Self-medicating anxiety.

[Guest]

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[paula]

Self-medicating anxiety.

Hi Starlight,
I too suffered terribly with anxiety, and did all the self medicating that you mention.
Then I saw my gp. and told him all my problems( well almost), he prescribed an
antidepressant which I've been taking for approx. 10 weeks, and now my anxiety
probs. have improved tremendously. I now feel so much better, it's worth giving
it a go. Hope this helps.
Love Paula.

[hablur]

Self-medicating anxiety.

Starlight,

I suffer from Anxiety as well and the general diagnosis is GAD - Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I take 60mg of Celexa and 1 mg of Ativan as needed. When I first becamce diagnosed with GAD I self medicated all the time. It worked faster than anything else to get rid of a panic attack.

I strongly suggest you actually go to a psychiatrist instead of a GP as they can treat you more effectively. Be nice to yourself and recall that nothing a PA does will actually hurt you. Niether can generalized anxiety.

Please visit Midwestcenter.Com and get hooked up with the forums. There is a tremendous amount of folks fighting the same thing you are and have help for you. The program is excellent btw and it really helped me overcome anxiety. If I had not done the program I doubt the pills would have worked.

I would like to offer that if you like (paula too) that you can PM me anytime you are feeling anxious... I have a lot of experience in this and would like to help.

One of the best things I have found that is an instant anxiety reducer is to do heavy exercise

[Accountable for Me]

Self-medicating anxiety.

Starlight, I self-medicated my anxiety/depression with alcohol. I think many of us do. The problem is with the drinking it increases the problems with it. You are doing the right thing by seeing your doctor. Don't feel afraid of being honest with him. He is there to help you and there are things he can prescribe to you that will help. There is light at the end of this tunnel. Keep moving forward.

[Bean]

Self-medicating anxiety.

Starlight - drinking really increases my anxiety and I feel sure that if you can just take the plunge and start this process you are going to feel a LOT better very soon. I don't suffer from 'normal' anxiety (thankfully) although I get occasional panic attacks which are always horrible and leave me feeling I've been through the wringer. There's no doubt in my mind that heavy drinking precipitates feelings of panic, anxiety and depression and alcohol does not make them go away.
Best of luck with the Dr appt. You seem to be very close to getting started. Bean x

[MonaCat]

Self-medicating anxiety.

Hablur, you are right on about the GAD, and proper medication. Lexapro also is prescribed for GAD, in addition to depression. Lexapro is the next generation of Celexa. Doctor's tend to use Celexa, because it is now generic, therefore less expensive than Lexapro.

[InnerStrength]

Self-medicating anxiety.

I too self medicated for anxiety with alcohol and it only made the problem worst. I was prescribed celexa which does help but the quitting/'cutting down drinking is the most important thing.

[goingsobermum]

Self-medicating anxiety.

My friends GP here in France told her to take extra Magnesium when she started having panic attacks and it helped.
I've read up about it since and it does help to calm, someone else on here was given magnesium to help them sleep.
Alcohol blocks absorption of magnesium and enhances its excretion.
So a good supplement would help.

[Popeye]

Self-medicating anxiety.

I've had it in my head for a long time that I may have some sort of depressive disorder, but I've never spoken to anyone except my wife (briefly) about it before.
I get seriously sad on occasion and have little regard for my self, if any. These occasions have become more common over recent years. These episodes don't last longer than a few days but I've noticed them so there's something there.
I don't think I'll ever see a doctor about it. I'm terrified of the drugs that get prescribed. My mother and her partner were given some really serious stuff that made utter zombies of them. I've no intention of going down that road. Drinking myself to oblivion seemed to get me through some bad days, but of course those bad days just got worse with drink.
I generally just accept these 'blue' times and let them pass, as they always do. I used to worry that I'd do something silly to myself, but I've got a new perspective on things now and I feel a lot better a lot more of the time. As I said before....I just ride it out.
I feel OK most of the time. I'm just a bit confused.

[julie001]

Self-medicating anxiety.

Hi Starlight,

I definitely masked my depression and anxiety with alcohol. I went from weekend drinking to drinking just about daily for the past two years. Unfortunately, my anxiety got so much worse when I was drinking excessively. I've battled depression/anxiety off and on for years. In the last three months, I started seeing a therapist and changed doctors (one who is a little more empathic to psychological illnesses). I started taking Lexapro 10 mg, a multivitamin, magnesium, amino acids, and l-glut, and started really working on cutting back on the nightly binging. I am sure that it is an equal combination of both, but I feel more in control of the anxiety aspect. I'm not completely stressed out to the point where I am reaching for a bottle of wine in order to relax and forget about life's stresses. I even quick smoking 8 days ago (with the help of the prescription Chantix). I never could have done that even a month ago. Life is not perfect, but it is getting better.

Make a plan. Talk with your doc, if you can, make an appointment with a therapist, decide on a realistic plan for moderating or abstaining. You can do this. Good luck!

Julie