There is no shame in taking medicine. Take it from somebody who knows. I started taking Lexapro when my ds was about 6 months old. I was feeling totally overwhelmed with two kids & feeling like I could not accomplish anything, and then not accomplishing it. Wondering how I was going to be able to stay at home alone with two kids. I am a person that has always been in control of her life, but I was very irritable & overwhelmed that I had to do something for me, so that I could better myself and take care of my family. I also am a very strong Christian and there is nothing wrong if you need to take medication to help you. God made these different forms of medication to help you. This is a situation that only you can decide on. Talk to dh & God about it. Pray continuously about this-and talk more to your therapist about it. You will know what to do.

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Mommy to Ariana 8/11/01 & Davis 4/11/05
I love my kiddos!

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The sooner you start medication to treat a problem, the sooner you can get off of it.

Not all anti-anxiety medications work for everyone; nor do they all work the same. Just because your primary care physician writes you a prescription, that doesn't mean all the anxiety problems will magically and suddenly disappear.

In other words, this isn't an either/or proposition. The meds may not work. You may have to try different medications to find one that works for you. You may find that the medication makes the situation worse. You might discover that the medication helps quite a bit and that's all you need - saving you hundreds of dollars on talk therapy. Or you might find the medication helps a little; that talk therapy helps a little; and eventually you can get off the medications and stop talk therapy as well.

You are at a time in your life where this situation has gotten to the point where you are seeking assistance to change. Yet you are balking at trying the first course of action that is suggested. The choice is entirely yours to make. I'm offering that your hesitation to try the medication may be a symptom of the disorder you're trying to fix.

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"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."

I spent forever trying to get ahold of myself and it doesn't work. I finally took the pills and things are going a lot better.

It quieted my head so I could finally sleep and concentrate. You are probably exhausted. The medication will start helping that portion so you can put your best effort into non-medicinal therapy.

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Devin

David 6, Alexis 2

Thanks everyone...I agree that there is no shame in taking the mediciation and that it helps some and maybe not so much others.

But I also agree that she readily wanted to me to go on medication after the the 1st 45 min visit. I guess that i want to try therapy for a while to see if that can make a differance by iteself.

I am so indeciesive about the medication that for now maybe no decision is the best decision.

I am going to be on to the medicine if the therapy and my own efforts dont work so I am not going to rule it out.

Thanks for all your help and support

I have been taking lexapro for the last 4 months. It has helped me a GREAT deal. I was having panic attacks trying to deal with the stress I was dealing with. I too felt frustrated that I could not just "get over it" or let time pass. I am a firm believer that things will always get better....and they are! But, I needed a little help with it this time.

Hey, you could try the perscription your doctor gave you and if you don't like it then quit! If it does work then all the better!

I don't feel like the lexapro makes me numb but it just calms those nerves I had trouble settling. It was like I knew there was nothing to be getting all worked up over so I internalized it all and man......it really affected me physically!

Good luck on your decision, I know it is a hard one.

Add me to the list of Lexapro users. Toward the end of last year I had four really bad things hit me all at once and the stress just sent me over the edge. Normally I can work through stressful times on my own, but this time I couldn't do it. The four bad things plus an illness caused my brain chemistry to get out of whack. I seriously thought I was going to have to be locked up. Lexapro gave me my life back.

As many people have said, there's no shame in taking medication if you need it. I was extremely hesitant about taking the Lexapro and resisted taking it for two weeks after it was prescribed to me. I'm sure glad that I finally gave in and started taking it.

I had the same problem after having Ds #1 and have a litle of it now too. They told me it wasn't PPD, it was anxiety. A lot of my family have these problems. I was put on Vistaril (sp) and it worked wonders. It's really inexpensive, and the minimum dosage 25mg was enough to help me. I haven't taken it since Hurricane Katrina, but sometimes think I need to. Like others have said, there is no shame in taking it. If it helps you and your family I say go for it. Hugs

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If you need them, then take them. It doesn't mean that you have to be on them forever.

I have been on them for 5 years now (going off while pregnant and nursing). My is due to a chemical imbalance and an abusive childhood. So I was slammed twice. I was in therapy for 2 years and it did wonders. I am now on a very low dose and it does me well. I was told that I will probably be on them forever due to the imbalance.

Definitly stick with therapy. I wish I was still going, but our new insurance doesn't cover and we can't afford it.

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What a coincidence to have found this thread today. I had a little breakdown this morning and finally realized it's time to get some help. The last couple of months, I have been going through a really rough time. I've been nasty with my kids, worried, panicked, going to bed with my mind racing, etc. My son was diagnosed almost 2 years ago with autism, and things have been really tough lately. Add that to the fact that my 3 year old is going through a very bad phase, and the fact that I am about to head back to work in the fall (teaching a new grade level). Yesterday, my boys were in rare form and I felt like I yelled and spanked all day long. This morning, when it was FINALLY time for both of them to go back to school following Spring Break, my car battery died before I got out of the driveway. I burst into tears and just fell apart. My mom has been on anti-depressants for years (she has a history); I called her this morning and she said it seemed like I was having anxiety issues and to call my physician (she's an R.N.). I'm going Friday and I"m going to see what he says. I just know I can't go on like this. As Stacey said, I feel totally overwhelmed and I can't seem to get much done during the day, even though I'm a SAHM and one child is in school full-time and the other part-time. I was glad to read of some of the good experiences with these meds. I have a tremendous support system between my husband, family, friends, and support groups at my son's special school, but it just doesn't seem to be enough. Hopefully, my physician can guide me in the right direction, too.

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The best things in life aren't things. - Ann Landers

Take the meds. Both my sisters have been on some sort of anxiety meds at different points in their lives and have been helped enormously. Doesn't mean you will be on them forever. Many problems of this sort, or depression, etc., are chemical brain balance issues. It's not something you can just "control" and, while I know that most people here believe in the power of prayer, I don't think you would all just pray to be healed if you got hit with cancer or diabetes or something - you'd take the meds too. Aliadam used the exact metaphor I was going to use. Yes, diabetes can be controlled with diet an exercise, but if you already have it, you better go on the meds to keep it in control. There is no shame in it. My niece is bi-polar and she's gone off her meds and now it's just hell. I feel for her kids. Things would be so much better if she'd stay on them. She thinks she can "control" herself. But it doesn't work that way, and she can't see how destructive she is when she's not on her meds. And I've never met someone w/ OCD who didn't need to be on meds. Otherwise it can take over your life. Good luck-