Hi,
I have had panic disorder/ocd/agoraphobia for about a year and a half. I was living with it until a few months ago when my mum became ill and now I just have a constant feeling of dread and hopelessness. Can’t work or socialise.
I’ve tried citalopram, escitalopram and sertaline which were all horrible and didn’t work. Currently on pregabloline which has helped with panic and I can get out more but I’m still always feeling sad and anxious and like I’m just going through the motions it’s exhausting and I don’t feel like myself. Also now struggling being one my own which is the worst phobia I’ve developed as it’s out of my control.
I’m terrified of going through ssri side effects as I can’t imagine feeling worse than I do right now but I feel I can’t get myself out of this (tried meditation, therapy, cbt yoga, midefulness you name it) and I’m desperate for my old life back. After doing some research I think Prozac looks like a good option for panic but would like to hear your experiences.
Tia
X
Hi Lara, I know exactly how you feel, I've been there and still feel that way sometimes. I've gotten better but still have a long way to go. I'm on Prozac right now and it's helped quite a bit with my depression, but not too much with my anxiety. Though I think it's definitely worth a try because everyone's different and for some people it it helps a lot with anxiety/panic. From my experience with it it can make it worse before it gets better which can be really discouraging and make you think it won't work. But I stuck with it and it took almost a full year before my body fully adjusted to it and I realized it was working. This may or may not be true for you, you might have zero side effects and feel better within a month. Everyone's different and even if Prozac doesn't work for you there are many other medications/ treatments out there and it's just a matter of finding the right one. I just encourage you to give each treatment, whether medication or not, a solid amount of time to work before giving up. It's tough when you want to feel better now but it takes a lot of time, energy, and dedication to beat mental illness, but its possible. I'm wishing you the best and you can get through this!