Discussions

What medication has worked for you? I have tried several but feel they haven't worked for me.

Contact Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba (ADAM) in Winnipeg. They might be able to help with some recommendations for some medication. Maybe even talk to a pharmacist.

If medication alone is not effective, consider adding therapy. It is free through the RHA. Through PMH's Mental Health Services, your counsellor can connect you with a psychiatrist (keeping your primary care provider in the loop as well). You can ask your primary care provider for a referral or you can self refer to Mental Health Services.

Medication can take the edge off to help you function better. Bit it can’t solve the problem. For that you need to seek out the right counsellor to help you change how you think about yourself and how you relate to the world around you.  
 
I agree with curlysister’s post. PMH mental health department can get you the support you need.  
 
It takes time and patience to heal whatever is holding you back. You need both medication and counselling to do the job.

People ate always looking for something to fix their problems. In fact a lot of the work needs to come from the person themselves. Cognitive behaviour therapy or CBT, along with self awareness and taking responsibility for how you judge yourself and the world around you is something most people do not address. Yet it is key to resolving depression and anxiety

If your doctor is open to use of cannabis for depression and anxiety then you might be able to try it. I started using it for better sleep and pain management and was surprised that it relieved my anxiety as well. I've fared quite well through the isolation of covid and I think the cannabis helped with that too. Talk to a professional before you try it because dosage and balance of THC to CBD is important.

I've been on Sertraline for about a year and some now. It took a good half a year to figure out what dose worked for me and start really levelling out my depression and with that my anxiety has disappeared for the most part.  
 
I also do therapy when I feel like I'm having a really hard time keeping myself out of me depression hole.

There is absolutely no evidence to support use of cannabis for depression and anxiety

hi! it took me a couple different types to find the one that worked best for me. I ended up going on a one that had worked well for my sibling and it ended up working well for me as well.  
 
Originally I was taking citalopram for a while and noticed it wasn't helping me at all, then switching to Effexor has made the world of a difference.  
 
Good luck!

Cannibis will make depression and anxiety worse… especially if you’re doing it while on antidepressant medication. Make sure to discuss this all with your doctor.

Science research evidence is sketchy at best. But it is being promoted as a cure all for every thing. People are even using it for their pets.  
My nephew had serious anxiety. Against my advice he tried cannabis. After 2 yrs struggling while taking cannabis he finally quit and found a good counsellor. He is doing great now.

https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-for-anxiety#what-research-says  
 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/  
 
There are lots of studies that show cannabis to be helpful with certain medical conditions. Anyone who is interested and has use of the internet can find lots of valid information. Before you use it you should talk to your doctor though. The wrong dosage [too much] can cause your condition to get worse. I'm not trying to push cannabis here but just wanted to try to help someone out. It works for me and other members of my family.

I should clarify as my last post was done in a rush  
While there maybe many research articles out there now on cannabis that doesn’t mean it is solid research.  
One two or a dozen studies saying good things does not mean anything. There could be 100 studies in favour of cannabis and a 1000 studies against cannabis use. The reporting system is flawed to cherry pick studies to support what ever view is being pushed to the public. To support what can be used to make the big bucks.  
 
True research is peer reviewed and looks at what both positive and negative sides are saying over years and years of research to form a conclusion for or against. It is too easy for cherry picking.  
 
When I call something a fad I am saying too many sources are only pushing the positive because they want to fall on the side supporting public views. Most to make $$$  
 
This is why some medical recommendations fall flat 5 or 10 years after the big push for support of. Over time the research against cannabis use will catch up and meta-analysis’ studies will say ‘Oops sorry we were wrong’ or it may say ‘ yes we were right’  
 
It is a buyer beware if you jump on the bandwagon early on in a big push for something. You should always ask experts. (Not the salesperson) or seek out credible research based sites.

Celexa worked for me. Been on it since 2002

I’m also on sertraline for around a year or so now and every few months I up my dosage as per doctors orders. While it seems to help a bit, it definitely isn’t a miracle drug for me. I’ve found that cannabis helps a bit too, but I use it more for recreational purposes than pain or mental health

Antidepressants are not all the same. There are different families of antidepressants that act slightly different in the body. Talk with your doctor if one or two antidepressants aren’t working for you. Ask if they are from the same family. If so then ask to try an antidepressant from another family of antidepressants  
 
My story on this! My Doctor had me on A group of antidepressants that were not working. I tried all from the same family and the last one nearly knocked me to my knees. I was referred to a Psychiatrist who switched me to Fluoxetine a different grouping of antidepressants. It was like switching from night to day. I was on the maximum dose for years. Then with help from an amazing counsellor I have changed my perspective on me and the world around me. I am now on the lowest dose of Fluoxetine and looking to stop the medication altogether soon.  
 
Another tidbit! My psychiatrist also told me if I had a family member also suffering from depression and anxiety to tell them to ask for the same antidepressant family I was on. He said there is evidence to support genetics affect which antidepressant works best

Society view anxiety as a bad thing. She said this is false. Anxiety is a normal evolutionary function of our brain that kept us safe back in the caveman days. Anxiety tells us something is wrong like a saber tooth tiger hiding in the bushes. We sense it through anxiety and act by fighting or running away. This act of fighting or running away allows the body to burn off the hormones/energy associated with the initial anxiety and we go back to a normal calmer state.  
The problem with our current society is we get anxious and hold it inside. We have lost the last part of being able to work off those hormones so they build up in the body causing all sorts of undesirable effects.  
So what can we do? There are lifestyle strategies that we can use to mimic that last part such as:  
Exercise - burns off those hormones. Go for a brisk walk or run, go to the gym, just move. It all helps  
Boundaries - setting boundaries with people or situations that cause us anxiety give us control over our life. It’s ok to say ‘No’. Some people may not like your boundaries but that’s ok. They will get over it. If not then maybe you need to distance yourself from that person.  
Self-compassion. We are all human which means we are all perfectly imperfect lol. Instead of getting angry with your mistake, see it as a chance to learn and then move on.  
 
I have also read many great books about these strategies. Feel free to PM me if you want suggestions for books to read.

Don’t be afraid to tell a counsellor that its not working. In fact a good counsellor will be happy to help you find the right counsellor.  
You may find the perfect counsellor on first try or you may need to see several before you find someone you connect with. Be persistent. Don’t give up. It really is worth the wait to get the right one.

While I do believe each person's needs for treatment will be unique to them, I find and have found for years that exercise is an absolute solution for my needs/response to negative emotions, etc. However, not all will find this a "solution" for their needs, so it may come a test for yourself in finding what might help your needs.  
Doctor visit + discussion, therapy consultation + work, meds alone, meds + therapy, exercise, etc. There are many "roads" you might take. One by one, likely case is only you will be able to solve this.  
Very best of wishes to you for helpful outcomes! Admitting there is a need to find an answer is the first and IMO most important start on your journey.