Anxiety and Psychotrip Drugs - The Reality

[7132gertie]

Avacado, one of the side effects of Cialis is flushing - redness or warmth in your face, neck, or chest; A couple of glasses of wine may have exacerbated the side effect - I don't know. You could have had flushing then started to panic? Just a thought... Please do your due diligence on anxiety meds, I have taken so many psychotropic drugs over the years with no results, just masking the root problem of anxiety if it is anxiety. There are a lot of behavioral techniques out there for anxiety/panic that are better long term answers. Doctors are quick to prescribe benzodiazepenes - klonopin, Xanax, valium. I am not saying don't listen too your doctor, but I have been down that road and wish I wouldn't have used medication for anxiety and depression. Progressive muscle relaxation and visualization, mindfulness meditation. Let me know, I have a lot of experience with anxiety and the treatments our there, can give you my take on what you are going to try. I have suffered from social anxiety/OCD/Depression/High Functioning Autism.

[PeakT]

You might want to PM avacodo and let him know you addressed him in this thread.  I think he's more just on from time to time.

If you don't mind, can I ask a few questions?

--So you're saying that PMR, visualization and mindfullness meditation helped much more than the meds? 

--When you say "high functioning autism", is that just another way to say Asperger's?

--I've done some PMR and mindfullness meditation - love 'em! - but not visualization.  Any good books/links that you'd recommend?  What has worked for you?

--Are you pretty well over your anxiety and depression issues?

--Any supplements/herbs that have helped?  Or is it mostly the above?

--You mentioned "behavioral techniques"?  Can you give any examples?

[7132gertie]

No problem. I will get back to you later on, I should have some time to address everything. I started to reply and I was logged out, so I have to remember that for the future.

[JackAndy]

Right now I'm taking Paxil for my anxiety. I've tried to come down off of it but my anxiety always flares up. I take 5-HTP too. It helps me to get to sleep at night. I tried cognitive behavioral therapy but the therapist said it wouldn't work because I don't have any irrational thoughts and the basis if the therapy is identifying irrational thoughts. My doctor first tried the valium with me too. It basically just puts me to sleep. Paxil has been wonderful except that I can't orgasm with it. If I only take half a pill, I can, but then my anxiety starts to creep up. But yeah I noticed that doing other things can lower my stress, which is basically anxiety.

[PeakT]

Right now I'm taking Paxil for my anxiety. I've tried to come down off of it but my anxiety always flares up. I take 5-HTP too. It helps me to get to sleep at night. I tried cognitive behavioral therapy but the therapist said it wouldn't work because I don't have any irrational thoughts and the basis if the therapy is identifying irrational thoughts. My doctor first tried the valium with me too. It basically just puts me to sleep. Paxil has been wonderful except that I can't orgasm with it. If I only take half a pill, I can, but then my anxiety starts to creep up. But yeah I noticed that doing other things can lower my stress, which is basically anxiety.

I think I've asked you this before, but have tried any of the "relaxation" techniques such as PMR, meditation, etc.?  Any luck with those?

[JackAndy]

I think I've asked you this before, but have tried any of the "relaxation" techniques such as PMR, meditation, etc.?  Any luck with those?

Not really. My body is not tense so the progressive muscle relaxation doesn't relax me much more than I already usually am. Meditation has never been very helpful. I guess I already have plenty of time to just sit and relax and clear my mind. It's some sort of subconcious thing.

[PeakT]

Not really. My body is not tense so the progressive muscle relaxation doesn't relax me much more than I already usually am. Meditation has never been very helpful. I guess I already have plenty of time to just sit and relax and clear my mind. It's some sort of subconcious thing.

Noted.  So what happens when you take some of the SSRI-esque supplements?

[Sam]

Curious how this compares to propranolol, i.e the first beta blocker.   Lots of doctors and performers take this for stage freight or to calm tremors during surgery.   I was prescribed this for tremors and it seems to help.   I dont take it very often at all, especially since i have started working on my adrenal health etc.

[tpntx]

I'm 50. Very youthful and athletic. I've been battling depression for the last couple of years. I was misdiagnosed as ADHD so wasted a lot time trying various things for that. I finally had a MMPI test done. I do not have ADHD but I do have generalized Anxiety disorder off the chart.

Dispite my plea to not mess with my junk the dr. ignored me as prescribed Cymbalta. Yeah that didn't last long. So next we went to  Wellbutrin. Not the best for anxiety but actually it seems to be working.

This is only temporary to slow my mind down while I begin Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

I actually thought I was loosing my mind but now I understand the mechanics of my disorders and it all makes perfect sense.

I do not like taking drugs but it seems to be a good idea for now.
   

[JackAndy]

Not really. My body is not tense so the progressive muscle relaxation doesn't relax me much more than I already usually am. Meditation has never been very helpful. I guess I already have plenty of time to just sit and relax and clear my mind. It's some sort of subconcious thing.

Noted.  So what happens when you take some of the SSRI-esque supplements?

You mean 5-HTP? It's not an SSRI. It provides more hydroxytriptaphine to the brain which is metabolized into serotonin. I know you know that, but I don't want someone else to get the wrong idea. Anyway, it doesn't do much. I guess if you took massive doses maybe. It helps curb appetite and put me to sleep but it doesn't do much for anxiety because you can only take it on an absolutely empty stomach and you can't eat for hours afterwards, but it only lasts for 5-8 hours. So it helps me have restful sleep and that's it. There is no effect in the morning.

[PeakT]

I actually thought I was loosing my mind but now I understand the mechanics of my disorders and it all makes perfect sense.
 

Guys don't like to admit or talk about psychological issues - "that just ain't cool, man!" - but I know it's VERY common on this board.  Lots of men with depression, ADHD, OCD, anxiety.  These four are very common.  Now anxiety and depression, in particular, can be related to low testosterone, but that's usually not the entire explanation of course.  (I myself struggled with dysthymia for decades.)

Anyway, what I wanted to suggest was, if you have time, to start another thread on the Cognitive Behavorial Therapy.  I have read many good reviews on this and would love to get someone with firsthand experience on it.  This is important, because most men think, "I ain't going to a shrink!"  But if you can give some solid benefits and make it a little less taboo, that might open the door for some men.

And I think this is very important because I think it would be ideal if men could solve most of these kind of issues more naturally, i.e. imo through diet, nutrition, exercise, omega-3's and actuall sessions with a good psychologist as opposed to a pharmaceutical.  That's my two cents anyway.

Nothing against Wellbutrin, by the way, but what medication does not have long term side effects, eh?

[Sam]

I read a book on the subject called "feeling good". By Dr. David Burns.   It was very good.

As someone who has managed very large sales forces for years I can tell you everyone, and I mean everyone struggles with degrees of this.  Its part of our society and some people have different coping mechanisms.   Some become egomaniacs, some become victims, some become over achievers with low self esteem and some because their particular issue is not severe are just somewhere on the scale of those criteria.

You tend to see these behaviors show themselves in high stress situations.   I have been with many successful sales reps who on the surface have it all together but then all of a sudden in a certain siuation particular to them for no appareent reason you see them fall apart.

If you are on the sever side of the scale its important to realize your goal isnt to become normal because no one is "normal".  Just learn to control yourself and find happiness through life choices and personal development.

Its a never ending part of life and the best thing you can do is take giving your kids a great start in life by raising them right, and helping them understand this also.

[PeakT]

I read a book on the subject called "feeling good". By Dr. David Burns.   It was very good.

So what's the gyst of the book?

[Sam]

He's a leader in the field of CBT