Mental health stuff, not flocked

[wesleysgirl]

I hope everyone understands why I post most of my personal stuff locked to my friends list. But in this case I wanted to thank everyone who responded to my post about anti-depressants -- because I'm really very grateful for everyone's thoughts even though I was never able to respond -- ...

I've been on Paxil for six days (10 mg/day until I've been on it a week, then 20 mg/day.) I'm really, really drowsy most of the time, occasionally sort of dizzy, and pretty fuzzy-headed too. Is this the kind of thing other people have experienced? I'm still having anxiety attacks, and they seem to be a bit less severe although it's hard to tell because the intensity/frequency is always a rollercoaster sort of thing, sometimes more, sometimes less. But I'm so fuzzy that I can't write. I open files and look at stories and just sort of stare at them, unable to summon up any kind of feeling for them at all. Reassure me that this won't last forever? It's scary.

Also, is it twisted that I've had 100 icons slots for quite a while and I still only have 54 icons?

Comments

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Should I start taking it in the evenings then? It says in the info that came with the medication that it should be taken in the morning, so I've been doing that...

I'm sure others will say this, but you don't feel the full effect of the drug until you've been on it a couple of weeks at least. Once you do, you might be surprised to feel kind of "blah" about things in general. That can be because you don't have fear as a motivator any more. It's kind of weird when you're not used to it.

You know, that's a really helpful thing to say. I was on Paxil for 6 months about 6 years ago and while I don't remember many details about the experience, I do remember feeling kind of "flat" and thinking that was a sign of a side effect, that the drug was working too well. But maybe it was just that that's how most people feel most of the time and I'm so used to the highs and lows that I don't know what normal feels like?

[neverneverfic.livejournal.com]

you shouldn't feel completely flat, there should still be emotion there, but yeah some sense of flat is really normal.

anxiety makes your entire system spazz out so everything is more acute. without the anxiety things are a little slower and a little smoother. i've come to relish it, to relish discovering a normal range of emotion, but it was definitely disconcerting at first.

[viverra-libro.livejournal.com]

Ask your doctor if you can take it at night. You'd need to schedule it as a slow shift - like 3 hours later a day for a few days. Nothing with Paxil can be done quickly! ;)

Yeah, it can really be an adjustment when your motivation for doing things isn't fear anymore! It's like we flog ourselves with fear to make ourselves do things we don't really want to do. Then when the fear is gone, we don't have any other feelings or motivators to rely on. For instance, once I was no longer irrationally afraid of being fired, I couldn't find any motivation to work for a long time. My doctor said that's pretty common, actually, with work.

I am not someone that can point you towards normal, though! ;) The more people I get to know, the more common anxiety and depression seem to be. Maybe there is no normal? Certainly there's probably an average . . .

I cope by accepting that most things in my life really aren't that big of a deal. They're just not that exciting or horrible or stressful, and so it's ok that I don't *make* them more than they are.

Continued good luck with the paxil. And please don't be shy about posting for help! I would never have been able to get off Paxil if it hadn't been for luvsbitch telling me to take dramamine to help the nausea. There are a lot of things that your doctor wouldn't necessarily think to tell you that can make this a less tedious experience.

Hugs!