bounced

Hi Everyone

Need some advice here please.

I am 2 years sober and have been having marriage guidance counseling for at least 4 years on and off. Anyway, I finally came to admit to myself that I have BDD quite bad and I contacted my counselor about it. Then I read some more and discovered that BDD leads to Avoidant Personality Disorder - so it turns out that I have that even worse than BDD. So then my counselor says that these are because of Anxiety and sends me a questionnaire to fill in and I turn out to be a serious case.

Now I have always thought that it is only emos that suffer from anxiety (sorry if that seems bigoted) and that I am just a regular kind of alcoholic. But now it turns out that I need to deal with this anxiety! So I have an appointment booked with my counselor. But she has already said that, with the levels of BDD, APD and anxiety that I am exhibiting, I will inevitably need to be on anti-depressants whilst undergoing therapy. And this scares me a bit. I know I am very depressed and have been for a long time but I have heard of people getting addicted to anti depressant and so on.

Does anybody have any experience of tackling anxiety either with or without drugs?

Thanks all.

Dee74

Hi bounced

LOL not only emos suffer from anxiety - I've had it for most of my life. I've always been pretty down to earth and matter of fact.

Anxiety's not a failing a weakness or some kind of moral issue - it's a real condition that can affect anyone.

I've had some success with breathing techniques. I still do get anxious sometimes but I'm the best I've ever been in my adult life right now.

as far as anti-depressants go, I've used anti-depressants on and off - most recently for the last 2 years to combat nerve pain.

I expect to be on them for ever.

I'm not addicted in any way shape or forum - there's no definable effect to get addicted to, for a start - the changes an anti depressant can make are very gradual ones.

I often forget to take mine, which is a character flaw - but again, not something indicative of addiction.

Anti depressants help me maintain a certain quality of life and help me engage with society...the various drugs I used in my using days were all about diminishing reality.

In the end of course, bounced, the choice is yours.

If the concept bothers you there may be other treatment options available - have a chat about it with your doctor

congrats on your 2 years too btw

D

happybeingme

I have never used an antidepressant for anxiety but I do for depression. I have no addiction to it but it has saved my life. It lifts the grey cloud that seems to always envelope my life. And I am grateful.

Verdantia

Hi bounced,
I am on long-term treatment for anxiety with anti-depressants and they have definitely helped me. Your two years of sobriety is fabulous-congratulations on that....

Della1968

Antidepressant for anxiety and depression here too. I am in no way shape or form addicted. They just even me out. I drank too self medicate and don't feel the need to anymore.

zjw

been sober over 4 years after reading all the horror stories about anxiety meds and anti depressent meds I've chosen to steer clear of them myself if possible. I know theres a lot of folks happily on them. I personally am terrified of getting hooked on anti anxiety meds or having other issues with anti depressents.

For me I chose to try and solve my problems with diet and exercise and keep a routine that helps keep me in balance. I do lots of other things too keep a smile on my face and keep my anxiety levels low.

All that being said there are times where i question all this and i'm like GASP maybe I should just go on meds! But I just keep chargeing forward and those kinds of moments eventually pass and I'm ok again. Moments might be a bad word as my anxiety and depression can be at rediculously bad levels for days weeks months on end if i'm not careful the idea of being able to take a pill and have it resolved sounds incredibly enticing to me. In my mind I would not have to put forth much effort as the pill would do the work for me but I've heard from lots of folks here and other places that even when on the meds they still have to put forth effort to get better etc.. So I guess its no magic solution either.

Its a tough call either you doing the right thing but solicitating opinions of others. read up on these medications etc.. and go from there. Heck even get a second opinion. I've seen multiple doctors over the years for various things and gotten multiple opinions no one is wrong. for example one doc wanted me to take lipitor for high cholesterol another said fix it with diet. I had one doc tell me i should get on paxil for depression and such but also told me that they did studies of people solving there problems with diet and exercise. But he told me i would not win and ot make it easy on myself and get on the pills. I chose the diet and exercise route and its working out for me.

But everyones got an opinion. Heck you could try em and love em or try em and hate em too who knows.

Dropsie

Need to be careful to distinguish between antidepressants and anxiety meds, usually benzos.

I have taken both, and would be cautious with anxiety meds, but a lot of anti depressants help with anxiety too and are not addicting.

But i am NOT a doctor, just a patient.

But for me, I felt so much better, it was amazing.

least

I have been on antidepressants a long time and expect to always be on them. They even out my mood and keep me from that horrible despair I used to feel.

Holds1325

Antidepressant users, do you ever get worried they are going to just give out? Or they will stop working?

Ive talked to numerous people who have been taking them for "life" and they say, ive had a few just stop working over the years, takes awhile to get on another one etc.

Thats just another reason why ive sort of stayed away from them.

Anna

I am not afraid my antidepressant will stop working. I would be afraid if I stopped taking it. Without the medication, I would begin to slip down into the dark hole, and that would eventually lead back to a miserable life. My antidepressant levels the playing field for me, no more, no less. I have a chemical imbalance in my brain and the medication corrects it.

As others have said anti-anxiety medicine is a different story.

Holds1325

I talked to my doctor about these ADs the last time i had an appointment, we had a good talk. He mentioned that some people are on them for life. I asked why? He said. because they need them. Hmmm okay, I guess i just never understood is all. Someone. i know at work has actually been on them for life, the stories I heard about how they make people feel terrified me, but at the same time, she said, This really works though (prozac) its like "night and day" is what she called it. I just thought hmm, well at least it helps.

Growing up i seen the commercials and never gave them a second thought, it just never crossed my mind that someday i might be given that option. So when the doctor suggested an ssri, I hadnt the first clue about it I just said okay and took the prescription.

Still havent taken them though! Still feel a bit nervous about them is all.

The good thing is that dark place I was in, is starting to clear up on its own.

zjw

my moms very depressed has been for years. off and on on them it never makes any difference for her. I was just talking to my wife about it how you would think if she got on them she could feel a hair better and maybe start to try and improve her circumstances? then maybe get off them one day if anything feel better tho. But for her? nothing ever changes. I really dont get it. I think shes confused and doesnt want to put forth the effort figures some pill will solve all the issues? I really dunno its very sad for me to watch.

Shes like an alcoholic minus the drinking problem or something. For someone whos never had a drinking or drug issue its crazy how hard her life has been etc...

I say this because these meds are not always some kinda holy grail. Sure wish they where for my moms sake but alas back to the drawing board for her.

Dropsie

Zjw,

My brother is the same as your mom.

Sometimes you need to try a few and for some time before they work. With him, he never really gave it a shot on each long one enough to know. And felt he was getting worse.

Don't know about your mom, but I am convinced my brother could find one that helped.

Sorry she is going through such a hard life.

Gottalife

I thought I suffered from anxiety and depression in early sobriety, but then I met a man with manic depression who helped me enormously in getting sober. I quickly realised I had misdiagnosed myself. My real problem was fear and self pity, very common in the newly sober and they were treated through the AA program.

My past experience with any mind altering chemical has been that it instantly leads me back to booze, my origininal drug of no choice. That and the fact that I often see the tragic results of adding other chemicals to the alcoholic mix means that I would have to have a very persuasive doctor, and have exhausted all other possible approaches before I would even look at drugs of this type.

fantail

I think it's important to note the difference between anti-anxiety meds and anti-depressants. The biggest one from my lay-woman's perspective is that I can take one single dose of an anti-anxiety med and feel something right away; I can't with an anti-depressant. That's what people mean when they say you can't use anti-depressants recreationally. You'll never find yourself taking more and more SSRIs at a pop, because you won't feel any different if you do. They don't give you a pleasurable sensation of any kind, even over time. They do over time change the way your brain processes seratonin, which means your baseline is a bit higher. You still feel the full range of emotions, the lows just aren't as low.

The way I summarize it is that SSRIs don't cure my depression. They lift my lows (and calm my anxiety) just enough that I can bear to do the rest of the work myself.

I've been on anti-anxiety meds before, and that's a different story. I always chose to drink over pills, but in the absence of alcohol I could see those getting hairy really quickly for me. You take a pill, you feel immediate pleasure/calm. There be dragons, if you're me.

Reset

Never heard about them being addictive, though I have heard that over time you might need to up your dosage because you become more tolerant. A few years ago I took them for a couple of years and then decided I was done. No problem quitting (though talk to your doctor if you're going to do that because I heard that quitting them abruptly can have some dangerous side-effects).

Anyway I went to a psychiatrist because I thought I was depressed and it turns out I had only half of it right- he diagnosed me with anxiety too! I never knew.

I was against meds at first as well, and he was cool with that but after a while he suggested we just try them for a while to see what happens. I have a mix that treats both anxiety and depression. And they seem to help. I can't explain why/how exactly, but I'm in a better mood and I can't see how they're doing any damage. Maybe one day I'll stop them but for now I'm glad I have them as an option.

Soberwolf

5000% agree with what D said

I chose to go on anti anxiety/depressants after refusing for years my turning point came when I spoke to the Dr in detail & went through my fears my thoughts etc we spoke about therapy & meds in detail & I was put on a waiting list while starting the medication I think 6-7 months ago

The anti depressants help me with my agoraphobia & anxiety & the therapy not so much I'm waiting on a new therapist as the last one left

I've said this before but SR is great and better than therapy I've learnt more about myself here than anywhere it's great

ScottFromWI

When taken as prescribed, many psychoactive drugs can be very beneficial. Especially in situations where people are a danger to themselves or those around them. They all have side-effects though, and it's important to remember that the decision to take them or not should be a joint one between the patient, the doctor and/or therapist.

For some people, talk therapy is not enough and some kind of med is helpful short term or even long term.

To categorically dismiss them would be short-sighted.

ScottFromWI

A few posts have been removed...lets please remember to respect the path to sobriety and medical decisions that others make.