lillo9546: Is there a possibility of returning to the state of that "person" we knew before starting antidepressant therapy, or, by quitting the therapy, we might just be worse off than before?

[lillo9546]

1 minute ago, Erimus said:

You are in the wonderful position where you still have the opportunity to live a life free from psychiatric drugs. I recommend you find other ways to deal with the feelings you experience, and delve into the reasons for why you might feel like this.

Thanks for showing you much understanding.
I do appreciate.

What possibly could i do without medication, that I've still didn't yet?

I've tried to put myself into the exposure therapy, it worked, it works, but there are those things which are "bigger than my body"...

[Erimus]

28 minutes ago, lillo9546 said:

But now, I'm nearly 30, and I still have a good life, but there are BIG limitations to it:

- The panic attacks that trigger me are keeping me out of many activities.
- I can't drive too far away from home, so I can't meet friends, go to events, etc.
- I can't take a bus, train or a plane.

So long as you still allow your mind to dictate where you can and can't go these feelings will maintain control over your existence. By not doing these things you are reinforcing the pathways in your brain that associate danger and panic with these circumstances.

 

It's easier said than done, but you must break the pattern.

 

All anxiety and depression has a root cause. There are a number of different things that can cause it: trauma, insomnia, alcohol abuse, recreational drug use, pyshciatric drug use, food sensitivities causing gut inflammation, vitamin & mineral deficiencies, poor diet, seasonal afffected disorder, high stress, brain injury, chronic illness.

 

If none of the above apply then it is likely you are trapped in the negative feedback loop I explained above.

[lillo9546]

10 hours ago, Erimus said:

So long as you still allow your mind to dictate where you can and can't go these feelings will maintain control over your existence. By not doing these things you are reinforcing the pathways in your brain that associate danger and panic with these circumstances.

 

It's easier said than done, but you must break the pattern.

 

All anxiety and depression has a root cause. There are a number of different things that can cause it: trauma, insomnia, alcohol abuse, recreational drug use, pyshciatric drug use, food sensitivities causing gut inflammation, vitamin & mineral deficiencies, poor diet, seasonal afffected disorder, high stress, brain injury, chronic illness.

 

If none of the above apply then it is likely you are trapped in the negative feedback loop I explained above.

 

"It's easier said than done"

For sure.
I still can't count how many times I've just tried and failed, tried and failed again.
But the thing is, I've enlarged my safe comfort zone, and become more and more loose about it.
Before, I was eating at home, I can now eat at friends' houses, or restaurants.
Before, I was going only by bicycle, I can now drive my car, but there still are places I can't go, or I won't go, because of long distances and, most importantly, traffic.
For this reason, I'm buying a motorcycle, so I can delete the "traffic" obstacle and go long distances.

Those are just examples. I am on the right track, but I feel like I am still not doing anything good just because I see my friends taking airplanes and trains without an issue.

I need to be reliable on myself.
I need to trust myself when I'm alone.

Again, "It's easier said than done".