Hi everyone, I feel a bit weird posting this as I have never used one of
these forums before, but I have a lot of anxiety relating to my
treatment currently that I feel as though I have no one to discuss this
with. I was diagnosed with generalised an...
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Hi everyone, I feel a bit weird posting this as I have never used one of
these forums before, but I have a lot of anxiety relating to my
treatment currently that I feel as though I have no one to discuss this
with. I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder three years ago
and have been managing it with cognitive behaviour therapy, counselling,
exercise, etc., since. My psychologists have termed me as very
'high-functioning' and believed I would be best with medication from the
beginning. I have tried to hold this off for a very long time as my
mother has a very poor viewpoint on people who medicate for anxiety and
depression...her viewpoints are not my own but I will as though I have
'failed' in a way because of her beliefs. *I study nursing and have a
high respect for mental health and medication, this is just relating to
my own treatment* Also because of my nursing degree, I feel as though I
have almost too much knowledge of the side effects of these medications,
and how hard it can be to come off them later. I'm in the final year of
my degree and am no longer coping in terms of my anxiety, as I now have
constant panic/panic attacks due to constant stress, high pressure
environments and lack of sleep. My counsellor recommended me to discuss
my options with my GP, whom I went to speak with today. He believes I am
also suffering from a moderate amount of depression (which I had also
realised) and wrote me a prescription for a low-dose of a common SSRI,
and wants to have regular check-ups to monitor it's effectiveness. I
just feel torn- I know in myself that something hasn't been right with
me for the past couple of months, and that my symptoms are much more
severe and frequent than usual. I'm scared about my current quality of
life, and part of me believes that medication will help with this. But
I'm also so cautious/anxious about possible side effects, and being able
to come off this medication in the future. I realise this is a lengthy
post but I'm hoping someone else may have had a similar experience and
be able to reassure me!