is it recommended to avoid anxiety medicat... - Anxiety Support
is it recommended to avoid anxiety medication like SSRI, are these safe? I read they are addictive, anxiety can get worse and withdrawl bad
Hi.kieran. Antidepressants are not thought to be addictive. I was on them for a while and had no problems coming off although for long term use it is advisable to 'taper' the dose. Your GP can advise on this. They are safe but any drug must be regarded as a means of helping your body to cure itself. Tranquilisers are a different matter and are addictive if taken long term. Your answers all lie in the website published by Professor Ashton. She specialised in withdrawal and if you punch up her name on the web you will get all the information you need on prescribed drugs. If they have a counter effect (side effects) then you can go back to your GP who will offer another type. There are many on the market and some do not suit everyone.
Do not be afraid to take them. If you had a broken leg would you refuse a crutch? They can relieve a lot of the symptoms of nervous illness and depression and (most important) give you time to think about your problem clearly, which you can't do when in a state. good luck and best wishes. jonathan.
By the way, who recommends not taking meds? False information on this subject abounds, and it is usually from those who know nothing about it or are trying to put the 'frighteners' on sufferers. Look up the subject on this site and see how others have dealt with this. J.
I've never heard of anyone addicted to ssri's and I've worked in Mental Health best part of my adult life and administered enough of them to have some idea of what I'm taking about, it could be that they become a bit of a crutch to people who then become afraid of coming off them. As with any approach there will be those for and against, whether it's meds or chamomile tea, all meds have the potential to have negative effects as well as positives it's what works for you as an individual. If you feel you can benefit from them then you do what is best for you. There is a AUK pharmacy surgery tomorrow at six, check out Paddy's recent blog 'medication' for details or check out their website.
From a personal perspective, I find that the Dosulepin [ dothiepin ] that I was first prescribed 7 years ago & still take is as much a part of the problem as anything else.
I also have had great difficulty in stopping the use of them & after some internet research I have found many articles on the addictiveness of this anti-depressant. Some quite extreme.
Even my GP considers the tablet to be 'old fashioned' & isn't really prescribed any longer.
Adding to use of painkillers, they have a dangerous side effect of respiratory depressant which is another Panic/Anxiety symptom.
When I try & stop the use, I suffer from debilitating dreams, lack of sleep, hallucinations & a slightly 'manic' feeling as though I'm permanently perched on the edge of a cliff.
I feel that all these drugs are an inexact science at best. At worse they cause more problems in the end & aren't dished out quite as carefully as they ought.
If there is any hope of treatment options that do not include these drugs, then I urge anyone to explore those & only resort to Anti-depressants in extremis.
Well, i was on ssri's for a long time a few years ago (10+ years) and 4 years ago i came off them gradually, it took a year to wean off them, lowering the dose gradually each day, week and month to nothing taken. The withdrawals from them were, buzzing/clicking in my ears, dizzyness, the anxiety returned 6 months after i took the last half a tablet, which i tried to cope without medication for 4 years but failed and now im back on ssri's (20mg fluoxetine). There was no addiction, you have to wean off them because it is quite dangerous to just stop taking ssri's, as Brian Conley found out when he was in the jungle, he stopped taking his meds after 15 years being on them and it sent him scatty, especially with the lack of food.
Personally, i think if you have anxiety and really cannot cope alone, you need medication to help. I was so scared to go back on ssri's because i knew the side effects of going on them is horrendous, it differs with people. But after 4 years of coping alone, it was just getting worse and worse and my health started to suffer, i was slowly starving myself because the anxiety would not let me eat, i lost a lot of weight and i just could not cope with anything and just broke down crying all the time that i had to go back on the meds. Ive been on them since October, the anxiety has subsided a lot, it hasnt been easy i will admit, but its still early days, and im getting my meds reviewed after xmas. I have good and bad days, but im getting there.
I hope i have helped. I would recommend ssri's, and this recommendation comes from someone who used to have a panic attack taking a paracetamol 
and was really scared to start meds again, but i had to, and it will be for life.
Thanks to all who answered my question,linny, grey, johnathan and hollow so far.
I have had general anxiety for a while. I only recently went to the doctor as the physical symptons of anxiety really can interfere with my day to day activites. Was given propanolol and was useful to a small extent.
wondering what to do next, hence asked the above question.
i normally now try to face my fears, use mental visualisation reheasal, self-hypnosis and have overcome many obstacles that got in the way.
i normally rely on herbal remedies, like gaba or suntheanine, or 5-htp...whether they work or its plaecebo, i cant say, but, i can get through difficult moments.
has anyone tried these?
sometimes you wish there was something that can rid the anxiety, but, not alter the bodies chemistry too much.
is there a mild anxiety drug?
i guess I read too many stories about the side effects of some anxiety drugs.
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