Originally Posted by
ScottFromWI 
Are your meds prescribe by an MD or a Psychchiatrist Rar? I have tried a few meds over the years myself, but I personally found them to be only part of the solution. Kind of like pain meds mask physical pain, but they don't cure the actual problem causing the pain. In my case it was anxiety, not depression, but in a similar way some of the meds I tried actually made things worse, not better.
I found that working with a good counselor that I trusted allowed me to develop a solution that used some meds to get "over the hump" so to speak, but then I have a whole new lifestyle to help live with my anxiety and keep it at bay. That includes cutting back on caffeine and sugar, eating well, getting regular exercise, mindfulness and meditation exercises, occasional counseling visits ( I only go about once a month now ) and lots of reading/self help.
I am on a low dose (.5 mg) of aprazolam taken at night for anxiety and a low dose of pramipexole (a dopamine agonist) at night for restless legs. My other meds are 2 inhalers for breathing. The aprazolam was prescribed by a GP and the others by my pulmonologist. I think a counselor would benefit me, but I don't want to add another errand (driving trip) for my husband. If I were in NY, I get along on my own. Husband wants to sell NY house and I am ridden with depression and anxiety feeling doomed to be isolated with being afraid to drive here in Fl traffic. I have health problems accompanied by health anxieties. I like my NY doctors and am loathe to find new ones here.
Fortunately I am not overweight (yet), but my diet is horrible and my muscle tone is deteriorating from lack of exercising. Sometimes the anxiety is so bad at night, I eat. Last night I couldn't sleep and ate almost a whole package of cookies while reading. I am pre-diabetic, so those cookies didn't do me any good, but somehow it makes me feel better. I think I have night eating syndrome.
The meds I was on years ago were prescribed by a GP. My NY GP recommends an anti-depressant, as does my new GP here in Fl.