Medication: Worth or not? - my opinion and looking for others!

Ok so since I can remember I deal with massive anxiety. In 2015 I was diagnosed with IBS and a panick disorder.

Now until I was diagnosed I was in total darkness. But with this diagnosis I was introduced to medication by a wonderfull brazilian doctor. So I took it. My medication is called Rivotril, not sure if is just in Portugal , but anyways here you go.

(My opinion is made from my own experience and only experience in [Edited by @Anggi for mentioning medication name]. I believe it may apply to other anxiety medications but still:)

Now I learned a very important lesson taking it since 2015 to nowdays.

Anxiety medication does NOT actually help your anxiety. Allow me to explain.

The medication itself fixes the physical aspect. So let's say you have a panick attack you take one and the pill takes away the nausea, the hyperventilating, the chest pains, etc.

However it does not calm your mind.

So I would feel my body calm, in fact super sleepy, but my mind would be at the speed of light.

With this I realised I had to deal with my actual anxiety and not rely on medication.

And why I am writing this? Because so many people have asked me if its worth it or not starting to take medication for anxiety.

My answer is: if you feel like you really can't control it and you're panicking, take it. I take it when I'm in those situations and is not something to be ashamed of. But if you feel like you can control it with coping mechanisms like breathing exercises, chanting mantras, calming music apps, etc, please PLEASE do it.

Anxiety medication has terrible side effects such as feeling super sleepy, not being able to focous, very bad and toxic thoughts (in my case incluiding suicidal ones) and also addiction in some cases.

Anyways after this huge text I want to hear other people's experiences though. I always wondered how other people react to their own medication, what medication they take, if truly helps them or not, etc. Since this is just my particular experience.

I thought would be a good healthy discussion in the anxiety community