Questions about medication for anxiety?

[ilovebunnies94 2]

Hey everyone I'm new here and happy to find a supportive community! You can call me Bunny   

 

I suffer from diagnosed anxiety which my doctors are aware of for a few years now since it got really severe but I have avoided medication. My mom is really insistent that I should go on it but I'm unsure and looking for answers from some people who might have used or be using medication for their anxiety disorder. 

 

I avoid it because I don't know what affect it could have on me and that scares me. I feel things very intensely, more intensely than I should but in one way I think it is good that I have all of this emotion to show that I care about things so much, I would not want to appear careless. But I would not miss the regular sickness feeling throughout the day, the constant panicked thoughts, the irregular breathing and heartbeat that comes with those thoughts, the physical sickness that comes out when it gets really bad, the sleepless and restless feeling, the anxiety fueled nightmares that I get when I do sleep, the shaking and anxiety/panic attacks in general..... I would like to live life as close to a 'well' person as possible and have a more relaxed feeling throughout the day. 

 

My questions:

1) What kind of effect does it have on you? Is it useful?

2) Any negative sideaffects? Do you feel a loss of emotion in general or just less anxiety? t

3) Does it tackle all symptoms of anxiety? 

 

Sorry for my newbie questions! I hope it doesn't come off rude or anything I'm just really wary about if I should try going on it or not....

Thanks in advance  

[MsLLL 413]

Hi Bunny!

It's good to have you here on AC. I think medication works different for all of us. I used to be really scared to take medication for my anxiety and tried to avoid it as long as I could. Now, there is a lot of people on AC that don't take medication and work on their anxiety in a different way. 

In my case: I don't have any side effects. I did for the first few days I was on medication but it came from anxiety and panic, not from the medication itself. I don't feel loss of emotion, a doctor told me people are scared to take SSRI's/SSRNI's because they are afraid it will change their personality---and it can't. 

I feel less symptoms of anxiety but it's a combination of things, not just the medication. I did counseling for a long time and other things that helped. Medication is just one part of it all. And medication will not magically make all anxiety symptoms go away which is ok. But it will give you a break if your symptoms are so bad that it rules your life pretty much 24/7. It's a chance to check out other remedies while on them, to eventually get off them and be ok that way too.

My best Wishes and I hope you can make a decision that feels right to you:) 

[ilovebunnies94 2]

1 hour ago, MsLLL said:

Hi Bunny!

It's good to have you here on AC. I think medication works different for all of us. I used to be really scared to take medication for my anxiety and tried to avoid it as long as I could. Now, there is a lot of people on AC that don't take medication and work on their anxiety in a different way. 

In my case: I don't have any side effects. I did for the first few days I was on medication but it came from anxiety and panic, not from the medication itself. I don't feel loss of emotion, a doctor told me people are scared to take SSRI's/SSRNI's because they are afraid it will change their personality---and it can't. 

I feel less symptoms of anxiety but it's a combination of things, not just the medication. I did counseling for a long time and other things that helped. Medication is just one part of it all. And medication will not magically make all anxiety symptoms go away which is ok. But it will give you a break if your symptoms are so bad that it rules your life pretty much 24/7. It's a chance to check out other remedies while on them, to eventually get off them and be ok that way too.

My best Wishes and I hope you can make a decision that feels right to you:) 

Thanks for the helpful and kind reply. It really helped clear my mind a bit to hear it like that and I think I will talk to my doctor about it when I get a chance to. I don't expect any kind of magical cure but it is good to know that it can ease the symptoms without changing much else because I suffer with them every day in varying degrees. 

[Bterflymom 155]

Welcome bunnies,   I take medication for anxiety and it just keeps me feeling normal with no anxiety.  I have no loss of emotion and have had to deal with a lot of grief and believe me the tears do flow.  I also go to therapy and I see a psychiatrist every couple of months, been seeing him for years.  I've had a rough life in many ways and ended up with anxiety that was so bad I barely functioned and was very fearful of a lot of things.  Now I'm feeling like a normal person and am back to enjoying life.  I hope to never go back to where I was.  Whatever you decide is up to you and if it were me  I would get on some anxiety meds and see how you feel.  God luck

[ilovebunnies94 2]

1 hour ago, Bterflymom said:

Welcome bunnies,   I take medication for anxiety and it just keeps me feeling normal with no anxiety.  I have no loss of emotion and have had to deal with a lot of grief and believe me the tears do flow.  I also go to therapy and I see a psychiatrist every couple of months, been seeing him for years.  I've had a rough life in many ways and ended up with anxiety that was so bad I barely functioned and was very fearful of a lot of things.  Now I'm feeling like a normal person and am back to enjoying life.  I hope to never go back to where I was.  Whatever you decide is up to you and if it were me  I would get on some anxiety meds and see how you feel.  God luck

I'm glad to hear that it has helped you in such a positive way. This has been really helpful to me and thank you for the kind reply, I have decided that I am definitely going to talk to my doctor about it and give it a try. 

[Bterflymom 155]

I hope your doctor will help you out with medication, I'd sure hate to be without it on those really anxious days or times.  I've been on it for years and haven't had to raise it, just keeps me stable and calm.  Let us know how it goes for you.