Advocating for Your Anxious Self with your doctor
It is so hard to realize when I need a change in my medication. Now that my depression and anxiety disorders have been stabilized, problems do not jump out at me. Bad feelings creep up slowly, and I find myself being sucked down without realizing I need a rope. And/or I question my own judgement, accusing myself of being dramatic or overreacting. If I discuss this with my now part time therapist, she will focus on my reactions to daily life. While this is relevant, I know that it is more than just life’s bumps. It is my inability to deal with them. And not because I need …
Don’t stop taking your anti anxiety medication if you feel good!
My daughter, who I have written extensively about here (see the post My Daughter Got Help with her Anxiety) had been doing soooo well. Anti anxiety medication alone was not enough for her. With the addition of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, she began to have many anxiety free days and was sleeping well. In addition, she started acupuncture for her migraine headaches which had not been responding to medication (and are connected to her anxiety). The acupuncture was working well for her too! And then her therapist and her psychiatrist decided that maybe Beth should try to wean off of some …
Paxil Withdrawal
I added a 4th Celexa, bringing my dose to 80 mg. In the US, that is considered too much but in Europe, according to my doctor, they use as much as 100 mg. Since I was on a high dose of Paxil, I probably will need the 100 mg eventually. My psychiatrist said that although the Paxil is now out of my system, my body is craving the Paxil and the Celexa does not satisfy the craving. Therefore, it will be about 6 more weeks until the craving is gone. In the meantime, I will continue to have days where …