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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

meds for social anxiety and depression

A

ameoba

Greenlighter
Joined
Mar 10, 2012
Messages
37
i know you're not psychiatrists or anything 8) but i'm just asking to get some opinions and to kind of know what i'm getting myself into beforehand.
i decided to take the step of going to a psychiatrist for the first time. I believe i've been suffering from depression for a long time and after a bad breakdown over the weekend i decided it was time. The dr agreed to see me today straight away and we talked about some stuff. i noticed he concentrated a lot of what he called "shyness and social anxiety" ok, yeah I might have some of that.

he made arrangements to see me again tomorrow so we could talk some more and then we would discuss options.
i imagine he will at some point prescribe me something...
so my question is what are the meds that are usually prescribed for this? are they habit forming? do they work?

i know i can probably google this and get webmd or mayoclinic to answer this but i really trust this community and i wanted to know what you guys thought.

thanks in advanced and i'm sorry if this is a stupid question but i'm just nervous and skeptical about the whole thing.
 
Best advice would be to tell the psychiatrist tomorrow exactly what you are questioning in your post.
It is that simple.
 
Question... Do you exercise often?

Because you are going to be prescribed Serotonin receptor poisons. (SSRI type drugs)

You will never be the same. No one needs that shit.

Prepare to not give a damn anymore.
 
Short term solution to a long term problem. It is your mental thought patterns that cause you to be like that imo. Try CBT first.
 
You may likely be prescribed an anti-depressant in the SSRI family or perhaps one of the SNRI's, or maybe another type of anti-depressant. Bets are though, you will end up with one. Depending on symptoms, I wouldn't be surprised for you to be prescribed more than just one drug for your depression as some psychiatrists are VERY script-happy. You may be prescribed a benzo, too, if he was focusing in on anxiety and social phobia, or godforbid add a neuroleptic (anti-psychotic). I don't know what you need, though. I can tell you A LOT of psych drugs are dangerous and/or unpleasant in some way or another. Whether or not a certain drug is right for you, I cannot say, of course. Many are the kind which you become dependent on (physically with a whole lot, and psychologically with a good deal, too). Many cause fairly significant change in mood (flatten it, for example), and the way you feel. You should research well any drug prescribed to you before taking it - doctors do NOT know all of what they are doing. Again, don't know the ins and outs of your situation and such, so I can't say which drug(s) will be scripted and how they will effect you specifically (depending on you and the drug or drugs). Not all psych drugs are bad - some are worth it in certain circumstances, but like I said do GOOD research of the exact drug(s) you are going to be scripted BEFORE taking them.
 
Psychedelic Jay said:
Question... Do you exercise often?

Because you are going to be prescribed Serotonin receptor poisons. (SSRI type drugs)

You will never be the same. No one needs that shit.

Prepare to not give a damn anymore.
Click to expand...

Weren't you recommending tramadol for treatment-resistant depression/anxiety in another thread? I know tramadol is not an anti-depressant per se, as it has opioid (M1 metabolite) and SRA releasing effects as well, but do you now no longer recommend tramadol for that reason?

Tramadol also induces apathy, but that can be a good thing when you're extremely anxious.
 
ErgicMergic said:
Weren't you recommending tramadol for treatment-resistant depression/anxiety in another thread? I know tramadol is not an anti-depressant per se, as it has opioid (M1 metabolite) and SRA releasing effects as well, but do you now no longer recommend tramadol for that reason?

Tramadol also induces apathy, but that can be a good thing when you're extremely anxious.
Click to expand...

Tramadol, though, just to clarify, DOES work on NE, too, unlike SSRI's & has significant opioid-action in those who can metabolize it well into O-desmethyltramadol. It is not an SSRI. Not to hijack this forum, but ErgicMergic, I would like your imput on amps + tramadol, and how they effect each others' mechanisms of actions and subjective effects (in both a therapeutic and recreational sense). Are d-amp and l-amp (doubtfully l-amp) that serotonergic? What does d-methamphetamine, for example, feel like compared to just d-amphetamine due to d-methamphetamine's supposed much greater effect on serotonin release? Another question, is tramadol an RI or RA with SERT and NE? I am still unsure of that. You know a good deal, and some of what I do not. I also can only see this combo through more subjective eyes - I need objective imput, if you would. Thanks.
 
hey ameoba I Am currently on meds for depression and anxiety myself, I told my doctor I didn't want anything habit forming , he put my on Zoloft and Hydroxyzine. I used to be on Klonipin but Benzos are not fun to come off of. So ask him or her for something non- habit forming if you need to. Good luck!
 
they've put me back on fluoxetine 20mg for now. not what i was expecting ... but it's alright i already have experience with this drug
 
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Why is everyone so against SSRIs? I have studied and researched them to the point of absurdity and I can't find any problems with them. I'm on one myself, it saved my life. Why the hate? Is this just part of the chemical generation thinking they know everything?
 
^ they have a lot of side effects and long-term problems, particularly when discontinuing use. There's also been a few studies done that show their efficacy is pretty low in double-blind trials.
 
Fluoxetine..... I was on that for a while, made me feel no emotions after about a month and a bit. The only drugs that have worked for me for anxiety and depression are benzos, Im on 10mg vallium daily now :)
 
ErgicMergic said:
Weren't you recommending tramadol for treatment-resistant depression/anxiety in another thread? I know tramadol is not an anti-depressant per se, as it has opioid (M1 metabolite) and SRA releasing effects as well, but do you now no longer recommend tramadol for that reason?

Tramadol also induces apathy, but that can be a good thing when you're extremely anxious.
Click to expand...

Yes. I feel it is better. You get instant and blistering relief. Apathy is pretty rare. But with SSRIs you really are in a BIG hit or miss... Not to mention you have a higher change of getting worse, and throwing tantrums.

Psychiatry is such a shotgun approach type industry, it is ridiculous.

Not to mention, you can’t pick and choose the drug that you have researched for the ailment you have with most doctors. You simply can’t tell me that throwing the “PAD" at everything will help...
 
Fluoxetine is likely the most easy to discontinue out of all of the SSRI's due to its very long half-life, and the very long half-life of one of its metabolites which is active. I was on fluoxetine for a period, but with a variety of other psych drugs, probably very unwarranted - I will comment that coming off of it with a rather gentle taper was, for me, completely painless, BUT I had not been on the drug for very long, and was taking benzos daily (as I do to this day). All of that aside, others will tell you coming off fluoxetine is easier than coming off the other SSRI's, and fluoxetine once daily allows for very consistent therapeutic action unlike some of the SSRI's with shorter half-lives. You said you had experience with it yourself, so I'd say that is a very good thing, too. I hope your condition and symptoms can be relieved by this course of treatment with drug therapy, but I'd advise talk therapy and other therapies with a professional, too, to help you, and let the drug be a crutch as you heal, eventually (or not, depending) to be discontinued. All of that, though, is to be seen.
 
nAON said:
^ they have a lot of side effects and long-term problems, particularly when discontinuing use. There's also been a few studies done that show their efficacy is pretty low in double-blind trials.
Click to expand...

This is a good point. SSRIs do work for some people, but they don't work for a lot more people.

YMMV. A benzodiazepine prescription is something to be treated with caution as well.
 
Antidepressant medications (doctors usually start patients on a small dose of a SSRI and then increase if need be) for depression/anxiety, and perhaps benzodiazepines if you suffer from anxiety attacks.

From my personal experience, no anti depressant drug worked for me -- SSRI, SNRI, tricyclic, MAOI... My depression is resistant to medications no matter how long I stay on them.

However some people claim that AD's have saved their life and greatly improved the quality of it. Benzodiazepines can become habit forming extremely fast, but theyve worked great for panic attack relief in me.

What I would suggest is trying CBT, eating enough healthy foods, taking vitamins (D and B work GREAT for me), and exercise.

Make sure your therapist knows everything that you mentioned. The cause should be addressed and treated.

Good luck <3
 
The best thing to do is try to find an SSRI that will work for you. Then if it isn't enough, ask the doctor for a benzo for occasional use (BTW, I recommend clonazepam for this purpose). Sometimes non-drug approaches like therapy and group sessions can help, but that is not usually the case.
 
kokaino said:
The best thing to do is try to find an SSRI that will work for you. Then if it isn't enough, ask the doctor for a benzo for occasional use (BTW, I recommend clonazepam for this purpose). Sometimes non-drug approaches like therapy and group sessions can help, but that is not usually the case.
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I highly beg to differ. The drugs coat the problem. Therapy targets the root cause.
 
Its been concluded that psychiatry and psychological therapy in conjunction is the best approach

OP don't be fooled: there is a reason why SSRIs are so widely prescribed - by and large they work

Benzodiazepines are rarely so easily prescribed as SSRIs by responsible doctors. They may initially seem like extremely helpful drugs with a low side effect profile but they are among the most addictive substances known to man, produce a debilitating withdrawal, damage the brain long-term, and oftentimes lose so much efficacy that even a high dose hardly takes care of symptoms.

Listen to what people say about changing habits - exercise and such. This is what will lastingly help you out OP.

If you are considering a Benzodiazepine at least read what so many people say about them on this site and shoot me a PM if you want more information. I'm all too happy to give it.
 
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