I feel high on ssri's/snri's and addicted to them?!

I had the same problem. I think it is a form of akathisia. All the antidepressants that affect serotonin are going to do this to you, and it turns out that antidepressants are placebo treatment anyhow (google irving kirsch and read up on his research. Other researchers are getting the same results). Good for you for realizing the meds are doing this - I got labeled borderline for YEARS or else they would say it was the bipolar acting up. I've been off all pills for about 10 months, and after 3 months off pills, the internal grinding that made me want to claw my face off or cut my chest open with a knife is GONE. What a relief. i am still depressed as hell, but now I am not compelled to kill myself, which I was before.

anyway, my mental health worker likes the Lucinda Bassett program, and says the clients of hers who worked the program are all doing MUCH better with their anxiety and are off benzos altogether, or maybe take a benzo once a month, whereas they used to take them every day. These are people who are so disabled that they have a social worker, so they may be worse off than you, and they could do it, so you can to. The program is like $500, but I have read that you can often get it for 1/2 off on Ebay, but be sure that the seller is including the workbooks, because you need them.

there are also self help books about anxiety and depression at the library. I have found that exercise, social support, light boxes, and distracting myself when I feel really terrible and am brooding help more than anything. But I am still disabled by my depression, so I don't have all the answers, that's for sure. But all the meds - antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics - only made me worse or didn't help, but got all the horrible side effects. I get counseling also.

It's not enough, but I am really convinced that the current state of psychiatry is a lie and is only making patients worse. Go to madinamerica.com for more info on this topic.It surely squares with how it has been for my brother and me. These false treatments just kill people's hope even more, that's what I think. I'm tired of being a professional mental patient. My husband and mental health workers are very happy I am off the pills. I was surely going to die by suicide - just another victim of psych drugs and the agitation they cause (akathisia? I don't know. I didn't pace around, just had internal angst like you describe).

PS the other answerer recommended benzos. they are very addictive. You are better off drinking booze to deal with your problem than taking benzos. they cause depression, memory problems, and in my case, caused severe aggression and an inability to control my behavior. So I smashed many things, hit my husband a few times, threw things, etc. and got into arguments with strangers. That's part of where the borderline diagnosis came from. All those shitty behaviors are GONE now that i am off the meds. It was the exact same way for my brother.

I've had bipolar for 30 years

i take effexor sometime i feel fuzzy and hyper like i had a bunch of pills or something, and when i dont take em i get sick and throw up and stuff, but if you dont like them go back to your dr and say that , there is so many choices