For individuals, friends and families who are looking to connect during life's challenging times. Share personal experiences, evaluate information and get support during times of need, illness, treatment or recovery.
Self Tests
Understand
- What is an anxiety disorder?
- Anxiety Causes
- Controlling Anxiety
- Anxiety Medication
- Physical Symptoms
Types Of Anxiety
- Panic Disorder
- Agoraphobia
- Specific Phobias
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Hi Jakaa85, It is possible
Hi Jakaa85,
It is possible you are experiencing side effects (or withdrawal effects) from abruptly discontinuing your medication. You didn't say what kind of medication you were taking or how long you have been without it.
If you were taking a benzodiazepine, such as Xanax, Valium, Ativan, Klonopin, etc - which should not be taken for more than 3 to 4 weeks - you may have become dependent upon or addicted to the medication and this is a withdrawal symptom.
I recommend that you contact the person that prescribed the medication, or your regular doctor) and let him or her know about the dizziness. Extreme dizziness is not something you want to ignore or take lightly.
Also, if medication is the only treatment you are receiving for you anxiety I suggest you consider psychotherapy as well, as medication treats only the symptoms and doesn't address the underlying cause or help you learn ways to manage or reduce your symptoms.
I hope this helps and I wish you the best!
I guess it would help if i
I guess it would help if i said what i was taking! LOL! In taking venaflaxine???(sorry for the spelling) It works really wel, my pharmacy is just giving me a hard time because i just got a new job that has health insurance that has not yet been put into there computers. So im hoping to get my perscription today sometime. Ive never heard of psychotherapy? What does it do and how effective is it?
Thank you for clarifying.
Thank you for clarifying. Venlafaxine is an antidepressant that is also sometimes prescribed for anxiety. It works on two brain chemicals - norepinephrine and serotonin. Dizziness is one of the potential side effects (or withdrawal effects) when it is stopped suddenly.
My apologies for not being more clear regarding psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is talk therapy - where you go to see a psychologist or other type of therapist (usually once a week) to talk about things that are bothering you (such as anxiety, depression, etc.).
The reason I recommend psychotherapy is that medication by itself, while effective at times, is usually not a good treatment in and of itself for most anxiety disorders. There are usually underlying causes of the anxiety that can be much more effectively treated with psychotherapy. Lifestyle changes (see below) can also help.
For example, many people who are anxious have developed thought patterns and beliefs that create or fuel the anxiety. Psychotherapy can help a person both address and change these underlying thought patterns. Medication cannot do that - it can treat only symptoms - and once the person stops taking the medication, the symptoms usually return over time. With psychotherapy, people can also learn ways to manage and reduce their symptoms.
Other things that also help anxiety include regular aerobic exercise (like running, biking, etc); meditation, yoga, and deep breathing or relaxation exercises (such as progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery). Learning to effectively manage stress also usually benefits people who have anxiety.
Making lifestyle changes as well as changes in one's thinking usually has a much more lasting and profound effect on anxiety than medication, which is why I never recommend medication as the primary treatment.
I hope that helps!
Thank you very much for the
Thank you very much for the information, i have always been a stress ball. I think it comes from both my dad and my mother. I grew up in a stressful inviroment and have always been on edge about everything. I saw the therapist when i was younger for other reasons. I have not been to one since i was about 8 or 9. Does medical insurance cover a therapist? And i am currently seeking a few outside activities to get me active and not being lazy. I work in an office and sit all day so when i am not working i want to be outside. I do find myself out in my gardens quite often and that tends to take away from my stress. Again thank you for the advice.
You're very welcome! Yes,
You're very welcome! Yes, most medical insurance plans cover psychotherapy (your plan may say "outpatient mental health treatment"), but it really depends on the individual plan. You can call your insurance company and ask them if mental health treatment is covered, and if so, ask if you have to see someone who is in the plan's "provider network". If you have to see one of the providers they require, they should be able to give you a list of people in your area.
With many insurance plans, there is a limit to the number of sessions they will cover, which can be frustrating. Get as much information from your insurance company as you can up front. Then when you find a therapist to work with, the two of you can work out a plan that best fits your resources (i.e., what your insurance covers and what - if anything - you can afford beyond that).
So, for example, if your insurance will pay for only $X amount of treatment or X number of outpatient sessions, then you can develop a tentative plan based on that. Some therapists may take a sliding fee based on your ability to pay if you need more sessions beyond what your insurance will cover.