I am suffering from depression and anxiety since last 1 year and currently undergoing medication having contents like propanol, etizolam, clonazepam and placida tablets. I want to get rid of this tablets as I am using these since last year. Any suggestion please.

Dr. Saul PereiraPsychologist49yrs exp

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If you know of what cause is then meet with a counselor to work on that contributing factor. In relation to your question, if you combined counseling with the medication you can expect the best outcomes for your anxiety disorder and depression. However, you must be episode-free for at least three years before the doctor will decide on weaning you off of the medication but in a gradual and effective manner. Counseling will help in training you will skills and techniques to cope with the daily challenges in life and will give you a fair chance to manage your life when the reduction in medicines is initiated by the doctor. You must also develop your constitution to make it fit enough to cope with fear, felt many times unnecessarily. This involves physical fitness through exercise, good rest (sleep), and a proper diet. Mental stability can be achieved by learning a few skills in handling emotions in an appropriate manner. Stress management skills, which have a lot to do with expressing emotions, will need to be a major part of your recovery program. Please persevere and cooperate through all the support you need and you will come through successfully. A good vigorous exercise program for 30 minutes every day makes the body produce natural antidepressants, but do check with your physician before venturing to attempt this. Talk therapy helps a lot to relieve the depression, but you could also have a good and reliable confidante to do the same. This is the only condition were you are required to literally do the opposite of what you feel like doing. Depression makes you want to withdraw, lie down, sleep, become lethargic, slow down, make you too lazy to even think etc. So when I suggested doing the opposite, you will need to fight this disease. You must become active; stay upright during the daylight time; meet people; never sleep during the day, and wake up by 6 am every day, play some active games, especially contact games, do physical exercises, talk to people and join some social clubs, eat more of proteins and vegetables, attend yoga classes etc. Watch a lot of sitcoms on tv or comedies and cheer yourself up. Go for excursions in groups, for outings, camps, conferences, and religious conventions. Get a pet dog and spend time training it, exercising it and relating to it. Expose yourself to some sunlight every day, at least 30 minutes but not in the scorching heat. I hope you can find someone to love and be loved too, if you are not already married. Whatever happens please incorporate these three important adaptations in your life: always be responsible, be respectful, and be functional. If you did these three things lots of things will go well in life. Please pray and have faith in god to alleviate your sufferings. If you are still not relieved from the depression, then go first to a counselor and later to a psychiatrist, if the counselor advises you.  

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Ms. Naumita RishiPsychologist25yrs exp

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First start the Psychotherapy and as you improve in therapy, tapper off the medicines under supervision.  

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