Celexa for Anxiety

[Theogirl]

I've already read all the posts about how dangerous medications etc. are for your body so please don't be too hard on me! I've taken 60 mg of Celexa since I was pregnant with my son 4 1/2 years ago.
I'm starting the raw way of life with optimism about how I will feel in the months to come. Of course, no meds would be ideal (I went off the pill after 2 months on it because it did crazy things with my body) but I tried going off Celexa once when I was feeling really great and nearly had a nervous breakdown! The idea of going off it terrifies me because I remember how out of control with anxiety I was. (This is a lifetime thing, made worse with mothering hormones!)
I've had a lot of changes recently, including weaning my 22 month old daughter, starting to exercise regularly for the first time in six months and starting raw about 1 1/2 weeks ago.
Has anyone out there had experience with debilitating anxiety/medication that improved once going raw? I could really use some input, because doctors etc. have no experience with how good raw is for you. I can't face life with the sort of anxiety I experienced in the past, but I want my body to be clean and free as well. Please help.

[avolove]

Hi!
18 years ago I was diagnosed with major depression and anxiety disorder. I then began the rollercoaster ride of medications and therapy... ugh! I also took Celexa and along with that Xanax. Without medication my anxiety was totally out of control and I was "white knuckling" each day. I have spent years trying different ways to help myself feel better, both natural and not so natural, none of which had much effect. Almost a year ago I went raw. I had read that it can help with anxiety and depression, that, with the other health benefits got me to try it. Today I am depression and anxiety free. I started to notice a change about a month into being raw and it only got better from there. It is subtle at first, just a "lightness" that kind of filters in. After a while I noticed that I wasn't feeling that sense of dread and I was feeling content instead of anxious. The panic attacks were gone, something that I used to anticipate every night. My depression lifted and I began to feel energy that I've never known. This whole raw experience has been amazing, I never would have guessed that the foods we eat would have so much of an impact. It has allowed me to look at other issues in my life that may have contributed to my depression and anxiety and now I feel that it is all intertwined. There are many people who have gone raw who will talk about this "awakening" and many who suffered from depression/anxiety being able to live free of it. Good luck and keep us posted! :)

[Theogirl]

Hi!
18 years ago I was diagnosed with major depression and anxiety disorder. I then began the rollercoaster ride of medications and therapy... ugh! I also took Celexa and along with that Xanax. Without medication my anxiety was totally out of control and I was "white knuckling" each day. I have spent years trying different ways to help myself feel better, both natural and not so natural, none of which had much effect. Almost a year ago I went raw. I had read that it can help with anxiety and depression, that, with the other health benefits got me to try it. Today I am depression and anxiety free. I started to notice a change about a month into being raw and it only got better from there. It is subtle at first, just a "lightness" that kind of filters in. After a while I noticed that I wasn't feeling that sense of dread and I was feeling content instead of anxious. The panic attacks were gone, something that I used to anticipate every night. My depression lifted and I began to feel energy that I've never known. This whole raw experience has been amazing, I never would have guessed that the foods we eat would have so much of an impact. It has allowed me to look at other issues in my life that may have contributed to my depression and anxiety and now I feel that it is all intertwined. There are many people who have gone raw who will talk about this "awakening" and many who suffered from depression/anxiety being able to live free of it. Good luck and keep us posted! :)
So you're off medication? Did you have a lot of side effects going off? Were you scared to even try? Any relapses? Sorry! I have so many questions!

[avolove]

So you're off medication? Did you have a lot of side effects going off? Were you scared to even try? Any relapses? Sorry! I have so many questions!

Yes, I'm completely off all medications and all the herbs I was taking as well. I did everything very slow, especially the Xanax as I was quite dependent on it :) Really, I didn't have any withdrawl symptoms. However I did go through detox and still do at times and that may have been a medication withdrawl issue. That said, nothing that I experienced during the detox sessions was that terrible. The interesting thing for me was, in the past the slightest change with my health, ie. rapid heat beat, up set stomach, shakiness, clouded thinking, etc, etc, (I'm sure you know the drill here) would set off a killer panic attack. For so long I lived in fear of the slightest difference or change in my body, thinking anything out of the ordinary was dangerous. Going through detox while raw didn't bring on those thoughts. The first detox I went through was not too severe, a slight fever, sore back, fuzzy head and a headache that lasted about 3 days, but none of these things set of a panic attack. I remember thinking,"Wow a few weeks ago this would have really sent me into a tail spin" But it didn't.
About being scared... :) For so long I had been so scared of everything. As you know panic strips you of so many things and life is all around a scary thing. I was at a point that I could see myself as the sad, lonely, fearful person that I was. I knew I had to do something and going raw was another one of my attempts to help heal myself. I really didn't even mind being dependent on the Rx's (that was back then:)), but they didn't work so well and I still felt bad. I read a book called "Feel the Fear and do it Anyway" and a lot of what it had to say felt right... or at least was something I wanted to be able to do. So I jumped in. It has been soooooooo worth it.
I haven't had a single panic attack or even any of that hovering anxious feeling. The dread is gone as well as the constant worry. I do still have blue days, but nothing like I used to deal with. When I think of how far I've come I am so happy and a few down days are fine.
There are never too many questions!! Ask away! It's great to have a place where you can hopefully find support! :)

[Bananna]

Oh this is such a convenient thread for me right now. I was just wondering the exact same thing, how raw effects anxiety. My anxiety problems haven't been diagnosed, but that's a mere technicality. I just can't stand it anymore and it's getting more and more constant.

It is SO encouraging to hear that raw could fix this.

My only question is actually about jobs. What career did you pick. I am done having babies (6 is enough), but I need to finish school/get a job. I had to drop out of the nursing program because of anxiety about that career. Now I am thinking social worker but I'm having a lot of anxiety about dealing with people who have issues now. Aaack. I don't know what to do anymore, I want to help people and stay right clear of them too, lol. I'm friendly and shy and protective at the same time.

So, if you don't mind me asking, have you found any comfort in your work and if so, what do you do?

[Temperance]

If you are considering going off the Celexa, don't do it all at once. First you must be very confident that you can succeed. This means looking at a number of factors in your life. The first of course is your raw food diet. I have pasted a table from an article titled

"Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapies to Promote Healthy Moods" found in Pediatric Clinics of North America - Volume 54, Issue 6 (December 2007)


Table 2 -- Nutrients essential for mental health and their food sources

Nutrient Food sources
Essential fatty acids (omega-3 fatty acids such as linolenic acid)
Fish (tuna, salmon, and mackerel) fish oil, flax seeds, flax oil, canola oil, walnut oil, dark green leafy vegetables

Vitamin B6
Beans, nuts, legumes
Eggs, meats, fish
Whole grains and fortified breads and cereals

Vitamin C
(All fruits and vegetables contain some amount of vitamin C.) Green and red peppers, citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, turnip greens and other leafy greens, sweet and white potatoes, cantaloupe, papaya, mango, watermelon, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, winter squash, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and pineapples

Folate
Beans and legumes
Citrus fruits and juices
Wheat bran and other whole grains
Dark green leafy vegetables
Poultry, pork, shellfish
Liver

Calcium
Milk, yogurt, buttermilk, cheese
Calcium-fortified orange juice
Green leafy vegetables (broccoli, collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, and bok choy or Chinese cabbage)
Canned salmon and sardines canned with their soft bones
Shellfish
Almonds, Brazil nuts
Dried beans

Vitamin D
Fish, fish oils, oysters
Fortified foods such as cow milk, soy milk, and rice milk, and some cereals

Tryptophan
Turkey, chicken, fish
Milk, cheese
Eggs
Soy, tofu
Sesame seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Tree nuts, peanuts, peanut butter

Zinc
Beef, pork, lamb, oysters, dark meat of poultry
Peanuts, peanut butter, nuts, and legumes (beans)
Fortified cereals



Now, if you are getting everything, fine, but otherwise try to adjust your raw foods to do so. I quote "Nutrients are essential for optimal production of neurotransmitters affecting mood, such as serotonin (made from tryptophan, with B vitamins and zinc as cofactors). The easiest way for most bodies to absorb nutrients is through unprocessed, locally grown, organic foods."

Next, make sure you have a strong support system. No recent big changes in your life. Daily exercise. Adequate sleep. No caffeine. The article recommends a good physical environment (eg, exposure to regular sunlight, nature), psychologic environment (eg, minimal tv), and cultural environment (no social isolation).

See your doctor and explain that you have reviewed the above factors and feel confident in your ability to wean off Celexa. It is best to try in spring or fall and many doctors try not to take people off antidepressants in the winter/summer as the relapse rate is higher. You don't want to try this unless you are confident you can succeed, because if you fail, you'll feel bad about yourself and be less confident in future attempts.

[rawxstasy]

I was on Zoloft for over a year. I decreased it gradually over 2 months. However, during this time, I was doing alot of therapy work and starting to exercise and get healthy. (I hadn't gotten into raw yet at that time) I can see though it would have been much easier to go off it, if I had been raw. I did experience side effects from the medication up to 8 months after I had stopped taking it. Removing caffeine from my diet was a huge help in overcoming the anxiety.

[Kalimelle]

Oh my goodness, do I ever empathize with you!

I think it's important to remember that mental health comes from an interplay of BOTH physical and psychological factors. Both of them are vital to winning your battle with anxiety. Great nutrition and a raw diet may turn out to be amazing supporters of the physical part of that battle. With all the nutrients you're getting, and a removal of the toxic chemicals, you may see some real improvements. Even still, no matter how healthy your diet is, if you don't find a way to address the psychological piece (sometimes it helps me to remember that this word comes from the Greek word *psyche*---which means *soul*.)

A few other thoughts that come to mind:

~raw alone isn't enough to combat an imbalance or illness in the body; we also have to make sure that we're eating raw diets with the full spectrum of important nutrients (great post, whoever put that list up!)

~raw food has a higher vibrational quality---more life force. sometimes, it feels to me like my anxiety actually is this excessive or misdirected life energy...it's as if i'm brimming over with electricity but it has NOWHERE to go except to grip and pull at me.... i wonder if a rapid switch to all raw might flood some of us with more electric life force energy than we're ready to handle, like putting too much power into a computer causes a surge. so maybe we need to emphasize not only getting more life force through our diet, but also finding ways to strengthen our own abilities to use and channel that power that is now so vibrantly coursing through us.

~doctor's don't always get it, but they do have a lot of knowledge that can be helpful. think of your doctor as a really high-powered advisor, somebody YOU HIRE to fill you in on all the stuff they've given up their real life to learn by being in med school forever and ever. you don't have to take all of that advice, but use it to make an informed decision for yourself. (it helps when i think of my doctors as my employees!)


Good luck on this journey. Remember---the ultimate goal is that you're the safest, healthiest, happiest, most full realization of yourself that you can be! If the meds are a helpful tool that get you closer to that goal, then use them. The more you work on yourself, the sooner you may be able to let them go.

Namaste,

Kali

[Theogirl]

So if I decide to go off, I'm guessing that I should wait until I'm more established with my raw diet, maybe a few months under my belt...yes? Avo, did you go off your meds before or after raw?
The hard thing is, looking back I see that I've been suffering with anxiety since I was five years old, the worst during my teens and then during pregnancy and postpartum. So I don't really know what's it's like to be completely free of it, although the meds have totally reduced the debilitation of the anxiety.
Could eating raw really make THAT much difference? (I want the answer to be yes!) I'm really working at getting regular exercise, not putting anything polluting into my mind, etc. My husband is quite emotionally supportive, but as he's lived through me without meds, I don't think he will be anxious for me to try that again soon!
I have two wee ones (2 & 4) and I need to be somewhat stable for them. I've felt bad emotionally and physically so much in my life that I dream at night of running down a road, and it being as easy as breathing and I would so love to do that without pain in my knees and lungs.
I sure appreciate everyone's support and thanks for not judging me! :rolleyes: I have so much to learn.

[Theogirl]

Rascia, you mentioned work. Have you considered trying a short course in something like reflexology? Here in Alberta, it took just 8 weeks of one evening a week, with homework and a practicum as well. Something like that might help you to nurture yourself and others, as long as you can set up proper boundaries, ie not taking on the problems of others to yourself.

[Bananna]

thanks for the suggestion theogirl! i am actually thinking of moving to alberta from ontario, lol, we have lots of family out there....but i do need to make a substantial amount of money too, ideally with benefits and things as dh prefers self employment.
what's your work?

[EZ rider]

There are many people who have gone raw who will talk about this "awakening"I can't speak to the depression or anxiety issues as I've never had that but I have experienced an "awakening" since going all raw. After I started my journey into rawness I experienced some interesting changes in my body and mind. My body and its senses came back to life (awakened). My sense of taste changed amazingly. The fresh raw foods have taken on a fantastic alive taste that makes the dead food pale by comparison. I just had a crispy "Cameo" apple that was just delicious. The flavor burst in my mouth. I can't even describe how good it tasted. Nothing cooked tastes like that ! My hearing is more acute. Its like I am hearing my favorite music for the first time. It sounds so good. My vision has become sharper and clearer with the colors more vibrant. I am sleeping better and I have a lot more energy when I am awake. I wake up now and just smile greeting a new day. I feel like I got my life back again. I'm never going back to cooked dead food again and thats a promise to myself that I will keep no matter what. I hope your journey into rawness is a successful one.

[Theogirl]

thanks for the suggestion theogirl! i am actually thinking of moving to alberta from ontario, lol, we have lots of family out there....but i do need to make a substantial amount of money too, ideally with benefits and things as dh prefers self employment.
what's your work?
My husband and I own a business (I just take care of the books) and I'm a SAHM to my 2 kids (2 & 4). We're doing home/unschooling and I do lots of volunteer work, mostly taking the kids along. I took the reflexology course to be able to work on my little ones and DH, so I haven't really had paying clients, but there seems to be lots of positions available if one wanted to work in a clinic or something. I haven't looked for work in a few years, but I know employers are begging for people.
Edmonton has really lovely spots. We live in the area of the university, and the parks are amazing. Come summer, that is! Unfortunately, housing is getting more and more expensive. Especially for rent, although house prices have dropped somewhat since last summer, when it was the worst. There is a substantial health community, several organic markets (expensive), a big farmer's market (also expensive), lots of alternative health practitioners. Homeschooling is huge here (Alberta has amazing support) but there's lots of local schools too.
Hope that helps some!

[Bananna]

Thanks Theogirl :) Lots of info there, lol...one thing it seems I will miss is Trees!!! and Water :( Don't know if I can do it, lol...I have heard rumours of trees in certain parts though, but I'm guessing I'd have to pay through the nose?
...muddling my way through that decision still, I don't currently homeschool, but it is also good to know what that community is like too. Here in Ontario it's pretty good in the more populated areas...but downright depressing in rural areas as far as networking goes, but that's to be expected I guess.

[avolove]

Theogirl,
I think your thoughts about establishing yourself raw first, then working on the getting off the meds is a great idea. There is so much change and discovery when going raw and I think it's good to adjust slowly. Too many changes can be overwhelming and daunting. Take one thing at a time and trust that you will know the right time to reduce the Celexa. Going raw is an awesome first step and the benefits, even with meds, will still be felt. When I say I "jumped in" I mean that one day I was a sad eater the next I went 100% raw. This was enough and a really big adjustment. :) After I became a little more comfortable with the raw, this took a while, I added new goals. As you go along slowly you will develop an awareness allowing you to listen closer to your body. This will help not only in giving yourself the best, healthiest foods but also in understanding the emotional components that affect your thinking. You will become more confident in your decisions and your worry and uncertainty will be far less of a factor. So I say just go raw for now, enjoy this first step in getting yourself healthy and happy. Know that your goal of getting off meds is absolutely attainable and trust that you will know the right time to do it.
Also, you may want to consider a vitamin B supplement, especially B12. I take one, as I had read time and time again that the B vits are critical to healthy brain function. I know that the raw diet can provide all you need but I thought I'd err on the side of caution and take one just to be sure. :)
Take care!:)

[avolove]

Something I just thought of... :) In some of the raw food reading I've done it says that foods don't "heal". Our bodies, given the right foods do the healing. It's a slight change in thinking, but important. Our bodies will fix themselves all on their own if they are given the best stuff to function optimally. I like to think that all the good stuff I am giving my body is allowing it to mend and heal, both the physical and mental. For me, that is where the trust comes in. If I give my body the best resources , it will heal all on it's own. There is a wisdom that I can override with distorted thinking and a poor diet and lifestyle, but if I let my body do its thing while giving it the best stuff, it will direct me naturally to a greater state of health. I think if you choose raw it becomes the first step in that healing process and the rest will fall into place. Just a rambling thought.. :)

[Theogirl]

Thank you, Avo. You've really warmed my heart. And I feel relieved that my decision to stay on meds for now isn't totally undermining my healthy efforts. Thank you. Someday, I will be there.

[Theogirl]

Thanks Theogirl :) Lots of info there, lol...one thing it seems I will miss is Trees!!! and Water :( Don't know if I can do it, lol...I have heard rumours of trees in certain parts though, but I'm guessing I'd have to pay through the nose?
...muddling my way through that decision still, I don't currently homeschool, but it is also good to know what that community is like too. Here in Ontario it's pretty good in the more populated areas...but downright depressing in rural areas as far as networking goes, but that's to be expected I guess.

You made me laugh! :) You may be thinking of Saskatchewan which is notorious for not a lot of trees. It depends on the neighborhood and the newer developments have not many mature trees. That's one of the things I love about our 1950's neighborhood. Huge elm trees touching to make an archway over the road in the summer. We live not too far from the river valley, which has gorgeous parks all along it. Try getting some photos from your family. Cost of living has gone up a lot here in the past few years, and winter is long. Other than that, it's a great place to live. Lots of cultural stuff and natural lifestyles (along with the rednecks!) Hope that helps.

[walnutty]

Ohhhhhhhhh, girls, all your talk of trees makes me want to move to Canada!!! I live in the desert (Arizona) and am really missing GREEN right now...

Walnutty is very jealous...:D

[Eva]

I did stop taking Ritalin after many years. The first couple weeks I was raw, I was taking it less. Then, I just decided to toss it.

I have had my ups and downs, but the downs have mostly come only when I have stopped eating ALL raw for one excuse or another.

I am a different person on raw (or I guess just the inside of the onion?), and I never would have guessed in a million years that I could get my work done and stay organized without the medication.

When you are ready, raw will surely help. It really does help to regulate our bodies, or I guess -- lets our bodies regulate themselves.

:)

[EZ rider]

I have had my ups and downs, but the downs have mostly come only when I have stopped eating ALL raw for one excuse or another.I have found that lots of greens effect my mood the most. When I want to feel extra good I like to put 9 oz of spinach into a smoothie and VM blend it smooth. I always feel fantastic after drinking it. Does anyone else get a reaction like that ?

[Bananna]

Sorry about all that side tree talking! lol....Aaaah, the days when I would climb to the very top and then sway in the wind....oh wait, haha...

EZ rider, greens do affect my mood *I think*, for the better....have to do some more official experimenting to say for sure.

[Barbie2]

EZ Rider, I love the way you described your "awakening", it makes going Raw even more exciting, something to look forward, an awakening of senses, good health and a balanced body and mind.

I enjoy reading your posts.

When I read the posts written by those who have been Raw Foodish for awhile, I feel the posts really do help us newbies to see that going raw is really worth all the SAD cravings we get and have to struggle through to stay raw, the detox and the feeling of isolation we sometimes get from being different from the "normal" world. Also if we backslide and eat a SAD food we aren't scolded for it, we are told it's normal and to keep trying. Not scolded, how wonderful is that.

Also many times the experienced Raw Foodish remind us newbies that we can take our time, which is refreshing to hear, go slow, take care of yourself and things will fall into place.

I appreciate everyone who is a part of this site, they make our transistions, failures, and frustrations easier to handle. I'm glad I found this site. I hope someday when I have been a Raw Foodish for a year or two, I too can help a newbie with their transition.

[Eva]

EZ Rider -- Greens are definitely happy foods for me in my green smoothies! I don't get the same feeling when I have a salad, though...

[VeganGypsie]

I'm on Celexa as well, well actually the generic brand, for the last 6 years. 20 mg, then 30 mg, now 40 mg. I just banana searched antidepressants because I am trying to navigate this issue myself. I want to get clean of them before I get pregnant, failed at it once and now I and especially my boyfriend are scared to try again. I think sugar addiction and Candida were definitely factors in my original depression and anxiety, though a big fight I had with my parents in college set it off to where I actually needed drugs.

I am off of sugar and flour - not 100% raw, but closer to 75% - I want to get totally over my candida infection and really steady on my healthy diet before i try again. thanks everyone for sharing their experiences, and let us know how you progress.

[Raw Joy]

I read a book about a year ago called "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Depression." I'll try and find the author, who is a psychiatrist and has sucessfully treated depression and anxiety with amino acid therapy for years.

At the time I was taking three anti-depressants, an anti-anxiety pill and was completely fogged. By that time, I didn't know if I was that depressed or that over-medicated.

Based on his book, I started taking amino acid supplements. He does a pretty good job outlining that if you have this symptom, you're probably deficient in this amino acid or mineral or vitimin. He also goes into your diet and what foods are particularly high in any one thing.

About a month later, I was down to 1/2 a pill at night and felt better than I had in 20 years. Because I was feeling better, I was able to better maintain a raw diet. Before, sometimes just cutting open an avocado seemed too much for me to handle.

Once I got more raw, I was able to decrease the supplements to once or twice a week rather than daily because now I was getting them from my food.

Hope this helps. As always, be extremely careful when coming off of medication. I have a background in it and was able to monitor myself pretty well. But it can be rough, so take care.

[Theogirl]

Thanks for all the input, I'm glad i'm not the only one who has struggled!

[Theogirl]

I went to see my medical doctor today. I've slowly worked myself down to 20 mg of Celexa from 60mg daily. I told her about the changes I'm making - diet, exercise, supplements, mental, etc. She was very supportive about raw (:)!) only cautioning me to ensure I get enough Vitamin D, B12 and calcium.
She agreed I could go off the meds, with the provision that every time I decrease the dose by half, to allow 6 weeks on the new level before decreasing again. She said to expect some flutterings of anxiety at each new level as my body kicks in to provide its own chemicals and to allow that to abate before moving forward. I thought it was balanced, respectful advice, especially considering her western medicine training.
Now, for you guys - a question. So I'm slowly decreasing my meds, while continuing to eat raw (8th week, people!) and eating lots of green smoothies with spirulina, flax, and bee pollen. I also take a multi vitamin and herbal mood formula (contains rhodiola among other things). Is there anything else I can do to strengthen my emotional and mental systems at this time to ease the withdrawals?
Last time I went off too quickly (and wasn't raw or even aware about the importance of green things if you can even fathom that...:eek: ) and had tremendous withdrawal symptoms including terrible nightmares, joints screaming in pain, dizziness and blacking out and terrible panic attacks for over a month before just going back on the medications. Here we are a year and some months later, ready to try again! I'm very confident that it won't be a repeat experience, especially with the nutritional support my body has now, as well as having more understanding and respect for myself.
I hope to be medication free by August and hope that will be enough time to stabilize before my usual November, December, January mood and body slump.
All advice is welcome and appreciated!

[Pitaya]

meditation

[brydee]

So glad i found this thread,

Iv had severe anxiety, social phobia and depression for about 4 years, iv been off work sick for 7 months now and before that i was off school for a year or so.
I was on med's not celexa, iv been on 2 different types but cant remember what they were called now, i shall try to remember.
Im still on sick, iv been raw since january, a few times iv had cooked food but im back on raw again now, i arnt going back now, everytime i do i get depressed again.

Raw chocolate has helped me alot, im hoping that my anxiety starts to fade, it seems to get a little bit better everyday, if i dont have raw chocolate then i seem to plummet back down again. I know its not good replacing med's with raw cacao but its whole lot better for my body than taking chemicals was.

I hope you get better, this is 50% of the reason i went raw, i want to leave the house again!!:(

[Theogirl]

Hang in there, Brydee. I've struggled with anxiety and depression as long as I remember. Tending to my spiritual needs is my biggest key, which tends to slide when I feel badly. I just keep plugging along, having euphoric days, so-so days and yucky days. Knowing that if I keep doing the right things, I'll cycle back to the positive again!

[brydee]

Hi theogirl,

Thanks, i am doing:) gets so hard sometimes though being stuck in all the time, whole career, social life etc has been ruined, doesnt exist anymore.

I think keeping spiritual is the key, id be a hell of alot worse if i wasnt! everything happens for a reason, its the only thing that keeps me going most days!

[greenfeline]

Medication is necessary for severe cases, but in the last 20 years diagnoses for depression and anxiety have skyrocketed. People have ups and downs and if you do not have a severe, almost in a mental institution, going to commit suicide condition, I would try to wean myself off medications. It will be difficult because you have to get used to not having the feeling the meds give you and also you will be detoxing just like if you quit any other drug, illegal or legal.

Raw foods, due to lack of chemicals and preservatives can help. People with hyperactivity disorders have shown great improvement from changing their diets by getting rid of processed sugars. Also exercise has been shown to be just as effective at reducing signs of mild depression as meds. I don't have cites for these, but you can google them or search on sciencedaily.com. An interesting article about the overmedication of our nation in the last 20 years is here: http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/82455/

[Theogirl]

Hi theogirl,

Thanks, i am doing:) gets so hard sometimes though being stuck in all the time, whole career, social life etc has been ruined, doesnt exist anymore.

I think keeping spiritual is the key, id be a hell of alot worse if i wasnt! everything happens for a reason, its the only thing that keeps me going most days!

Sounds like you're going through a rough time. I once heard an illustration that a rock in your path can be a stumbling stone, or a stepping stone, depending how you use it!
I would love to share more about my spiritual life and faith in my Creator but that would definitely get into the realm of "religion" which is not the purpose of this forum, and my post would be deleted!
You mentioned that your career, social life etc. are "nonexistent". Hmmm. Without knowing details could you use this point in your life as a pivot, a "stepping stone" so to speak? Sometimes the thing that seems the worst can be a disguised exciting opportunity for CHANGE and GROWTH! i.e. finding a job that fits your values instead of the one you're stuck in. Making new friends that help you grow instead of previously toxic friends. Not to say that everything you once had is bad - take the experience of good and know that is something you want to recreate. Take the experience of bad and CHANGE IT! Make your life work for you!
Brydee please keep hoping and struggling, you're in for some exciting developments!:)

[brydee]

You could PM if you want to talk about it, id love to, or i think its email, my PM seems to be locked for some reason.

I am, or was, its been worse though, a couple of years ago i saw no way out and now i do, :D
Yes your right about the social life and career i also thought that :)
But because of how long iv been like this for (housebound) i cant drive and i live in the middle of the countryside with the nearest houses,towns or cities being a LONG way, hours away,. It is lovely some days, i love living in the countryside and i dont ever want to leave it, but as you can imagine it doesnt help with this kind of 'illness', i dont even know where to start to actually be able to recover, im seeing/seen a therapist etc that has helped a little but not enough.
Its also not just the social phobia, anxiety etc iv had operations on my stomach and im now left with psycological problems because of that, even though there is nothing left in my stomach to cause pain etc when i get anxious my body goes back into the pain it use to feel( i use to be not able to move from my bed before i had the operations) so even when im on top of it, this will flare up and im back to square one:mad: