Thanks for your great advice..The gratitude journal points out how pessimistic I can be, because to remember the positives seems superfluous, if that makes any sense. I will definitely look for Dr. Sarno though - I think it 's a real process of stopping the negative thinking - it seems that the negative things are the real deal and the positives are not. Keep up the good work and I certainly appreciate your thoughts. Vickie
Out of nowhere, 4 years ago I had a "nervous breakdown". I was 47 yrs. old. I didn't know what was happening to me. I couln't sleep for weeks, which sent me into a state that I never want to go back to. I now realize there were triggers (daughter's wedding, illness, new home, etc.) I was a worrier, but only about my children. There was never a panic attack or feeling of being out of control, until it hit me.
Nothing worked, except Zoloft. It was the hardest thing I ever 'surrendered to' in my life. If I had a headache, I would go to sleep, rather than take an advil.
Although I thank God the drug was available to me, I have spent the past year looking for ways to wean from the drug. I am trying neurotransmitters, talk therapy, exercise, some yoga and meditation.
Hello, I suffered from anxiety and then panic attacks which slowly built up over the past few years. I saw a psychoanalyst who prescribed an anti anxiety/anti depression drug of which I cannot remember the name. I do not tolerate drugs - never have. My daughter suggested accupuncture andI went twice a week for 2 months and then once a week for a month and now go occassionally for a "tune up". Its been a miracle! My anxiety and panic attacks are gone, my heart rate has slowed down to normal, I was having symptoms of food sticking in my throat - thats gone, my digestive system was a mess with cramps, diarrhea, sickly feeling and thats all normal now. I cannot say enough about accupuncture. I feel better than I have in years. I would recommend it to anyone over prescription drugs. Unfortunately its only covered partially by my insurance but was well worth every penny. Good luck. Lil
Hi Lil, thank you for your response. I actually go to acupunture, but not as frequently as you did in the beginning. I will try going twice / wk. Is it possible for you to ask your acupunturist what points he/she concentrated on? I can then discuss them with my acupuncturist.
Thank you so much for sharing about the acupuncture. I would never have thought of that. There is something new out in the health food store called Trytophan Complete and my grandson swears it helps him. He is 25.
I had the same experience as you did. Frightening isn't it? I was put on Cymbalta and a Calcium Blocker (Cartia) for high blood pressure. I was told that I would most likely be on it for the rest of my life. I gained weight and had swelling the progressed from my feet to my thighs.and yuk bed wetting. My family become very concerned and at their constant prompting I asked my doctor to wean me off it Cymbalta. The weaning was terrible. Nearly passed out once at work, threw up but I did get off it. So what did I do next? I walked! I know, sounds too simple. But my adult son would not get off my case until I walked around the neighborhood for two miles to start every other day. Now I do three miles every other day. My blood pressure is normal and my doctor approved going off Cartia. My anxiety symptoms are gone. The added benefit is I lost 20 pounds and weigh what I did in my twenties. If the weather is bad I walk inside Target. Eleven loops = 2 miles. More interesting than a health club track. Hope this helps. JS
One more thing. Around the same time I stopped taking Premarin and voila my headaches that plagued me for years are gone.
I use Bach Rescue Remedy for anxiety during the day. Just 3 drops in your bottle of water and sip it. Very effective with no side effects. If I cannot turn off at night for worry or just plain thinking I will use Coffea Cruda 30C, one pill before bed. It is homeopathic with no side effects and works a charm. I work on film production where both these problems are present in cast and crew and have seen both remedies work wonders without side effects and quickly.
Bach Rescue Remedy 3 drops in a bottle of water and sip all the time will calm you as you wean off your drugs. I have seen it help someone getting off similar medications. Bach Flowers have no side effects and can be taken for long periods of time without becoming addicted.
I have suffered from anxiety for many years before I found out what it was. I have just rencently discovered that about 80% of people who suffer from anxiety have thyroid problems. I have been on thyroid medication for 12 years and none of the doctors ever mentioned this. It sounds like you should have your thyroid levels check. Also I recommend a new book by Mary Shomom titled " The Menopause - Thyroid Solution. Menopause/Perimenopause & Thyroid problems often have the same symptoms and are often misdiagnosed as depression. She helps explains the differences and gives you great advice on different types of treatments. Their is no cookie cutter treatment for thyroid. Sometimes it takes a lot of trial & error to find the best therapy for you. Good Luck!
Be very careful about taking Xanax or any of the other benzo's prescribed for anxiety. I too had a sort of breakdown at 46 and my doctor prescribed Xanax. I took it without learning much about it and became physically dependent in less than two weeks. Weaning off if it took about a month and was pretty awful - much worse than the original anxiety. It was meditation that really helped me the most - going inside, feeling feelings. No longer shelving issues for later. Taking care of myself. Good luck and I hope you find natural and homopathic remedies will help. Rescue remedy is also a great one !
Thanks - Weaning off antidepressants can be a real nightmare - and as you point out, worse than the original symptoms...I am definitely going to look for rescue remedy. Thanks for your help, Vickie
I have a similar story to yours only I was 23 when I first began having panic attacks and generalized anxiety. I also took zoloft (for 5 years) and was greatful for what it did for me. It made me realize that how I was supposed to be feeling in the mind, but I wasn't exactly jumping up and down about how it made my body feel. Weight gain, dehydration. It was almost like putting on a bandaid. I was getting through my daily routines no problem, but I had no motivation to exercise or eat well because I knew sub conciuosly that I had a pill to fix my issue.
It took me about 1 year to very slowly wean myself off. And it has been over a year since my last does. I have lost 15 lbs, I take Dr Weil's vitamins daily, lots of B vitamins and omega 3's in my diet and supplements. I run about 2 miles every couple days (I would definetly do yoga more but I have 2 jobs and my schedule conflicts with classes). I feel like now I just think positive thoughts all the time about my well being, and when I feel crappy I know I have to eat better and excersise to make it better, because there is no other choice. There is absolutely no reason why the same can work for you. Before you begin to wean, make sure you are clear with yourself and believe that you will be a better person without the drugs, and that there will be tough days, but you can always get through them. The stresses of life are what mold us into who we are. Just have faith, and anything is possible.
Thank you so much for your advice and encouragement !! May I ask what your doctor said about weaning off the zoloft? My doctor is ok with it, but doesn't understand why I would want to. She relates it to diabetics needing their insulin; that it's a physiological malfunction that needs adjustment.
You are very welcome!!! My Doctor was supportive and he helped me witht he process. But he is a pill pusher and he made a smiliar comment regarding the need for the meds because it is genetic in my family. My theory is it started somewhere in my family, so it can end somewhere too, why not with me. There are no studies to say what the long term effecst of these drugs are. My grandmother took elavil for years, and a new study has linked dimentia with this drug as well as lithium. She is definetly showing symptoms. And my mother is 55 on effexor, and she is showing signs of memory loss, she is confused and very forgetful, and she should be so full of life. We are working on getting her off, and since she has been on them so long and needs a lifestyle change, we have decided to have her see a psychiatrist. Psych's are more equiped to deal with these drugs in my opinion. They work in cognitive behavioral therapy to get to the root of the problem, and it is their proffesion to understand these issues and specifically these drugs. A general practicioner is just that, their practice is so broad, so why not seek the "proffesional". Good luck and I am happy to answer anymore questions.
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