I am new here. I just listened to Session 2. I have been having anxiety and panic attacks for about a year. I thought I had it under control taking Lexapro for several months, but in August the attacks started again. My Dr. put me on Pristiq which I have been on for a little over a month now. My husband bought me this program and I have been skeptical about it. Is this program really working for people? I would like to be able to go off my medication. I am hoping to get some answers here. Thanks.

Hi Ellie Lou,
Yes, Ellie Lou, this program is fantastic!!! It has changed my life, only for the better. I truly don't know where I would be without it. It takes time and committment, but has been worth every effort I made. I feel it was heaven sent, and I am so Thankful. I was in such pitiful shape. I felt like I was having a nervous breakdown. I had anxiety and panic 24/7.
I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, could barely leave my home, I simply was not functioning. But today my life is so much better. I deal with life, in a better more productive way. This program has taught me the life coping skills I feel everyone needs. Please do not doubt it, this program works, if you do the work, and stay committed to it. Please don't give up, if I can do this, you can to and your life will be so much richer for it. I wish you the best and if you ever need someone to chat with feel free to send me a private message, I will be glad to listen.
Your New Friend
Angla

quote:

Originally posted by Ellie Lou:
I am new here. I just listened to Session 2. I have been having anxiety and panic attacks for about a year. I thought I had it under control taking Lexapro for several months, but in August the attacks started again. My Dr. put me on Pristiq which I have been on for a little over a month now. My husband bought me this program and I have been skeptical about it. Is this program really working for people? I would like to be able to go off my medication. I am hoping to get some answers here. Thanks.

I am new also and hoping to gradually get off Xanax Xr and the genric alprazaloam xanax , what meds are you on again. Do they help with panic attacks? I got put on Xanax Xr cause anti depressants made my panic worse tryed a lot of them and only relief was on Xanax but been on it so long I want off it if possible adt83

Hey Ellie Lou I can tell you I started working this program 4 weeks ago and I'm simply amazed with the changes in myself and others have noticed as well. Give it a try. I was also on Lexapro and now I'm off it. The reason I'm off it is that I learned my depression was directly linked with my anxiety. With the tools to deal with anxiety found in this program I've eliminated the medication. I stopped the med after consulting with my doctor. In essence I've become my own anti-depressant as long as I continue to work the program.

Angla,
Thanks for your insight on this program. I think I will give it more of a chance. I am so tired of feeling like this. I had a bad panic attack during the night last night, and I am determined that this has got to stop! It is nice to hear from people that the program is working for and who have been through what I am going through. I feel like no one around me really understands what is going on with me.
Thanks for your kind words,
Ellie

tunedin1,
How hard was it to go off the Lexapro? I want to be off medication, but at the same time a little afraid to because I don't want the anxiety to get worse. My Dr. thinks I should stay on medication at least through the winter months. It is hard to know waht to do. Thanks for your comments and help. I appreciate it.
Ellie

Can I ask you two, what dose of Lexapro you are on? I just started it and the side effects where tough so I went to 5 mg. to try and adapt. What level did you find helpful?

i have successfully been off of antidepressants, effexor was my last Rx, for a little over one year. I can tell you that winter does have a depressive quality. most of the information i was given about being careful when coming off of medications has been valid. like winter can be more depressive. i am new to this program. i have been successful in some ways and continue to need help in others. treating depression without the use of medications requires work and effort. the discipline required for this takes time to acquire. i just began this program. all of this to say, it is a process. accepting the process and doing the work is how coming off of medications has worked for me. the best of luck to you.

Hello, again. This is CJA, this is only my second time on the site and I'm just beginning my second week. The first session was really hard for me. I normally haven't been suffering with panic attacks. I started out with a drug addiction 10 years ago, followed by full blown anxiety and panic attacks. Now my biggest problem is depression. I have been clean from the drugs for 7 years, but still feel so removed from life. I struggle with soo much guilt and low self esteem. I'm currently on Lexapro and Lorazepam to sleep. I don't believe either is helping. My Dr. told me since I abused drugs, I will forever be on these drugs, because my brain mis-fires in the chemical department of the brain. I REFUSE to accept that, so here I am. I'm having many sleepless nights and my emotions are allover the place. I so want to have my life back! Thanks for listening. CJA

quote:

Originally posted by DIAA:
Can I ask you two, what dose of Lexapro you are on? I just started it and the side effects where tough so I went to 5 mg. to try and adapt. What level did you find helpful?

My doctor started me on 10 mg. of Lexapro. This worked very well for about 8 months. During that time I had no panic attacks. Then I started having them again, and my doctor upped my dose to 20 mg. I was on that dose for about 6 weeks and I was still having the panic attacks. My doctor took me off Lexapro and put me on Pristiq which I am currently taking, but still have some panic attacks and anxiety. I didn't seem to have any side effects while I was on Lexapro. Hope this helps.

I encourage you to give this program a good try. I am in my second week. I now knowwhat triggers my anxiety. As soon as I "see" it coming, I practice the skills that are taught in this program. So, I never reach a high level of misery. I take my medications only at night before bed. When I am a little pressured because of job search pressures, I take the mid-day pill as prescribed by my doctor.

quote:

Originally posted by Ellie Lou:

quote:

Originally posted by DIAA:
Can I ask you two, what dose of Lexapro you are on? I just started it and the side effects where tough so I went to 5 mg. to try and adapt. What level did you find helpful?

My doctor started me on 10 mg. of Lexapro. This worked very well for about 8 months. During that time I had no panic attacks. Then I started having them again, and my doctor upped my dose to 20 mg. I was on that dose for about 6 weeks and I was still having the panic attacks. My doctor took me off Lexapro and put me on Pristiq which I am currently taking, but still have some panic attacks and anxiety. I didn't seem to have any side effects while I was on Lexapro. Hope this helps.

Ellie Lou,
It took about 4 weeks to reduce the dose from 20 mg, then 10 mg then 5 mg, then off. It's the best medication I've tried and if for any reason I need to go back I will ask my doctor to put me back on Lexapro. However I wasn't exactly free of the many side effects, which I was willing to put up with since Lexapro kept the runaway thinking/anxiety supressed. I can only say it's a miracle from God that working this program has resulted in the same supression or maybe better put the elimination of racing thoughts and what ifs....but now without the side effects I once experienced while on Lexapro.

I wouldn't push anything if you feel better about staying on Lexapro through the winter there is no harm done. You may want to consider setting a goal for Spring to test the waters if you're up for it.

The most important thing for me to do right now is stay on track with this program with or without Lexapro. Also, reducing coffee and sugar has helped a lot, when on Lexapro I rarely drank coffee. I was amazed to learn how powerful those stimulates are and how I used them for energy. Plus I'm exercising about 4 - 5 times a week which really gets the endorphins goings and smooth me out. I still am having periods of being a little anxious and a little blue but I view this now as a normal part of just living.
Tune

Hi Ellie Lou!

Hang in there! Everyone here is just so EXTREMELY supportive so make sure you come here to talk things out whenever you start having doubts or setbacks or frustrations or feeling hopeless. That's what this support forum is for...and goodness knows we've all been there plenty of times ourselves!

For me personally, I bought this program about 4 or 5 years ago - but, never seemed to get past lesson 3. I always started feeling so much better that I figured I just didn't need it any more. Plus, although I'm embarrassed to say it because I know it's ridiculous, I would feel that the program was too simplistic and redundant and I didn't need to waste my time with such elementary concepts because I already knew them.

I think when we're looking for, and hoping for, immediate relief - we just want something to hit that switch and fix us. I never listened to the audio portions of the program more than once per week, never did any of the homework, etc. - but I did work on practicing the things taught in the program.

Now that I find myself back at a low point in my struggle with anxiety/panic, I'm starting over again (on lesson 2 now) - but this time with a vengence. I'm doing everything exactly as instructed and am not trying to cut corners or speed things up. Boy, what a difference!

Although it seems annoying and frustrating to listen to the audio stuff 2-3 times per week, listen to the relaxation up to 3 times a day, start a journal, etc. - we HAVE to do it. We're being instructed to do it for a reason and that reason makes sense...

Yep, we're all intelligent people. We all realize the important of proper breathing. We realize what anxiety/panic is and that it's US and our thoughts that cause it. But all the redundancy within the program really ingrains it in our beings...and that's what makes a world of difference.

You know...sort've like not really learning something until you actually do it.

Again, hang in there! Don't give up on the program, keep up with it, look forward to taking the time every day to work with it. You'll notice changes in yourself...they'll come!

Keep us posted!