Anyone with an anxiety disorder...?

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  • victoriashea
    victoriashea Posts: 112
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    The Lexapro and Klonopin I took never affected my weight directly (as in, not in a chemical way). However I, like you, refused to take them after a while. I didn't like feeling like a basket case. That was one of the worst decisions of my life.
    Diagnosed with OCD, GAD, and panic disorder at the age of 13, I had the misfortune of manifesting my obsession in weight loss as a controllable compulsion. This gave way to anorexia nervosa which spun my life into chaos like no panic attack ever could until I was sixteen. At sixteen I abused weight loss pills (ephedrine)-- while continuing to ignore my Lexapro, Klonopin, and Welbutrin-- to the point where I entered a state of psychosis. To battle this state of psychosis I entered a state psych ward. There I gained back all of my ED weight and my sanity.
    So yes, my anxiety greatly affected my weight loss.
    Please take your meds.
  • shoshi68
    shoshi68 Posts: 407 Member
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    I have anxiety and depression, controlled with meds and rigorous "mental hygiene." - for me, that is, eating right, getting enough good quality sleep, exercise, and, if I am really doing it right, meditation. My anxiety/depression has a seasonal affective component, so winter is a low functional time for me. I have to work hard, with all parts of my regime, to keep healthy.

    This site has helped me a great deal to take control and responsibility of my food issues (I eat when anxious and/or depressed), without triggering anxiety over keeping track (counting calories used to literally keep me up at night as I obsessively counted them).

    Anyway, that is my deal.

    Thanks for bringing it up! It helps to talk about it!
  • runner328
    runner328 Posts: 174
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    The Lexapro and Klonopin I took never affected my weight directly (as in, not in a chemical way). However I, like you, refused to take them after a while. I didn't like feeling like a basket case. That was one of the worst decisions of my life.
    Diagnosed with OCD, GAD, and panic disorder at the age of 13, I had the misfortune of manifesting my obsession in weight loss as a controllable compulsion. This gave way to anorexia nervosa which spun my life into chaos like no panic attack ever could until I was sixteen. At sixteen I abused weight loss pills (ephedrine)-- while continuing to ignore my Lexapro, Klonopin, and Welbutrin-- to the point where I entered a state of psychosis. To battle this state of psychosis I entered a state psych ward. There I gained back all of my ED weight and my sanity.
    So yes, my anxiety greatly affected my weight loss.
    Please take your meds.

    Wow thank you for being so candid. I wish more people were willing to tell their story so honestly.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    I was diagnosed with moderate-severe anxiety and moderate depression over a year ago. I started with CBT, but my therapist and I agreed that it would be helpful to start medication. I started on Prozac but got mad migraines, so I switched to Celexa 40mg/day and felt SO much better. I recently added Wellbutrin because the Celexa kept me pretty tired all day and I was sick of taking 2 hour naps (don't get me wrong, I love naps, but that was disruptive). I also had disordered eating and severe body dysmorphic disorder at the time. Since I got my meds worked out I have been feeling AMAZING! Sure I still have rough days like everyone, but now I handle them in stride rather than having a panic attack in the cell culture room where no one will find me. :)
    I didn't gain any weight from the meds and I haven't lost any because of them either. The Wellbutrin helped me have more energy so I missed fewer workouts, but they generally don't prescribe that to people with a past ED or anxiety. I only got it as a trial run and it happened to work well for me.
  • mariam446
    mariam446 Posts: 4
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    Yes, lot of anxiety, and what it does is make me sick and no appetite. not taking any medicines either.
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
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    The reality is it's an illness. A treatable illness. And sadly one that still carries a stigma making those who 'suffer' from it believe that they should be able to 'cure' it without medical intervention. Yes, some people can accomplish that, but try to recognise your personal limitations on fighting the illness.

    I'm with you on this one. Anxiety is a chemical imbalance in your brain. It is not your personality that causes the anxiety, it is chemicals in your brain. Do not be afraid to take a medication to fix it. You would put a cast on a broken leg, you would take insulin if you were diabetic. So why are people so scared to treat a chemical imbalance with medication?
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    The reality is it's an illness. A treatable illness. And sadly one that still carries a stigma making those who 'suffer' from it believe that they should be able to 'cure' it without medical intervention. Yes, some people can accomplish that, but try to recognise your personal limitations on fighting the illness.

    I'm with you on this one. Anxiety is a chemical imbalance in your brain. It is not your personality that causes the anxiety, it is chemicals in your brain. Do not be afraid to take a medication to fix it. You would put a cast on a broken leg, you would take insulin if you were diabetic. So why are people so scared to treat a chemical imbalance with medication?

    Agreed. It's just like a diabetic taking insulin.
  • erinoldham19
    erinoldham19 Posts: 74
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    i have depression, anxiety and panic attacks.. i refused medication for a long time with fear of weight gain and it being a waste of time..until this past april where the panic attacks got so bad that i couldn't do ANYTHING my hear traced my breathing become so bad i thought i was going to pass out, i couldn't concentrate on anything and couldn't handle things going on around me.. i couldn't go to the store top get food for the family i couldn't handle being around people, except my husband and kids.. i felt safe with them.. granted i still had attacks but they weren't that bad around them..
    i stopped cleaning the house and caring about my self (even more so than before, i have always had bad self esteem issues, this just made it worse)
    after my husband demanding i go see a dr who suggested i see a therapist and start meds.. i started taking celexa, and ativan.. i was on those 2 for a bit then the dr added abilify.. then my therapist suggested i see a psychiatrist who stopped those meds and put me on klonopins and viibryd.
    i am doing better but i have gained some weight. i dont know if the weight gain is due to the depression and anxiety or the medication but either way i wasn't eating well for a couple months..
    now i'm trying to get back into a workout routine and log my food everyday.. EXERCISE is key.. its a way to exert anxiety and it helps make depression better.. its just getting off your butt to do it that is the hardest..the endorphines that are released while exercising are amazing..
    depending on how bad your anxiety is you might want to think of a medication to get things mellowed out a bit work on the stressors get into a routine and then see how things are going.. worst case you can always stop taking meds (after talking to your dr) just because you use meds doesn't mean you are any less of a person than anyone else.. like it was mentioned above some people just have chemical imbalances (which is not anyones fault but genetics) so medication is necessary..
    good luck keep your head up and take it day by day or hour by hour..
  • Anoble17
    Anoble17 Posts: 37 Member
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    I have really bad anxiety. I'm prescribed Xanax but I only take it when I'm hyperventilating and can't breathe (which happens once every few months now). I don't really know what changed with my anxiety. I work out more, I do group activities. I still get anxious in large crowds, like going to Walmart on a Sunday FORGET IT. You can beat it. And when you do, you will be SO much happier. :smile:
  • KarmaxKitty
    KarmaxKitty Posts: 901 Member
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    OP, here~~~!

    Thanks, everyone. :smile:

    I HAVE been finding specific ways of coping, and like a couple of members have said, excercise and nutrition really do help. Trust me, in the year and some change that I've been struggling, I weighed to pros and cons of being on meds. I fully understand that it IS an illness. But just like many other illnesses, there is more than one way to treat. For me (not that it's bad for anyone else), it simply isn't an option I can bring myself to. I've thought very thoroughly about it, meditated on it, searched within myself, and realized that I cannot. I don't know if anyone understands that.

    The control of my personal items hasn't gotten out of control. It's more like the need to know how everything is, what it's doing. And only in relation to my personal space (read: my own room), and not things that people have borrowed. I finally fixed that one haha. I no longer self harm, or overfeed, although, as another memember has said (i cannot find the name now), i do have to force myself to eat and do right by my body and ignore the "you will just get fatter" talk.

    I turned most of my energy and strong fixation tendencies into going to the gym and picking up new hobbies. :laugh:

    If anyone has other coping tendencies, I would surely love to know. :)
  • KarmaxKitty
    KarmaxKitty Posts: 901 Member
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    I have really bad anxiety. I'm prescribed Xanax but I only take it when I'm hyperventilating and can't breathe (which happens once every few months now). I don't really know what changed with my anxiety. I work out more, I do group activities. I still get anxious in large crowds, like going to Walmart on a Sunday FORGET IT. You can beat it. And when you do, you will be SO much happier. :smile:

    THANK YOU! I feel the same way. :happy:
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
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    OP, here~~~!

    Thanks, everyone. :smile:

    I HAVE been finding specific ways of coping, and like a couple of members have said, excercise and nutrition really do help. Trust me, in the year and some change that I've been struggling, I weighed to pros and cons of being on meds. I fully understand that it IS an illness. But just like many other illnesses, there is more than one way to treat. For me (not that it's bad for anyone else), it simply isn't an option I can bring myself to. I've thought very thoroughly about it, meditated on it, searched within myself, and realized that I cannot. I don't know if anyone understands that.

    The control of my personal items hasn't gotten out of control. It's more like the need to know how everything is, what it's doing. And only in relation to my personal space (read: my own room), and not things that people have borrowed. I finally fixed that one haha. I no longer self harm, or overfeed, although, as another memember has said (i cannot find the name now), i do have to force myself to eat and do right by my body and ignore the "you will just get fatter" talk.

    I turned most of my energy and strong fixation tendencies into going to the gym and picking up new hobbies. :laugh:

    If anyone has other coping tendencies, I would surely love to know. :)

    Since you have decided against medication, I hope that are you seeing a therapist/psychologist or have someone to talk to about it. It's important to have someone that will listen to you. If you are in college, you can usually see a therapist at your health center for free. If you are in high school talk to a guidance counselor. And if you are working, see if your insurance covers therapy. If your anxiety is causing you a lot of trouble, to the point where you can't live your life, then you need to reevaluate your decision. You want to live the best life possible :)
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
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    It's crossed my mind here that its entirely possible that the unwillingness to medicate is actually a symptom of the anxiety disorder instead of being a well reasoned out decision. Not saying it is, mind you, just a random though.

    Aside from that, if you can direct your obsessions onto more healthy actions that's fantastic, just be very very careful not to go over the top, because it can be just as unhealthy as the opposite direction.
  • KarmaxKitty
    KarmaxKitty Posts: 901 Member
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    I have anxiety and depression, controlled with meds and rigorous "mental hygiene." - for me, that is, eating right, getting enough good quality sleep, exercise, and, if I am really doing it right, meditation. My anxiety/depression has a seasonal affective component, so winter is a low functional time for me. I have to work hard, with all parts of my regime, to keep healthy.

    This site has helped me a great deal to take control and responsibility of my food issues (I eat when anxious and/or depressed), without triggering anxiety over keeping track (counting calories used to literally keep me up at night as I obsessively counted them).

    Anyway, that is my deal.

    Thanks for bringing it up! It helps to talk about it!

    I agree, people should talk about it more. And actually, what you're doing to help yourself is what I do too! And also, the lack of sunlight makes me want to sit down and just sleep. ANY amount of sunlight in winter is enough to pull me out of wintertime funk. Sunlight is the best drug ever. :D
  • KarmaxKitty
    KarmaxKitty Posts: 901 Member
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    I would really love if we could continue this thread. Unless someone knows of a group on here. Talking about it DOES help. And other than a counselor/psychologist/psychiatrist/shrink/voodoo doctor/etc., what other place than here?
  • Thomasm198
    Thomasm198 Posts: 3,189 Member
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    Since you have decided against medication, I hope that are you seeing a therapist/psychologist or have someone to talk to about it. It's important to have someone that will listen to you. If you are in college, you can usually see a therapist at your health center for free. If you are in high school talk to a guidance counselor. And if you are working, see if your insurance covers therapy. If your anxiety is causing you a lot of trouble, to the point where you can't live your life, then you need to reevaluate your decision. You want to live the best life possible :)

    ^^^Agree

    I developed Post Traumatic Stress 10 years ago after an incident in work. I was on Prozac for 6 months but at the same time I was also attending a counsellor. I was eventually taken off the Prozac but kept seeing the counsellor for nearly 3 years after that.

    During that time, there were days that I couldn't keep food down. As soon as I got the smell of food I would start to feel nauseous and after swallowing the first scrap of food I would be getting sick.

    Unless you are seeing a therapist/counsellor on a regular basis, I would suggest taking whatever medication the doctor has prescribed for you.

    :flowerforyou:
  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
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    ive self diagnosed myself with an anxiety disorder too. i havent been to the doctors yet, ive struggled with addiction in the past so i doubt they will prescribe me anything anyways. I have social anxiety. Im not sure what triggers it though, but its only every so often out in public places where theres lots of people. I start to get panic attacks. Its not all the time though, its kind of hit or miss, but theres def something there. Last one was at a SMALL party, i freaked out so bad i RAN to the bathroom and stayed there for about 15 minutes until i chilled the hell out. The only thing that ive found that helps me not to get them so much is to cut caffeine out. The most i can handle is about one diet soda, if i drink more i kinda get crazy. I also talked to a friend about my issues a while back, and since then ive noticed they've settled down a little bit as well.
  • Lisa__Michelle
    Lisa__Michelle Posts: 845 Member
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    I have anxiety disorder and have lived with it for a long time. I would not take meds until this May. I had one of the worst anxiety attacks to where I could not do anything (even walk... this is when I took a 2 month break on here). I was given Celexa for everyday meds and Ativan for when I have another attack. I can say I haven't had anxiety really at all since starting Celexa. It took a few weeks to kick in but when it did, it was wonderful. I am also going to a counselor. I have not gained any weight. I actually have lost some. I feel like me again.
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
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    ive self diagnosed myself with an anxiety disorder too. i havent been to the doctors yet, ive struggled with addiction in the past so i doubt they will prescribe me anything anyways. I have social anxiety. Im not sure what triggers it though, but its only every so often out in public places where theres lots of people. I start to get panic attacks. Its not all the time though, its kind of hit or miss, but theres def something there. Last one was at a SMALL party, i freaked out so bad i RAN to the bathroom and stayed there for about 15 minutes until i chilled the hell out. The only thing that ive found that helps me not to get them so much is to cut caffeine out. The most i can handle is about one diet soda, if i drink more i kinda get crazy. I also talked to a friend about my issues a while back, and since then ive noticed they've settled down a little bit as well.

    The meds they would give you for anxiety disorder are not really addictive, in the sense that you can get addicted to them and need them. They're not like pain killers or Ritalin, or Adderall.
  • shoshi68
    shoshi68 Posts: 407 Member
    Options


    The reality is it's an illness. A treatable illness. And sadly one that still carries a stigma making those who 'suffer' from it believe that they should be able to 'cure' it without medical intervention. Yes, some people can accomplish that, but try to recognise your personal limitations on fighting the illness.

    I'm with you on this one. Anxiety is a chemical imbalance in your brain. It is not your personality that causes the anxiety, it is chemicals in your brain. Do not be afraid to take a medication to fix it. You would put a cast on a broken leg, you would take insulin if you were diabetic. So why are people so scared to treat a chemical imbalance with medication?

    Hallelujah! I tell folks taking my medicine is like taking insulin for a diabetic! This is not my fault, but I am responsible for taking care of myself.

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