Can I do it without meds?: i've been on meds... - Anxiety Support

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Can I do it without meds?

anxiousrecoverer profile image
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i've been on meds for so long and been told I HAVE to take meds for so long that I have lost all confidence in being able to deal with anxiety without them. I stopped taking them in April and now when I feel anxious it is so much worse because I'm afraid I won't be able to control it. I don't want to be on meds for the rest of my life, I want to have a go at getting better without them. They only really helped my physical symptoms, not my mood, and I thought I could be strong and face the physical symptoms, but I feel on edge all of the time and I keep worrying that I won't be able to do it by myself and I'll have some sort of a breakdown and my life will come to a standstill and I'll just have to accept that I have to be on meds for the rest of my life.

I don't really believe it's true that I can't live without them . I wasn't making any progress on them, I wanted to face the anxiety head on to show myself that anxiety doesn't control me, and that I am in control of my life. I thought that would help. I still believe that really, but I can't stop the nagging fear that I'm not in control, anxiety is in control, and I won't be able to cope unless I'm medicated.

Has anyone else been through a similar problem and how do you convince yourself that you can cope?

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anxiousrecoverer
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hollow profile image
hollow

Hi. Have you been offered anything else such as CBT? Counselling? I believe people can get through without meds but need support. Are you saying you haven't taken meds since April because if not that is a fantastic achievement and something to be positive about. Anxiety would love to take that away from you but don't let it, if you experience slips then that's all they are, slips, it doesn't mean it's won, you/we may never rid ourselves from anxiety completely but we can regain control of how it affects us. Best of luck.

anxiousrecoverer profile image
anxiousrecoverer in reply to hollow

Thanks for the encouragement. Yes I have no taken meds since April. I had previously been on a variety of meds for over five years, and I was also on them for three years previously to that (had a few years' break in between but had a breakdown so had to go back on them).

It didn't hit me at first, it's more kind of slowly risen until I'm getting more anxious. I had expected some anxiety but the thing that has surprised me the most is that it isn't just anxiety, it is specifically agoraphobia, which was the reason I was put on pills five years ago and I haven't suffered any agoraphobic feelings at all for over four years! I'd pretty much forgotten about it!

I actually feel like I'm beating it today. First day with pretty much no anxiety for four months. Yay!

Oh and I've been on the waiting list for CBT for two years now. Still waiting.

hollow profile image
hollow

Two years! That's shocking is there no way to pressure them? Sounds like you are doing really well hope you can keep the momentum going. I worry about feeling too well in case it's waiting around the corner to take it away so I try not to think about whether I'm doing good and just get on with things. I know that may sound negative but I try to see it as normal, before anxiety I didn't focus on whether I had a good or bad day. It is good however to go to bed and then think about a day passing without anything significant happening. Anxiety can be beaten, keep it up!

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