Anti-anxiety Meds Commercial

[beadgirl]

I think that a good majority of us would be awesome spokespeople for anit-anxiety medications, right? We should be paid for promoting such great drugs! haha! Just a thought[img]smileys/smilies_02.gif[/img]

[crimgoddess]

LOL- I'm sure as hell not.


The fact that there are even commercials and ads for anti-anxiety drugs to me just shows how damned corrupt the system is. To me drugs aren't something to be marketed- or pimped out (which is my term of choice). Between advertisements that try to tell everyone that meds is the way to go to solve any problem (that bouncing ball thing for Zoloft is one of the creepiest things I have ever seen)- and doctors and clinics making deals with different pharmaceutical companies to push their drugs, I'm almost ready to avoid Western medicine altogether.


*amber*

[1987porsche944]

Same here. I avoid drugs as much as humanly possible (sometimesI cave and take Tylenol for PMS or headaches). Have you noticed how many commercials will spell out the side effects of the drugs and the side effects seem to be worse than the actual illness/disease/discomfort that they are trying to prevent?


I still have issues with anxiety, but I have made progress with the help of Buddhism, Martial Arts, Yoga, Meditation, and Meditative Breathing. When I am able to overcome a panic attack on my own, I feel so great! I won't knock the pills and medications, I am just too afraid to try them, so going my own "natural" route is best for me.


I am still new to the site, so have a lot of reading to do on here, I am sure there are more discussions on this in the "Treatments" section, so I apologize if I have re-hashed something previously discussed in another thread. [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[jilli]

I feel both ways, about meds. I know that drugs are way to commercialised and advertised, and that really, in like 5 years theres probly going to be recalls on a lot of the drugs we're all on today. cause that's happened to a lot of the older ssris and such, BUT , on the other hand , its kinda like, " whatever gets you through the day." If it makes you a more functional person, and I feel that paxill does for me, then its not all bad. and I have tried some natural relaxations and stuff like visualisation and breathing technique. they just were'nt enough for me.


So, yeah, maybe this could be part of an ad [img]smileys/smilies_18.gif[/img].





Jilli [img]uploads/images/jilli/C9Z_Copy_of_100_0345.jpg[/img]

[Babydoll]

LOL- I'm sure as hell not.


The fact that there are even commercials and ads for anti-anxiety drugs to me just shows how damned corrupt the system is. To me drugs aren't something to be marketed- or pimped out (which is my term of choice). Between advertisements that try to tell everyone that meds is the way to go to solve any problem (that bouncing ball thing for Zoloft is one of the creepiest things I have ever seen)- and doctors and clinics making deals with different pharmaceutical companies to push their drugs, I'm almost ready to avoid Western medicine altogether.


*amber*

ITA!!! we seem to have the same ideas about alot of things!

[mjewell]

I feel both ways, about meds. I know that drugs are way to commercialised and advertised, and that really, in like 5 years theres probly going to be recalls on a lot of the drugs we're all on today. cause that's happened to a lot of the older ssris and such, BUT , on the other hand , its kinda like, " whatever gets you through the day." If it makes you a more functional person, and I feel that paxill does for me, then its not all bad. and I have tried some natural relaxations and stuff like visualisation and breathing technique. they just were'nt enough for me.


So, yeah, maybe this could be part of an ad [img]smileys/smilies_18.gif[/img].





Jilli [img]uploads/images/jilli/C9Z_Copy_of_100_0345.jpg[/img]

I agree 100%. What's unfortunate is that the meds that can really help some people get a bad reputation because of some people who abuse it, including doctors writing prescriptions left and right.


I would never, ever presume to know enough about someone else's problems to tell them they should or should not take meds. That is a totaly personal decision. No one else can ever know what someone else might be going through. I hate it when people say "oh,anxiety/depression medsare rat poision, they do this and that, they are terrible, they should be BANNED!" It makes me so mad.

[beadgirl]

Don't get me wrong... Everytime I am prescribed a med from the doc... I am hesitant to take it b/c of what 1987porsche944 said... Sometimes the side effects are worse than the actual illness. But we need to remember that they need to list every side effect that everyone in that test group had. I guess I feel like I have an iron stomach. Listen.. I don't like drugs.... I have tried to live without them. It just doesn't work for me. I think to myself... "would I rather be on Rx Meds to control my anxiety or would I rather smoke (and rick lung cancer/chemo) or drink (and risk being an alcholic).... I'll take the drugs. I have tried the yoga, the breathing, the counting to ten and all I seem to do is pull my hair out and dig my nails into my skull.

[aguerra29]

I understand what some of you are saying about the pharmaceutical companies. They are greedy and money-hungry. BUT, so many of the medicines that are continuing to be developed have changed so many lives for the better. I suppose some of you are in the same boat as Tom Cruise and that is your perogative. I would be if it were not for anti-anxiety meds. I do not have the luxury to take yoga 8 times a week and meditate and blah, blah, blah. I have a job where I work 50 hours a week and a beautiful home to take care of. I'm not saying that "natural" is bad, it's just not for everybody. BTW, without Allegra - I could not leave my house. I live in the allergy capital of the universe - Allegra was sent by God.I suppose you think all the research going on at MD Anderson Cancer Center is all about pimping too?

Medicines like anti-derpressants should not be abused, but coupled with therapy can really improve someone's life. If you chose not to pop pills that is your business, but don't shove your opinions down my throat and imply that anyone who takes medicine is stupid.

[samara's on tv]

I've been on medication for most of my life and frankly I don't know what I would do without it. The only complaints I have are this:


When I first started taking meds, they had me on a different one every few months to see if they were working or not. Some of the meds they put me on made me SO SICK. I was on one (I don't remember the name) and I was so sick all the time I couldn't even get out of bed. My parents wanted me to stay on that med because they said that it was working but in truth the only reason why they thought it was working was because I was too sick to be depressed or cause trouble.


I also hate the meds I'm on because of the sexual side effects. I'm 21 and I should want to be out there trying sex, having sex, doing sexual things but the medication really ruins my sex drive. Therefore I don't feel like I need to be in a relationship (Which I DO because not being in a relationship drives me crazy)


Anyway, there is nothing bad about taking medications. I swear by them. I also swear by my therapy...without it I don't know what I would do!


~Monica

[hippychick]

I personally have nothing against anti anxiety meds at all, however I DO take issue with the companies that sell them and their policy of sticking their head in the sand about side effects. For example GlaxoSmithKline have known for a long time that seroxat has an increased risk of making people suicidal and yet just said "Hey those people were depressed thats why they did it" You know what? In all my years of anxiety i never self harmed or was suicidal til I was on seroxat, It took 2 days of diazapam to calm me down and I've never been suicidal since and I'm not the only one. It's the attitudes that I have real issues with. And then to start marketing it to kids? It's dispicable. I'm glad that lately GSK have been forced to look into their product and admit it's risks because it's so dangerous to NOT admit the risks because people don't know what to look out for. I know that Seroxat is fabulous for a lot of people, but it has effects that cant be ignored and GSK ignored them. THAT is what annoys me, not the pills themselves.


and aguerra29 no one is shoving their opinion down your throat or implying you are stupid for taking tablets, I know people who probably would have done serious injury to themselves without anti anxiety/anti depressants. Everyone is talking about their personal choices ok? What works for them personally so just chill.


I don't mind if people take tablets or not, after my experiences I think they are not for me but don't look down on anyone who does take them, to each their own and whatever works for you. I do have issues with certain drug companies and the way they have done business, it's like if...meditation carried a risk of your head exploding and no one warned you ya know? LOL You need to have all the information of risks so that if you do take an SSRI that isn't right for you, you can get off it as soon as possible and onto one that works.Edited by: hippychick

[liriodendron]

Finally Amber and I agree on something!

[img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]

Except I love that little bouncey ball character.

[madisonsmom]

I dont have anything again anti anxiety meds either. I dont think its a good thing to market them on television though. People who have panic disorders really need those meds, especially anxiolitics like Xanax and Ativan.

[1987porsche944]

Hey, don't get me wrong, if I wasn't frigtened to death of taking medications, I would be trying them as well. I think my emetophobia keeps me from takingmedications - I got an Imitrex shot once and was up v*ing for most of the night after that - and then the doc told me (when I called him) that some people have that reaction, but wasn't my headache gone?! I swore off that stuff after the first time. But I know that you get a wide cross-section of reactions to medications, it just seems to me that they all carry the risk of v*ing as a side effect.


As for the yoga and meditating, I just wanted to share what's been working for me. I actually can't afford the time (and $) either, as I basically live in two different places all the time (NJ and NYC) - I rent yoga/pilates/tai chi DVD's for free from the library and workout at home. I learn buddhism principles online and at the library as well, and taught myself breathing techniques (can be looked up online too!). So if you wanted to try an alternative therapy, it should be more accessible than trekking to an expensive class a few days a week! [img]smileys/smilies_02.gif[/img]This works for some people, and not for others, the same way medications work for some and not for others (namely me [img]smileys/smilies_05.gif[/img]). I figure the healthiest I can keep my mind and body, the more resistance I will have to illness.


P.S. There are many, many times that I just wish I could pop a pill and have it alleviate my anxiety! So I'm not knocking anyone that does that! Lucky! [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[tayda]

I think that everyone who has posted on this has brought up great points


I don't lik emeds, and neighter does DF, however, when all else fails... sometimes they are worth a try.


I avoided drugs FOREVER.. I hardly drink, I don't smoke, I'm active, blah blah blah...but then my anxiety got so bad, that I thought I was going to die on a daily basis, and wound up in the hospital.


I'm continueing therapy, and they started me on prozac, and it took a little while to begin to work, but it's gotten a lot better. I was able to sleep on my back last night for the first time in months and feel like I could breathe... prozac has literally saved my sanity.


Obviously I don't want to be on it forever, but for right now it keeps me sane, and the people around me


I agree about the pharmaceudical companies.. and how they are money hungry, etc... I feel bad for people in the US w/o health insurance b/c heathcare is SOOO ungodly expensive... and meds too... even with insurance sometimes.