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| Anxiety & SSRI's | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 1 2013, 12:45 AM (286 Views) | |
| Piquant | May 1 2013, 12:45 AM Post #1 |
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Here there be dragons
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I'm pretty sure I've talked about my social anxiety here before. I've taken betablockers before social occasions for years to help reduce my anxiety while around other people, as well as relying on alcohol to help calm me down if out at a dinner or something. I tried CBT last year which wasn't helpful because the therapist was young, inexperienced and unsure of herself and the right path to take with my treatment. That was pretty discouraging because CBT was always my safety net and back-up plan, the idea being if I don't get over this myself and it starts to affect my daily functioning in a big way then I can have CBT and presto! I'll be cured. A couple of months ago I told my doctor about my social anxiety and the dead-end CBT. I told her how I'd been self-medicating with the leftover Lorazepam from my back injury and that I generally felt the situation was a bit of a mess and wasn't sure what my options were. She suggested I go on an SSRI (antidepressant). "But I'm not depressed" I told her. She said a depressed person would take about 1 a day, but for anxiety they have people on up to four a day. Taking it in higher doses helps reduce anxiety and it's preferable to taking anti-anxiety medication. I was really hesitant at first but she made a strong case and convinced me to give it a go, along with CBT at the same time. She put me onto a male therapist who has treated loads of people with social anxiety and knows what he's doing. I've had 4 sessions with him and already I'm noticing a difference in how I think about social situations. The medication is also helping HEAPS. I think the reason I've been going out so much lately is because I've been feeling so normal and relaxed and it lets me enjoy a social outing rather than avoiding them and being filled with dread when I do have to go to one. My doctor gave me 6 clonazepams to take when I have a highly stressful situation to deal with, such as the wedding. I tried one out a few days before to see how it affects me and it was amazing. All my anxiety disappeared and I felt completely normal without the dizzy drowsiness that lorazepam you get with lorazepam. At the wedding my mother was supposed to give a speech but she chickened out at the last minute. She asked her partner to do it and he said no. She asked Rolfe to do it and he said no. The bride seemed really gutted and upset that nobody from our side of the family was going to give a speech. Nobody bothered to ask me because they figured there was no point, heh. I went over to her and told her I'd give a speech. It really was a huge deal for me and my family were flabbergasted. She was so grateful! I scribbled down three main points on my napkin about 5 minutes beforehand and drilled them into my head, along with how I would expand on them... and then I stood up and fucking gave a speech to a room full of 50 people. I still can't believe I did it. It was the clonazepam giving me courage, but I still did it. I told my doctor afterwards and she actually started crying, which was weird. But yeah it was a big deal for me. I even slipped a little joke in there that made people laugh. I've felt so positive ever since and I suddenly have more faith in myself. My family were so proud of me :) |
| Every time you eat bread Ryan Gosling is sad. | |
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| Guest | May 1 2013, 01:46 AM Post #2 |
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Unregistered
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Don't let the pills become a crutch though like people do with alcohol. Try slow deep breathing,I find it really helps. |
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| Piquant | May 1 2013, 01:50 AM Post #3 |
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Here there be dragons
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I know, that's why I've always been hesitant to go on daily medication. The plan is to wean me off after about a year. By then I will hopefully have developed tools to reduce my anxiety in CBT and won't need meds. I do breathing and muscle-relaxing exercises :) |
| Every time you eat bread Ryan Gosling is sad. | |
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| Piquant | May 1 2013, 01:59 AM Post #4 |
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Here there be dragons
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One situation that makes my anxiety go through the roof is having dinner with Rolfe's family, in particular his sister and her husband + kids. I got out of going the other night and apparently she wasn't happy about my absence. She invited us over for dinner tomorrow night because their aunty and her hubby + kids are going to be there and also Rolfe's dad. Such a big group of people and there's no way I can get out of going. It's not my family, whyyy do I have to go? Why can't Rolfe just go? Dammit. The kids always ask about me, so she says, and I think she uses that to try to guilt-trip me into going. The other night when I didn't go to dinner Rolfe came home and said the kids were all "where's aunty Jane?". I mean... jaysus! They're Rolfe's blood. Shouldn't they be all "where's uncle Rolfe? Oh there you are!" and be all over him? Why me? I don't even think I've played interacted much with the youngest one so I don't know why he wants to see me. I just don't really like kids. Well that's not true, they're fun to be around when they're about 4 - 12. But babies and toddlers... they always have sticky hands and food around their mouth. Blegh. I always have to fake doing the croony baby voice with them and reading them stories while their parents sit back and watch, all crinkly-eyed smiles and glowing. No. Just no. |
| Every time you eat bread Ryan Gosling is sad. | |
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| Cat's Pyjamas | May 1 2013, 03:46 AM Post #5 |
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♀
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| Angry Squirrel | May 1 2013, 04:59 AM Post #6 |
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Supreme Adjudicator of Chatterb0x
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Drugs are for fucking weak people. Grow a fucking pair and deal with your problems head on. |
Rule 14.![]() Mark | |
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| Angry Squirrel | May 1 2013, 05:00 AM Post #7 |
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Supreme Adjudicator of Chatterb0x
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"Social anxiety?" What a fucking joke. Oh, I'm so scared what somebody might think about me, boo-fucking-hoo. |
Rule 14.![]() Mark | |
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| Guest | May 1 2013, 05:03 AM Post #8 |
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Unregistered
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Bro, u 4 rl? |
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| Angry Squirrel | May 1 2013, 05:07 AM Post #9 |
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Supreme Adjudicator of Chatterb0x
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Whoever you are, you should probably read up a little on Big Pharma and the FDA... |
Rule 14.![]() Mark | |
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| Angry Squirrel | May 1 2013, 05:08 AM Post #10 |
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Supreme Adjudicator of Chatterb0x
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You're a drug addict. Please get help. |
Rule 14.![]() Mark | |
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2:19 PM Jul 11
