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Lived experience of anxiety medication

MessyBrainCasual Contributor19 July 2025, 12:09 am AEST

Lived experience of anxiety medication

Question for those also suffering anxiety...

TLDR: At what point did you try medication for anxiety?
Obviously, I will talk to my dr about it, I just wanted some lived experience input first...

I have been struggling for years but as a kid/teen my parents weren't super supportive of mental health above the bare minimum so I didn't really get good "help".
I was doing much better but I feel like I have started doing down hill again. I went completely mute yesterday for around 2 hours and was feeling off, felt the beginning of an attack and was very withdrawn, which was followed by a full anxiety attack/mental breakdown lasting about another hour starting as soon as I was alone.

I haven't had a panic attack for MONTHS, I go quiet, but I can get out an answer at least if someone asks me something, at least a bare minimum answer. Pre-attack, I physically couldn't respond more than shaking/nodding my head. I could make myself participate in what I was doing for the first while, then I couldn't even focus or get myself to engage, I try to cover them as much as I can because generally people trying to help just sets me off and makes it worse rather than better...

I do acknowledge that during this it was a new environment and my anxiety had spiked in general, I was limited speech when I first arrived but I was warming up really fast and was at full volume speech and starting to start conversations, then the tiniest thing changed, I was fine, then suddenly I just stopped...

I've spoken about anxiety medication before in my adult life with medical people but we have always come to the conclusion that it was manageable without and I don't want to be on more than I need to, and deal with side effects of working out doses and medications etc. if I don't have to (I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2021 and started medication which really helped my anxiety once I found a medication and dose that works, but the process was less than ideal). I kind of want to know that some indicators people had that it might be worth trialling anxiety medication or when they decided to start.

4 replies

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In response to: Lived experience of anxiety medication

holdinghope5Senior Contributor19 July 2025, 6:13 am AEST

Re: Lived experience of anxiety medication

Welcome to the forums @MessyBrain .

We are pleased you have been able to reach out about the anxiety you are experiencing and look forward to reading the community's responses.

In the meantime, feel free to introduce yourself at Welcome! Introduce yourself here 🙂

In response to: Lived experience of anxiety medication

amonrae04Senior Contributor19 July 2025, 8:18 am AEST

Re: Lived experience of anxiety medication

@MessyBrain can only speak to my experience of course.

I don't react well to some medications [edited by moderator] so have tried to avoid them yes I feel better during the period then medication is active but I also get sluggish and once it wears of feel depressed.

I currently take an SNRI class of antidepressants and that has helped with motivation and feeling more positive.

A beta blocker [edited by moderator] is great for physical symptoms like needing to give a presentation really takes the edge off and no side effects for me.

The big thing I am trying to learn is anxiety is a natural emotion and the problem i have with anxiety is my relationship with it. I highly recommend a podcast called disordered and a book called the anxious truth. It's not a quick fix and requires alot of bravery and patience but I'm personally looking for something sustainable in my recovery.

But always best to dicuss with a pshyciatrist rather than forums (having been down this road with forums and reddit) if your worried about side effects would recommend a pharmogenomic test as it can be a good guide to what your body is likely to tolerate better.

Wishing you peace and an end to our suffering 🙏

In response to: Re: Lived experience of anxiety medication

MessyBrainCasual Contributor19 July 2025, 8:25 am AEST

Re: Lived experience of anxiety medication

To clarify, I know I need to talk to medical professionals, I just want experience of people who have actually experienced it rather than someone talking science.

In response to: Lived experience of anxiety medication

LirialCasual Contributor20 July 2025, 9:56 am AEST

Re: Lived experience of anxiety medication

Hello MessyBrain

I have PTSD, and anxiety pop around when things aren't going well in my life. Mine is also linked to chronic major depression, so if one part of my live starts to spiral, every other aspect jumps on board.

During those times I would get medication to support me. Back in south africa, I always had medication on hand, in australia it is a bit harder for not all docters want to prescribe it. That being said, medication can help a lot when anxiety influences your daily functioning. It tones it down. My anxiety can make me freeze up, so I cant or do not want to move. Its a constant state of being in flight or freeze mode. Yours sound similar.

Medication can be the crutch to help you through daily functioning. It can make one sleepy and zonked out, but a great doctor will prescribe the right one if you want to be able to function. I am on an anti depressant that works on anxiety too, but I use the anxiety meds to get me through a setback.

Speak to your doctor about options. It makes a huge difference.

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