Posted by katekite on July 22, 2002, at 13:47:19
In reply to Anyone taken Effexor XR for Separation Anxiety?, posted by hellokitty on July 20, 2002, at 15:40:27
Doctors usually say to stay on an antidepressant or anti-anxiety med for at least 6 months.
I would let the drug do its thing by itself for maybe another month and just enjoy life. Then I would, with the aid of the drug, actively work on the fears with the aid of a therapist. Cognitive behavioral therapy is especially good for this, although therapy in general always helps some. If you can really change your thinking you will be in good shape to try going off of it.
The truth with these drugs is that if its a lifetime problem and nothing in our environment changes, then when we go off of them the anxieties would be expected to return. The times when short term (less than a year) medication works and then its never needed again are if the problem was initially set off by a life circumstance or if the person makes a lot of progress in therapy.
I'm glad it seems to be helping!
Kate
poster:katekite
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020718/msgs/113273.html