Can you psych yourself into anxiety?

Hey there, I am glad you upped your dose, and what you explain about your feelings seems to me to be anticipatory anxiety.

“Anticipatory anxiety” is the anxiety one experiences before starting a challenging activity. In your case the fear of the unknown.  You had a bad experience and now your wondering if it will happen again, should you go to LA, should you stay at home?  Some people refer to it as stage fright. 

Hi Danielle,

I was always told that medication is only a "helper" in getting through panic/anxiety.  It can help you to feel more balanced and less anxious while you learn how to deal with your p/a by using cbt, relaxation, etc.  I've been on meds for 18 + years and it does not take the disorder away for me, it just allows me to be calm enough to get a handle on things and begin to learn how to cope with it.  Are you in therapy?  Do you use cbt and relaxation?  Those are the two things that I think have been most beneficial to me.  Now, this is only my experience and everyone reacts differently to meds, so keep that in mind as well.  But honestly I didn't get a quick fix from meds.  I do believe 100% that you will get better, it takes time and doing it the right way, but you will get there.  Have you read any books on p/a?  I like Claire Weeks, myself, but there are alot out there on the subject that may help you get a better understanding of what's going on.  I don't know what to tell you about going to California, that seems like such a huge thing to handle with where you are right now with the p/a, I do hope that you will be able to make the right decision for yourself, you are in a tough spot right now and I really feel for you.  All my best...

When I started my Lexapro I was only at 10 mgs but that wasn't working I didn't think so I upped it to 20 mgs.  Now I don't think it's working again so I might ask the doc I'm seeing friday about maybe switching to a beta blocker or a different anti depressant.

Sometimes it takes years for people to find the right medication or combination of medications.  My sister has panic disorder and has tried ativan, xanax, klonopin (benzos)  Klonopin works for her.  She has also tried Celexa, Zoloft, Lexapro, Paxil and numerous other antidepressants.  She has beta blocker medication but doesn't want to take it and is weaning off of Lexapro and looking into other alternatives.  She's been suffereing with PD for about 13 years.

I go back and forth between the Ativan I take.  I go from a .5 mgs a day to maybe 1 mg a day depending on how panicky I'm feeling.

A few years ago I tried Zoloft for panic but that made me more panicky so I stopped taking it after a month.

I fear never getting better.  It's my biggest fear... ok.. next to fearing a panic attack hehe.  But I went to see this mental health person today to make an appot to talk to a psychiatrist and to get help from these people and I told him that that's a worry of mine.  Will I ever get better? Am I gonna be like this forever?  What is it gonna take to stop this.  I was absolutely convinced I'd be done with panic after a year... but here I am... looking for different options to get better.

But then again... I just took the meds and sat there... I never tried therapy with an actual therapist.  So I think I'm on the right track now.

I don't think fearing your meds should change the effectiveness of them.  Sometimes I freak out and think my ativan won't work (ativan is like klonopin) and then BAM it kicks in.. and then I'm like "oh yeah, it does work"

So you're not crazy for asking all these questions!  Even now I ask myself these questions repeatedly.

My post on this message board is uber long LOL

*HUGGGGGGGGS* Welcome to healing well and glad to have met you.

TG~