- Date posted
- 4y ago
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I was in that position for my entire life until earlier this year. I took the step and began taking an SSRI five weeks ago. I’m grateful for it, and I wish I hadn’t allowed fear mongering and stigma to scare me out of utilizing a tool that’s made a world of difference for me. All medication comes with risks, but leaving a mental health condition untreated is a risk in itself. I’ve experienced a general reduction in my anxiety and I’m able to go longer intervals without obsessional thinking. The only side effects I’ve experienced is vivid dreams and a stimulated appetite (which is an upside since my depression had depleted them). I would steer from the Internet horror stories, and discuss the option with your mental health professional and physician.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I think you have to activativly make the choice for yourself. I wish someone had told me I needed to do therapy first to see bc medicine isn’t going to magically going to make everything perfect and go away. For me I couldn’t be convince since I hate medicine and think it’s horrible for you. But I am religious and I had reached rock bottom and the next week at church the pastor explained his mental health journey from college which was so low it led him to SSRI which i took as a sign so I started them a week later. I got off them 2 years later bc I went back to hating medicine and decided to work on myself
- Date posted
- 4y ago
I have been doing therapy...I definitely know there is no magic pill. I did counseling 9 yrs ago...did really well without medication for several years. Unfortunately my anxiety and panic disorder came back and 10xs worse this time. I too am a Christian and know that God will never leave me nor forsake me....but this for me isn't about Christianity....it's a mental health disorder.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@CMM Girl I wasn’t making it about Christianity ... I was explaining what it was that made me decide to finally chose to take medication and overcome the anxiety and hate I had for them ... don’t change my words! Based on your post there was no way for me to know you are already doing therapy so I was giving you the advice I had to offer !
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@CMM Also I don’t like to have any correlation to God and my mental health bc it just makes me angry when people say just pray or that God took away their anxiety bc that’s not how mental illnesses work. So please please please don’t think I was making any sort of connection or reference in that way
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@Justmesadly No I didn't think that at all. I know exactly what you mean. It makes me angry also. It makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong with my walk with christ. I get what your saying...no worries!
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@CMM Okay good
- Date posted
- 4y ago
Thank you for your feedback. I did start a low dose SSRI and I am having some side effects I'm dealing with...which make me anxious. Hopefully I can get through the first 2 weeks and not become too discouraged. The side effects really make me panic 😒
- Date posted
- 4y ago
If you just began the SSRI, you may experience a temporary onset or increase of anxiety symptoms. This is normal, and a lot of people undergo this phase and then begin to feel recovered as they continue taking the medication. The only way out is through it, and it may be well worth it for you in the end. Whatever you do, please don’t stop them before you’re finished, this can cause worsened issues in the long run. I hope you’re able to find a treatment to suit you soon :)
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@plathocd Thanks so much for the encouragement! Truly appreciate it!
- Date posted
- 4y ago
Did you see a therapist or regular doctor? I am also so nervous to get in meds.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@Kls323 I saw my family doctor for yrs and tried...but was always too nervous and the thought of taking a pill made me nervous and panic...so this time I took the route of seeing a phystrist....they were able to explain to me about different medications....side effects and were willing to start me out on a pediatric dose an work my way up so that the side effects were mild to none.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@CMM Thats awesome!! Good for you! Thats a really great step you took. I saw one regular doctor once and they prescribed me Cymbalta but then got way to scared to take it. That was 2 years ago.
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@Kls323 Good luck! I know it's so hard! I'm on day 4 of Lexapro I was also given a benzo to use to help stay calm if the anxiety increases. I'm hoping to push through the mild side effects I'm having and finally break free of this horrible cycle. I know there is no magic pill but a combo of therapy and this I feel hopeful!
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@CMM Oh wow I didn't know you could take benzos with anything else. That's great. I know there is no magic pill either but even if something helps a little thats great!! You got this!!
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@Kls323 Thanks for the encouragement...truly appreciate it!
- Date posted
- 4y ago
@CMM Of course!!!
Related posts
- Date posted
- 23w ago
My mind keeps telling me “something is wrong with you. the weird feeling you are feeling or the weird tingling you are feeling or there is a weird mark on your body. Those are actually a severe symptom and by ignoring it you could die!” Or especially the constant, “go to the emergency room because this impending doom you are feeling, yeah that’s because your gonna die shortly” It doesn’t help whenever people say “well if something was wrong your body would tell you” because my mind keeps telling me that what I’m feeling is proof something is wrong and I need to get it checked out. That I actually am severely sick and that I need to get it checked out as soon as possible, that if I get one more test than I’ll be okay because it will prove nothing is wrong. How do I tell my mind that it’s just anxiety whenever my mind keeps telling me “well if you keep saying that you could be ignoring something more serious.” Or “the doctors are just brushing you off..something is wrong with you” It’s hard to live with my thoughts whenever they are constantly coming up with ways to challenge me and challenge logic. New reasons on why I need to get this checked out because “I’m just being ignored” or “no one is listening to me so I’ll just end up dying” My symptoms range from weak and shaking legs and body to dizzy and unbalanced and dissociated. Recently I’ve been getting this tingling feeling inside my head and on the back of my neck. And my temples have pressure on them. My body keeps coming up with new symptoms I need to worry about, whenever most of them are probably caused by severe and constant anxiety. So severe I can’t even leave the house because I constantly worry about whether this is severe and something will happen if I leave the house. I need immediate ways to start fixing this because it’s especially horrible whenever my period comes around and my anxiety/depression is already higher than usual. I’ve even started considering taking medication (Zoloft, 25mg) which is another trigger for me, I worry about the symptoms I might get from taking it. That’s how you know it’s gotten pretty bad whenever I’ve come to taking something that I’ve been actively avoiding. What are your thoughts? Do I take the medication? What are ways I can deal with my symptoms that seem so severe in the moment but pass by once I’m not anxious? What are ways my thoughts can ease and I stop taking every symptom as something serious, because at the end of the day my anxiety is most likely the reason I have these horrible symptoms. I’ve always been extremely healthy and everytime I go to the doctors they express how healthy I am with all the tests I’ve had.
- Date posted
- 22w ago
I am wanting to go to therapy to hopefully lower my OCD symptoms but I am terrified to tell anyone else, like a therapist, about my intrusive thoughts. Has anyone else had this experience and if so how did you get over it?
- Date posted
- 11w ago
Hey friends, I hope you all are well. I just wanted to check in and ask people's experiences about being on medication. I have had OCD pretty much my whole life, just got recently diagnosed 4 months ago and my therapist recommended that I get on meds for it so I have a psychiatrist appointment set up. I'm a little apprehensive about getting on them, but I've realized that I do have some sort of chemical imbalance in my brain that plays a part in my OCD and anxiety. I would love to hear anyones experiences or words of encouragement. Thank you, I hope you all are well.
Be a part of the largest OCD Community
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond