It depends on the medication, how you taper off. Taper off is the wrong description for the benzo's. Taper is right for the antidepressants though. This is due to how they work. Now since this information is on the internet I might get away with it. I was taught Benzo's you stay on your dose and increase the time between them till you don't need them any more. SSRI's you reduce the dose slowly. Of course this is irrelevant if your doctor wants you to do something else. Follow your doctors instructions. Any way as they say here the forums are for information not instruction. I suppose I can mention this since it was how I did it. Tapering Benzo's just made me want them more often. Does that make sense.
I know people on this site can't give advice regarding medications, but I'm so confused. I'm seeing my psychiatrist tomorrow and I'm not sure if I should continue to taper my meds or go up and see if maybe this is a late withdrawal of some sort. I know its not helpful to get scared of how you're feeling, but I feel like I'm on another planet today.
Thanks for your insights and suggestions. Yes, will definitely try some of those things. It's like if I'm not at work in my role around the people I'm with everyday (family, friends), I feel very lost... like I don't know who I am and I have this sense of disconnection. That's the best way I can describe it. I know its not good to dwell on this feeling, so I keep coming to work and directing my attention outwards and on others, but its a troubling feeling.
Hi JD: sometimes life is like that anyway, whether you have the disorder or not. Can be kind of quiet and humdrum. Sadness can creep in if you feel like you're missing something. Do you have a hobby? An interest? Something you might like to start? I've heard that just gentle stretching and smiling when you get up in the morning are helpful positive things to do, get the blood circulating. Call a friend, go for a coffee, go window shopping. Go for walks in different parts of town, see something new. Rearrange the furniture. Cook something exotic. Anything at all which will get the creative juices flowing, interested again.
I felt like there should be more to it when I realized I was better. No fireworks, no euphoria. Sort of sad, there should have been more. But why really? I was not having panic attacks anymore. In fact I was just living a normal life now. Normal is pretty mediocre most days. I guess I was expecting to feel more. I'm happy. I love this time of the year with the leaves turning and I find myself really enjoying it but I'm tired also so sometimes it just doesn't do anything for me. Oh and yeah, I'm finding the rain is making me sad.
Is this relapse, I don't know? Some times it feels like it but I think sad is just a normal emotion that happens sometimes.
I do know that if you dig up the negative or do comparisons to see if you are as you were that you will relapse. No big deal, tell it to get lost and get on with feeling better.
If it is a relapse remember you did it before, you can do it again.
I feel like I'm so lost. Feel like I'm back to where I was 5 years ago when my depression and anxiety started. Need to find new ways to feel good and motivated because old ways aren't really working. Do you just keep going and doing the little things day in and day out?
Doesn't help that its pouring outside today and very grey...
