Zoloft

[HAZE]

grey goose-
mankind has also used herbs (drugs) if you like to get high.high means higher to the heavens by the way. thats why most are still around today. only some in less purea forms. personally i think weed and mushshrooms help people feel and become more aware of themselves so they can solve problems but also have fun too. its only when physiccally unhealthy people take them, chemical reactions take place and course side affects. this can all be avioded by not eating shit and listening to peoples shit.
HAZE of uk

[greggie]

i hope some of you know that it's recommended that zoloft be taken as directed by ur doctor, and not on ur own....

[Nicole]

Naturally.

I just wanted info on it. I've decided not to take it, though, since it doesn't help people whose primary problem is social anxiety. It works best for those with depression and social anxiety. Since I'm not depressed, I don't feel it's right for me.

Thanks for your concern!

[greggie]

You're Welcome. Zoloft wouldn't work for me either, cuz i'm depressed at all, is there a pill suitable for ppl who only have social anxiety?

[spitzig]

I liked Paxil. I think it was just for social anxiety.

[Nicole]

I am very hesitant about trying Paxil. (In addition to social anxiety, it's also prescribed for depression, OCD, and panic disorder.) I know a number of people that have been on it that have experienced horrible side effects. When they tried to withdraw off of it, they received little electric jolts through their body. One of them still has not been able to stop taking it.
Additionally, my best friend said her sex drive completely disappeared and she could never orgasm. That would be a problem for me.

greggie, MAOIs and benzodiazepenes (anti-anxiety drugs) are supposed to be very helpful for people with social anxiety, but there are a number of side effect to consider. Benzodiazepenes (Xanax, Klonopin, Valium) can make you very tired and impair cognitive functioning. MAOI's like Nardil and Parnate have many side effects, and you can't eat certain foods with them (all the fun stuff - cheese, beer, chocolate, caffeine, etc.).

For more detailed information, you might find these websites helpful:

www.socialfear.com

www.anxietynetwork.com/spmed.html

socialanxiety.factsforhealth.org/medication.html

Some people might not need medication at all, and I would recommend CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) at first. I've been trying to find a therapist in my area.

[EdgedInBlue]

Nicole- I was on Paxil and you're right about the withdrawal. I abruptly stopped taking at least 6 medications before and I was sick for a few days, but nothing was quite as severe as the Paxil.
Not only do you feel the "electric jolts" but I had somewhat of a "super-charged" panic attack where I, a person who had never previously considered suicide, was preparing to jump out of my 2nd story window (fortunately, I was so jittery, I couldn't get the damn thing open).
I've spoken with several other people who have taken it and a few of them have experienced something very similar.
Now, I'm taking Effexor and I've tried to stop taking it on a few occasions but again, the sickness is awful and so you either have to replace it with another medication or deal with it for a week (when hell freezes over!).

So yeah, again, if you don't have a severe anxiety disorder (by severe I mean you can't concentrate for more than 5 minutes, hold a job or go to school) don't seek medical treatment. Therapy is a good tool...use it.

[spitzig]

Effexor was the only thing I've had withdrawals from. Not that bad. Cried a few times about songs and movies I would not have otherwise.

Paxil had the side effect of lowering my sex drive. I had less desire, but I was still capable. I consider this a bonus. I'd like to take a pill SPECIFICALLY to eliminate my sex drive, since it does me no good when I'm by myself. Which is virtually all the time.

[kelvin]

In the past, I have tried efexor, something similar I can't remember the name of and cipramil. I have learned from years of being on and off of these tablets that they heal and harm in equal amounts , that is they don't solve any long term problem and have dodgy side effects. I have also tried Beta Blockers, flirted often with alchohol and smoked cigarettes (smoked solidlyand drank for fifteen years) but there is no compensation for mind over mind.

I agree in part with Nicole's point about suicide/tablets and what choice One should make because I have been there, although I feel after years of experience, especially of redness/social anxiety/depression that in the long run, as the song says, "the drugs don't work, they just make things worse" because , personally, I achieved nothing positive in a mental sense, a few months after Cipramil I was back to square one. These tablerts can seem very difficult to come off but fortunately I had read

"The only way to stop smoking permanently" by Allen Carr

and I was able to apply his amazing 'method' to my Cipramil addiction ( which is what it was, at least I relied extremely heavily on them) and came off them easily, unlike before. The book definitely helped me in many many ways. It also definitely gave me some clues about how to tackle the ACTUAL problems within and how we often trick ourselves into thinking a certain way or doing certain things...it's conditioning I guess, either from yourself or from external forces, but this can be changed.

From my perspective, The answer lies within, and I am within touching distance of it. It gets ever closer, in fact I know the answer but I am still putting it into practice. It is all based on how we think and what we can do to change it. Fortunately, I met my perfect partner last year and she is a living example of how not to worry and how to see the end of a possible problem NOT the beginning. That does not mean that meeting a wonderful person healed me..on the contrary, and this is a key point, I had to do all the hard work myself, and although I am much much better now, and am able to live a happier life I still have much to do. It really is all about visualising each thing as it really is and seeing the end of each 'difficult' task or situation in a positive way, then it actually drives you through it and you come out the other side thinking..'I feel good ' . For example, rathjer than being gripped by panic before I even get to work or worse still, that family gathering, I just imagine the end of the day and how satisfied I'll be that it's over and in fact, I end up enjoying it a lot more.
It's so simple but the hard thing is, making it part of your life and natural to your way of thinking. It takes time.

I am still shy, I still get embarrassed but I no longer look at every situation like my worst enemy..Its more like I just do it (and very very occasionally I have a terrible blushing period during that time) and sometimes I get miserable but I have realised that it is only the worry of being shy or appearing unconfident that holds me back. The more I accept it and look positively at it the better everything gets.

In short, after 20 years of misery I am finding happiness and freedom without the aid of drugs.



ps. If you are smoker and want to stop, I believe there is no better way than the book I mentioned previously (above). Just had to plug Allen Carr's book..couldn't help it.

[Grey Goose]

Kelvin- as I mentioned before on this thread "mind over mind" is better than drugs over mind. Drugs have effects that can be worse than the problems in the first place.
Most problems any of us have, are social anxiety, redness, getting embarrassed, etc . because we are unfamiliar with the situation we are in? Take most anything in a social situation and through practice and doing it over and over and over again, you can get better which will result in more confidence, etc. thus you feel better about yourself.
So.....you get red; so....you get embarrassed....none of us are the ONLY ones this happens to. We aren't alone in these feelings.
WE overcome as we work at overcoming versus using drugs to overcome. It IS possible to STOP smoking without any drug help. I know friends who have gone COLD TURKEY. Of course, I do realize a "bit" of help of some other nature besides "cold turkey" may be needed and this can be a variety of other measures.
Mankind has always experimented with "ingesting things in the body" to see what happens. Kids smoking "grapevine" all the way through peyote..the whole gambit.
Each of us can do whatever we please as "its our body" as long as whatever we do is considered "legal" provided we don't get addicted or kill ourselves in the process. My point I am trying to make, is I don't use drugs of any sort myself, for any social anxiety, redness or embarrassed feelings. I work thru it as many do. Each of you can do as you please as its your body and I can't tell you what to do nor would I.
Whatever works for you is your choice; I prefer not to use prescription drugs or any illegal substances in my body. My choice.