anti social disorder

[gutsandblood]

I am 39. and for 30 years in groups of more than 3 or a woman I am attracted to I am almost silent. was anyway. I have been taking lexapro 20mg a day for 7 weeks. I went from 10% shyest in country top 10% outgoing and talkative. to the point I am a total jerk sometimes. my friends walked out on me the other day at Fridays, because me, being too silly with waitress and tables surrounding us. everybody thought I was very funny but my friends. Talked to my doctor(general practitioner) Monday. told him I was to outgoing (but I personally love it). But he said "give it time, cause I have been in shell for 30 years" he also said "I could lower does to 10mg" but at my body weight 20mg is normal(230) 24% body fat.

3 questions

1 should I lower dose
2 when will sex drive comeback(meaning I dont think about sex unless I see a sexy woman) I know i am not 17 anymore. but before lexapro women would pop in my head with out having to see them on tv, or in person.
3 Will I ever be able to Ejaculate while on this. Embarrassed to say, but I have been a-sexual for 4 months

I will take any comment serious or funny, Thanks in advance.

 

[aquaholic]

1. Adjusting your dosaging isnt' up you. It does take a few MONTHS for them to show there real side. Please keep that in mind. Also, just because your friend is telling you waht worked for him ... doesn't mean it applies to you. Everyone reacts differently. I wouldn't play with dosaging - go speak with your doctor.

2. Your sex drive may NOT improve on that drug. See #1. It will take time for it to adjust int your system, and it's far too early to determine whether your dosaging is appropriate.

3. see #2.

ps. Are you not receiving therapy along with your new prescription?



Also, I highly suggest doing a search in this community on this. There is TONS of information and threads on it ... It might save you some time than waiting for people to post repeated comments on this thread.

 

[gutsandblood]

reply

Aquaholic, thanks for info. the sex drive part is not cool. whats the point in being out going with wemen, if I can,t enjoy everthing about them.

no. I am not on therapy due to money. but i start a good paying contract on monday. so I will give that a thought to that in a couple months.

Thanks for the info.

everone else don't worry to much about posting response until I have read the lexapro threads, unless you just want to.

 

[Nytol]

I suffer from a similar anxiety at times, and was not aware of posts about it on the forum, I shall now search and read, so thanks for bringing it, and maybe the drug to my attention,

 

[gutsandblood]

nytol

If you want you can pm me sometime and discuss my results to yours. good luck with it either way!

 

[OuchThatHurts]

DON'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT TALKING TO YOUR DOCTOR!!!

It's nice that you can be open about this but YOUR DOCTOR is the one that should know about these things. He or she will know exactly what you're talking about because everything you said is very common and should be weighed carefully by you and your doctor.

If you've been suppressing or holding back the desire to speak up in public for many years and now, you are discovering your ability to be social without any discomfort, well, it's not very hard to understand that you may tend to go overboard. Before you didn't say anything or speak up because you were anxious or afraid or whatever. I guess you have to learn when speak up and when to keep your mouth shut now! Just like the rest of us

Remember that although you have the ABILITY to say something doesn't mean you have to or ought to. Some things are better left unsaid.

Instead of the anxiety controlling your behavior, now you have to learn to control it yourself. It's great to be outgoing and most people love outgoing people but few people like a loud, obnoxious prick. I think you'll get the hang of it soon enough.

And your friends are probably just familiar with you as a quiet, reserved guy and now they are seeing something a little different from you and don't know how to react. Give them time and give yourself time. Is it so surprising that you may have chosen friends who choose to stay low key? Fact is, they may be very similar to you and have some degree of social anxiety as well. As I said in the beginning though, talk to your doctor before you do anything.

 

[VanR__]

I am 39. and for 30 years in groups of more than 3 or a woman I am attracted to I am almost silent. was anyway. I have been taking lexapro 20mg a day for 7 weeks. I went from 10% shyest in

That's awesome that the lexapro helped with that.

 

[JustWannaBeHuge]

DON'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT TALKING TO YOUR DOCTOR!!!

It's nice that you can be open about this but YOUR DOCTOR is the one that should know about these things. He or she will know exactly what you're talking about because everything you said is very common and should be weighed carefully by you and your doctor.

If you've been suppressing or holding back the desire to speak up in public for many years and now, you are discovering your ability to be social without any discomfort, well, it's not very hard to understand that you may tend to go overboard. Before you didn't say anything or speak up because you were anxious or afraid or whatever. I guess you have to learn when speak up and when to keep your mouth shut now! Just like the rest of us

Remember that although you have the ABILITY to say something doesn't mean you have to or ought to. Some things are better left unsaid.

Instead of the anxiety controlling your behavior, now you have to learn to control it yourself. It's great to be outgoing and most people love outgoing people but few people like a loud, obnoxious prick. I think you'll get the hang of it soon enough.

And your friends are probably just familiar with you as a quiet, reserved guy and now they are seeing something a little different from you and don't know how to react. Give them time and give yourself time. Is it so surprising that you may have chosen friends who choose to stay low key? Fact is, they may be very similar to you and have some degree of social anxiety as well. As I said in the beginning though, talk to your doctor before you do anything.

OTH, is it common for lexapro to change someone's behavior this dramatically without any type of therapy?

It seems from his post that his personality did a complete 180...

Just curious if this is "normal" for people on it. How would you compare this to buspar?

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I'm glad you started this thread. I've always been cripplingly shy and because of it I don't have many friends or go to many social events (I even missed the Emerald Cup a couple of years ago because I was uncomfortable going by myself and not knowing anyone). I have a lot of the same symptoms as you in regards to being in groups of 3 or more or being in the presence of someone I'm attracted to. I just thought this was something I had to deal with. I'm going to ask my doctor about that next time I go in.

 

[marooned]

Thats got to feel freeing and great to be more open and outgoing. Now, give it time to work out. Don't make any adjustments to dosage for a minimum of 3 months and don't make any adjustments without talking to your Doc. The major change that you feel has happened shows you that the medication works and major changes can happen. It also shows that messing around with it can quickly and majorly mess you up for several months or more. So stick it out and keep your life situtation as stable as possible while you find out if this med and does works for you the way you want it too. If it doesn't stay steady with your doctor and find what does.
Good luck and take care.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

OTH, is it common for lexapro to change someone's behavior this dramatically without any type of therapy?

It seems from his post that his personality did a complete 180...

Just curious if this is "normal" for people on it. How would you compare this to buspar?

There is little or no comparison between the two drugs.

 

[overman]

Buspar/Lexapro

Hello OTH,
Are you sure there are no similar indications with Buspar and Lexapro? GAD? The mechanisms of action are similar (serotonin) and both are indicated to treat the ruminations (negative evaluation, apprehensive expectation, etc) and corresponding autonomic symptoms associated with anxiety (not a complete list). The experience of anxiety, both social and generalized, is quite similar regarding symptomology. The DSM-IV-TR criteria can obviously distinguish the two but the basic, most fundamental properties of anxiety are the same. However, real world experiences, I leave to you

This sudden change in 'personality'/'behavior' isn't surprising at all. Arguably, people with debilitating anxiety lay dormant or rather, are restrained by their own thoughts, beliefs, etc.

Some anxious thoughts, beliefs, etc. are beneficial. However, others are not. Understandably, once you open that door and release the anxiety, people are likely to change and exhibit totally new behaviors/personalities. People are literally liberated from themselves (worries, etc). Quite remarkable really.

Your thoughts, OTH....

 

[OuchThatHurts]

Hello OTH,
Are you sure there are no similar indications with Buspar and Lexapro? GAD? The mechanisms of action are similar (serotonin) and both are indicated to treat the ruminations (negative evaluation, apprehensive expectation, etc) and corresponding autonomic symptoms associated with anxiety (not a complete list). The experience of anxiety, both social and generalized, is quite similar regarding symptomology. The DSM-IV-TR criteria can obviously distinguish the two but the basic, most fundamental properties of anxiety are the same. However, real world experiences, I leave to you

This sudden change in 'personality'/'behavior' isn't surprising at all. Arguably, people with debilitating anxiety lay dormant or rather, are restrained by their own thoughts, beliefs, etc.

Some anxious thoughts, beliefs, etc. are beneficial. However, others are not. Understandably, once you open that door and release the anxiety, people are likely to change and exhibit totally new behaviors/personalities. People are literally liberated from themselves (worries, etc). Quite remarkable really.

Your thoughts, OTH....

Yes but when asked for a comparison between the two drugs, it's difficult to make. Although both drugs have a few common indications, the classes, structure, and mechanisms of action are quite different with the exception that both mechanisms are, at least to some minor degree, serotonin-related. Obviously, this is more the case with citalopram or escitalopram than buspirone but I doubt you need me to tell you that.

My thoughts on the rest is like I said - like you said - you take someone who has no legs and suddenly give him the ability to walk and the next thing you know, he's running 10k's. Nothing makes you feel better than to watch an individual's quality of life improve right in front of your eyes.

 

[aquaholic]

Well, I can only speak for myself ... BUT, after being put on Effexor XR due to crippling anxiety, my behavior did not change much. While my anxiety was 'blanketed', the ultimate root of my behavior was still there.

For the first 3-4 months, i honestly thought i was cured of any 'badness' ... I was feeling a lot better, and things that once kept me indoors were no longer issues! ... but after my honeymoon period on the drug, I realized that I had been delusional to think that.
The only side effect from Effexor, that I couldn't stand, was my 'sexual dysfunction' which was corrected, by being prescribed Wellbutrin. It counteracts something-or-other, and it works. And I'm back to be 'functional' again.

I had ignored my doctor's recommendation of starting with cognitive therapy immediately after starting on the medication.
But then realized how crucial it really is.
I still go once a week, even though at times, I feel like I'm repeating myself, and often have ongoing (and again, continual repeating) issues based on the same thing.



I guess my main point is, it's really difficult to make a clear diagnosis on medication, and whether you're feeling better or not - especially if you're not partnering it with therapy.
I still have weeks where I just don't feel right .. and I'm far more emotional that I really need to be ... while others are just fine. I guess I just have to keep everything in perspective. I'm still trying to figure out why I have the feelings I do, and the main source of my anxiety and depression. I'm still recognizing triggers that I didn't even know I had. It isn't something that can be 'cured' by a pill ... or even a few months of therapy.
It will probably be a life process, for the majority of us.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

Well, I can only speak for myself ... BUT, after being put on Effexor XR due to crippling anxiety, my behavior did not change much. While my anxiety was 'blanketed', the ultimate root of my behavior was still there.

For the first 3-4 months, i honestly thought i was cured of any 'badness' ... I was feeling a lot better, and things that once kept me indoors were no longer issues! ... but after my honeymoon period on the drug, I realized that I had been delusional to think that.
The only side effect from Effexor, that I couldn't stand, was my 'sexual dysfunction' which was corrected, by being prescribed Wellbutrin. It counteracts something-or-other, and it works. And I'm back to be 'functional' again.

I had ignored my doctor's recommendation of starting with cognitive therapy immediately after starting on the medication.
But then realized how crucial it really is.
I still go once a week, even though at times, I feel like I'm repeating myself, and often have ongoing (and again, continual repeating) issues based on the same thing.



I guess my main point is, it's really difficult to make a clear diagnosis on medication, and whether you're feeling better or not - especially if you're not partnering it with therapy.
I still have weeks where I just don't feel right .. and I'm far more emotional that I really need to be ... while others are just fine. I guess I just have to keep everything in perspective. I'm still trying to figure out why I have the feelings I do, and the main source of my anxiety and depression. I'm still recognizing triggers that I didn't even know I had. It isn't something that can be 'cured' by a pill ... or even a few months of therapy.
It will probably be a life process, for the majority of us.

What I see in this post is a person who is fully functional and living life today with much less discomfort than she did a year or two ago. Good for her!!!

You don't need a degree to see that your therapy (in your case, a combination of therapies) has proven itself to be effective and we have no reason to believe that your general state of mental health will not continue to improve even further over time. Sure you will have bad weeks, bad months, maybe tough years but it sure appears, at least anecdotally, that your prognosis is extremely positive.

Way to go Aqua!

 

[aquaholic]

What I see in this post is a person who is fully functional and living life today with much less discomfort than she did a year or two ago. Good for her!!!

You don't need a degree to see that your therapy (in your case, a combination of therapies) has proven itself to be effective and we have no reason to believe that your general state of mental health will not continue to improve even further over time. Sure you will have bad weeks, bad months, maybe tough years but it sure appears, at least anecdotally, that your prognosis is extremely positive.

Way to go Aqua!

... I sometimes feel like I take a step back, before taking two steps forward - but I think that's the nature of the beast.

But, at least I'm not in denial anymore. That was probably the biggest step. Realizing that I don't have to live the way I was.


Now I really just fake 'normal'
hehehehe!!!

 

[OuchThatHurts]

Now I really just fake 'normal'
hehehehe!!!

HA!! Shit! Baby, I've been doing that for years!

 

[aquaholic]

HA!! Shit! Baby, I've been doing that for years!

..I believe it makes us far more interesting !!!

 

[nosmas]

Well, I can only speak for myself ... BUT, after being put on Effexor XR due to crippling anxiety, my behavior did not change much. While my anxiety was 'blanketed', the ultimate root of my behavior was still there.

For the first 3-4 months, i honestly thought i was cured of any 'badness' ... I was feeling a lot better, and things that once kept me indoors were no longer issues! ... but after my honeymoon period on the drug, I realized that I had been delusional to think that.
The only side effect from Effexor, that I couldn't stand, was my 'sexual dysfunction' which was corrected, by being prescribed Wellbutrin. It counteracts something-or-other, and it works. And I'm back to be 'functional' again.

I had ignored my doctor's recommendation of starting with cognitive therapy immediately after starting on the medication.
But then realized how crucial it really is.
I still go once a week, even though at times, I feel like I'm repeating myself, and often have ongoing (and again, continual repeating) issues based on the same thing.



I guess my main point is, it's really difficult to make a clear diagnosis on medication, and whether you're feeling better or not - especially if you're not partnering it with therapy.
I still have weeks where I just don't feel right .. and I'm far more emotional that I really need to be ... while others are just fine. I guess I just have to keep everything in perspective. I'm still trying to figure out why I have the feelings I do, and the main source of my anxiety and depression. I'm still recognizing triggers that I didn't even know I had. It isn't something that can be 'cured' by a pill ... or even a few months of therapy.
It will probably be a life process, for the majority of us.

NO SHIT? I was put on Effexor a year ago at 75mgs daily. I also felt the effects more about being able to do basic things like get out the door, but overal have been disapointed. It sucks because If I go ONE DAY without it, I go through withdraws worse than heroin...and I know. I went two weeks ago to the same doctor I have had since childhood to get off of it and he said three more months MABY. In fact he put me on BUSPAR at 20mgs a day and Xanax to use at MY DISCRETION! Im already loosing my ass on that one. He is a good man and I am honest with him. At my last visit, He leaned forward and took my hand. He looked at me straight in the eyes and said "I can pinpoint the time..around when you where 15 years old, when something in you changed. You do NOT LIKE YOURSELF and without that........nothing else matters. Still cant afford the therapy thing but I did do it for about three months last year. Anyway, I am just seeing a lot of meds I use for what I can only say is BEYOND anxiety. Crippling is a good word to use. With all these meds, I can go outside my door, but it leaves me uncomfortable. I am not, and sometimes wonder if I will ever be ME AGAIN.

 

[nosmas]

Well, I can only speak for myself ... BUT, after being put on Effexor XR due to crippling anxiety, my behavior did not change much. While my anxiety was 'blanketed', the ultimate root of my behavior was still there.

NO SHIT? I was put on Effexor a year ago at 75mgs daily. I also felt the effects more about being able to do basic things like get out the door, but overall have been disappointed. It sucks because if I go ONE DAY without it, I go through withdraws worse than heroin...and I know. I went two weeks ago to the same doctor I have had since childhood to get off of it and he said three more months MABY. In fact he put me on BUSPAR at 20mgs a day and Xanax to use at MY DISCRETION! I’m already loosing my ass on that one (he knows me enough to only give me one refill, but thats all gone after a week). He is a good man and I am honest with him. At my last visit, He leaned forward and took my hand. He looked at me straight in the eyes and said "I can pinpoint the time..Around when you where 15 years old, when something in you changed. You do NOT LIKE YOURSELF and without that........nothing else matters. Still cant afford the therapy thing but I did do it for about three months last year. Anyway, I am just seeing a lot of meds I use for what I can only say is BEYOND anxiety. Crippling is a good word to use. With all these meds, I can go outside my door, but it leaves me uncomfortable. I am not, and sometimes wonder if I will ever be ME AGAIN. Its why I feel these urges to self medicate you can’t understand (well some of you really can so I take that back). I get calls every day from druggies and junkies. My phone is turned off all day and night, but it is not going to be the solution. Tonight, not ten min. ago, some came right to the door looking for me. I cannot lie. I WANT A SHOT. I want it so very very bad. I am staying clean......but these urges will get me if I don’t do something VERY VERY FAST. If I use again, I loose everything I love, but being told I don’t love myself makes me know I’m in deeper trouble than I first thought. I constantly think about it. I never work out as though I have lost my passion for it and I fear I will never love the pump again. I fear that as much as anything. I can’t sleep at night because I think about getting high or sleep all day in depression. I believe myself to be in about the worst place possible. Yet, other things go well. My post about my promotion above for example. But all the while, I’m trying to hide the fact I am just another junkie. I get my first paycheck tomorrow. I will give it all to my wife, but all week all I could think about was using the money to get my fix.
Sorry for this. It has no place here. These are things I don’t speak about ever......even to the wife (she has had enough) and I just took advantage. I didn’t want to make this thread about me. Sorry for that my friends.

It isn't something that can be 'cured' by a pill ... or even a few months of therapy.
It will probably be a life process, for the majority of us.

GOOD WORDS AQUA.