Stress Center Peer Support

I was going to try going off Zoloft near the end of this month. i have been on it for 6 years now. i would continue, but i don't have insurance now and i am getting near the end of what i have left. i have about a month and a half worth. i know i am suppose to wean myself off of it, so i was thinking that by March 22nd, i would start cutting my doses down by a quarter each week. i am on 150mg/day. so i figure by the end of a month i will be done or almost done with what i have left.
i am nervous about experiencing the anxiety and depression more when i am tapering off of it. i have heard from many people how miserable it can feel when you come off it. but i also know i have the program and can help myself with changing my negative thoughts among other things. i feel more positive about being able to get off the meds now than i would have in the past. i also know that it is not a shame to go back on the meds if you feel like that is what i end up feeling like i need to do. i can always try again another time. but anyways....im getting ahead of myself, so i will talk about the here and now.
i am looking for advice from people who have gone off their meds and had success. if anyone wants to write me, reply to post, whatever...if you want to write back and forth with me on here i would love that too. in fact i would love to have anyone to write back and forth with on here as sort of a support person.
now to the topic/question in my subject of this post. I have read this some of this discussion forum on meds, and seen people mentioning using TEA forms when they went off meds. i have no idea what that is and would love someone to point me in the right direction since i will be attempting to get off Zoloft.
i also read someone posting something about using TEA forms and a wrist band or some kind of band??? does anyone know what they were talking about?

I'm sorry I can't respond much on the medication thing.... I've only been on anything once... after having my youngest child they wouldn't discharge me until I was prescribed... Then I lost my insurance so that didn't last. I am more of one that is scared of medicine. I don't even like taking simple things for colds... or tylenol for a headache....

I would be happy to help in supporting you in anyway that I can. I think support is so important and helpful when on this journey. Now again I don't really know about the TEA forms either, but from what I've seen in posts here it is kind of like a CBT thing. I can't find it now, but I beleive it was the book club I saw a pretty good thread that had some information on that.... But anyway - from what I have read here a good starter for the TEA is a book called Been There? Done That? DO THIS! by Sam Obitz - In the same thread I cant find now they mentioned a wrist counter - that you use in reference to your negative thoughts. It's a way to keep tract of how many you have (at least that's the idea I got from it) from what I remember of what I say the wrist counters were something you could get at like a golf store or something like that - I guess golfers use to keep tract of their strokes or something...

I want to get that book by sam orbits.... just havent' gotten around to it yet...

And always remember to love yourself, don't be harder on yourself that you would anyone else!!

Dear mmwillie928: I am going through the same thing.
My health insurance expired on February 29th, 2012 and so now I
am very gradually lowering the doses of the six medications I have been taking the past five years.
I have a 60-180 day supply of my medications at this time. I have been lowering the doses for the past
two months. I have not felt any different lowering the doses, so far. I hate taking pills and cannot believe
that I have been taking 5 prescriptions for that long, and that is JUST my psyche meds ( I have other
medications too ).

As far as the TEA forms, I don't know what they are. Everyone keeps talking about the Sam Obitz
book and TEA forms are mentioned in the book. I have not had a chance to purchase or read this
book yet. I want to read the book after I finish reading Lucinda's book FROM PANIC TO POWER.
You can search the name Sam Obitz on Google, I suppose, to find out more about the book and how
and where to buy it.

I am working on the program for the second time and I just finished Session Four. The program will
help you if you do the work. Just take baby steps and work at your own pace. Everyone works the
program at different speeds. I started writing on "Dear Diary" a month ago, but sometimes I feel like I
am just "talking" to myself when writing there, but that is okay........it is a form of journaling for me.
I like to write and it makes me feel better.

Lynda

"The one thing over which you have absolute control is your own thoughts.
It is this that puts you in a position to control your own destiny".

Paul G. Thomas

thank you both for your help. i will definitely look up that book by Sam Obitz. yeah i am real curious about the whole wrist counter thing too. sounds interesting.
i love having support people on here, so if either of you ever want to write to me about anything, feel free! i would love it!
i have started on tapering off zoloft. im on week 2 and down to 100 mg/day. i have also started taking Mood by Country Life, which is a fish oil supplement with a super concentration of EPA which is good for your memory and mood. i want to start finding out about other things out there like adaptogens and things like that which can help with anxiety. it is probably a really good idea to have these while getting off an antidepressant. and im sure they could be helpful after. i also saw someone on here writing about how they eat certain things like certain meats etc., cause a nutritionist helped them with that to help with their anxiety. i would like to find out more about that as well.
right now i do pretty well with the kind of eating the program recommends. i eat more fat than i should, but i definitely stay off the stimulants. sometimes i treat myself, but i know that sugar and especially caffeine has strong affects on my anxiety, so i stay away from them for the most part. i also eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. i know Lucinda's method of eating has been very helpful.
hey LyndaLu, how is it going with you with tapering off the meds? how do you like the book from Panic To Power? I am right there with you on the program. this is my second time around and i am on session 4 right now.

dear mmwillie928: This has nothing to do with TEA forms or wristbands, but here are the

answers to your questions.


I have been slowly weaning myself off of my meds for the past two months now. I have very

gradually lowered the doses of 5 of the 6 psyche meds I am taking. The only side effect I may be

having is lack of concentration, but I think THAT can be from anything. I am planning on

staying on my current dosages for this next month, then in May I will probably lower them again

I want to go VERY slowly because I had a breakdown in 2007 and I don't ever want to go back to

"that place" in my mind again. I was hospitalized three times during the summer of 2007 and I will not

ever repeat that whole experience. I have not had a panic attack since being on the medications. I have

had anxiety and depression just like anyone else would. I think everyone has anxiety and depression

in their lives at one time or another.

Right now I am taking each day..............................
Lamictal 150 mg
Seroquel 25 mg
Bupropion 75 mg
Clonazepam 0.5 mg
Lunesta 1.5 mg
Abilify 2.5 mg.

I am mainly worried about

going off of the medications that I take to help me sleep. I don't even know if I can sleep AT ALL without

taking a pill. I have had a sleep disorder for a long while now, I remember a time when I

would take Nyquil liquid to help me sleep. I took that stuff all of the time. I guess I will have to try

over the counter melatonin to try to help me sleep, or maybe working on the program will help

me relax and relieve my anxiety enough so that I can sleep. I know that herbs and supplements can work

but they can also affect how your medications work ( I take medications for other health issues too ).

I heard that Clonazepam is hard to get off of but I am taking such a low dose I don't think I will have a

problem with it


The book FROM PANIC TO POWER was a good book, but it is basically just like the program and follows

the same basic guidelines. I don't know what I am going to read next. I may just take a break and try to

enjoy a silly romance novel. I gave up coffee in January and reading a book without coffee is like

Easter without Easter eggs ! Ha Ha. I DID have one, small, strong coffee from Starbucks the other

day ( on an empty stomach ) and boy was I shaking. I could not believe the coffee made me

feel really wierd. I am sure glad I did not have sugar AND coffee that morning. I don't think I will be going

back to coffee ever again after that experience.


I am starting Session Five.......diet and exercise ! I am very sedentary

but today I made myself go on a 15 minute walk outside ! ( No more sugar, whaaaa ).


Lynda

TEA Forms!! I can help you with that...With TEA forms you divide a piece of paper into three columns:

Column #1 THOUGHTS - You write your anxious thought, or depressive thought - ex."my heart is beating so fast I am going to die"


Column #2 ERROR(S)- You lable this thought - jumping to conclusions, blowing things out of proportion, extreme thinking, globalising, emotional blocking, reality filter, ignoring the positive,omniipotence error, counterproductive motivation, namimg...choose as many of these labels as you like.


Column #3 ANALYSIS - Challenge your thought - ex " My heart has beat this fast before and I didnt die. I have a healthy heart and this is just a response to anxiety and adrenaline."


This will get you in the habit of challenging your unhealthy thoughts. I hope you find this helpful...Nina

PS...I think the wrist band you speak of is a rubberband you snap everytime you get an unhealthy thought.