Anti-depressants and nursing school

[SoulShine75]

First of all, let me say I don't mean to be a whiner....but ever since I started nursing school I've changed a lot. I've become more anxious, impatient, extremely stressed and kind of depressed. Some times I feel like I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown. One night after a looong day of school I was talking to my husband and started to laugh about something funny and the laugh turned into a crying fit, for no reason, then back to a laughing fit. I was seriously.... "cracking up." I couldn't stop crying for atleast a half an hour. He didn't know what to think. I have a high strung/ nervous personality anyway and I've always been able to handle normal stressors, but this is too much and I am now able to admit it. I can't do this alone anymore. I have 4 kids (3 in school, 1 in day care), and a great husband, yet I'm still feeling pushed to the brink. I am not asking for any medical advice, but I will say that I visited the nurse practioner and explained these feelings to her and she told me that without this stress I couldn't get through nursing school so I didn't get a prescription. :uhoh21: I'm going to see someone else this week, but does anyone else feel this way?

I think I push all the stress aside, because in nursing school...who has the time to devote to your own needs? But then when I do have a minute to breathe and recoupe it all comes out and I am unable to hold it in anymore and it drains me so much. I do deep breathing excercises, I meditate, during breaks all I do is sleep, relax and stay as far away from any stress as possible, but now that school is 1 week away (3rd semester)I feel it coming on again. Sigh.

Please tell me I'm not the only one under this much stress. How do you cope? Are you taking anything and does it help or take away your motivation? I need to know I'm not alone.

Thanks

[PralineLPN]

A couple people in my class were on Xanax before the end of the year. Really, not suprising, considering the financial, social and mental strains being imposed. However, xanax only works for a few weeks or PRN. Maybe something like BuSpar? or Prozac, both are somewhat mentally stimulating, as well as modulating the anxiety centers.

[JentheRN05, RN]

Been on anti-depressants for 13 years now. BUT I still was a heavy practitioner of relaxation techniques (for some deep seeded anxiety) that got me up to my junior year. THEN an instructor told me I needed xanax. LOL. It was then I realized how bad I was. I was having full blown panic attacks during clinicals.

Depression is a horrible thing. I have tried to wean myself countless times, but I end up a basketcase if I even cut back (60mg Cymbalta/day). So I have learned to live with it.

[BoonersmomRN]

I am pretty high strung by nature and before I started nursing school I took xanax for anxiety BUT it had been YEARS since I needed it.

1/2 way through 1rst semester and I was an anxiety-laden wreck. My emotions were all over the place, I was freaking out about every living thing. I honestly don't know how my family put up with me.

I went back to my Dr. and he put me on Zoloft 100 mg qd b/c I was worried about the tranquilizing effects of the xanax with being at clinical. It's been the difference between me being a wreck and me being functional...literally.

I still have days when I wonder if I need to up it ( stress) but in the end run 100 mg has been keeping me steady. I really hate being medicated but you know...it's what I have to do. If I had continued the way I was I probably would have gone over the deep end

[wildmountainchild]

I love, love, love, lexapro! Seriously, I will never stop taking it.

I wasn't really depressed although I would have brief depressive episodes before I went on SSRI's. My main issue was a short fuse, anixiety that would present as obbsessive worrying, emotional labilty (my moods were always up and down, up and down), and just a generally higher level of stress.

After being on the lexapro for 6wks I felt as if the real me was being revealed for the first time. I'm mellow w/o being at all dopey, I don't get pissed off anymore (unless I'm super tired or PMSing), I just don't sweat the small stuff anymore, and while I still get stressed it isn't anything like it was before. I'm no longer an emotional yo-yo. I'd say I'm happy 95% of the time. Of course that will likely drop to 85-90% w/ clinicals starting but, still, it's not a bad place to be.

I've been on it for about two years. Lexapro has made my life better. Period.

I've gained ten pounds, but part of that was hip surgery and turning 30. The SSRI decreased my libido which is too bad. Wellbutrin doesn't have that side effect but I can't tolerate it. Be aware that you may have to try a few different antidepressants to find the one that works for you.

I don't feel as if I can't experience "real" emotions, as I've heard people who don't take anti-depressants say is a concern. If anything, as said above, I feel I'm more "me" than ever before.

Good luck!

Oh, and send your NP the link to this thread. As a health care provider and prescriber she needs to know the positive benefits these drugs can give.