Social Anxiety Support

GnR · 11-05-2009, 08:31 AM

We all know that medication helps us cope with our day to day lives. But how would you rate them as far as being tools to work through your core issues. On a scale of one to ten, one being that they get you through the day and nothing more, ten being they are integral to your journey to true recovery.

Oneiros · 11-05-2009, 08:38 AM

So far, having been on clonazepam (a benzo) for a couple of months, I'd have to say 10. They are not entirely responsible for improvements in my life, but have played a major role, along with therapy, online support, and some support from family. These meds have removed so much of my day-to-day anxiety, and given me space to just be myself and get on with my life, and also to deal with deeper issues.

millenniumman75 · 11-05-2009, 08:50 AM

It allows me to change my thinking while buffering the severe nervousness. It filters my thinking, too.

GnR · 11-05-2009, 10:00 AM

To Oneiros, so clonazepam is the only med you're taking? Have you tried ssri's?

Efsee · 11-05-2009, 10:23 AM

Xanax has helped put a damper on my anxiety. I have made it through situations that would have triggered full on anxiety attacks without medication. It hasn't helped me feel like myself when I'm around people, nor has it changed the way I back down when I think someone is trying to bond with me, but I don't believe medication can do that. I need to change my avoidant behavior by taking more risks. The Xanax can help counter the physical responses I experience while I force myself to socialize.

euphoria · 11-05-2009, 10:35 AM

Benzos: -10 (slowed me down, gave a false sense of calm and didn't really address my problems, just made them not matter -- very counterproductive)

GHB: -10 (same as above, with an added prosocial effect for the first few months, was still very counterproductive overall)

Fluoxetine: 5 (better for depression than anxiety, gave a push towards positive thinking which was useful)

Escitalopram: 5 (a bit weak if you ask me, but gave a similar benefit to fluoxetine with more emphasis on anxiety relief -- quenched some of the inner restlessness of my mind)

Selegiline: -5 (too much anxiety)

Escitalopram + low dose selegiline: 8 (still too much anxiety from selegiline, but otherwise, destroyed depression & schizoid symptoms without SSRI side effects)

Escitalopram + bupropion: 8 (same as above)

Mirtazapine: 4 (a weak but side effect free med, aside from initial sleepiness)

Sertraline + mirtazapine + carbamazepine: we'll find out soon enough

CNS depressants are really not good for me, that's one of the things I found out from all those drug/med trials. Another thing I realised was that I am much more human with more serotonin.

GnR · 11-05-2009, 11:01 AM

Great responses people keep em coming.

RockiNToM · 11-05-2009, 03:52 PM

Propranalol - 4/10. ok for some physical anxiety symptoms like palpatations and the shakes but overall pretty mild.

Valium - 5/10. I find it does somewhat calm me but I've never found any of the standard recommended doses calm me enough in order for it to be effective.

Prozac - 5/10. I found it very stimulating and really good for my depression but it absolutely sucked at helping my anxiety symptoms.

Celexa - 6/10. Much better for my anixety as I found it more sedating but was terrible for my depression.

Paxil - 9/10. When it worked it was like my life was going brilliantly. Unfortunately the second time I tried Paxil it didn't work at all.

Zoloft - 7/10. Pretty effective. Worked generally ok for my depression and anxiety, made me a bit more 'OCD' about things though.

Roboxetine - 1/10. I found this incredibly stimulating. My anxiety was it worst with this med. Plus horrendous side-effects reported by nearly all users. Avoid.

Effexor - 6/10. Worked ok at both my anxiety and depression but I just simply had too many side-effects in order to justify staying on it.

Mirtazapine - 4/10. Found it good for getting rid of the typical 'apathy' usual felt with other meds but the sedation and the other side-effects were too much.

db0255 · 11-05-2009, 04:27 PM

Prozac 10/10 - by far the most effective medication I have taken, had transformative effects on my self-esteem, personality, etc. Would be this forum's definition of a "miracle drug"

Paxil 1/10 - did absolutely nothing for me, withdrawal sucked, and weight gain

Remeron 5/10 - moderate munchies, helped me sleep but these effects went away, and it didn't really help, made me kind of excited and giddy. the great thing about this drug is that it made my GI problems significantly better

Ativan 7/10 - if it weren't for the dependency issue, I'd probably just stick to 1 mg of this a day...although, GABA is not my main anxiety issue

Celexa/Lexapro 3/10 - didn't really help, but no huge side effects either

Propranolol 5/10 - don't use it much but fulfills its purpose perfectly as a performance drug

Strattera 4/10 - expensive, and norepinephrine makes me feel like my head will explode.

Parnate 7/10 - great for atypical depression...actually makes me wanna do stuff A++++ will buy again

IllusionOfHappiness · 11-05-2009, 04:59 PM

Klonopin/Clonazepam, I'll continue to swear by this because it works fast and efficiently. It's great at helping me start my day, and I feel a nice sense of accomplishment when I cut my dose in half (half my dose being 1mg). Halfway through my workday it's already worn off, so I know I can function just fine without it, too. I don't have to completely skip a dose to figure out how I'll function without it.

This med provides a calmness - relaxes my muscles so I'm not so tense. When I first started taking klonopin a couple years back, walking was so easy. I used to walk to school a lot, see, and if you're anything like me you're entirely too conscious of everything you do (i.e. how you walk). I felt like I could glide. Lol, that faded with use over time, mind you. But still. It was nice while it lasted. It still has its effect of making me feel significantly less restricted.

After reading the orginal post a few times, it seems you're looking for a cure in meds. You won't find it in Kpin, you'll just find tolerance/addiction.

And I wouldn't drink on it...had a bad experience with that.

http://www.askapatient.com/viewratin...&name=KLONOPIN

^I always refer to this site.

Edit: I also take Propranolol, which I'd rate averagely.
I've been on Effexor, Cipralex, and Ativan in the past, all with little to no relief.

GnR · 11-05-2009, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IllusionOfHappiness

Klonopin/Clonazepam, I'll continue to swear by this because it works fast and efficiently. It's great at helping me start my day, and I feel a nice sense of accomplishment when I cut my dose in half (half my dose being 1mg). Halfway through my workday it's already worn off, so I know I can function just fine without it, too. I don't have to completely skip a dose to figure out how I'll function without it.

This med provides a calmness - relaxes my muscles so I'm not so tense. When I first started taking klonopin a couple years back, walking was so easy. I used to walk to school a lot, see, and if you're anything like me you're entirely too conscious of everything you do (i.e. how you walk). I felt like I could glide. Lol, that faded with use over time, mind you. But still. It was nice while it lasted. It still has its effect of making me feel significantly less restricted.

After reading the orginal post a few times, it seems you're looking for a cure in meds. You won't find it in Kpin, you'll just find tolerance/addiction.

And I wouldn't drink on it...had a bad experience with that.

http://www.askapatient.com/viewratin...&name=KLONOPIN

^I always refer to this site.

Edit: I also take Propranolol, which I'd rate averagely.
I've been on Effexor, Cipralex, and Ativan in the past, all with little to no relief.

I'm definately not looking for a cure in meds, although I can see how the wording of my post may portray that. I'm just looking for people's experiences on what, if any, meds have pointed them in the right direction. By the way, I also had an interesting experience drinking on kpin. I was witting, confident, charismatic, and then unconcious lol.

MavenMI6Agent009 · 11-05-2009, 05:55 PM

Risperdal-6.0123 helped my hallucinations but not anxiousness.
Prolixin- 4.5234
Geodon-0.261465
Cymbalta-0.525151
Wellbutrin SR-0.021255
Zoloft-6.45245 helped some of my depression but not sa
Klonopin-7.021 helps most of my panic attacks taken daily
Lorazepam- 3.23 helped very little with anxiety/panic attacks
Zyprexa-0
Abilify-0
Paxil-0.124545
Prestiq- 0.23245
Lexapro-yet to be determined

jim_morrison · 11-05-2009, 07:33 PM

Paxil - 1/10 - This med was a bad experience for me, made me so agitated that I wanted to crawl out of my skin.

Moclobemide - 5/10 - The energy boost it gave me actually helped with getting out and being social, side effects such as TMJ and insomnia eventually led me to stop.

Lexapro -5/10 - This drug lessened my agoraphobia, I noticed I was able to be out in public more often on this drug, It also seemed to help relax muscle tension associated with anxiety. Only side effect I experienced was sexual dysfunction, which is why I eventually stopped, withdrawls lasted for about 7 days and were anoying (the usual for SSRI withdrawl) but nothing too bad.

Mirtazapine 4/10 - This med has it's uses, it worked wonders for my severe insomnia at the time. Didn't really help with my SA though, if anything made me too tired to want to go out and socialise.

Clonazepam - 6/10 - Have used this off and on for awhile now, works pretty good, no side effects, effects seem to only last for a few hours for me though.

Neptunus · 11-05-2009, 07:37 PM

I had a weird reaction to paxil - muscle cramps and spasms, with mild dystonia. It's most likely a permanent "discontinuation syndrome" after coming off of 40mg a few years back. I'm on 15mg right now, and it still makes a huge difference when it comes to tempering my emotions and anxiety. One of those "the cure is worse than the curse" scenarios really.

ch3cooh · 11-05-2009, 09:21 PM

Lexapro has definitely made a difference in my treatment. In addition to relieving the symptoms of my dysthymia and anxiety it made me comfortable enough to actually start talking about my anxiety in therapy. I'm also on Vyvanse for ADHD, this also helps because I'm able to focus and stay "in" a therapy session and get work done.

Drugs are good kids!

UltraShy · 11-05-2009, 10:26 PM

One (only because you don't offer a lower option).

BusterBluth · 11-06-2009, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ch3cooh

Lexapro has definitely made a difference in my treatment. In addition to relieving the symptoms of my dysthymia and anxiety it made me comfortable enough to actually start talking about my anxiety in therapy. I'm also on Vyvanse for ADHD, this also helps because I'm able to focus and stay "in" a therapy session and get work done.

Drugs are good kids!

How long have you been taking laxapro and have you always taken it with the vyvanse (can you distinguish the relief you've seen from each drug individually)?

gillettecavalcad3 · 11-06-2009, 08:43 AM

10. Drugs help you get the exposure you need to conquer your fears and change your way of thinking.

I am 100% cured. Psychoeducation is also very helpful because you start to learn the reasons of why it is happening.

RedStarCharlie · 11-06-2009, 08:49 AM

I've been on 5 different meds and none of them have helped me whatsoever. They just gave me side effects

Pilfrom · 11-06-2009, 09:12 AM

Sertraline: Worked wonders initially; crushed my depression and somewhat alleviated my anxiety but slowly made me feel completely spaced out and zombified.

Fluoxetine: Very activating; similar effects as Sert minus the spaciness. Also gave me the wherewithal to begin dating; it completely wrecked my sleep cycle and ability to orgasm however.

Citalopram: Sugar pill; did absolutely nothing for me sadly.

Propranolol: Not taken for long so it was hard to tell if the calming effect was psychosomatic.

Venlafaxine: I've been on Ven since January and it has completely rid me of depression and OCD. It hasn't rid me of anxiety completely, but I no longer have racing and obsessive thoughts about past events/relationships. Also has no side effects for me at all.

11-05-2009, 08:31 AM	#1 (permalink)
GnR Status: SAS Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Vancouver Gender: Male Age: 23 Posts: 79	How have meds aided you in actual recovery? We all know that medication helps us cope with our day to day lives. But how would you rate them as far as being tools to work through your core issues. On a scale of one to ten, one being that they get you through the day and nothing more, ten being they are integral to your journey to true recovery.

11-05-2009, 08:50 AM	#3 (permalink)
millenniumman75 Status: Super Moderator Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Dayton-Cincinnati, OH Gender: Male Age: 34 Posts: 38,625	It allows me to change my thinking while buffering the severe nervousness. It filters my thinking, too. __________________ millenniumman75 You are a success story waiting to happen! Live and let live VACUUMS more than a Hoover.... Live and HELP live is better!

11-05-2009, 10:35 AM	#6 (permalink)
euphoria Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 1,650	Benzos: -10 (slowed me down, gave a false sense of calm and didn't really address my problems, just made them not matter -- very counterproductive) GHB: -10 (same as above, with an added prosocial effect for the first few months, was still very counterproductive overall) Fluoxetine: 5 (better for depression than anxiety, gave a push towards positive thinking which was useful) Escitalopram: 5 (a bit weak if you ask me, but gave a similar benefit to fluoxetine with more emphasis on anxiety relief -- quenched some of the inner restlessness of my mind) Selegiline: -5 (too much anxiety) Escitalopram + low dose selegiline: 8 (still too much anxiety from selegiline, but otherwise, destroyed depression & schizoid symptoms without SSRI side effects) Escitalopram + bupropion: 8 (same as above) Mirtazapine: 4 (a weak but side effect free med, aside from initial sleepiness) Sertraline + mirtazapine + carbamazepine: we'll find out soon enough CNS depressants are really not good for me, that's one of the things I found out from all those drug/med trials. Another thing I realised was that I am much more human with more serotonin. __________________ Disclaimer: I am not a trained medical professional, so consult one before taking any action that may be discussed here.

11-05-2009, 03:52 PM	#8 (permalink)
RockiNToM Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: UK Gender: Male Age: 22 Posts: 434	Propranalol - 4/10. ok for some physical anxiety symptoms like palpatations and the shakes but overall pretty mild. Valium - 5/10. I find it does somewhat calm me but I've never found any of the standard recommended doses calm me enough in order for it to be effective. Prozac - 5/10. I found it very stimulating and really good for my depression but it absolutely sucked at helping my anxiety symptoms. Celexa - 6/10. Much better for my anixety as I found it more sedating but was terrible for my depression. Paxil - 9/10. When it worked it was like my life was going brilliantly. Unfortunately the second time I tried Paxil it didn't work at all. Zoloft - 7/10. Pretty effective. Worked generally ok for my depression and anxiety, made me a bit more 'OCD' about things though. Roboxetine - 1/10. I found this incredibly stimulating. My anxiety was it worst with this med. Plus horrendous side-effects reported by nearly all users. Avoid. Effexor - 6/10. Worked ok at both my anxiety and depression but I just simply had too many side-effects in order to justify staying on it. Mirtazapine - 4/10. Found it good for getting rid of the typical 'apathy' usual felt with other meds but the sedation and the other side-effects were too much. __________________ Disorders: Dysthymic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder. Medications: Propranalol, Valium, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Zoloft, Roboxetine, Effexor, Mirtazapine. Current status: Medication free.

11-05-2009, 05:55 PM	#12 (permalink)
MavenMI6Agent009 Status: Cook Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: EL Crapo, Tx Gender: Male Posts: 13,633	Risperdal-6.0123 helped my hallucinations but not anxiousness. Prolixin- 4.5234 Geodon-0.261465 Cymbalta-0.525151 Wellbutrin SR-0.021255 Zoloft-6.45245 helped some of my depression but not sa Klonopin-7.021 helps most of my panic attacks taken daily Lorazepam- 3.23 helped very little with anxiety/panic attacks Zyprexa-0 Abilify-0 Paxil-0.124545 Prestiq- 0.23245 Lexapro-yet to be determined __________________ "The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares." (Henri Nouwen) -------------------------------------------------------

11-05-2009, 08:38 AM	#2 (permalink)
Oneiros Status: Temporarily Banned Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Gender: Male Age: 23 Posts: 87	So far, having been on clonazepam (a benzo) for a couple of months, I'd have to say 10. They are not entirely responsible for improvements in my life, but have played a major role, along with therapy, online support, and some support from family. These meds have removed so much of my day-to-day anxiety, and given me space to just be myself and get on with my life, and also to deal with deeper issues.

11-05-2009, 10:00 AM	#4 (permalink)
GnR Status: SAS Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Vancouver Gender: Male Age: 23 Posts: 79	To Oneiros, so clonazepam is the only med you're taking? Have you tried ssri's?

11-05-2009, 10:23 AM	#5 (permalink)
Efsee Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Gender: Female Age: 19 Posts: 333	Xanax has helped put a damper on my anxiety. I have made it through situations that would have triggered full on anxiety attacks without medication. It hasn't helped me feel like myself when I'm around people, nor has it changed the way I back down when I think someone is trying to bond with me, but I don't believe medication can do that. I need to change my avoidant behavior by taking more risks. The Xanax can help counter the physical responses I experience while I force myself to socialize.

11-05-2009, 11:01 AM	#7 (permalink)
GnR Status: SAS Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Vancouver Gender: Male Age: 23 Posts: 79	Great responses people keep em coming.

11-05-2009, 04:27 PM	#9 (permalink)
db0255 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Durham, NC Gender: Male Posts: 343	Prozac 10/10 - by far the most effective medication I have taken, had transformative effects on my self-esteem, personality, etc. Would be this forum's definition of a "miracle drug" Paxil 1/10 - did absolutely nothing for me, withdrawal sucked, and weight gain Remeron 5/10 - moderate munchies, helped me sleep but these effects went away, and it didn't really help, made me kind of excited and giddy. the great thing about this drug is that it made my GI problems significantly better Ativan 7/10 - if it weren't for the dependency issue, I'd probably just stick to 1 mg of this a day...although, GABA is not my main anxiety issue Celexa/Lexapro 3/10 - didn't really help, but no huge side effects either Propranolol 5/10 - don't use it much but fulfills its purpose perfectly as a performance drug Strattera 4/10 - expensive, and norepinephrine makes me feel like my head will explode. Parnate 7/10 - great for atypical depression...actually makes me wanna do stuff A++++ will buy again

11-05-2009, 04:59 PM	#10 (permalink)
IllusionOfHappiness Status: Custom User Title Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: NS, Canada Gender: Female Age: 19 Posts: 7,924	Klonopin/Clonazepam, I'll continue to swear by this because it works fast and efficiently. It's great at helping me start my day, and I feel a nice sense of accomplishment when I cut my dose in half (half my dose being 1mg). Halfway through my workday it's already worn off, so I know I can function just fine without it, too. I don't have to completely skip a dose to figure out how I'll function without it. This med provides a calmness - relaxes my muscles so I'm not so tense. When I first started taking klonopin a couple years back, walking was so easy. I used to walk to school a lot, see, and if you're anything like me you're entirely too conscious of everything you do (i.e. how you walk). I felt like I could glide. Lol, that faded with use over time, mind you. But still. It was nice while it lasted. It still has its effect of making me feel significantly less restricted. After reading the orginal post a few times, it seems you're looking for a cure in meds. You won't find it in Kpin, you'll just find tolerance/addiction. And I wouldn't drink on it...had a bad experience with that. http://www.askapatient.com/viewratin...&name=KLONOPIN ^I always refer to this site. Edit: I also take Propranolol, which I'd rate averagely. I've been on Effexor, Cipralex, and Ativan in the past, all with little to no relief.

11-05-2009, 07:33 PM	#13 (permalink)
jim_morrison Status: SAS Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Australia Gender: Male Age: 23 Posts: 1,023	Paxil - 1/10 - This med was a bad experience for me, made me so agitated that I wanted to crawl out of my skin. Moclobemide - 5/10 - The energy boost it gave me actually helped with getting out and being social, side effects such as TMJ and insomnia eventually led me to stop. Lexapro -5/10 - This drug lessened my agoraphobia, I noticed I was able to be out in public more often on this drug, It also seemed to help relax muscle tension associated with anxiety. Only side effect I experienced was sexual dysfunction, which is why I eventually stopped, withdrawls lasted for about 7 days and were anoying (the usual for SSRI withdrawl) but nothing too bad. Mirtazapine 4/10 - This med has it's uses, it worked wonders for my severe insomnia at the time. Didn't really help with my SA though, if anything made me too tired to want to go out and socialise. Clonazepam - 6/10 - Have used this off and on for awhile now, works pretty good, no side effects, effects seem to only last for a few hours for me though. __________________ Warning: I am not a trained medical professional. Any information provided by me is based on my own personal experiences and research and is not intended to be used as professional medical advice. Please contact a medical professional before taking any action that may be discussed on this board.

11-05-2009, 07:37 PM	#14 (permalink)
Neptunus Status: Authenticating Join Date: Oct 2007 Gender: Female Posts: 2,832	I had a weird reaction to paxil - muscle cramps and spasms, with mild dystonia. It's most likely a permanent "discontinuation syndrome" after coming off of 40mg a few years back. I'm on 15mg right now, and it still makes a huge difference when it comes to tempering my emotions and anxiety. One of those "the cure is worse than the curse" scenarios really. __________________ "When I stand before thee at the day's end, thou shalt see my scars and know that I had my wounds and also my healing." ~Rabindranath Tagore "Being gentle means forgiving yourself when you mess up. We should learn from our mistakes, but we shouldn't beat the tar out of ourselves over them. The past is just that, past. Learn what went wrong and why. Make amends if you need to. Then drop it and move on." ---Sean Covey

11-05-2009, 09:21 PM	#15 (permalink)
ch3cooh Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oklahoma...OK! Gender: Male Posts: 50	Lexapro has definitely made a difference in my treatment. In addition to relieving the symptoms of my dysthymia and anxiety it made me comfortable enough to actually start talking about my anxiety in therapy. I'm also on Vyvanse for ADHD, this also helps because I'm able to focus and stay "in" a therapy session and get work done. Drugs are good kids!

11-05-2009, 10:26 PM	#16 (permalink)
UltraShy Status: Accident of Birth Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Milwaukee, WI (Atheist, Libertarian) Gender: Male Age: 36 Posts: 24,561	One (only because you don't offer a lower option). __________________ Nothing is ever the way it should be What we deserve we just don't get you see http://www.insureyourgunrights.com/

11-06-2009, 08:43 AM	#18 (permalink)
gillettecavalcad3 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: U.K. Gender: Male Posts: 130	10. Drugs help you get the exposure you need to conquer your fears and change your way of thinking. I am 100% cured. Psychoeducation is also very helpful because you start to learn the reasons of why it is happening.

11-06-2009, 08:49 AM	#19 (permalink)
RedStarCharlie Status: SAS Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 25	I've been on 5 different meds and none of them have helped me whatsoever. They just gave me side effects

11-06-2009, 09:12 AM	#20 (permalink)
Pilfrom Status: I'll be brave for a while Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Middle England/hades Age: 28 Posts: 26	Sertraline: Worked wonders initially; crushed my depression and somewhat alleviated my anxiety but slowly made me feel completely spaced out and zombified. Fluoxetine: Very activating; similar effects as Sert minus the spaciness. Also gave me the wherewithal to begin dating; it completely wrecked my sleep cycle and ability to orgasm however. Citalopram: Sugar pill; did absolutely nothing for me sadly. Propranolol: Not taken for long so it was hard to tell if the calming effect was psychosomatic. Venlafaxine: I've been on Ven since January and it has completely rid me of depression and OCD. It hasn't rid me of anxiety completely, but I no longer have racing and obsessive thoughts about past events/relationships. Also has no side effects for me at all.