A
female
age
36-40,
anonymous
writes:Hello,I have a question regarding anti-anxiety medication. I suffer from Agoraphobia, and can barely leave my home without having panic attacks. I've tried to push myself to go a little bit further out of my comfort zone and try to go further from home every single day. I seemed to have been making progress for a while and suddenly the panic attacks returned when I would go out. I don't know what caused me to relapse but I was extremely disappointed. Now I feel like I'm back at square one. I have tried many different herbal remedies, vitamins, minerals, and over the counter anti anxiety medications. I have also tried exercise, deep breathing, meditation, prayer and getting involved in many different hobbies. Nothing has worked. Since my panic and anxiety have returned I'm very tempted to try anti anxiety medication prescribed by my doctor. But after researching different medications, it seems that all of them have horrible side effects, make anxiety worse, or are extremely addictive.I would love to get something to help my anxiety and panic attacks, but I don't want to end up even worse than I am now. Do you think I should give it a go? I really am tired of living like this and would love nothing more than to feel like a normal human being and be able to live my life to the fullest. Has anyone here experienced something similar or has taken medication? Did it help you or make you worse?Sorry for the length of this, but I really am at my wits end. Any advice is appreciated! Reply to this Question
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female
reader, Miamine  +, writes (27 August 2010):
 Crossing my fingers and wishing you luck...Got anxiety, depression and now slight agoraphobia... For me, the tablets (SSI's) have saved my life. Like you, I didn't want to take the tablets, so I just kept going into work, until I got to sick to carry on. Don't do this please. Your body gets addicted to the pain and the anxiety and can leave you forgetting what "Good" feels like. The anxiety tablets will help give you a break from feeling bad all the time. Your body and mind need the rest. Like you, things got worst after something bad happened, but instead of dealing with it, I just tried to pretend that everything was normal... lol.. (bad idea)Nobody likes tablets. But in my case, if I had taken the tablets earlier, I wouldn't have become too sick to work and would not have totally destroyed my life...Ah well, lol... what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.. Keep trying as hard as you can to beat this thing and get well... That's what I'm doing.. :)
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (27 August 2010): Hello again. Thank you all so much for the replies!
To Kenj- My condition has been clinically diagnosed. I've always had some form of anxiety but not nearly as severe as it is now. The only thing I can think that triggered my agoraphobia was the death of my dog, because strangely, the panic attacks started after that. I guess I just don't deal well with the death of my pets.
To Miamine- I haven't tried hypnotherapy yet. That's a good idea, though. I'll definitely look into it! I've been searching for a therapist that does CBT but so far I've only found one therapist nearby that does it, and he has awful reviews. I'll keep searching though. Thank you for the link! That could be part of my problem. I may be giving up on different treatments too quickly.
To SeeingStars- I'm so sorry you've had to deal with anxiety as well. :( It truly is horrible and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Your post has inspired me to at least try the medication. I don't have much to lose. I just need something to help me right now because the anxiety doesn't seem to be going away. I really don't want to lose my job because of it. So I've decided to make an appointment for next week! Hopefully all will go well.
Thanks again for all the help and advice! :)
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reader, anonymous, writes (15 August 2010): I am sorry to hear how you are struggling. I don't have agoraphobia myself but I have struggled with extreme anxiety for years. So I know how awful it is, and how it can severely hamper your life.
I can understand your reluctance to take an anti-anxiety medication prescribed by your doctor. The list of side effects can scare you off, can't it? But maybe it might be worth giving it a try? It sounds like you have been really trying hard to keep going, but you are still struggling. Maybe you need a bit of extra help at the moment. I suppose it might be about weighing up the pros and cons. To carry on as you are - or to give something a try.
A lot of these medications are generally well tolerated by most people, but they have to list all of the possible side-effects by law. But if you went onto something, the doctor will usually start you on a small dose anyway, to see how you get on, and they should keep an eye on you to see how you are tolerating the medication. They can take a little while to have any effect though, so you do have to bear with them for a while. And there are lots of different types out there, so if one thing didn't suit you, something else might.
I take a medication to help with anxiety, and it took me months before I actually gave it a try. Like you, I was put off by the potential side effects and other warnings. But I had reached a point where I knew I could not go on as I was, so I gave it a try. And it has drastically calmed me down and improved things for me. I admit, I am not happy to have to take something. And I do hope to be able to come off it one day in the future. But for now, it is helping me while I need it. Yes, I worry about the potential long-term effects, but if I did not take this medication I don't think I would even have a future. My life would be nothing but panic attacks. At least this way, I can have some semblance of a more normal life.
I'm not trying to say you should take some medication. It is very much your decision. This is just what I have experienced though. If you do decide to give medication a try, I recommend that you talk to your doctor and tell them exactly how anxious you are about taking it. They should then be able to explain more about what to expect, and will hopefully put your mind at ease a bit more.
I hope this helps, and good luck with your decision.
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A
female
reader, Miamine +, writes (15 August 2010):
The new SSI's are not addictive at all, they leave the body as soon as you stop taking them. Have you tried hypnotherapy, practitioners like Paul Mckenna swear that it's very effective with phobia. Search for Paul Mckenna on google and pick up his tape and book and try some self help at home until you can find a proper therapist. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy also might help. It challenges your negative thoughts and helps you to think more rationally. For self help try "The Feeling Good Handbook" by David D.Burns. Anxiety and agoraphobia sucks.... a combination of SSI tablets, hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy should go someway to giving you some ease. Here's a good website, where you can track your progress and also get advice from other people who suffer just like you. http://www.patientslikeme.comSometimes when we are in distress we try many treatments, but they can be ineffective because we don't try them long enough or with enough determination and patience. This website will monitor exactly how much help you get from the treatments you are trying.
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A
male
reader, Kenj +, writes (15 August 2010):
 There are some drugs your doctor may prescribe known as SSRI's these are usually things like Paxil, Prozac or Zoloft. They can help some people suffering from anxiety but not all. They typically have a 45% success rate.
Some of these can become addictive or at least relied upon to get through the day so it is important to use psychotherapy treatment in conjunction with a goal to working off the SSRI’s.
Think back for any trauma or other initiating cause of your agoraphobia, ultimately this is what will need to be addressed usually through a psychiatrist.
Has your condition been clinically diagnosed?
There are a lot of websites with more information I suggest you do some reasearch. If your doctor dismisses treatment then get a second opinion.
Hope it works out for you!
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