topic Does medication help? in Treatments, health professionals and therapies

Does medication help?

acacia100 — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 06:00:03 GMT

Hi, I have been not coping well lately. After a phone call to beyond blue i finally managed to get the courage to go to the doctor for help. The doctor is saying i have anxiety and depression and i have been booked in for counselling. My appointment is not for another 3 weeks but i feel like i need help sooner, i feel like Im crumbling on the inside, i look at others and see them go about their day to day life with ease and i wonder why i struggle so much internally... I have near constant panicky feeling, heavy chest, feel worthless and hopeless and cry easily....i just feel so....broken.

I don't have many people in real life that i can talk to, i don't have many friends and i worry so much that if i burden the friends i do have with my issues then it will push them away and then that fear of losing people i care about causes even more anxiety. I hate the way i feel and i wish i could turn it all off, i have tried and tried so hard to help myself feel better and be more positive.

I am unsure about taking medication, i don't like the idea of it but i just want to feel content, happy and normal and not feel like impending doom is upon me every day. I would like to know other peoples experience with medication or counselling ? Did it help? and how long until it starts to work?

Is it the depression that makes me feel so miserable and worthless or is it just my life? Will the shitty feelings ever go away because if they don't then i don't see the point in anything....whats the point in it all??

Thanks in advance

Does medication help?

white knight — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 10:01:37 GMT

Hi acacia, welcome

Imagine you are in a group, hikets up a mountain. You pull a hamstring in your leg. You refuse pain killers or a walking stick but that results in not keeping up with the others. The others, your friends and family get upset because they want to help you but you refuse help. They also suffer through such a decision.

With mental illness its no different. Please google these.

Topic: medication is a whirlpool- beyondblue

Topic: 53 years of hell now 5 years of contentment- beyondblue

Topic: the balance of your life- beyondblue

Tony WK

Does medication help?

Croix — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 11:30:41 GMT

Dear Acacia100~

Welcome back and the short answer is yes they do good, and life gets better. Please have a look at Tony's references, they are pretty good, as is his point that everyone, not just you, can benefit if illnesses are treated correctly.

I started out with PTSD, depression and anxiety. Things got worse over time as I did not have appropriate treatment. Then on the correct medications, together with therapy, hospitalization and family support I gradually improved until now I'm out of sight better. My live has love, accomplishment, feeling I'm worth something and interests.

If appropriate treatment had been a lot earlier I believe things would not have gotten nearly as bad as they did.

My life was all shitty feelings - all the things you list, now it is not, I'm glad I'm here and enjoy heaps of things from family to books. I'm not pretending it is all perfect, there are ups and downs and I have to avoid or deal with anxiety, triggers and attacks, but I've learned how to (mostly) do this.

For me meds -and therapy - are not a one size fits all deal. It took a long time to find the right dosage of the right medications, and the right approach to therapy, for things to work. They did however only have to be right once. With the correct medication I found positive effects started within a couple of weeks. Note: that is me, some people here in the Forum have said it took a fair while longer.

I also found I could not get better by myself, it took outside help -definitely.

So have faith, you have suffered for a long time (I read your posts from last year) and are doing the right thing in seeking help, I'm sure it will be the start of better things.

Please feel free to talk more

Croix

Does medication help?

Mr_Walker — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 14:24:45 GMT

Hi acacia100,

Yes medication can help! My life was getting literally unbearable before I started my medication. And I totally know the feeling of needing to talk to people before the time of your appointment - the few weeks can seem like forever!

I've found talking to people here and some of the phone services have got me through.

Regarding the time it takes to feel better - I think my medication took probably 6 weeks to really start working (I was started on what my second doctor thought was too small a dose) - but I did need to up the dosage twice since the beginning (I felt better, then it wore off, better then it wore off again - then it stayed good at the third dosage - so that's something to bear in mind - it might not be an instant fix)

Also it took quite a LOT of therapy before I really got to the root of MY problems (like 3-4 years!) but of course everyone's situation is different in terms of how quick they learn, how severe their problems are, how many habits they need to undo etc. etc.

I was worried about taking medication at first (I think most people are) because I was concerned that they would remove ALL my feelings (they didn't) or that I'd get resistant to them and have to take more and more powerful drugs (didn't happen either) or that I'd have to take them forever - it's been around 8 years so far and I really don't mind if I DO have to take them forever - my life is so incredibly better since before and I'm never going to go back! (if I feel like I can go without at some point in the future I would discuss it with my doctor etc. but I do feel like I still need it at the moment.. I just see it like insulin or any other thing you need to survive...)

That's just been my experience if it helps at all? Good luck, J.

Does medication help?

geoff — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 17:47:14 GMT

hello Acacia, well the replies by those above me have pretty well said it all.
Within the next 3 weeks doesn't mean that you can't get any other type of counselling so you could contact Headspace, Reachout, BB or go down to your local Community Health Centre who have counsellors willing to speak with you.
Unfortunately friends don't know how to talk with someone who has depression unless they too have been through it themselves, simply because they don't know how to address the situation.
Counselling and medication normally happen at the same time, until you are at the stage where all you need is the medication and possibly having a counselling session every now and then.
The medication normally takes about 4 to 6 weeks before you begin to feel the effects from them, but your doctor will put you on a low dose to start off with.
If you aren't enjoying yourself then depression can set in and then will take over, but like many of us we have learnt on how to cope with our depression, realise the trigger points that could spark of the illness once again, but once anyone has had depression is remains dormant and if something awful does happen and you're not prepared for it then you may have a relapse.
Let's not worry about that, we have to get you over this hurdle first of all. Geoff.

Does medication help?

acacia100 — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 01:23:02 GMT

Thankyou all for reading and for your feedback, i really appreciate it.

Thanks WhiteKnight for the links, i will google these.

@ Croix, thanks for sharing your experience with medication and therapy it gives me some hope that there may be light at the end of the tunnel. i had forgotten i posted on here early in 2016 and seeing that again kind of slapped me in the face, its been a long time of shittyness, i wish i had got help back then.

@ Mr Walker, thanks for sharing. I am sorry things were so tough for you, i am glad to hear that medication helped you. One of my concerns with medication was that it would change me as a person, that it will change my personality or that it would turn me into a walking zombie and that people would notice. Did your family/friends notice a difference in you after taking medication ?

@ Geoff, Thanks for your advice. I will keep in mind those places you mentioned that i can phone. I understand that friends/family cannot help me which is why i am not telling anyone about anything.To be honest even asking for help on here makes me feel like a big baby.

If i was to try medication, would i have to see the counsellor first or can i ask my doctor ?

Does medication help?

Croix — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 08:03:22 GMT

Dear Acacia100~

I agree, starting back then would probably mean you were in a better place right now.

Most people get medication from their GP, normal councilors don't have the ability to issue prescriptions.

Hopefully meds change your demeanor in a positive way so you are less prone to all the negative influences of mental illness without being 'zombified'. With types that were inappropriate for me or whose dosage needed adjusting my wife could tell things were not quite right, when on the correct regime all is pretty good (and my wife echoes my pleasure that I was better).

I did not ask for help and ended up very much worse as a result. When help did arrive (unasked) things started to improve. Asking for help can seem a big thing to do, however It is no more a reflection on you than going to the dentist for a toothache. People use experts and specialists to make life better.

Of course there is light at the end of the tunnel, you just have to move towards it step by step.

Please let us know how you get on

Croix

Does medication help?

Mr_Walker — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 11:47:23 GMT

Hi acacia100, honestly I don't know if my friends noticed anything because I was quite good at hiding my anxiety from them anyway - but I found the medication DID change every aspect of my life and my wife and kids certainly noticed - but only in positive ways! I was able to go out with them, eat out, answer the phone, be happy, was able to relax and enjoy life instead of worrying too much about the future or the past - literally everything was better and NOTHING was worse! For the first two months or so I was quite tired and yawned a lot..that was the only side effect I had. I was maybe lucky that the first medication I was prescribed worked perfectly for me - I know sometimes people have to try a few different ones to find one that works well without side effects...

And yes I got my prescription from my GP and I found it really helped me to focus and concentrate on the therapy (I had therapy once before the medication and my mind was too scattered and stressed to really take it in). So yes they really work well together... J.

Does medication help?

Mr_Walker — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 11:56:09 GMT

I meant to say - I didn't feel like medication changed me or my personality in an active way - just that it removed the extra anxiety that wasn't naturally part of my personality - just like a weight coming off, so I could be myself and not my anxiety.

I do know exactly what you mean though - I was worried about it turning me into someone else or into a zombie...

Does medication help?

blondguy — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 12:35:06 GMT

Hi Acacia100

You are amazing for having the proactive self awareness to have posted and good on you!

There are so many great posts above I will only cover my experience if thats okay

I have had anxiety/depression for many years. The meds are never a fix all but they do take the 'edge' off big time and provide us with a solid platform on which we can recover more effectively with the counseling and all the various coping techniques that are available to us.

Anxiety/Depression is also partially a physical illness like diabetes or severe infection. People cant see that we are wearing a plaster cast as its not visible to them (or us)

you are not alone here Acaia

Great to have you as part of the Beyond Blue family

Be 'Gentle' to yourself

Paul

Does medication help?

acacia100 — Sat, 12 Aug 2017 02:43:59 GMT

Hi, Just thought i would pop in for an update.

I have had two sessions with a psychologist which I've found odd talking to a complete stranger. Apparently i am depressed and have bad anxiety. Wether its depression or just a result of being in a shitty environment i am not sure! They want to discuss the option of medication next week but i am still not sure. The psychologist thinks that its going to take a lot of work to feel better.

I have been really 'shaky' lately and it scares me a bit. I am pretending to hold it together around others...just barely..this week was hard dealing with toxic people at home and feeling worthless at work and taking everything personally. Ive found myself crying over the smallest tasks or when small things go wrong. I've had to walk away and hide to compose myself when i start feeling shaky and teary. Then i get angry at myself for not just being tougher and snapping out of it. Cant talk to my partner about anything because he gets angry at me if i show emotion or get upset.

My homework today is to 'look after myself' and to be gentle with myself.

Does medication help?

Croix — Sat, 12 Aug 2017 05:58:28 GMT

Dear Acacia`

Thanks for the update, I was wondering how you were going. I'm pleased you are seeing a psychologist, even if it does feel weird, then again I guess most of us have felt that way at the start. I'm also pleased you have a formal diagnosis, at least you know what it all is now. I found that helped a lot.

The issue of medication was going to come up, you anticipated that when you started this thread. All I can say is what I and others have said before. It can be very beneficial and make a big difference to your life, and of those around you sometimes too. Starting can be slow and is not always easy; and if there are side effects they need reporting. Meds affect different people in different ways, so a period of adjustment or swapping to get the best can be needed.

As for the question depression or just a result of being in a shitty environment . A bit of a chicken and egg thing. Depression makes things seem shittier and you less able to cope with them. A toxic environment may well eventually lead to depression. Doesn't really matter, you treat the depression and try to reduce toxic situations as much as you can - not always easy to do I know.

No one with depression or anxiety can ever 'snap out of it' or be tougher. It's a medical condition - as is diabetes -and it makes just as much sense to tell a diabetic to hang tough. So the first thing in being kind to yourself is not having unrealistic expectation for yourself.

All the things you are feeling at the moment seem like me when my anxiety takes over. There are many things you can do to reduce background anxiety and attacks as they occur. I'd suggest having a look around this Forum to see how others have coped. A good starting point would be:

Forums / Anxiety / SELF HELP TIPS FOR MANAGING ANXIETY

Very long but I've found it highly useful. Being kind to yourself also means doing things you enjoy. It's not being selfish, just getting a balance and temporary relief from the hassles of living with anxiety and depression. For example I read and lose myself in books.

Try the free smartphone app Smiling Mind, takes practice, helps me a great deal.

Please keep talking and letting us know how you are getting on

Croix

Does medication help?

blondguy — Sat, 12 Aug 2017 06:06:36 GMT

Hi Acacia

Great to see you again!

The 'shaky' feeling you mentioned is very common with anxiety....depression or having a 'tired' mind.

When we are over sensitised we do feel these awful symptoms..including crying at the smallest trigger too. Any anxiety/depression does take a heap of determination and a mega strong focus to get start finding some peace

Dealing with overly negative/toxic people doesnt do much for our recovery as you know. The hardest place to be is living with people that are this way. If its work or an acquaintance we can avoid these people. At home is a completely different story

Being mentally tired is the same as physical exhaustion....they are both draining. Repeated ongoing counseling is a great way to bring some peace back into your life.

You have done really well by having the two visits so quickly and good on you!

I still see my GP every 4 weeks for a 'tune up' whether or not I feel 'overwhelmed'

Just for your info this is my 20th year on AD's. They have helped me not only retain employment but have also helped me grow and be successful in my career too. I originally started taking them (reluctantly) when I found myself with chronic anxiety and in a constant state of being overwhelmed (I was crook and didnt really know it)

Being tougher, fighting the symptoms or trying to snap out of it doesnt work.

Genuine acceptance of these awful feelings make them less powerful thus makes them weaker in intensity.

I think you will do very well with having the proactive mindset you have Acacia. You are a legend 🙂

Golly...I have prattled on here a bit...I hope there is something here than can help..even a teenie bit

My kind thoughts for you Acacia and I love your last sentence too 🙂 Great stuff!

Paul

Does medication help?

acacia100 — Sat, 12 Aug 2017 06:57:24 GMT

Thankyou so much croix and blondguy for your kind words.

It is releiving to know that im not completely alone in how i feel. And comforting to see how others do manage and eventually feel ok again.

Anxiety is a b!atch isnt it! Some days i can notice it and control it and other times it just completely takes over my mind.

Im at a point where i think im willing to try medication because i dont want to feel like this...ill keep u guys posted.

Thanks again for ur advice& support ...it means a lot to me.

Does medication help?

blondguy — Sat, 12 Aug 2017 08:16:22 GMT

No worries at all Acacia 🙂

Anxiety is a B!atch...spot on. With your proactive attitude you will find peace from this crappy disorder

You are never alone here Acacia

Paul

Does medication help?

acacia100 — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 00:21:29 GMT

Hi guys..popping in for another update.

i ended up asking the doc for medication because my anxiety was unbearable. They put me on some and it has been very interesting!

Everything is abnormally calm and strange, feels like im in some dream like world. So the anxiety is gone..awesome...but the tablets make me so ridiculously tired that i cannot function properly and i feel numb and blah about everything. I feel like heavy... like a potato! Lol!

I lowered the dose but still dont like it. Its only been a week but im contemplating going off them. In my calm state of mind i have been able to look at myself and my thoughts differently and feel like i need to master this myself without tablets.

Not sure wether to give it a few more days or just not take tonights dose??

Does medication help?

CMF — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 12:09:19 GMT

Hi acacia,

Thank you for your posts on the 'inner chatter' thread. I managed to find your thread and am wondering how you are going with the meds. What did you decide to do? I notice your thread has been quiet for sometime but you are still around and posting. I don't take meds but have used natural supplements and yes, some made me feel drowsy and zonked out. I ended upstopping but my anxiety is on and off depending what is going on in my life. I now take vitamin B and fish oil. My anxiety is also hormonal so i take something for that too.

cmf x

Does medication help?

acacia100 — Sun, 15 Apr 2018 04:41:14 GMT

Hi cmf.

I gave up the meds, they didnt work for me at all. Ive tried counselling with two different people but gave up because they didn't understand how to help me.

Im still struggling with cr@p daily but i figure its stuff i have to figure out on my own. I did get the guts to go and ask for help or support from professionals and even a few people close to me but no one helps or seems to care that much. So im back to keeping things to myself again. It makes me really angry and upset actually. I do have good people and i do feel grateful for them but i dont know how to ask for help because if get ignored and fotgotton about again it just stings too much! Makes me feel more worthless and i sink further into that hole.