Posted by jflange on February 8, 2003, at 9:09:23
In reply to Paxil-self sabotage-need encouragement!, posted by ZeeZee on February 7, 2003, at 9:39:24
Hi ZeeZee:
I definitely can relate to you what you are experiencing, especially with SSRI's. I think it is a great idea to ease yourself slowly onto Paxil, given your past experiences with them and what you call your pharmacophobia. Bad experiences with panic and anxiety can make powerful phobic responses to meds, and really it is just your body/mind trying to defend itself from more harm. So don't worry about being skeptical!
That having been said, it sounds like you are equating taking meds with the loss of control (you mentioned feeling trapped). I guess the best way to think of taking a medication therapy route is to realize that in fact it is being inside of yourself at the moment (without the meds) that has become "a trap" and that you made the right choice in being open to treatments that may (even with all the "if's") very well help you out of your trap! And it sounds like you have Xanax there to help get you through this so hopefully you will not have to suffer through any start-up anxiety for very long.
The "what if's" will eventually go away, but since a lot of that anxiety is based on past (negative) experience, you will definitely need to give Paxil more time before you see that disappear. It might be one of the last things to go, unfortunately!
Best of luck,
jflange
poster:jflange
thread:139957
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030208/msgs/140127.html