New Medication

[Spw22]

I've been dealing with fairly severe anxiety related to my work for over five years now. I've talked with psychologist and even a career coach. I've had some short term success but the anxiety keeps winning. I spoke with a psychiatrist on Friday and he thought my anxiety is causing depression. He recommended prozac and hydroxyzine. I really don't sleep much. I wake up nervous and can't go back to sleep. I used to be extremely confident, a self-starter, and somewhat fearless. I'm a bit scared where this is going. If medicine, therapy, and whatever else is out there does not work ....is this all that is left. I'm 47 with four kids and beautiful wife....I just can't get over the constant worry and fear to just enjoy a day. I'm on my third day of medicine. I know it takes way longer....just praying something will work. Thanks for reading.

[Horrorfan]

Hi there I'm new on this site. I can relate to some or the things you have expressed there . I'm 17years post tbi and before hand had a great job etc eventually got back to work and it was so overwhelming nothing felt the same constant panic attacks etc and I ended up finishing on ill health . I find things strange daily and difficult. I'm on sertraline after trying few other medicine. Found this works best. Cognitive behaviour therapy have you ever tried that x

[Spw22 in reply to Horrorfan]

I have not tried CBT for that long. A few months but I stopped going. I have trouble sticking with things that help. When I start to feel a little better I just take off. It frustrates me and makes me angry with myself.

[Horrorfan in reply to Spw22]

I'm the same with things some days I think I'm right now so I stop then bang back to square one. Self criticism can be harsh on yourself. Cut your self some slack little steps are betting or so i keep convincing myself..

[CAGgmb]

If you're on an SSRI, it does take weeks or even months to work. When I started on one 17 years ago, it took over 8 weeks to help. They say 4 to 6 weeks, but we're all different. That med stopped working, so now I'm on a different SSRI. I'm not well yet, but better after 6 weeks. There are many med choices out there if one doesn't work. The problem is that it takes so much time. I use coping strategies like crosswords, reading, walking. Good luck. Keep fighting for yourself.

[designguy]

I found meds to be helpful for my anxiety/depression but one of the most helpful things for my anxiety was finding out that I had been advised totally wrong about how to deal with it. The real way to deal with anxiety is to understand and accept that it's a paradox, the more you resist it or fight and struggle with it you just reinforce it so the solution is to surrender to it, allow your body to desensitize from it and to not believe the anxious thoughts. by learning what it really is and how to constructively deal with it helps greatly reduce it.

I suggest the DARE Anxiety book and youtube videos and also the website/youtube videos of Paige Pradko, she does a great job of clearly explaining it and how to deal with it. Knowing what it really is and how to constructively deal with it really takes the fear out of it.

[beinganon]

I’m M47 too, and I got off antidepressants 16 years ago using fish oil. I was on them—beginning with Prozac at age 16 and progressing from one to the other. Anxiety, depression, everything. I strongly agree with Horrorfan and designguy (below); drugs are NOT the answer except in debilitating cases—like when a person can’t step out of the house because of social anxiety, or someone who comfort-eats out of depression and becomes a 300-lb couch potato. Look around—people, Internet, whatever—and try to find something that’ll suit you; I only want to reiterate that it *will* be a bad thing if you get into “pharma drug hell”—and Prozac is a gateway drug towards that.