Posted by Racer on April 17, 2006, at 14:52:16
In reply to SLS - Ed -Ace -Dec - Med - Djmm - Link - ty.. more, posted by tepiaca on April 16, 2006, at 22:15:02
Tepi, I'm sorry you're feeling so bad. And I'm gonna agree with some of the advice you've gotten, and disagree with some other parts...
First, I agree absolutely with Monte: don't drink. I know it's tempting, but it's not going to do you any real good, and it can make things worse in the -- well, not only in the long run, but even just a few hours later. Just -- take care of yourself, by not drinking. It's not a great drug for depression or fear.
But I wonder if Xanax is a really great choice for you? It's a short acting benzo, and you may be having trouble because of that. Ativan might be a better choice, because it's longer acting, or one of the other benzos.
My own experience with Xanax is that it doesn't reduce my anxiety, and the sedation actually activates my fear response. It's too frightening to feel so vulnerable, for me, so I get MORE upset when I take Xanax. I am weird with that response, and I am not saying anything similar is true of you -- I'm just telling you my experience, in case you might be experiencing something related. Also, because Xanax is so short acting, the higher the dose I took, the harder the crash when it wore off, so I would be more depressed after taking it. That's not what we're looking for, is it?
While it's not good for everyone, Buspar helped me much more than any benzo. Propranalol was great, too. It stopped all the pounding-heart, racing-pulse, etc, of the anxiety for me.
And Tepi? Tell me again, have you tried any talk therapy for this? It really is helpful, in teaching you coping strategies that can help you learn to function despite your fear. NONE of the drugs that I've taken would have helped much if I didn't have some non-drug coping strategies to help me. (Of course, part of my psychopathology is that I have to conquer fear, no matter how silly it might be. If something frightens me, I feel as though I have to do it *because* it frightens me. I don't recommend that for a symptom...)
What is your doctor saying about this? Is your doctor helpful at all for you? Or is there a way you could find another doctor who might be more helpful? I don't know much about your situation, so fill me in. You can babblemail me if you prefer, if there's anything about it you'd like to keep private.
Good luck, and hold on to this thought: we here at Babble like you. Any time you think you're hopeless, remember that people here like you and think you're worth helping, so there is hope for you. We all hope for you, when you can't find hope for yourself. Take care of yourself.
poster:Racer
thread:634008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060417/msgs/634173.html