Nurses who are on anxiety/depression meds?

Nurses Disabilities

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Hello All,

I am just wondering do any of you have anxiety, depression or a mental illness and you have to take meds for it? I am currently trying to pursue a career in Nursing and I feel as if my anxiety gets the best of me on some days. What do you guys do to cope? i have been on and off antidepressants since I was 16. Nothing above 25mg because I refuse to go higher. I hate being on medicine period and I worry that my anxiety will affect my career. Thoughts?

Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback! Yes it has been a struggle some days. I am on 20mg of paxil and I feel as if it is not working like it use to. I am starting to avoid people and that is when I know my anxiety is kicking in lol. Right now I have a doctor that I do not fully trust so I am seeking out elsewhere.

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.
Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback! Yes it has been a struggle some days. I am on 20mg of paxil and I feel as if it is not working like it use to. I am starting to avoid people and that is when I know my anxiety is kicking in lol. Right now I have a doctor that I do not fully trust so I am seeking out elsewhere.

It is good you are seeking a solution.

Don't fixate on numbers.

If we didn't let people with anxiety, depression, or other common conditions become nurses, there would be a lot fewer nurses.

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I am on 50mg of sertraline (have been for 3 years now) and starting nursing school in January. I take my meds as directed and have accepted that I will probably be on them for many more years to come. It keeps my mood stabilized and helps me to not cry uncontrollably (especially at that time of the month when the ASPCA commercial comes on tv haha).

Seriously though, my MD signed my physical attesting that I am perfectly capable of fulfilling my duties as a student nurse without restrictions. Trust your doctor and consider a medication adjustment if that's what's necessary. Good luck and keep being awesome!

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Thanks for the input Conrad. Yes it is a struggle and the rediculous crying spells are coming back( I am thinking it is from stress) I noticed I cry when my anxiety starts to bother me. I also know what you mean by crying when the aspca commercials come on lol. It can be the smallest thing. Sad part is I just got terminated from my health insurance, so I am now on the process of seeing what type of insurance I can get that does not cost me an arm and a leg literally lol. I never realized how much of a daily struggle this is for other people, I wish you luck and everyone else luck with whatever the future throws at you!

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I thought my anxiety was related to school and that it would go away once I graduated but it has only gotten worse as I have continued my nursing career. I probably would have picked another profession had I known how ill equipped I was to handle the type of stress this job entails. I currently only take a PRN Xanax because I can go months without issues, so daily med makes no sense to me. I have panic attacks out of no where and no trigger that I can figure out. I will have a few weeks in a row when it will be frequent and then I will be back to normal for a while. Still confuses me.

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Hi everyone,

I'm not a nurse yet, I'm in the process of applying to direct-entry MSN programs at the moment. But I just wanted to chime in and add a +1 to being on psychiatric meds. I have GAD and MDD (starting to suspect I might be bipolar, but that's a whole 'nother topic...), and I'm on several meds for those.

I think it's very important to be unashamed and perhaps even vocal about medication / treatment for mental health. So many people in our society today don't get the help they need because of the stigma and false assumptions about psychiatric drugs. It's so tragic.

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

Your are not alone, friend!

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I'm a nursing student and currently take Effexor two times a day and I take Trazadone to help me sleep. Being a single mom of teenage twins (their father is deceased), scout leader, band parent secretary and a child who has his own mental health issues have taken its toll. I'm not ashamed of needing the meds to be able to handle everything because without it I'd probably end up hospitalized myself.

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I admire your strength. Keep it up, thanks for the input!

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

I take buspirone for anxiety and see a therapist on a semi-regular basis. There is no shame in caring for one's on mental health. My issues started well before I ever considered nursing school, but have not interfered with my ability to be successful while in school. I've needed to be proactive about my own mental health and prioritizing self-care, but honestly I think ALL students (not just those with mental illness) should recognize the need to care for themselves while going through school.

As a student look into what options you may have through you student health center for support (my school health center offers FREE unlimited therapy to all students, along with meditation classes, and self-care activities).

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
Thanks for the input Conrad. Yes it is a struggle and the rediculous crying spells are coming back( I am thinking it is from stress) I noticed I cry when my anxiety starts to bother me. I also know what you mean by crying when the aspca commercials come on lol. It can be the smallest thing. Sad part is I just got terminated from my health insurance, so I am now on the process of seeing what type of insurance I can get that does not cost me an arm and a leg literally lol. I never realized how much of a daily struggle this is for other people, I wish you luck and everyone else luck with whatever the future throws at you!

So sorry you are going through this - I have suffered from major depression, anxiety disorder, and PTSD most of my adolescent and adult life. The PTSD was largely undiagnosed until the last 6 years or so which is unfortunate as it figures as the root cause of the other two. I think it is important to look for the root cause of anxiety and depression in order to heal from it. Still that is difficult when you are underinsured or not insured at all. I have found that reaching out to mental health practitioners directly helped me to find resources that allowed me to make payments or receive care on a sliding scale during those times when I was economically disadvantaged. I do caution you about talking to much about these things at work though. While better than 90% of the nurses I know are incredibly supportive there are always those few that prey on the perceived weakness of others. Find a doctor you trust and follow his/her recommendations. Davey Do makes some great suggestions with regard to exercise and relaxation. I myself find working in my garden to be very therapeutic. As winter approaches I will spend more time indoors which is problematic but I put UV lights in the areas of the house I frequent. You might also consider joining a support group such as Mental Health Anonymous or Celebrate Recovery. Understand that this too can pass. After nearly 30 years of suffering I am currently in the best mental health in my life. I am enjoying life but taking nothing for granted.

There is no shame in taking medication - many nurses do - so don't let that stop you from getting the help you need.

Hppy

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Its good you are seeking a new doctor. Do you exercise? Is there a massage school near you that you could go for a cheap massage? Sometimes the acupuncture schools and reiki schools are looking for people for students to practice on. Maybe you can find out what the source of the anxiety is and get some cognitive behavioral therapy to help you.

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