Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
For the past several months I've been working hard to manage my anxiety. I've been using cognitive therapy techniques. I journal, meditate and I do yoga almost every day. I'm also taking 20mg of lexapro.
When I last saw my doctor she said I wasn't doing as well as she hoped so she prescribed Ativan for the days when I don't want to leave the house. I tested it out and it didn't seem to do anything so she switched me to Klonopin, but I haven't tried it yet. I'm a little afraid it will work really well and I will become dependent on it because nothing else seems to get me out of my slumps for very long.
If I had to be honest, the anxiety is definitely much less than it was, but I think I am still fairly depressed. I feel sad and discouraged a lot of the time. I also have very bad headaches that sometimes last for days and really interfere with my mood and ability to function. To be fair, my husband is away for six weeks. He has to go for six weeks of training twice a year and I have a really hard time getting through it when he's gone. I feel really alone.
Can anyone relate to this? Does it get better?
When I last saw my doctor she said I wasn't doing as well as she hoped so she prescribed Ativan for the days when I don't want to leave the house. I tested it out and it didn't seem to do anything so she switched me to Klonopin, but I haven't tried it yet. I'm a little afraid it will work really well and I will become dependent on it because nothing else seems to get me out of my slumps for very long.
If I had to be honest, the anxiety is definitely much less than it was, but I think I am still fairly depressed. I feel sad and discouraged a lot of the time. I also have very bad headaches that sometimes last for days and really interfere with my mood and ability to function. To be fair, my husband is away for six weeks. He has to go for six weeks of training twice a year and I have a really hard time getting through it when he's gone. I feel really alone.
Can anyone relate to this? Does it get better?
I just started Klonopin a couple weeks ago and my doctor told me it would not help my depression and it can be a side effect of this med. I was taking Xanax before which helped the depression and mood issues. So far I am okay and no bouts of depression have come back but I think it is because the meds are helping to keep the anxiety controlled. Besides the Xanax this is the first med that has helped and not created more anxiety or had horrible side effects. I spent the last 6 months prior to the Xanax trying to do it without ant meds and I just kept sinking further. Even with CBT, yoga, meditation, breathing my issues over the last few years changed from intermittent panic and anxiety attacks/ bouts to constant generalized anxiety. I finally decided I had to try the meds and get control so I could deal and function on a daily basis. The sad, discouraged, loneliness in addition to the headaches, lightheadedness, heart palpatations, tremors, and other physical systems were leading me into severe depression and agoraphobia. Bottom line, it does get better but you have to work for it and if taking the meds does that then it is worth the risk. Know that you are not alone, one of the reasons this group is so awesome!
Being able to vent and talk to other people who know and have experienced the same issues truly has been a blessing and it's own way helps reduce my anxiety. Hang in there, think about trying the meds, keep up the CBT, meditation, and yoga; and reach out when you need help. We're here for you!
I suffer from depression as well. Severe depression. At first I was unwilling to take medication, then have it increased, but then realized I needed to make a choice for myself. Did I want to do all I could to help my mind do what it fails to do naturally, or will I risk getting so bad that I cannot recover? This is not as easy as it sounds or will it work for everyone. Once I stopped trying to fight it, I still hate the medication inconvenience, but am a much more able person. I also have migraines that seem to defeat me more than the depression. So far, after 12 years of them progressively getting worse and finding no medication for relief, I just have to wait them out. Which is totally inconvenient! But since I cannot change it, I have to roll with it. Again, this solution is not for everyone and is easier said than done while curled up in a dark room feeling the beat of your heart match the thumping in my head. Trust yourself and do what YOU need to do to make yourself better.
ClayLynn
I can totally relate to the discouragement caused when you are trying to do all the right things and still struggle. I too am impatient and just want my life back. While I had been against taking anything for a while, I finally came to the decision to give the meds a try and some time to fully work. So far this has been a good decision. Unlike previous drugs there are few side affects and I can actually function on a day to day basis.