welcome to crazyworld

[femalepirate24]

So I'm new at this and don't know what it will accomplish. I have anxiety/phobias, depression, and ADHD. I'm also hypersenstive and I over react. I can't live my life like this. My boyfriend of 2 and 1/2 years might leave me because my mood if different every day because of medicines or not being on medicines. I take 20mg of adderall for my ADD, I used to take 150mg then 300mg of welbutrin for my depression, but it was making me anxious and I started focusing(from the adderall) on my anxiety(from the welbutrin) and I'd catch myself having conversations with myself outloud. Prozac made me vomit, welbutrin made me anxious, and zoloft makes my heart race and makes me more tired than I already am. I am a college study with all the stresses of learning to grow up and start taking on life, BUT I CAN'T. I have heard of people going to online forums to get help, and that's what I need. I have been in therapy for almot 8 months and I don't see much of an improvement. I have also been seeing a psychiatrit, but I am not that confident in his abilities. I can't live with the ADD which causes part of my anxiety, which causes all of my depression. I cry all the time and I am paranoid that about what everyone thinks of me and of what the future holds for me. I can't live without medically treating this(until I can't mentally treat it) but I can't deal with the crazuness from "trial and error" of medicines. If anyone has advice on how to handle things not using medicine, on a more personal level, I am open to all suggestions. I like the idea od a discussion board because my few friends and family members don't understand and probably get sick of hearing about it.

 

[sabbath92001]

Hi femalepirate24, welcome to SPW!

I too have tried wellbutrin, prozac, zoloft, klonopin, paxil, celexa, etc. And they made me worse too. I also tried Dr. Richards CBT for SAD (very expensive), and found it had some good ideas, but in the end it made me worse. The only treatment that has really helped me is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT allows us to live a full and vital life with pain, anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, anger, etc. Instead of trying to get rid of stuff that we may not be able to get rid of, ACT teaches us how to use our values and mindfulness to live with what life has given us. With ACT we learn not to buy into our thoughts, to become observers to what is happening in our minds and bodies.

Two ACT books that I can recommend are: "Get Out of Your Mind & Into Your Life" and "Living Beyond Your Pain". They are easy to read and will help you define your values and set goals that include gradual exposure. Avoidance is our main problem, we need to focus, not on what we can't control (thoughts, emotions, body reactions) but on what we can control (arms, legs, mouth). Try ACT for yourself and hopefully you'll be leading the life that makes you feel alive.