Mnonamsn - first time anxiety/depression?

[mnonamsn]

Hello. I've had a couple of anxiety issues at various periods of life. A 62 year old guy, feeling real old at this point. My second son just moved out, living close by having baby with nice girl. I should be happy instead i'm anxious, depressed, whatever. Xanax I got from doc not helping. He just gave lexapro. I'm looking at the box and afraid to take it! Anybody got any ideas? Sorry this is probably nothing compared to some people.

Thanks

[MrAnxious]

A moderator will be by to talk with you. In the meantime go for a hour walk and stay away from caffeine. Exercise will make you feel a ton better everything will be okay, trust in yourself and know that you are exactly where you should be. By the way 62 is not old.

[Meimeiquest]

I'd say you are where most of us were at one time, except you have paused to think if this is the right course, which is admirable.

 

I think I will be very sad when my second child leaves (and the first). Can you take some time to sort out exactly what is in your heart and mind? To discover the exact losses you are feeling? I really think a grieving period is normal. I can promise neither Xanax nor Lexapro are the solution to your sadness, but there is a possibility they might make you not care about it. And possibly bring any number of side effects. But this is a wonderful opportunity for you to dig in and explore your thoughts and your dreams for the future.

 

Exercise, especially in nature, is a proven antidote to depression and wonderful for clearing the mind. Healthy eating helps a lot of people. There is a thread on managing depression in the symptoms section.

 

We so wish you well!

[mammaP]

Hi and welcome to SA. I am so glad you found us before you took the lexapro! Taking them regularly

might be the advice of a doctor but it is the road to misery in the long term! 

 

It is very hard when children grow up and leave to live their own lives and make their own way in the world.

We invest so much in them that when they leave we feel at a loss and life can become suddenly very lonely. 

 

Have you been taking the xanax? Benzos can cause rebound anxiety and make you feel worse than when

you started. I'm not experienced with benzo tapering but someone will be along who can advise on the best

way forward with it. It is highly addictive and even taken daily for even a short time can lead to dependance

and interdose withdrawal and can be making things worse for you. 

 

Hang in there, things will get better without the lexapro.   Someone with the right  knowledge will be along to

advise you on the xanax.  It will help if you can put your drug history in your signature strip. When they were

started, doses and how often.  Here is how to do that. 

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

[Jemima]

Speaking as a Lexapro survivor, I say definitely stay away from the stuff.  All it will do is make you numb, possibly cause you to gain a lot of weight, and jeopardize your health by raising your risk for diabetes, heart disease, organ failure, and even diseases much like Multiple Sclerosis. It's a heavy duty drug, meant for severe depression (although it doesn't work very well--placebos, or sugar pills, work just as well in studies) and it's very difficult to get off of it.  You can read about my too-fast taper from Lexapro and eventual recovery via the links below if you wish. It took me over two years to feel relatively normal and I'm not quite 100% yet. Also, here's some package insert type information on Lexapro, but in my opinion, the dangers aren't emphasized strongly enough:

 

http://www.drugs.com/lexapro.html

 

Be careful of Xanax as well.  It's highly addictive and also very difficult to quit.

 

Feeling lonely and depressed is a normal reaction to having a member of your family, whose company you've enjoyed for a long while, move out.  Using Lexapro to "cure" a normal reaction is unconscionable and equivalent to using a cannon to kill a housefly.  I'm tempted to recommend that you find another doctor, but most of them don't know what they're doing with psychiatric drugs and the consequent sickness from withdrawal.

 

You're very wise to look into this before filling your prescription.  As Meimeiquest said, exercise in general and especially taking walks in a natural setting greatly helps depression as do counting one's blessings and getting out among friendly people.  I found that getting out and going to non-threatening activities like playing cards, a writers' group, and a sewing group has helped me tremendously. I understand that attending church is also a good remedy, one I haven't taken due to frequent sleeplessness that keeps me from getting up in time.

 

I hope you'll heed our warnings and avoid a tremendous amount of grief. My very best wishes to you, and by the way, I'm 68, and that's not old, so you can't possibly be old!

[Wendi]

I'm no expert but I believe if I would have stopped and put my problems in perspective I would have never taken lexapro. Please see if therapy works before you take it. Please!!! Lexapro might seem like a quick fix to problems now but it will only create bigger ones in the future. Jmo.

[Petunia]

 Lexapro might seem like a quick fix to problems now but it will only create bigger ones in the future. Jmo.

 

Not just Wendi's opinion, I expect the thousands of members here share the same opinion.  I thought that anti-depressants would be a quick fix to my problems, I wish I could go back in time, knowing what I do now.

 

You are having a very normal reaction to a major life change, you don't have a brain chemical imbalance.  But if you take brain changing substances, then you will get an imbalance, then there will be 2 problems instead of 1.

 

I'm also dealing with a similar situation as you, my daughter, who has been a huge part of my life for the last 20 years is away, temporarily for now, but she will be moving out permanently one day soon I expect.  The difference between you and me is that you are still healthy and can find ways to adapt to this change in your life and move on.  But I'm very ill from protracted anti-depressant withdrawal and on many days, I struggle just to leave the house to go and buy groceries.

 

I don't mean to minimize the way you are feeling, I'm sure your sadness is real, but there are healthier ways to come to terms with difficult life situations.  Xanax is very addictive and it can actually make anxiety worse if you take it more than occasionally.

[Rhiannon]

Agree with everything said above.

If you come back, tell us more about the Xanax, how much you are taking, when you are taking it, and how long you have been taking it. Xanax actually tends to make anxiety and depression worse for most people. It is actually only supposed to be used very occasionally to combat panic attacks. Taken regularly it tends to just make everything worse. However, if you have been taking it every day, you will need to taper it or you will feel worse than you can imagine. We can help you with that.

 

There are many simple things you can do in your life to help yourself feel better.  It is normal to grieve when our children move out. Life isn't supposed to always feel good. It is normal and healthy to feel sad about sad things. Feelings are for feeling, they're healthy and normal.

 

Talking to good friends, seeing a therapist, letting ourselves weep and grieve is healthy and good. You will move through this transition and build a different life, a good life. And you have a grandbaby coming, which is going to bring you a whole new joy.