Question/advise please

Originally Posted by moke64916

I understand what you are saying. The thing is is that I have been on almost every single psych med that there is on the market. I've been on the alternative meds. The only medications that help are Ativan and Xanax. Ativan is not for me either. Within 6 months you have a massive tolerance and more anxiety in the long run. Xanax ER is the best one for my brain chemistry. I want to learn how to be fully aware and conscious while taking it. To still be in a pure state of consciousness while I take it. I guess no one would really know how, unless they have been through my experience before. Well I look at this as a growing experience for me. To learn how to be fully conscious despite the fact of being on a benzodiazepine. So I look at this as a great growing experience. If no one knows how, I understand. I always learn myself eventually.

I love your thoughts on this, moke...they sort of echo my own...I've been taking citalopram for a couple of years and I actually believe that they need not affect my "spiritual" growth at all.

Thank you Arive Nan. I just took 2 fish oil tablets. I'll make that a daily habit.

Thank you as well for CBT. Thank you. You know I do use some CBT already now that I think of it. A natural coping skill. When I am calm and I feel anxiety start to come on and I am aware of it. I stop and there is that fight or flight response. I pick the flight(surrender) response when I am conscious. I also use a CBT improvement app on the iphone. I use a variety of coping skills. The core of the problem is one thought, that triggers a stream of thoughts. It's when I realize that thought is when I can stop it. I observe my thoughts, therefore I get to the fundamental core issue of the Anxiety issue. So they have books on CBT? You don't have to pay to see a therapist right? Cause I don't have the money for that. I believe medication should only be used with coping skills. Medication is a tool, not a source of relief. I take 2mg Xanax ER twice daily. I'm fine, I feel happy mostly all the time, I just want to learn how to keep being deeply in touch with being while on the medication. I have made great progress though. I used to take anxiety meds as soon as I woke up till i went to sleep. Now just in the afternoons. I believe everything happens for a reason. I was mean't to write this thread, and receive your advise on CBT. Thank you everyone for your help.

Originally Posted by jackie-b

I love your thoughts on this, moke...they sort of echo my own...I've been taking citalopram for a couple of years and I actually believe that they need not affect my "spiritual" growth at all.

I've taken Citrolapam as well. If I remember isn't that an anti-depresant. That will not interfere with any spiritual growth. It is not a mind altering substance so you should be good. I take Cymbalta as an anti-depressant. Not for depression issues though. I've realized when one is truly depressed, anti-depressants don't really help in my experience. The change occurs within self. Citrolopam will not alter your state of mind whatsoever, so your good.

Originally Posted by moke64916

I've taken Citrolapam as well. If I remember isn't that an anti-depresant. That will not interfere with any spiritual growth. It is not a mind altering substance so you should be good. I take Cymbalta as an anti-depressant. Not for depression issues though. I've realized when one is truly depressed, anti-depressants don't really help in my experience. The change occurs within self. Citrolopam will not alter your state of mind whatsoever, so your good.

My GP prescribed it for anxiety, moke. She's an incredible doctor...at my last appointment she made it clear to me that she had similar views on spirituality. And, as she handed me my prescription, she smiled and said, nothing wrong with taking medication whichever path you're on!

lol, I like your doctors response.

Roughly 50% of people can go cold-turkey on benzos with no problems. I'd say Valium is harder to come off because you can be in withdrawal 2-3 days later without being able to restore the dosage quickly.
Needless to say, you won't have any physical withdrawal symptoms tapering off over a month.

'Anxiety' is too vague a description to say what's likely to help.

Any drug taken long-term is bound to inhibit in-life spiritual growth but so does bad diet, anxiety, lack of sleep, family arguments etc etc. Pick your 'battles' carefully.

Originally Posted by Aquarian

Any drug taken long-term is bound to inhibit in-life spiritual growth but so does bad diet, anxiety, lack of sleep, family arguments etc etc. Pick your 'battles' carefully.

Well said. Agree completely.

[andrew g]

The way I see it is that when we are present and conscious there is something particular happening in the bodymind chemistry and with our brain waves too. So when we meditate (for example) its as if we training the chemistry and the brain waves to perform in a way that feels good to us.

Medicine is going to affect your bodychemistry and brain waves obviously, but that doesnt mean that we shouldnt take it. I have had a painful mouth ulcer lately and have found myself reaching for the pain killers for example :)

Have you heard of neurofeedback Moke? My Mum went to see a neurofeedback specialist the other week and we were very impressed. They basically use a computer to produce a map of our brain activity. They look at the alpha, beta, delta and theta waves and how they are working in relation to each other in different parts of the brain. From there, they can see what needs to change so that we can achieve whatever goal we want to achieve. In your case, I reckon they might have something to offer you. They use computer technology over a few sessions in order to retrain your brain waves. Its just a case of sit back and relax. Apparently the neurofeedback system has been getting wonderful results in many different areas, including autism, depression, ADHD and many more.

Anyway, might be worth checking out sometime. Take care.

Originally Posted by andrew g

The way I see it is that when we are present and conscious there is something particular happening in the bodymind chemistry and with our brain waves too. So when we meditate (for example) its as if we training the chemistry and the brain waves to perform in a way that feels good to us.

Medicine is going to affect your bodychemistry and brain waves obviously, but that doesnt mean that we shouldnt take it. I have had a painful mouth ulcer lately and have found myself reaching for the pain killers for example :)

Have you heard of neurofeedback Moke? My Mum went to see a neurofeedback specialist the other week and we were very impressed. They basically use a computer to produce a map of our brain activity. They look at the alpha, beta, delta and theta waves and how they are working in relation to each other in different parts of the brain. From there, they can see what needs to change so that we can achieve whatever goal we want to achieve. In your case, I reckon they might have something to offer you. They use computer technology over a few sessions in order to retrain your brain waves. Its just a case of sit back and relax. Apparently the neurofeedback system has been getting wonderful results in many different areas, including autism, depression, ADHD and many more.

Anyway, might be worth checking out sometime. Take care.

I have gotten the Worlds best brain scan done on me. There are three of them in the world. People travel from all over the world to get this brain scan done. They were able to tell I had a thyroid problem by looking at my brian. They were able to tell I was very spiritual and highly intuitive. They saw the damage done to my brain from all the times I've hit my head knocking me unconscious. They were able to see everything. They wrote like a 100 page paper based on my brain. That reminds me, I'm going to go back and read the report from that brain scan. But with my brain, I am mean't to take something for anxiety. Two posts above the one above me. It is not a good idea to get off cold turkey. You can get seizures. And Xanax is the roughest detox out of all the benzos. IT is the most potent one of them all. It's not just that easy to get off cold turkey. I've done it before. I lost my sanity, and was getting severe anxiety attacks all day long. IT drove me insane. If anyone gets off benzos, they should use Librium to detox. That is what they give you in hospitals and at any detox place. Librium allows you to detox without the bad side effects. It is not just that easy to taper your dose when you are used to a certain amount. The best way is to use a totally different benzo to taper off such as librium. If you have experienced getting off something cold turkey such as 10 years of 5 different medications stopped all at once. It took me 6 years for my brain to recover. Cold turkey is never safe with benzos and is never the way to go. Unless you want to lose your mind and get possible seizures. I've gone cold turkey off of many things when I used to be an alcoholic drug user. Getting off alcohol cold turkey will give you tremors so bad you can't even walk and you throw up all the time, dehydrating you. Tremors can get so bad you could die. I've been through all of these experiences in my past. Cold turkey is not the way to get off anything.

If someone were to take a benzo for a few months, then sure they could get off cold turkey. But longterm as in several years, that's a no no.

Originally Posted by Aquarian

Roughly 50% of people can go cold-turkey on benzos with no problems. I'd say Valium is harder to come off because you can be in withdrawal 2-3 days later without being able to restore the dosage quickly.
Needless to say, you won't have any physical withdrawal symptoms tapering off over a month.

'Anxiety' is too vague a description to say what's likely to help.

Any drug taken long-term is bound to inhibit in-life spiritual growth but so does bad diet, anxiety, lack of sleep, family arguments etc etc. Pick your 'battles' carefully.

I don't know where you received this information but it is false. Maybe if someone took a benzo for a week or so they can get off cold turkey because they don't have a tolerance. That 50% thing is a lie. "With no problem." Only those who have experienced it and have seen others experience it. Those who go to AA meetings. You cannot say that 50% of people can get off cold turkey with no problem. IF one has a tolerance to benzo's they WILL GET REBOUND EFFECT OF ANXIETY, AND PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS. You cannot bull**** someone who has experienced all medications and drugs and alcohol withdrawls in past.