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Need help! Depression and anxiety

Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: Jan 20 4:09pm | Replies (227)

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@quazar

I know the original post in this discussion thread is old, but I'll share anyway in case my experience can help someone. I know first hand how awful it is to get off of Klonopin. I just went through that early this year. I was taking Klonopin (Clonazepam) and Cymbalta (Duloxetine). The doctor that prescribed it to me reduced my amount too quickly, and I suffered such sudden and terrible anxiety that I was literally afraid to open the mail and suffered daily panic attacks. While every health care policy is different, I'm almost certain that you have a right to get a second opinion. So if your needs aren't being met, I'd ask for a second opinion.

A few other things I've tried that have had a positive impact on my mental health:
1) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - I'm a Kaiser member and took advantage of their group class that addresses how our thoughts, behaviors and relationships affect our mood and how we can change things in our lives to improve our mood.
2) Diet - Food can act like a medicine, fuel, or a toxin. It's just like the prescription drugs that we put in our bodies, and until recently, I haven't appreciated this fact enough. If you haven't heard of it before, there's a great book called The Mood Cure that talks all about how various foods affect the chemicals in our brain.
3) Exercise - "runner's high" isn't just for runners. Regular exercise definitely affects the levels of good/happy chemicals in our brains. This is something I've struggled with since graduating from high school. Until the last few years, I hadn't really appreciated how my daily team workouts affected my ability to handle stress and anxiety.
4) Sleep Hygiene - our bodies repair themselves at night while we sleep. Inadequate sleep has been known to affect every other part of our health.
5) Meditation - this is linked to CBT, but I leave it separate because you don't need a class or any formal instruction. Meditation only takes a few minutes every day and has been shown to have a significant influence on our brains, whether it's breathing meditation, guided imagery, or a mantra meditation.

I had a situation where I was prescribed Zoloft by one doctor and because of some different health issues, he kept me on the drugs WAY PAST the length of time that any psychiatrist would. Old doc retired, and new doc was absolutely floored that I had been on that drug for SO LONG. We discussed whether it was still helping me and decided to wean me off. I'm currently doing well using CBT, diet change, exercise, and meditation. Even if your doctor keeps you on meds, these other things may also help.

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Replies to "I know the original post in this discussion thread is old, but I'll share anyway in..."

Thanks for your post! This is such a great site . I think I know all about depression since I've had. It so long. But I learn new things from all you guys! I never knew Diet affects your mood! I plan on getting the Book you suggested. Who is the Author? I am all about Therapy group. I went to Alanon for many years in the 80's when my depression started! I always thought it was my fault that my husband was an alcoholic but I found out it wasn't! All the people there were in same boat I was! I'll forever thank that group for saving my life!