checkmate1

I've been suffering from chronic anxiety and panic attacks for most of my life. I have trouble with attending social events and the social anxiety was the demise of my longest relationship of over 6 years. I was fearful and pretty much I used alcohol in every situation I was social in.

I'm an alcoholic also now sober for 7 weeks. Since stopping the drinking my anxiety is easier to manage. I've done everything I could to combat my anxiety issues, CBT, counsellors, doctors, psychologists, addiction specialists, psychiatrists, meditation, breathing exercisers, reading anxiety books. I have tried everything.

My worst panic attack had me literally shaking and unable to get on a train. I thought I was going to die, have a heart attack or have some sort of seizure with the anxiety thoughts in my head.

What has worked for me the best is getting on anti-depressants. They have saved my life and although my anxiety is not completely gone it is way better. I just wish I had stuck with them earlier but was put off with the side affects. I was told that anxiety and depression were closely linked and that the anti-depressants would help treat the anxiety issues in my life and they were right.

I feel that I should share this with everyone because I have felt like everyone on this board in regards to anxiety and panic and some stage. Talk to your doctor about anti-deppressants it has been the best thing ever for me. I can get on in life a whole lot better and that constant worrying is at an all time low.

When I was sober around 6 days my doctor upped the anti-depressants and now I''m on day 49 and I'm cruising along now. Hope this post can help you guys out because I know how each and everyone of you feel.

nandm

Thank you for sharing your experience.

Yes, anti-depressants can be quite useful depending on what the underlying cause of the anxiety is but for other mental health disease they can exacerbate the problem. Only a qualified medical doctor/psychiatrist can make that determination though.

For me anti-depressants exacerbate my primary mental health diseases of PTSD and bipolar. What has worked best for me so far has been the recent medication I was put on which is an old blood pressure medication that recently has been found to help with PTSD. That along with the mood stabilizers seems to have eased my anxiety more than anything else. But we shall see if I get long term results from it or not as many medications for me have worked for a period of time then stopped working.

Thanks again for sharing your experience. I am thankful you have gotten some relief as anxiety can be quite difficult and frightening to deal with.