Hi,
I want to share my story with you in hopes that it might be of some help. I was on medication from the age of 13 until a year ago for depression and anxiety. I am now 40 and I am finally drug free. I was diagnosed in the 70's has having depression which I was told ran in my family and of course anxiety. I was taking some heavy duty meds back then, Elavil and Melaril then eventually just Elavil for the depression. About 5 years ago they wheened me off the elavil and put me on prozac. After 27 years of being on meds I was really questioning if my depression ran in the family or was it the anxiety that we all shared. So I along with my counselor stopped the prozac. I forgot to mention that the older drugs never really stopped the panic but the prozac did. I was also on the program when I was taking prozac. About 9 months being off the prozac I started having panic again and we very taken back by this. I realized that I used the prozac more to rid my anxiety than the program. So I took the program back out and here I am starting all over again. But I found I didn't have depression after all. It was just caused by my panic and self defeating self talk. Now I am working hard with the program and I am making good progress. I am learning patients and breaking down barriers without meds. My first instinct is to run back to them cause it is what I am used to but I know now that the meds were never really necessary and am glad to be free!! Some people really need meds but all I heard for 27 years was that I needed them for depression, from professionals, and I am really glad I questioned it. It was not easy for me to let go of the medication. I was very emotionally attached to them. I thought I was going to have a breakdown, Fall apart without them. But once I built up the confidence off of them I realized that the thoughts of a breakdown was just another fear. False Evidence Appearing Real!!
Hope my story can be of help.

Excellent insight Moonstar! I am the same as you, my anxiety has caused my depression. We can choose, we can control our thoughts, therefore we can change how we feel by changing our thoughts. I wholeheartdly believe this and am working very hard to overcome my anxiety and depression. It is a journey, but I can honestly say (now) that I am GRATEFUL for my anxiety and depression. I HAVE to learn about myself, and learn to LOVE myself and how can that be negative? It is very enlightening to me to feel this way, it took a long time, but I am absolutely convinced that I can be at peace. It is a journey I am prepared to undertake with all the exuberance and courage that I can...there will be bumps along the way, but I am tired of bieng stuck...and I have finally convinced myself that I can't be cured overnight, and that any progress is indeed progress. Congratulations on getting off your medication, that took amazing courage and confidence....best of luck to you on your journey!
Chantal

Dear moonstar61,

Thank you so much for sharing your story!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

You have been of great help and have made my day!

rhythm

HI moonstar~
I am very glad you posted here.
I recently went off meds. after being on them 12 yrs. and i thought that was a long time! i didnt really ask my doctor i just weaned myself off. the program has done wonders for me and i am very grateful to have it. it feels so wonderful to feel ALIVE again! i forgot what it was like to feel emotions. in the beginning i cryed alot,maybe because my emotions were so bottled up LITERALLY,(pills)for sooooo many years. i went through some tough times where alot of old thinking (before meds.) came back and this concerned me,but it seems to have passed. i have my good weeks and bad. i was just wondering what your doctor says about how your going to feel now after being on meds. so many years ,now none. maybe you could share some insight on this with me.

Hi Kristin,
In answer to your question about how my therapist says I'm going to feel off the meds, we talk about how much emotion I am feeling now and how good it is, but he is a big supported of not using meds if they are not necessary and he really believes in my case they are not necessary so more emphasis is given to my recovery from panic, positive self dialoge and believing in myself as being capable without meds. He does however give me the support I need to see the times when I want to run back to them as a quick fix. And I really appreciated that support after a life of having the drugs pushed on me. Thank you for replying and for your support!

moonstar61,

Great story! It's stories like yours which are so encourgaging! It definitely helps me. You should be proud of yourself! Kudos on F.E.A.R. :>