Diva, Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Please keep us posted on how you're doing. You're right. There is absolutely no shame in asking for help whether it be from people or medication when you need it. Keep persevering! Danielle ______________________ The PC Support Team

Well i am still on week one of the program but i have been doinsg my best to fill the anxious thoughts sheets and the panic sheets. I read all the week one material also. So i figure since i am still in week one , well yes i am working the program. If i have questions i will not hesitate to ask. For now i am just trying to challenge myself and challenge my fears and keep doing my things. I see my therapist weekly and that helps too. I told him about your website so he can come on here and look and see what this is about. He likes the idea of me having a support group with you guys. Today i went to see my doctor she renewed my clonazepam and made out a sleeping aid prescription. For the rest she is sending me to see a psychiatrist, she feels more at ease that way. I have had allergic reactions to meds in the past so i feel a bit scared about taking the new sleeping pill....I do not know how i will react to it. My allergies are also why my doctor is sending me to see a psychiatrist cause adjusting my meds will be a bit more tricky lol especialy since i get paranoid about new pills! I still dont know how i feel about the pills but i will see my therapist soon. And we will discuss it. I feel a bit more at ease with the clonazepam tho now that i figured out it is just to help out till i get better with CBT. Anyway, for now things are relatively settled till i get consult with the psychiatrist. And who knows maybe by then i won't even need him :P For now i guess with the pill thing i will just take what i need so i can work the program and the therapy so i can get better. That is all i can ask of myself and there is no shame in it.Is it just me helping my body get its balance back. As for the sleeping pill i will talk to my therapist and we can see how i can deal with taking it so i can sleep finally.... Well i guess this sums up my whole pill adventure for now. I will talk to my therapist soon and go see the psychiatrist and we will see. But mostly i will keep doing the CBT! Later! -Diva

Diva, It is great to see that you have such a positive support system! Continue working with your doctor, pharmacist and counselor. Have you worked through the program? Take a copy of the anxiety test to your doctor. This may help pinpoint areas that you can work on. Use the program along with help with your doctor and let us know how we can help :) Josie ______________________________ The Panic Center Support Team.

Well today is the day i go see my Doctor. Hope it goes well. Anywa, talk to you all leter. I am going to class now that that is enough in itself lol. So later guys and thanks again Maggie for your help on this. -Diva

Thanks so much for the reply, been having a rough night and reading this really helped me. I think what you said is really good and very good advice. Thanks a lot maggie you just made my evening a lot easier. I not only fel understood but i feel supported and i thank you for your kind and wise words :) Thanks. -Diva

[font=Georgia] Hi Diva, Im so sorry you are feeling stressed out. You should know, many of us panic sufferers are really against or reluctant to take medication. This is completely understandable behavior, so please dont beat yourself up over this. To be absolutely honest, I too, am pretty much against medication altogether. I had a bottle of 30 ativan prescribed to me and I barely used up half the bottle in an entire year. Now I realize that if I had just allowed myself to take the medication when I actually needed it, I could have spared myself many sleepless nights, attacks and further negative debilitating thoughts (that would only hinder my recovery further). It sounds to me like you have an excellent therapist, and that right there should be such a comfort to you whenever you feel like you are out on your own. You should also know that by no means do you have to just take one psychiatrists/ doctors opinion as gold. If it would help put you at ease, just go and see what the others have to say about a new medication for you. Your husband is absolutely correct about it being no different than a diabetic taking his insulin injections. I think that you should do whatever is necessary for you to feel better. But I will say this; I definitely think you should continue with the program and therapy as well. Youre right, there is no one pill that will make all of this go away. But I strongly believe that between a good CBT course, therapy and maybe the help of some temporary medication, you can and will get better. Please try and keep strong, just as strong as you can be. And remember that we are all here for you. One more thing, if you get put on a certain medication- just remember that there is no written law saying that you must continue it forever. If at first you dont succeed, try, try again. Hope this helps. Take care. [/font] :)

Hi guys. I am not sure this is a setback but i just wanted to talk about this. I am seeing my Dr tomorrow. Seeing her about going on more meds. As of now i take Clonazepam (Rivotril) PRN, that is as needed. I went back on clonazepam less then two weeks ago. The thing is i get through most of my day without it. I really do take it in the evening when i need a break and to sleep. I am gonna go see my Dr to see if an anti-depressant might help and help give me more equilibrium in my brain to lessen the panic andthe anxiety. I discussed this at freat lengths with my therapist who is just wonderful. He is really keeping an eye one me so that i get good advice about my medication. Thing is i am afraid i will get sucked into the whole meds thing and taking meds for magic pills and such. I am not even sure exactly why this scares me. I know that i know what i know :P which is that it is through courage, hard work and determination, through restructuring my thought and through my behavoiurs, by working the program that i will get well. So i know that taking the pills wont suddenly make me stop doing this. I know the meds will just help my body get its balance back till my heart and mind follow. And i know i can always work my way off the meds later when i am well. So why am i worried? I know i will keep working hard at this! Plus , i know my therapist is keeping an eye on my about this. And even he thinks that it is good for me to take the meds while i need them so that him and me can work through the program and get me the tools i need to be well. And as my husband says, if i was taking insuline everyday for diabetes i wouldnt beat myself over the head over it now would i? So why would i beat myself over the head for taking meds that help me take the steps I need to get better? I really started taking the meds so that i could have enough of a break here and there and sleep well enough here and there to recuperate my strength so i could keep being courageous and challenging my thought and myself and such. And that is why i am going to see my doctor tomorrow. So she can give me what will help me keep doing that! I guess i am just a bit sad that it has come to this again. I am sad that i had a setback in december and that i need help once more to get my equilibri