this is my opinion - but it is based on research, study and most of all, my own experience. you may not agree - and of course i respect that - but if you are struggling with mental or physical symptoms of anxiety and nothing else works, please consider what i would like to share.
many of you know that chronic anxiety has been the single lingering symptom i have experienced in the 17 months after coming off the C. it ebbs and flows but i now have many more good days than bad - sometimes a month or more at a time. however the past week and a half have been very tough - the level almost as high as my original weeks after withdrawal, which has been debilitating at times. anxiety is probably the single most common complaint all sufferers of SSRI/SSNRI withdrawal have in common. it is also common with other drug withdrawals as well.
I pulled this list off a web site, anxietycentre.com. is it very comprehensive and eye opening. the web site in general has some good info, for a higher level of access you pay a fee - but it is not necessary, there is good info for free. they are a legit organization. i have also found it to be referenced by other anxiety websites that i trust including anxietyguru.net. however, anxiety guru does not "endorse" the anxiety centre web site and does not agree on every point they make.
one other caution is from what i have learned from others is that their counseling services (fee based) do have a christian component and some folks would probably have a problem with that. personally, i think religion should not take place in therapy outside counseling you would receive from a pastor or certified church counselor. faith is helpful in personal recovery - but we don't all share the same faith or practice one at all. the free access info does not reflect any faith bias.
here's the list:
http://www.anxietyce...ml#symptomslist
i will also add that i do not agree with everything on this site - such as viewpoints on medication and genetic predisposition, but if you choose to browse the rest of the site the points made in the "myths" section are fair to consider. i do not believe that anxiety is a black and white issue. however points made related to their "myths" section that i do agree with is how certain "beliefs" can hamper our recovery (even if there is some truth in them).
what i learned from this list reinforces what i have come to believe over the last year and a half. our symptoms of withdrawal, physical and mental can be traced to anxiety - virtually every single one. of course, we also know that cymbalta withdrawal leads to a rebound of the symptoms related to the very condition for which we were taking the C. I have also realized that we can experience symptoms of the other conditions for which C is prescribed - but perhaps not all of us. for example, those who took it for pain all of a sudden develop depression when coming off and those of us who took it for depression experience physical pain.
what i found most interesting is that brain and body zaps are also symptoms of anxiety - which means sufferers who never took any anti-d's or other psychoactive drugs can experience them as well. we don't all share the same symptoms of anxiety - which is why i now understand why all of us don't experience the same symptoms of withdrawal either. for instance, i never experienced brain zaps or vision problems.
this is not to say that the C withdrawal isn't responsible, because anxiety is a classic "rebound" symptom of withdrawal experienced by those who also took it for pain.
my take away from all of this is that the anxiety hormones, of which cortisol is the worst, are POISON in high amounts. of course we have read numerous studies about the long term effects of high levels of cortisol pushing through our veins and into our brains. it is not only key to experiencing relief from anxiety symptoms, but to improve our overall general health as well.
i firmly believe that it is very important to make a commitment to ourselves to do the work that will reduce anxiety. counseling - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - is extremely important. it is hard work but i am convinced it is the best of all possible treatments. there is NO MAGIC BULLET that we can take to get rid of our anxiety. medication may be a needed component in the short term but that does not absolve us of practicing the tools learned in therapy - it is not overnight, it takes time. it takes practice on a regular daily basis. we cannot get good at anything we don't practice whether that be driving a car, playing an instrument, skills related to your profession - and yes, getting anxiety under control. we can take years of therapy but we must be honest with ourselves as to whether or not we are really practicing - or just giving up too quickly. it can be confronting at times. recovery is not easy. frustration is a huge component to anxiety and it is understandable to feel after a short time in therapy to collapse on the floor screaming "i can't do this!" - i have literally done that. not practicing the skills learned in therapy is the primary reason that "therapy doesn't work" of course, it can take several tries to find the right therapist. if they aren't officially trained and certified in CBT, then they may not know how to appropriately train you. ask if they are specifically trained in CBT when making your first appointment. therapists who want to hold you hand, delve into your childhood, "analyze" your past and deflect blame onto others are not doing anyone any favors. it may not be your fault but leaving it at that doesn't help your recovery. when i was first diagnosed with depression (no typical features of anxiety) i had a therapist like that, she was a sweet, kind woman but held me back for five years as she never gave me anything to work on. she didn't mean any harm, she was just not competent. had i gone to a therp that used CBT - i may never have needed any anti-d's in the first place. my classic anxiety symptoms only surfaced post withdrawal.
even if we are convinced that cymbalta and its withdrawal effects are responsible, our anxiety and getting it under control is the same as if we've had it all our lives. we cannot will it away and time is not a cure. symptoms fade but relapse is not uncommon. we also recognize that several months later new symptoms replace the old. worry and fear are not components of everyone's anxiety. not all of us have panic attacks. i never have (yet). only recently have i experienced shooting pains in my face and the metallic taste in my mouth and burning mouth sensations.
again, i respect your thoughts and opinions on this subject, but i feel strongly enough to share what i know works for me and can work for you if given the chance. i wish you only the best in your recovery.
with care, concern and love,
Brz