Question:
I was wondering if anybody might have a suggestion for an effective
med to break this cycle. For years I have isolated myself from society
( jobs, relationships, ect. ). Because this resembles depression, I
have been treated with many different anti-depressants, none of which
work. I now believe the cause is actually from anxiety which makes me
unwilling to engage with society out of fear of rejection, ect. I once
took Buspirone which had no appreciable effect.
I would like to try something that relaxes me enough that my mood
becomes elevated and my energy level rises so that I become willing to
go out and take a chance without being so pessimistic ahead of time
that I don't even try. Any suggestions ?
Answer:
Being that you said you tried AD's and buspar and none of the above worked
(although i do hope u gave the A.D's at least 8 weeks to work & and i hope they
were SSRI's,Which seem to work the best for anxiety) but if all that failed i
think what you need ids to talk to another doc, because it seems to me your doc
never suggested a benzo like Xanax on a scedualed dosage, It's seems alot of
doctors are getting benzo phobic, But i think it can really help your problem.
(something to ask your doc about) I suffered like you and have been on countless medications until a new
doctor suggested Seroxat (Paxil).
I can honestly say that it has worked wonders in only a small amount of
time. The side effects can be a bit much at first but take it after a large
meal and try benzos to counter act the jittery feeling and you will be fine. You said you've taken various antidepressants. Have you tried a monoamine
oxidase inhibitor (MAOI)? (Nardil, Parnate, or Marplan) They're old and not
used much but they work very well for people who have depression that doesn't
respond to other kinds of antidepressants. In particular, they're the only kind
of antidepressant that has been systematically tested for depression that is
characterized by the following symptoms: * excessive sleeping
* binge eating/cravings for sweets
* very low energy or a feeling of heaviness
* and chronic rejection-sensitivity! (This is called atypical depression which may not be very appropriate, as it
might actually might be more common than "typical" depression.) They're also the best-tested drugs (and the only well-tested antidepressants)
for generalized social phobia, an anxiety disorder. Social phobics are afraid
of being in front of other people and sometimes say that just talking to
someone they don't know (or don't know very well) is like performing (so they
feel like they are having performance anxiety). They are very afraid of
embarrassment or humiliation and sometimes will go to great lengths to avoid
interacting with people (up to and including isolating themselves completely). Benzodiazepines can help with social anxiety as well. Mostly the ones that have
been studied are Klonopin and Xanax, but other ones like Ativan, Serax, Valium,
and Librium probably help too. They aren't likely to increase your energy or
improve your mood, though. this sounds like you may have developed a panic disorder
(btw nothing to be ashamed of) and I implore you to go out and get help
ASAP because there Are effective treatments. Aside from many prescription
pharmaceuticals, I strongly encourage psychotherapy to resolve underlying
issues. If you want more info on panic disorder check out. http://www.mediconsult.com/stress/shareware/upd/upd.html & http://www.algy.com/pdi (no affiliations) and the search engines. I believe often anxiety disorders such as panic disorders, phobias, OCD, BDD
and even depression are often continuums of intense unresolved feelings
rather than merely distinct independent entities as they are too often
perceived. This is not to say that there aren't biological distinct
entities just that their psychosocial components are frequently under
explored. The idea is to break the cycle from step 1, the intense
unresolved feelings so you can eventually be weaned off the pharmaceuticals
when your nervous system and underlying issues are stabilized.
