've learned and studied the same goes for anti-anxiety meds. They encourage your brain to do things but certainly don't make it do things, hence why you are still in control of your mind.
Don't ever forget that- you own your mind, body and heart- and if you want to get better you can and will work hard at this program. We all struggle but in the end hard work pays off. Hope this helps you a little.