He also told me, which I found very interesting... that the human body, once it reaches abnormally high levels of stress... cannot 'deregulate' itself. Meaning, the stress kicks in to protect you and help you through whatever it is you are facing... but once the 'thing' is over... your body can't 're-regulate' very well. Way back before we had all these lovely meds... that crash and burn cycle would cause all kinds of mental health and physcial health issues. Left unchecked, it can get quite damaging.
I think this is what happened to me during my marriage. My H's many health crises took their toll on both of us... he didn't survive... and I barely did. I'm just now realizing the damage.
Corri, if you are taking an SSRI, when the time comes to get off of it, research the process thoroughly. Google on med name and "withdrawal." I was on paxil for about six months and it took me months and months to be free of the withdrawal effects, of which one of the major ones was anxiety attacks. Paxil is particularly hard to get off of, but all the SSRI's have this in common. You have to taper very very slowly... some people even get the liquid so they can taper in a measured way. It's not just a question of going to half a dose for a week, then off. It's more like reducing the dose by 1/4 for several weeks, then again by 1/4 for several weeks, and eventually every other day for a few more weeks. No kidding. Some people even shave tiny pieces off the pills and do this for weeks. Anyway, the meds are great, but need lots of respect, iykwim.
