General Anxiety? Anyone Suffer?

[hankmoody]

Originally Posted by James Earl Zones

Originally Posted by pianoman52

Originally Posted by James Earl Zones

that sucks. i've had nothing but good experiences with antidepressants. how long were you on them and how old were you?
how are you feeling nowadays?

Varies person to person, I know a few people who are doing better after meds. Myself and my dude an dee are strong advocates of the no pills policy..

Couldn't make less sense.

 

[james earl zones]

Originally Posted by HankMoody

Originally Posted by James Earl Zones

Originally Posted by pianoman52

that sucks. i've had nothing but good experiences with antidepressants. how long were you on them and how old were you?
how are you feeling nowadays?

Varies person to person, I know a few people who are doing better after meds. Myself and my dude an dee are strong advocates of the no pills policy..

Couldn't make less sense.

Which part? Whether or not it helps varies but I don't recommend it as a first resort. Do you have experience or are you just reading and commenting?

 

[an dee 51o]

I believe he's taking shots at me, but let's hear what he has to say

b2 work but I'll be in here later

 

[hankmoody]

If you know people that have been helped by it, why would you be a staunch "no-pill" advocate? Seems counter-intuitive. "Varies person to person" is exactly the type of comment that would warrant a more nuanced stance.

 

[an dee 51o]

Because pills can also lead to worsening of conditions, suicidal thoughts, zombie-mode, etc

 

[pianoman52]

i really advise NT'ers reading the "pills will make u commit suicide" comments to speak to their doctors before allowing the other anti-pill NT'ers influence their decisions. Anti-depressants are the #1 prescribed drug in America for a reason. It's because it works.

 

[hankmoody]

Originally Posted by an dee 51o

Because pills can also lead to worsening of conditions, suicidal thoughts, zombie-mode, etc

For everyone?

 

[james earl zones]

Originally Posted by an dee 51o

Because pills can also lead to worsening of conditions, suicidal thoughts, zombie-mode, etc

dis right hurr.

In my opinion the cons outweigh the pros by far. I didn't develop suicidal tendencies until I was taking 1.5-2mg of xanies. They were good at small dosages for very short periods but besides that, no.

"Because they work"? Seriously

yeah they work, theyre also addictive as hell too. Overmedication is a huge problem in this country. I'm against medicating but as I said, results vary. In my opinion, manufactured chemicals should not be your first choice for treatment.

 

[jdub2030]

First off, to those who are telling him to man up or to learn to deal with it, you have no idea how ignorant you sound. Do you know how crippling an anxiety disorder can be? No you don't, so sit down.


^This. This is some real stuff. To all the people saying "man up" or "learn to deal with it," you sound so ignorant. Not only is it ignorant but it is dumb. Medications may not work for a select few, however, they work for the overwhelming majority of people who use them. In addition to this, if you were on something that wasn't working, you probably could have switched to a different medication and had it work perfectly fine.

People don't understand that being depressed or having an anxiety/panic disorder is due to a chemical imbalance. I could spend thousands and thousands of dollars on therapy and/or try a million of different ways to cure my anxiety but it wouldn't help because it would not make my brain produce the chemicals needed to counter the anxiety disorder. Only medication does that. So how is it wrong or bad to take meds? I mean, think about it, if someone had a heart condition, would you tell them not to take their heart medicine? Rather they should "man up," or, "learn to deal with it"? Sure, I agree that prescription drugs are wide over-prescribed in our country. That is why it is important to go to a doctor/psychiatrist to get properly diagnosed in order to see if meds are the right answer for you.

With this in mind, I encourage you to go to a doctor, explain to him/her your problem/symptoms and see if medication is a good answer for you. I know it's the right answer more often than the wrong one.

 

[gllahone84]

Stay away from drugs

 

[Jordan8]

Lexapro is not Xanax my ex was depressed after her roommate died. She was on Lexapro for a few months and I saw her get back to her normal mood not a zombie.

I thought she was on Xanax and I was worried if she would become addicted. Lexapro doesnt have the same symptoms as Xans and works quicker so you can live without them she was only on them for 4 months.

 

[pololax]

Sorry for the late response, but I've been busy with work and school all day.

Thanks for the replies and everyone's advice, etc.  A lot of individuals in here are talking about medication. I am currently seeing a therapist and she told me she doesn't believe I need any medication as my case isn't that severe. Even if she did try to prescibe them, I would def. try a new approach to life first as like many other NTers have said, meds can sometimes mess with you. Some sorts of addiction run in my family (alcohol) and I don't want to get on meds because I fear dependence or the negative side effects.

I really don't know how bad my anxiety is, but I know it's there. Sometimes I'll live life regulary and be totally fine, the next minute I will be fearing something. Can any of you who suffer from this give me examples as how it affects you?

I grew up in a family where I believe anxiety runs and this scares me.

 

[sutekh3.gemstonenwn]

Im currently on Lexapro.
I can tell you that before Lexapro I was violent
The one problem with Lexapro is that when you try to come off of it you will experience an uncomfortable feeling for weeks; It's like a subtle brain shock

I had some trouble in middle school... so bad that I became a shut out. I think it was because of anxiety... Having bad past experiences with relationships, one can begin to believe that every relationship is going to be the same... so out of fear he doesn't try anymore.
You see all the negatives in your experiences...

Nonetheless, I have made significant strides.

Anxiety causes depression because when you are in such an anxious state, you drive people away. You are then lonely. You act weird because all you try to do is analyze what the other person is thinking.

 

[pololax]

Originally Posted by Sutekh3

Im currently on Lexapro.
I can tell you that before Lexapro I was violent
The one problem with Lexapro is that when you try to come off of it you will experience an uncomfortable feeling for weeks; It's like a subtle brain shock

I had some trouble in middle school... so bad that I became a shut out. I think it was because of anxiety... Having bad past experiences with relationships, one can begin to believe that every relationship is going to be the same... so out of fear he doesn't try anymore.
You see all the negatives in your experiences...

Nonetheless, I have made significant strides.

Anxiety causes depression because when you are in such an anxious state, you drive people away. You are then lonely. You act weird because all you try to do is analyze what the other person is thinking.

This is so true. So here is where my anxiety kicks in. There is a girl in my class. She's highly attractive, seems to have similar interests, etc. I want to talk to her, but when I try to after class I get so anxious, and it almost feels like physically I can't open my mouth and talk. This is what I deal with all the time. Once I break the ice, I'm fine. It's the initial talking that is so hard to overcome. It becomes hard to breathe. 

Now how I got with all my previous girls, a lot of the time it was through mutual friends, right place at the right time to initiate conversation, etc. But me approaching a random girl, no sir. Can't do it at all. THe funny thing about this? Me and this girl have talked before, but it's always been like in a "group" setting.

%!+@ is depressing I swear.

  

 

[scshift]

I don't suffer from anxiety but sometimes I overthink things.

I don't really freeze up though, sometimes I'll get nervous like when I'm about to take a test, talk to an attractive girl, hear some big news, etc., but everyone gets that.

Try meditating though. I do it before I sleep and it clears my mind thoroughly. It works a little too well though, as soon as I'm done I get really sleepy

 

[sofa king awsm]

i get it depending where im at. like if im in line at the bank or something, or at the cash register, at work walking down the cubicle aisles etc. my shoulders/neck get super tense for no reason, ill walk weird, voice not the same etc. Got worse after my grampa died. I hate the feeling, kills me inside. i think i smoke to much bud. maybe i should see a professional, i dont really want to take any weird meds tho.

 

[hyphysole]

I use to have very bad anxiety. I would be driving, and start having slow breathing. I wouldnt recommend taking medication, it may just make you rely on it too much.
But its up to you. I exercised a lot to get my mind off things and it really helped my anxiety. I rarely get it anymore. Eat healthy as well. Dont drink soda or anything with caffeine.
They just make your anxiety worst.

 

[cash is clay]

theres no such thing everything is classified now if you think like this your this if you do this your this man forget all that it is what it is burn one and do you general anxiety? you mean depression? get up n do something bout it

 

[an dee 51o]

Originally Posted by PoloLax

Can any of you who suffer from this give me examples as how it affects you?

I have had terrible anxiety ever since I can remember, but it definitely worsened around age 20. I usually describe it to people this way: say a normal person is a 5 on a scale from 1-10. Normal people can fluctuate anywhere on the scale, but I'm running on a 10 pretty much all the time. For a while, I was experiencing anxiety to the point of near paranoia. It caused me to get into a lot of confrontations because I would think someone was mugging me, or coming sideways at me. I would even convince myself that my friends were trying to come up off me.

I tried a bunch of different anxiety meds, but nothing really worked until I tried Xanax. I got a prescription for it and I was good for a while, but I got hooked and my tolerance went way up. I was prescribed 2 mg a day and also buying 2 mg bars from people I knew. I was a complete zombie during that period, and I can honestly tell you that I have holes in my memory stretching for several months. When I got off that stuff, the withdrawal was awful. Horrible physical pain matched with the most intense anxiety I have ever felt. I basically had to shut myself in my room for a few days.

Now, I medicate with marijuana. Sativas are good for day time use, because they're not heavy highs. Indicas (purples, etc) help me sleep because insomnia comes along with the territory. I am a huge proponent for medical marijuana because it has definitely helped my anxiety without any of the side effects. Pills work for some people, but I would definitely say that they should be a last option.

 

[sutekh3.gemstonenwn]

Originally Posted by PoloLax

 

This is so true. So here is where my anxiety kicks in. There is a girl in my class. She's highly attractive, seems to have similar interests, etc. I want to talk to her, but when I try to after class I get so anxious, and it almost feels like physically I can't open my mouth and talk. This is what I deal with all the time. Once I break the ice, I'm fine. It's the initial talking that is so hard to overcome. It becomes hard to breathe. 

Now how I got with all my previous girls, a lot of the time it was through mutual friends, right place at the right time to initiate conversation, etc. But me approaching a random girl, no sir. Can't do it at all. THe funny thing about this? Me and this girl have talked before, but it's always been like in a "group" setting.

%!+@ is depressing I swear.

  






Stop thinking about the negative possibilities.  I can tell you that the most depressing thing is not even trying to talk to someone

 

[too much]

Originally Posted by scshift

I don't suffer from anxiety but sometimes I overthink things.

I don't really freeze up though, sometimes I'll get nervous like when I'm about to take a test, talk to an attractive girl, hear some big news, etc., but everyone gets that.

Try meditating though. I do it before I sleep and it clears my mind thoroughly. It works a little too well though, as soon as I'm done I get really sleepy

I also tend over-think things all the time but to a worse degree then you but could you give me some advice about meditating?