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Medication for anxiety?

8 replies

Anyideashelp · 01/07/2018 18:47

I've been suffering from anxiety (over a very specific thing) for over 3 years now and have peaks and troughs with it. I've had CBT but sadly I think it's something that will always be there. What is medication like for anxiety? Is it like having alcohol? And by that I don't mean the disorientating effects but does it give confidence? When I gave a drink I tend to think "ah fuck it, life's to short to worry" - does medication have a similar effect?

I don't drink lots by the way - just trying to work Out what medication would be like if I went down that route as have always been resistant to it

OP posts:
welshmist · 01/07/2018 18:50

It does give you your confidence back, which has been eroded. Unlike alcohol where the effects wear off never mind the side effects it is preferable to take medication.

ZispinAndWine · 01/07/2018 23:49

Depends on the medication. They won't give you extra confidence (at least that I've noticed), but hopefully will dial down the feelings of anxiety.

Diazepam, I think, is a muscle relaxant, and it can make you a bit drowsy and slow, so a bit drunk in that sense. I used to be on quite a high dose of a similar drug to this, and it doped me up quite a bit, but also did give me a bit of a feeling of "eh, who cares" about things I had panicked about previously.

Beta-blockers like Propranolol really just treat the physical symptoms of anxiety, so they slow down your heart rate, lower blood pressure etc.

I'm taking Promazine for anxiety at the moment, which isn't very common, as far as I know. In tiny doses it just chills me out. Stops the loud anxiety thoughts, makes me physically relaxed, easily drowsy. No confidence boost, sadly.

I guess meds are best to help with the anxiety reaction, the panic, all the physical symptoms of it, while some CBT or other therapies is where you're more likely to find help for confidence.

SimplySteve · 01/07/2018 23:58

Marcos Rojo. Bit unlucky tbh. Reads well, anti-lab testing raiidx etc...

Anyideashelp · 02/07/2018 10:45

I'm not lacking in confidence socially by the way. I guess what I meant by confidence is that alcohol makes me more confident to deal with my anxiety in a "bring it on" kind of way. So wondering if medication would do that? I tend to run from things at the moment

OP posts:
welshmist · 02/07/2018 12:45

I know what you mean about running from things. The trouble is it accelerates if you understand what I am saying.

Wolfiefan · 02/07/2018 12:49

I would go back to your GP. Discuss all possible treatments. For me it dulls the sharp edges and makes me feel calmer overall.

fantasmasgoria1 · 02/07/2018 16:12

I take quetiapine for the symptoms of my mental illness also tackles anxiety a little but I also take pregabalin for anxiety. It helps to an extent!

solarscope · 02/07/2018 16:23

I was on pregabalin couple of years and it helped. But I felt dopey, tired and gained 20 kilos.

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