My neuro psychologist is recommending I start taking effexor to help with my anxiety/panic attacks and possible depression. I have been trying to increase time spent out of my house and have been very unsuccessful due to my brain "shutting down" from being overloaded. She said this is an anxiety response and the emotional center of my brain is stronger than the thinking part and is overwhelming it.

I'm probably not explaining this well! Anyhow, she says I need to calm the emotional response in order to allow the thinking part to heal and get stronger so that it will not be overwhelmed anymore. If I keep letting the emotional center react then it will get stronger and stronger (from being used) and the thinking part will keep shutting down and not get better.

I don't like medication. I don't want to take it but I feel she's right and I have no choice here. She says that once the brain heals I might be able to stop taking the medication again. Has anyone here recovered and been able to go off their medication? Any opinions about effexor? I'm going to do some searches but thought I'd put the question out to you guys.

She also recommends I get a very small prescription (10 pills) for Ativan for times when I know I will be overloading my brain and this way I can shut off the emotional center so it does not get stronger and I can get through whatever it is I have to do. I know benzos are not recommended but this sounds like a great way to get through something we have to do and absolutely can't avoid that will be too much for us.

I have very low tolerance to medications. When I was experimenting with drugs to try to cure my fibromyalgia I had a lot of bad reactions to anti-depressants and this is scaring me but I don't feel I have any choice to get better.

Any thoughts appreciated! I hope you are all having a good day.

CC