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anxiety medication - insight needed!

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Posted 12/22/2014 7:21 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for taking the time to click on my post!

I'm a 21 year old college student working two jobs. I was diagnosed with a severe anxiety disorder last year and have been taking 20mg of citalopram (generic for celexa) for over a year now.

I was very hesitant to start taking the prescription to begin with but my anxiety was out of control and I saw no other route to recovery. Thankfully the citalopram has made an enormous difference in my life, limiting my once crippling anxiety/panic attacks to a minimum.

I am in a place now where I'm looking to get off my medication, but I am absolutely terrified to feel like I did before... so I am asking anyone who may have experience with either lowering their dosage or getting off their medication to share their insight with me. I would greatly appreciate it, good or bad!
Posted 12/22/2014 9:07 AM (GMT 0)
welcome.

coping skills are what work really well for people. breathing exercises, mental stop signs and cognitive self talk. i have just been allowed a little prn valium. i use it sparingly. 1 script only. i think by putting healthy things in place will help. an all round routine. quiet time, study time, clean time. adopting a mindfulness practice concept helps, meditation and stretching. say to yourself....i am fine and i will be fine. remember that tape in ya head, sometimes it needs stopping. sometimes an eject and a new tape. be positive and confident, i have tapered of 6 meds in the last year and a half. you got this okay.

many healing thoughts.
Posted 12/22/2014 10:04 AM (GMT 0)
I have a related question too. My doctor gave me Seroxat CR (paroxetine hydrochloride 12.5mg) for daily. Im scared to start it because i think i might get addicted to it or my body n mind will start depending on it. Should i start it or not. Has anyone taken this before?
Posted 12/22/2014 11:10 AM (GMT 0)
Hi

First of all a big welcome to the forum I am pleased you have found us.

I am pleased to hear that you are now at a stage were you can consider coming of your medication it is always best to do this under the supervision of your doctor and very slowly taper. As far as I know Citalopram is one of the easer medications to come off so you should not have to many problems.

Let us know how it goes and we are here for you if you need any support.


Hibee
Posted 12/22/2014 5:09 PM (GMT 0)
Hi bvalentine and welcome!

Have you been through therapy and/or learned coping skills as H.T. mentioned in his reply to you?

In general, when letting go of one treatment option, it is wise to have a plan in in place with another for back up.

For long term anxiety management I always recommend having the tools of therapy on hand to daily manage, and/or get you through any rough spots you may encounter.

So with your doctor's weaning schedule, and the help of what you have learned (or will learn) in therapy and/or self help material...you should be just fine.

Keep posting with us if you find it helpful...we can support you through this time.:)

Scaredy Cat
Posted 12/22/2014 5:19 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Relapse,

The Rx that you've been prescribed is contain the active ingredient paroxetine, a type of antidepressant know as an SSRI.

This class of meds is not considered habit forming, or a dependency risk.

Discontinuation is likely what you are concerned about...and yes, it does need to be done with a proper wean. The reason being is that your body, more specifically the neurotranmitters in the brain, are going to become accustomed to the change that the meds bring about, and abruptly stopping will bring uncomfortable side effects.

Starting a new med can be scary...but look at it this way and ask yourself these questions...

If this is going to help get the chemistry in the brain to a healthy place, is this any different than taking any other med to correct anything else in the body?

Would I be able to feel better and improve my quality of living if I found the right med for myself?

What would I encourage a friend suffering with depression/anxiety to do?

This is a personal decision, and one that you are wise to think about and not rush into.

Other options are trying therapy and or self/help either alone or in conjunction with your Rx. This will give you the best well rounded approach to treating the issues that challenge you.

Keep posting here with us as well. We are here to care, understand...and support is key!

Talk to you soon.

Scaredy Cat

Is
Posted 12/22/2014 10:17 PM (GMT 0)
thank you all for the warm welcome! I'm so happy to have found a supportive community full of people in similar situations. I've never had that in my battle with anxiety.

happy turtle -
thank you for your advice. I'm in a place now where I can tell myself I'll be okay, however this also bring me back to when I was first suffering and how much easier said than done this was. hopefully now that I have a better grasp on my disorder it will be more useful this time around.

hibee -
I didn't know that about citalopram so thank you for that insight! I'll be sure to post about my experience with the tapering off should I find the courage to do so. thanks for your support!

scaredy cat -
to answer your question, yes I have been through therapy. I saw a therapist at my school's health center, while she was helpful at times I also felt like she didn't see a reason for me to be as anxious as I was and I often felt like she just wanted to tell me "get over it." needless to say I stopped seeing her and have been without therapy for almost a year now... what sort of therapy tools would you suggest I turn to for the rough spots? thanks for replying!
Posted 12/23/2014 1:12 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Bvalentine! Welcome :)

I have been on Citalopram (20mg) myself and came off it after only a few months. I just gradually cut down the amount I was taking to 10mg and then to half a pill.. Then I started taking it every other day. Eventually I was literally taking the tiniest bit of tablet just to still have a bit in my system.

I was fine when I finally started, the only problem I had was my dreams were a bit weird which I think was part of the withdrawal... But since then I've not been back on them. That was about a year and a half ago :) Best of luck to you, I'm sure you will be fine :) Just do it verrrryy slowly!! :)
Posted 12/23/2014 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
BV.,

I am sorry that you did not get the best of validation/help from the therapy experience at your school.:( Sometimes with therapy, like anything, we have to try more than one source as individual practitioners vary greatly!

For now, here is the link to our Resources here. It is full of material that you can get started on today! There are sites with coping skills to learn and put into practice. These help to lower your overall anxiety. There are also therapy worksheets to help with any negative or unwanted thoughts. You'll find a wide range of material to check out, and see what resonates with you and your individual needs.:)

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=9&m=104206



I encourage you to keep talking with us as well. Having a peer community who supports and care makes all the difference!

S.C.

Posted 12/25/2014 7:45 PM (GMT 0)
Thankyou so much Scardey Cat. I think those questions do answer n solve my confusion.

GoodLuck B.V
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