Do I need to take anxiety medication?
By Hannah Haslett
Taking anxiety medication is truly up to the individual and their doctor. Some people think that it’s important to ease anxiety naturally with different coping mechanisms and others find it helpful to take medication.
Personally, I do take medication, but it hasn't always been that way. I take a very small dosage that essentially takes the edge off. If you suffer from panic attacks pretty often, I recommend talking to a doctor about medication that can help ease and slow those panic attacks. There are so many options out there and it can be overwhelming. That’s why it’s SO important to have a conversation with your doctor.
If you would rather not take medication, there are many options for you to find what coping mechanisms or other techniques work for you personally. Whether that means talking to a therapist, finding coping mechanisms, meditating, or random things that help your mind when you’re feeling anxious.
It’s important to note that anxiety medication isn’t a cure. It’s OK to take medication. If you need to take medication to help you feel better, you absolutely should do that. Don’t beat yourself up about it because we all have stuff going on. If anxiety is your challenge, find the resources and people to help and guide you. Besides, if you start to judge yourself it only causes more anxiety and we don’t need that!
If you and your doctor decide that medication might be the right thing for you, don't worry if the first medicine that you try doesn’t work. If you start to have a gut feeling that something is wrong after taking the medication, you need to call your doctor. There are a ton of options for medication and if the first one you try doesn't work, there will be another that will. Ultimately, you want to feel the best you possibly can while taking care of yourself and if that means taking anxiety medication, so be it!
You show quite a bit of empathy here being able to speak about your own experience.
ReplyDeleteI too take medication for my anxiety and have learned when my body needs an increase or change in my meds.
ReplyDeleteI think the hardest thing about taking anxiety medication is trying to make an assessment about how well they are or are not working. When my sister was first diagnosed with cancer at age 30, I started to have more and more panic attacks. I realized that medication was one more tool I could use to gain some control over these, but I've also realized that medicine alone does not pull my anxiety into check. The breathing exercises, journaling and regular exercise have all been part of my anxiety journey at different points. I admire your courage for speaking so openly about your own struggles.
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