Hello all

Long time lurker, first post, not new to anxiety at all and am still going through it. Little history of myself: I'm currently 36 as of today, but had my first panic attack when I was about 15 or 16. A years worth of prozac, xanax and self help tapes and I seemed to have been cured. Well flash forward to 2011 my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma. Now her living in California and me in Missouri the best I was able to do was get phone updates on her status. I made it out there once to see how she was doing and at that time she seemed to be on the mend and docs were saying they weren't seeing the cancer anymore. Well after my return to Missouri I guess everything fell apart because she was in and out of the hospital on a weekly basis. So with this stress of knowing I was eventually going to lose my mother, coupled with the distance of not being there beside her, I started to get panic attacks again. So the beginning of 2012, my mom passes. A couple months later my wife and I had to put our dog down due to cancer spreading throughout her body and knowing the pain was getting too much for her even on pain pills.
I've had one trip to the ER (before I was put on any kind of meds) because my heart was beating so hard and fast I thought for sure I was having a heartattack. The docs took my BP and it was 180/110 I believe they said with my BPM being 100. So needless to say that scared me into seeking help. For about 2 years now I'm on .25mg X 2 a day of Klonopin and 20mg(I think) of the generic Lexapro.
One of my questions is why do docs put people with anxiety on anti-depressants? I don't feel depressed, just kind of numb sometimes, which I suspect is part of the lexapro's fault. At the same time though I think I would rather feel numb than anxious all the time, because that really is a living hell in my eyes. Sorry for rambling on...

Hi OR, welcome...and Happy Birthday!!

Thank you for introducing yourself and giving us a good deal of background. Sharing your story is very helpful.:)

I am sorry to hear of your mom's illness and passing. It is easy to see how this can be an anxiety trigger. You are not alone in this, and many people have increased/returning anxiety due to similar circumstances.

In answer to your question, the reason that A/D's are used in treating anxiety as well as depression is two-fold. One reason is that they often co-exist...but beyond that, it is simply because they work on the neurotransmitters in the brain in a similar way.

An SSRI for example is going to work on Seratonin, while other meds work on Dopamine...(nutshell explanation!) these chemicals affect both depression and anxiety, and leveling them in the brain is going to have similar postive effects in terms of both depression and anxiety.

On the other hand, a benzodiazepine, which is considered an anxiety med is just that...an anti-anxiety med.

Doctors usually prefer to prescribe an A/D (or combination of A/D and benzo) over a just a benzo alone...as the latter can pose a dependency risk.

(there are other considerations besides SSRI's and benzodiazepines in treating anxiety medically.  Off label use of Vistaril/antihistamines for example is something you can discuss with your doctor...as well as other meds such as Buspar/anxiolyctics)

Have you considered returning to using self-help, or the treatment option of therapy?

I found great benefit from both.:) CBT in particular was amazing in treating my panic issues, health anxiety and physical symptoms.

We have great material in our Resources. See our main page, 1st post for infor and self help recommendations.

Keep posting with us as well. Support is key, and we care and understand!

Talk to you soon,

Scaredy Cat

sending healing thoughts your way. mindfulness really does help. my condolences regarding the passing of your mum and furry friend. healing thoughts to your wife as well. will keep her in my thoughts. for me dealing with anxiety and panic is all about management and coping skills. i find the power of positive thoughts and actions really helps. mindfulness is everything to me. i practice everyday. i was an absolute mess to now doing frightfully well. (still have my moments though) for me finding the right copeing skill that works for you i feel is important. doing something that is conducive to you and works quickly is i reckon a good method. welcome from me too. keep well.