Why don’t anxiety meds work for me?

Part of the problem for me is defining or separating my anxiety from depression. Cause for me one leads to the other. And it’s not a one pill solution. Then there is the over medication of taking too much. Either it makes you sick or turns you into a zombie. Nether are desirable and in fact make things worse. Achieving a balance takes time. My depression is situational. But not the anxiety. When I found out I has precancerous Smoldering Myeloma it tipped the scales. Caused an avalanche of moods and emotions that without meds I could not control. And the meds do not control me. Not literally but take the edge off. Make me feel ok and I can get on in life.

To @msh466
Nothing is helping and I have no life. I ruined mine and ruined my husband’s too.

@diverdown1
All the therapists I’ve seen were not of any help. Some were pretty ridiculous.

To @james46
Have you ever heard of Doxepin? Today my doctor suggested I try it. I read negative things about it for older people. I don’t know what to do but my situation is getting worse. Any thoughts. Every provider I have seen in the last 8 months is suggesting I try to go back on the Effexor but each time I try, I feel terrible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I've had depression and anxiety nearly my whole life and the only medication that really changed my anxiety is Atavan. I've been on buspar, clonazepam along with several different antidepressants.
When I was younger(in my 20s) I got into the wrong hands and been put on Adderall and even Ritalin to drown out the anxiety! Didn't work, it was awful.
I distinctly remember the instant miracle it felt like when I started Atavan.
I could function. I could sleep better. It made therapy and trauma work much easier to get through.
Everyone is different but for me it was a game changer.
When I'm doing better I take less and vice versa.
I hope you find relief because I know how horrible anxiety can be.
I would combine with cbt or some type of therapy or mindfulness to keep adding to your tools to manage.

I have seen many therapists, shrinks, psychologists over 30 years. I am a recovering alcoholic of 7+ years, started drinking at 12 years old. My parents put me into rehab at 14. Everyone is different. I have battled depression and anxiety since adolescence. I am not 54. I finally found a therapist that works with me, not at me. I hope you can find something that helps. I know that a lot of my anxiety is my body stuck in fight or flight mode. It became a survival skill throughout the years and now, my body reacts to situations that are not deemed dangerous or stressful. My mind tends to look into the future and I get anxious and then my body reacts again, releasing cortisol and adrenaline. I find that if I remind myself that staying in the present is all I really have and the future, I do not know, that is helpful. It takes practice and I have to really try hard to do that, but it's a start. I hope that you find some relief.

For me anxiety drugs are for anxiety and not depression. I understand that some antidepressants help anxiety to some extent but with that said it seems nonsensical to prescribe antidepressants unnecessarily. I take one Clonazepam .5 mornings for anxiety plus Venlafaxine .75 for depression. They can be adjusted independently. The least taken and still be functional, the better.

Hi there I suffer terribly from flash backs literally hundreds a day they make me cry so I spend every day crying before I go out when I’m home and especially at night I have been told you can get help but I don’t believe anyone can stop your thoughts especially when flash backs take you to exactly what and where they took place they are gut wrenching

Mine are this bad at times they also manifest in my dreams
The thing I stick with is therapy. But at times focusing on trauma therapy was too much and overwhelming so I work on many things. Have you tried EMDR? Or any therapy?
Mindfulness work and grounding are helpful to bring you to the present. But I understand that snowball affect in your head, like a thick ptsd fog you cannot shake from. Exposure therapy and figuring out triggers and managing them can help. Dbt therapy helped me understand unhealthy ways of thinking. Group therapy is also good if you can find it.
Medication can help manage stress and depression but everyone's different.
I understand how awful cptsd and flashbacks can dominate your mind and shatter your nerves. I hope you can find some relief in something and feel free to message me if you want.

Things we don’t want to be are despondent or desperate when living with depression and anxiety. The meds have many undesirable side effects which of course makes things worse. Then there is cross-reactivity between the meds themselves. Doctors do what they can but there is no magic wand no magic formula. We are all different and so are the treatments. In our haste to achieve any calm we always wither the storm. So what then can we do to help ourselves in our time of need? For me is out of sight out of mind. Meaning I stay engaged and busy with focus on the here and now, tasks at hand, chores, cooking, etc. I am healthy enough to jog, workout,garden, etc. I take my meds. Seem to tolerate it well. Yes diarrhea is an issue at times which I admit sucks. But it’s a small price to pay for feeling ok. (Rhymes). Therapists I stay away from. From 100’s of patients I just blend into the background. One of many. Same treatments. One size fits all. So to overcome our depression and/or anxiety it’s a cross between what’s the triggers or causes. How do we address them. How can I relax take a breath and make a change. Is change possible. What is my support like. Do I have support. What makes me happy. Is there a positive in this. Change of venue. Vacations. Trips. Visiting relatives. I could go on. But to be receptive of change comes from within. We know us. Our weaknesses and strengths. We are not Superman but we don’t have to be. Acceptance and appreciate what we really are. We are not perfect and with defects WE have to sometimes look into our selves for answers.