Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 55703

Shown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms

Posted by karenR on March 6, 2001, at 9:46:04

I recently posted a message about Remeron and weight gain. First, I want to thank
everyone who responded. This web-site has been a real God-send to me. I was really
feeling alone about the symptoms of anxiety I was feeling, but to know that there is
population of "normal" people with the same problems is a real comfort to me. Anyway, the form in which
my anxiety was most severe was tightness in my chest and difficulty getting a full
breath in. I have been on remeron for 2.5 weeks now. I swear, it's a miracle.
I couldn't believe anything could make me feel "normal" again. Anyway, now that I am
properly medicated, I need to develop "coping skills". I don't want to be medicated
for life (plus, I dread gaining weight on the Remeron. I think I only gained a few
pounds, and I am on top of it, but can this continue?!?). Anyway, what types of coping
mechanisms have other people been successful with? I am still seeing a therapist but
I am not sure how much I am going to get from him. When my breathing difficulties started
about 6 months ago, he said things like "just don't take deep breaths" which to me sounds
as stupid as telling people who have insomnia to "just relax", it doesn't work! Now I
seem to be pretty irritable on the remeron, but he thinks it's just the medication "allowing"
me to feel the emotions that I had previously bottled up. I am not so sure of this, but
I'm willing to consider it. Anyway, has anyone ever had the type of anxiety symptons (or
even others!) that they've learned some sort of coping mechanism and been able to go off
of meds? My worst fear is that my anxiety will keep increasing to keep up with
the level of meds in my blood.

Thanks, karenR

 

Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms

Posted by Crystal on March 6, 2001, at 14:03:02

In reply to Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms, posted by karenR on March 6, 2001, at 9:46:04

Karen,
Do you take remeron by itself for anxiety?? Did it knock you out the first couple of days you took it. I think I tried it once and I couldn't stay awake. Just curious cause I have anxiety too and looking for some help.
crystal

> I recently posted a message about Remeron and weight gain. First, I want to thank
> everyone who responded. This web-site has been a real God-send to me. I was really
> feeling alone about the symptoms of anxiety I was feeling, but to know that there is
> population of "normal" people with the same problems is a real comfort to me. Anyway, the form in which
> my anxiety was most severe was tightness in my chest and difficulty getting a full
> breath in. I have been on remeron for 2.5 weeks now. I swear, it's a miracle.
> I couldn't believe anything could make me feel "normal" again. Anyway, now that I am
> properly medicated, I need to develop "coping skills". I don't want to be medicated
> for life (plus, I dread gaining weight on the Remeron. I think I only gained a few
> pounds, and I am on top of it, but can this continue?!?). Anyway, what types of coping
> mechanisms have other people been successful with? I am still seeing a therapist but
> I am not sure how much I am going to get from him. When my breathing difficulties started
> about 6 months ago, he said things like "just don't take deep breaths" which to me sounds
> as stupid as telling people who have insomnia to "just relax", it doesn't work! Now I
> seem to be pretty irritable on the remeron, but he thinks it's just the medication "allowing"
> me to feel the emotions that I had previously bottled up. I am not so sure of this, but
> I'm willing to consider it. Anyway, has anyone ever had the type of anxiety symptons (or
> even others!) that they've learned some sort of coping mechanism and been able to go off
> of meds? My worst fear is that my anxiety will keep increasing to keep up with
> the level of meds in my blood.
>
> Thanks, karenR

 

Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms » Crystal

Posted by karenR on March 6, 2001, at 14:55:20

In reply to Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms, posted by Crystal on March 6, 2001, at 14:03:02

> Karen,
> Do you take remeron by itself for anxiety?? Did it knock you out the first couple of days you took it. I think I tried it once and I couldn't stay awake. Just curious cause I have anxiety too and looking for some help.
> crystal
>
Hi Crystal,

I am taking remeron mostly for it's anxiety properties. I also have depression,
but my anxiety is my primary problem, I get risidual depression from the anxiety.
I used to be on 50 mgs zoloft, but that wasn't helping with the anxiety at all,
I tried BuSpar, that didn't help, and now I'm just starting Remeron.
I only take 7.5 mgs/day and it's unbelievable how much better I feel. The
First day I took it, I was knocked out cold for about 24 hours, even such
a tiny dose as the one I took. I do not have any trouble with the typical
side-effects of daytime sleepiness or increased appetite. I have noticed a change
in my metabolism, that doesn't make me happy, because now I feel anxiety over
weight gain. I'm trying to be good and have a better diet. I am
trying to eat less and see how it goes. If i continue to gain weight, I can't
say I'll stay on this stuff. It's unfortunate, because it *really* helped with the
tightness in my chest. How long did you try it for? The doc says you should
wait 2-4 weeks for side-effects to balance out.

Hope that helps,
Karen

 

Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms

Posted by Greg A. on March 6, 2001, at 15:57:05

In reply to Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms, posted by karenR on March 6, 2001, at 9:46:04

Hi Karen.
I posted in response to your question concerning anxiety and the difficulty in breathing you were having. I’m so glad to hear that you are getting some relief from Remeron. My thoughts about medication have followed a similar path to where you are now. I wanted to take something that would cure me, not sustain me on a drug. A one shot deal and then I would be ‘normal’ for the rest of my life.
I now feel that something is out of whack with my body’s chemistry. Whether caused by physical illness or the pressures and expectations I have put on myself . . . that no longer matters to me. And if lifelong use of medication to correct this is what it takes – well that’s okay with me. After all, how is that any different that a diabetic who takes insulin? This site has also given me some confidence that even if one medication fails, there are a plethora of others for me to try. Compare to the despondency and anxiety I have felt, the side effects of most meds. are minimal for me.
You mention that for you it’s anxiety first leading to depression. I thought that too about myself. Now I’m pretty sure it’s the opposite. The anxiety is a component of depression for me. That was a tough one for me to admit. Men, especially, don’t like to admit to a lot of emotions. Anger is okay, but grief, or sadness tend to get hidden away because they are not part of a tough guy image. For me, I could never admit to not being able to do something. In fact I had to be the best at it or I was not happy. As a result I was unhappy with myself a lot of the time. I covered my anxiety like I had the plague . . . and the more I tried to cover it the worse it got.
I now admit it. I am not comfortable in certain situations. I can’t speak in front of a group of people – in fact I dread it. I don’t so much avoid these situations now as I admit that I feel I cannot do it. Others are amazingly helpful and I find that as my expectations of myself become more reasonable, and others are in on the “secret” - I can do some of the things I dread. I wish it were easier, but at the same time I am no longer trying to be something or someone I am not. For me, that’s a big step. I remain frustrated that there seems to be a biochemical piece out of place in me that causes me to become depressed and anxious but my coping mechanism, now, is not to try too hard to cope. It makes life too tough for me.
You can’t imagine how good it feels to hear someone say they have found significant relief from a problem I know very well. And from the sounds of it, you helped yourself in record time. Keep at it . . . you deserve to be well.


 

Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms

Posted by Noa on March 6, 2001, at 16:22:55

In reply to Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms, posted by Greg A. on March 6, 2001, at 15:57:05

Karen,

Anxiety is my #2 problem, depression being the more prominent, but I am finding that regular exercise has good anti-anxiety effects for me. The effect doesn't last long term, so I have to exercise on a daily or every other day basis.

The other thing is that I have read sections of The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by E. Bourne and found that helpful, too. It is listed at Dr. Bob's "books" page.

 

Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms

Posted by karenR on March 6, 2001, at 16:50:38

In reply to Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms, posted by Noa on March 6, 2001, at 16:22:55

> Karen,
>
> Anxiety is my #2 problem, depression being the more prominent, but I am finding that regular exercise has good anti-anxiety effects for me. The effect doesn't last long term, so I have to exercise on a daily or every other day basis.
>
> The other thing is that I have read sections of The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by E. Bourne and found that helpful, too. It is listed at Dr. Bob's "books" page.

It's funny, a few people have mentioned exercise as a way of helping. Ironically,
I teach aerobics! I had trouble with stress in grad school, and found that when my
physical symptoms of stress got really bad, two things could help, drinking (the more
destructive cure) and exercising. Unfortunately, I have gotten to the point that
only *teaching* really relieves the stress, and i only teach about once a week right now.
I still am committed to exercise, it's really part of my lifestyle, but the anxiety I've
been having is only temporarily relieved by the exercise thing.

Thanks for your help.
Karen

 

Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms » Greg A.

Posted by karenR on March 6, 2001, at 17:05:31

In reply to Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms, posted by Greg A. on March 6, 2001, at 15:57:05

Hi Greg,

I remember your response to my last post very well. It really meant a lot ot me to hear from
someone that could *really* understand what I was going through. I'm just sorry you
have to feel as badly as me! I was surprised by the results of the Remeron. In fact, the
day my doc prescribed it, I had just told him BuSpar wasn't working for me, and I
told him I felt like I would *never* feel normal. He assured me the right drug was out
there somewhere. I was so surprised to find out I'd feel better the next day. I still have
trouble with side-effects, weight gain/irritability, but I'm trying to work on those problems
because it's amazing that a measly 7.5 mgs of drug can make me feel so normal.

As far as anxiety/depression, which came first is something I never thought about. In fact
i still have a hard time accepting that I have depression. I *am* high strung and totally
accept the anxiety. I did have bouts with depression after certain hard situations in my life,
but I have since gotten through those periods. I did take zoloft for the last two years for
depression. I was feeling so good and so ready to come off the drugs, plus we wanted to try to
have a child, so it made sense to go off. Just a few months later, I had my first experience
with a new form of physical anxiety - my arms were numb! For a whole week, they were numb.
I had a lot of stress at work and I'm sure that was the cause, I ended up taking some Xanax,
which helped with the numbness. A few more months went by, and I couldn't breathe.
That wouldn't go away, went back on the Zoloft, no help, tried it for 2-3 months and ended up
going off, and here I am on Remeron. Anyway, it was my doc that suggested that I get
depressed after the anxiety has worn me down so much that I just give in and shut down.
The weirdest thing about this whole recent anxiety problem (it's been about 6 months)
is that I have nothing that I really have stressing me out. I feel very lucid and not
obsessed with anything (except my breathing!). I really don't understand it. My doc says
that because i have slowed down my life and taken more time for myself, I have "excess energy"
that manifests itself in the form of anxiety. He, too, says if I were diabetic, wouldn't
I take insulin. I still have a really hard time accepting that. Ironically, I work
in the pharmaceutical industry, you'd think I'd be all for drugs, but I'm not.
I thought taking the Zoloft every day was ok, until I went off of it and I was *so* happy
to be drug free. I didn't realize how the side-effects were really affecting me! AUGH!
Anyway, I was hoping to find some stories of people being able to take meds for a while (years
even) and learn how to reprogram their brains that they would eventually go off of the
meds.

Thanks so much for your response. Everyone has been so helpful and kind.
Karen

 

Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms

Posted by Greg A. on March 7, 2001, at 18:26:41

In reply to Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms » Greg A., posted by karenR on March 6, 2001, at 17:05:31

Karen – 7.5 mgs of Remeron!! I’m taking 60 ! Plus Prozac and Wellbutrin. But you probably are right – if we can use the meds to get to a point where we can help ourselves in other ways, this is the best course of action. (I am a pessimist about this being the case for me though)
Good luck to you and I hope that little dose of Remeron continues to make you well.
(Since this is becoming more a social rather than a medication related post I’ll put any further comments on the ‘social board’. Or you can email me direct at greg.armour@nord.bc.ca)

 

Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms » karenR

Posted by Pandora on March 7, 2001, at 22:16:52

In reply to Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms, posted by karenR on March 6, 2001, at 9:46:04

Karen,
First of all, I completely agree with Greg about accepting the idea that medication may be a lifelong necessity to feel "normal". However, there are things you can do to help "reprogram" your body's reaction to anxiety. I suffered from acute panic disorder as a teenager and if you are anything like me, you probably have developed patterns of thought and behavior that may worsen your anxiety. Talk with your therapist about seeing someone who specializes in Cognitive-behavioral therapy and/or anxiety disorders. I know this sounds strange, but therapists make referrals all the time, and I doubt your therapist would have a problem with it. If you chose to, you can continue with your current therapist to work on the underlying depression, etc. Just be sure the two counselors communicate with each other about your treatment.

There are activities you can do on your own, but I have found it is much easier to have a therapist "teach" you the methods and then help you practice several times until you feel comfortable doing them at home. One of the best things I found to help retrain the mind and body's reaction to anxiety is progressive relaxation. Done correctly and consistantly, you can really change the way your body reacts to stress.

Anyway, this is getting long so I'll stop. Hope this was at least somewhat helpful!

 

Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms

Posted by Lorraine on March 10, 2001, at 10:59:43

In reply to Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms » karenR, posted by Pandora on March 7, 2001, at 22:16:52

Have any of you tried Neurontin for this tightness in the chest? By the way, I have no "mental" symptoms of anxiety--it's all physical. I think it's a defect in the autonomical system. But mine is new--I got it after being on Moclobemide. It was like I started tripping this alarm on that med and now can't shut it off.

 

Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms » Lorraine

Posted by Lynne on March 11, 2001, at 11:41:06

In reply to Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms, posted by Lorraine on March 10, 2001, at 10:59:43

> Have any of you tried Neurontin for this tightness in the chest? By the way, I have no "mental" symptoms of anxiety--it's all physical. I think it's a defect in the autonomical system. But mine is new--I got it after being on Moclobemide. It was like I started tripping this alarm on that med and now can't shut it off.


It sounds like you had a negative reaction to Moclobemide. I was thinking of trying it but now I wonder. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Lynne

 

Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms Lynne

Posted by Lorraine on March 11, 2001, at 17:43:07

In reply to Re: Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms » Lorraine, posted by Lynne on March 11, 2001, at 11:41:06

I think Moclbemide is a good medication if it works for you. It's activating and has no sexual and weight gain side effects. My problem is a little activation (which I need) tends to send me into overdrive.

> It sounds like you had a negative reaction to Moclobemide. I was thinking of trying it but now I wonder. Any thoughts?
>
> Thanks,
> Lynne


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