citalopram or mindfulness - can I really do it without meds?

[ArriettyCArriettyC]

hello, I have been on and off anxious for years (looking back - many years). I took citalopram successfully for a few years and found it absolutely brilliant. However I stopped it 2 years ago as I started a relationship and found I had no sexual sensation at all. I really need to do something again as I don't feel very stable in terms of anxiety and it is affecting everything. However I worry about the sensation side, if I go back on citalopram. I have dabbled with mindfulness and read a lot about it, but never committed to doing it every day. Has anyone really found mindfuless can be as good as citalopram? Thanks for your help in advance!

Personally I think it depends where you are at. If really struggling then meds can be a good kick start to improve mood and can only be taken short term. If struggling a bit (but not catastrophic) then absolutely do mindfulness and see if it helps. I would also say if you can find a class as it will give social contact and more likely to make you commit and practice. Hope it works for you

Thank you digestive! You're right- a class may help me commit ....

Two together is no harm. May e a lower dosage. Discuss with psych. Antidepressants have no placebo effect and mindfulness is a long, tough road that needs absolute discipline but not sure how much impact it has on neurochemistry. I agree about the sex thing though but if rather not be suicidal

Most psychiatric drugs work for some people only due to their “placebo effects” – lots of studies support this - I can list studies if you like (this means people improve when taking the drugs only because they think they will improve). But drug companies want you to believe that they fully understand how the brain works and give neuro-jargon explanations to justify how these pills work. You can check out the website madinamerica (dot com) to get an idea of how wrong and prevalent this belief is.

On the other hand, the practice of mindfulness is about stilling and calming the mind naturally and research shows that the brain also changes in favourable ways when one practices mindfulness (just like how muscles change when exercising). I personally have observed a tremendous change within myself. Mindfulness also stops rumination (rumination is what contributes to all mental disorders).

I switched to Tricyclic antidepressants and my sex drive came roaring back immediately. They actually work better for me anyway so a win win. I couldn't do it without meds myself, despite trying hard for a long time.

Disclaimer: I don't give a fuck if they're placebo. They can 'placebo' me six ways from Sunday as long as I feel better.

If you go down the meditation route, I would definitely recommend classes.

I got very into meditation, read a lot about it, tried the apps, etc. but it wasn't until I went to some classes that I really felt the benefit.

I'd recommend trying somewhere that has lots of different classes if possible - some teachers are better than others, and some techniques might work better for you than others do (guided visualisations vs sound therapy vs silent or minimally guided sessions, for example).

Good luck!

I also recommend classes. The other thing that helped me (actually it was the most helpful thing), was making sure that I went out for a walk every day. I still have the odd off day, but I find that they are far fewer if I am walking than if I'm not. I found some podcasts that I enjoyed and just got out there. I think that there is a somewhat mindfulness element to the walking, just plodding along listening to something different.