Mommy's Health - Dayton,OH

Updated on October 27, 2013
E.L. asks from Dayton, OH
19 answers

This year was a horrible one for me. I had extreme anxiety with several panic attacks and also a little bit of depression i guess. My psychologist put me on a low dose of zoloft-25 mg for 6 months. He said that it will be enough to help me with my anxiety. I wean of as it instructions. Now i am almost 2 months zoloft free. I feel that my anxiety is back. I am so scared of everything: a desease, loneliness, mental illness....yes I doubt my own sanity. I am afraid everyone else will notice something is wrong with me and i will lose my job, my family. I am also very agressive, I pick up fights with everyone and I do not have any patience at all. Before this, I used to be so strong, I always found a reason to smile, I can honnestly say I was a different person. Now I cry all the time and I only have negative thoughts. I don't know if i will ever be myself again, but at least I have to try to be a good mom to my son and for that I need to be stronger, calmer. I have soo many headaches and muscle spasms and also from time to time an annoying tinnitus. I am a shadow of what I used to be. I put on a lot of weight, my period skipped a month and I am not pregnant. I think my whole body is a wreck because of my mental and emotional state. Please if you can help me with a piece of advise. I don't want to be back on the meds. I am 30. I have survived without them until now. I want to somehow survive without them from now on. I just need to find a way out of this mess. Thank you so much!

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R.M.

answers from Cumberland on

get this treatment: EMDR-it is effective, inexpensive, no drugs and the psychiatric community/medical community is shaking in their shoes because of it's efficacy in the treatment of a myriad of disorders-good luck.

3 moms found this helpful
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J.O.

answers from Detroit on

If you were fine until age 30 why suddenly do you have all this anxiety?
What is the cause?

I agree going on meds isn't ideal. They say exercise and massage can be more powerful than drugs.

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D.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Please talk to your doctor.

I'm not sure why you are so against the meds. They help you, and you need them.

Please think of it this way: A person who develops diabetes in their 30s doesn't make enough insulin anymore. Her doctor prescribes insulin shots. Would you think badly of this person for staying on the insulin, and not trying to wean off of it? No, of course not. The lack of insulin is a real problem.

Your brain isn't making enough neurotransmitter anymore. You should not judge yourself for having to take a pill with neurotransmitters in it to make up for that, just like you would not judge a diabetic for taking insulin. It is no different. Please allow your doctor to help you.

7 moms found this helpful
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D..

answers from Miami on

How long are you going to go through this before you do what you NEED to do, go back on your meds? For heavens sake, mom, why are you putting yourself through this? You have a CHEMICAL IMBALANCE. Your brain needs the medicine.

The part of being scared for your sanity is telling you to get back on your medicine. The insanity part of you is what is saying "no meds". IGNORE the part of you that is saying no meds and get BACK to the doctor and get back on your medicine.

I'm not trying to be nice here. I'm trying to tell you to straighten up and be the woman you are supposed to be, the wife you're supposed to be and the mom you're supposed to be. For the love of God, get help NOW.

6 moms found this helpful
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H.W.

answers from Portland on

E.,

In reading your past posts, I would strongly suggest seeing both a doctor and a therapist to discuss your options. You are obviously in a bad situation in your marital life and were you a girlfriend, I would be telling you to start gathering resources. If you don't feel your doctor is qualified enough to give you a good prescription, talk to a prescribing pyschiatrist-- they may be able to more accurately pinpoint what would work well for you, even if it's just a temporary measure.

You say that you have survived without meds before now, I would answer to you that you have only been barely surviving without them, you are in a relationship which is destroying you and you need a lot of time to heal from past wounds and build yourself up to 'happy, self-loving and functional'. I am not saying this to be mean, but because someone else once told me "I love you and you really need to go talk to someone" and it made a life-changing difference for me. I left a bad marriage, worked on myself, and am now happily married to a great guy, enjoying life with the child we had together 6.5 years ago. It wasn't easy, it took a lot of work,

There is a good future for you, so please continue to talk to your doctor, consider that medication may be needed to help you stay strong through some of the transitions you might choose to make in the near future. Your son needs a whole and healthy mom and to live in a household free of abusive behavior. Medication, therapy, or other options may be what you need to get through things for a short time and there is NO shame or embarrassment about this. A naturopath may also be able to help you, so don't rule that out, either. Don't rule out any resources as a matter of course, okay? This is only temporary-- if you continue to help yourself, your life is very likely to only get better.

6 moms found this helpful

L.U.

answers from Seattle on

You are "surviving" but you are not LIVING mama.
You sound so anxious and sad. Please please, go back on the meds! Or if those meds made you feel badly find different ones.
There is no shame in medicating yourself if that is what needs to happen. I do not know ONE person, besides myself, that is NOT on meds of some sort. It's not as taboo as it used to be.
My mother sounds a lot like you. It took a few different meds to find the ones that worked for her but I can say that SHE feels much better.
I strongly urge you to go back to your doctor and set up a counselor of some sort. My mom does both and it makes a huge difference in her life.
Best of luck,
L.

4 moms found this helpful
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A.M.

answers from Washington DC on

You are having a health crisis and need to marshal your troops. It always amazes me how quickly people step forward to help out their loved ones who have minor, temporary physical illnesses, but when there's a mental health emergency, no one materializes.

If you can, find someone who can help take over some of your household duties. If you can, take a leave of absence from work. Prioritize stabilizing your emotional state. This is the equivalent of putting on your oxygen mask in a mid-air emergency. You can't help anyone else until you help yourself.

Don't be ashamed to take meds. You may need them until you are properly diagnosed and treated. I was reluctant to take a pain killer until I couldn't function any longer because I was unable to sleep or focus on simple tasks like meal preparation.

4 moms found this helpful
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P.G.

answers from Dallas on

You need to see a doctor. And if you need meds, then that is OK. Ask what your options are. There are different meds, and something else might work better. Please don't be h*** o* yourself for needing help! You need to know how your body and mind are affecting each other and deal with it. There are also physical/chemical reasons for our brains to feel out of whack.

The best way to be strong for your son, for your family, for yourself is to seek medical help. Get a full physical with bloodwork and everything to find out what is out of whack, and then work to fix it. If you have to take anti anxiety medication to stay level, then you need to be strong and be OK with that.

There is nothing to be ashamed of. If the medicine gets you HEALTHY, then you need it, and for you and your family you need to take it.

Very big hugs to you. It's ok to need help, to ask for help, and to accept help.

4 moms found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I suggest you call the doc and let them know you're having these feelings. It may be you need to be on the med a bit longer. It may be you'll need to take it for a year or so.

When I had panic attacks and anxiety attacks I felt very similar to what you're describing. I became a recluse. I took meds for a long time and worked through the problems from my past that were causing them.

Then I was able to feel stronger and better and got off all meds. It takes a lot of therapy and work to get to that point though. Work with your people and then when you're better all round you can start a slow process of getting off the meds.

BUT if you continue to have the same problems when you're off the meds you may have to be on them the rest of your life. Not a bad deal overall. Many people have to take meds every day. It's not a big deal and if you feel better you'll be better.

3 moms found this helpful
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J.M.

answers from Boston on

You are not surviving without meds, please meet with the doc. Discuss meds that don't cause weight gain and build up your coping skills....yoga, cooking, walking, girls night out, whatever. Good luck.

3 moms found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

See a Naturopath Doctor.

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B..

answers from Dallas on

Just wanted to say, you need to have the doc check your thyroid levels, too. It's a lifetime thing but an easy fix.

3 moms found this helpful
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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

You need to talk to your psychologist again. If you do not want to be on medication, what are your options? And can you realistically achieve what you want without medication? What are your reasons for not taking the medication? Is it a perceived stigma? If so, please look at it this way - if you were diabetic, you'd likely take insulin. It's a tool that may help you be calmer and stronger for your son. There is no shame in being healthy, and you can see how your mental health affects your physical health, and vice versa. Please don't suffer.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Try and find a therapist, in conjunction with your psychologist that can help you talk through your anxiety and panic. Find one that is open to all types of therapies. Cognitive, possibly meds, emdr, as someone mentioned, etc. Talking about it with someone that can help you find your way through it will be a huge help.
Hint:fighting the anxious and panicky feelings makes it worse. The key is acceptance of the feelings, knowing they will pass and just living your life knowing those feelings will come and go. If you need the meds for a while to get you through a rough patch, that is what they are for.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.2.

answers from Chicago on

I agree with the others that you need to make an appointment with your psychologist asap! If the meds were helping why would you go off of them? I have been on Zoloft for seven years and taking that daily along with monthly visits to my psychologist has been life changing for me. I take 200 mg of Zoloft a day. There have been times during the past seven years where I have attempted to wean off of Zoloft but I have realized that I need my daily 'happy' pills as I like to call them =) I would highly suggest you go back on Zoloft since it was helping you feel better.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.W.

answers from Sacramento on

Whatever you figure out to do, be it meds, going for a walk, etc. sometimes jist giving of yourself, no matter how crazy that sounds, always works for me. Volunteer, join a local church. Helping others might get your mind on someone else who is needy might help you in the meantime.

C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

Besides getting back on your medication, and talking to your doctor about this, you should also look into doing some things for you. Take a yoga class, meditation, and a regular exercise class. All these things (besides your medication) will help you. And one day if it the right choice to go off of meds you will have these other things in your arsenal. Sorry you are going through this. Hang in there...I will be sending good thoughts your way.

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H.G.

answers from Lancaster on

A lot of what you've mentioned could be related to a Thyroid problem. I developed one after the birth of my DD 14 years ago. I still struggle with symptoms but I'm getting to the bottom of it. Everyone is different. You are not crazy, you just need a doctor or two to help you figure it all out. Best of luck to you.

D.B.

answers from Boston on

You might want to look into overall immune system boosting. There is so much research on repairing damaged genes, reducing inflammation, and reducing or eliminating disease. I had chronic health issues as well as depression, and was on 5 prescriptions and still not doing so well. Using cutting edge research that either coordinates with medical care & pharmaceuticals, or which can stand on its own, is the best way to deal with these many issues you are facing. One of the reasons you feel overwhelmed is that you have multiple problems. But they can all stem from a compromised immune system. I know because I went through this myself - chronic bronchitis and allergies, lethargy, headaches, clinical depression, menstrual/fertility issues and more. I can really relate to your feelings that you are losing your grip. As overwhelming as this can be, sometimes it helps to realize that the body can break down in a number of ways but all because of the same thing. Often when you fix one thing (rather than just medicate the symptoms), the others get fixed as well.

I'm not anti-medication if it works and if it helps you function while you get back on track. But it's not a long-term solution and, in many cases, it's just treating the symptoms and not the cause. Repairing the damage to the body and strengthening it against future onslaughts is really much more effective and more satisfying. There's a right way and a wrong way to do that, so it's important to be connected to the right food science and not to be talked into a whole pile of vitamins by people who have a profit agenda and not a helping agenda. I spent years taking everything the health food store recommended plus what the chiropractor sold, and mostly I just lost a lot of money. Seeing the influence of the food science field where clinical data are used and research is key has made a huge difference for me, and I've been to so many seminars and talked to hundreds of people whose lives have been turned around by a better approach.

So don't give up -- there is help and support available to you.

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