Posted by Ariel27 on June 11, 2004, at 0:44:43
Hi everybody,I've been lurking around this board for the past couple months, but this is the first time I've posted. I just wanted to share something positive with anybody out there who may just need it right now--I know that a few months ago I certainly did. I have suffered from panic disorder and GAD for as long as I can remember--About six months ago,it became completely crippling.My life became one long panic attack,it literally never stopped--I would wake up every morning gasping for breath with my heart pounding out of my chest and go to sleep at night only feeling worse. On top of all this was, of course, the medication trials, the side effects that only agitated my anxiety...I thought I would die.I found this board and started searching for a ray of hope--I thought I would leave my own for anybody else who might be searching. I have been on five medications in the last six months. One made me completely insane, others caused allergic reactions, at which point I became too afraid to give any of the others a chance. Having gone through absolute hell, I can now say that I truly believe that there is help out there for everyone, if you can just hold on and keep trying. I've been on lexapro for a little over a month, and already the difference is incredible.I can go out, I can enjoy my life, I can unclench my teeth and take a full breath.The side effects were hard in the beginning, but they were far more tolerable than the others I've tried--the point is that lexapro is right for me,but it took me five months and four medications before I found it. Please, don't be discouraged if things aren't better right away, or if the situation seems hopeless--if you need to be on medication, there is some medication out there that you can tolerate and that will help. These past six months have been the scariest of my life,I never thought it would be ok--I know that I would have liked to see something like this when I felt so alone and afraid. Please have hope...if I could find something that I could take, I promise that anybody can! Best of luck to you all!
-Ariel
poster:Ariel27
thread:355611
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040608/msgs/355611.html