5 months and all is well!

Hey guys! I am at 5 months Paxil free and doing pretty well. It is good to read posts from others who are also adding months to their tally of zero Paxil, many of whom were weaning at the same time I was! Great job and your posts help me stay confident. I sleep great, have no panic or anxiety attacks, and only feel irritated at times when I wish I wouldn't be (although it is probably times when most people in society get irritated, I am just trying to not allow people to get to me and trying to give them the benefit of the doubt instead of judging them negatively - I was more that way on Paxil and that is one thing I do miss about the drug). The bad news is I haven't really lost any weight to speak of, maybe a couple of pounds.

I know that it is true and you must anticipate that the tendencies you had before Paxil, whether anxiety, OCD, depression, or whatever, will come back when you stop Paxil and you must be prepared to deal with them in a different way or your trip off of Paxil will probably be pretty short. For me, it is a tendency to fret and be anxious about things as well as an underlying anger at people who don't live as "I" expect them to. I'm not sure of the root cause of that, but maybe some more personal inward looking may reveal it. Anyway, keep moving forward, don't let the down days become a downward cycle, allow yourself to "fail", and stay focused on the long term process instead of the day to day tally sheet. Many of you are my heros and you probably don't even know it! Thanks for your posts!

[JulieG]

Robert, I love reading your posts. They are always so honest and they show just how hard you've worked to get where you are at. You are definitely an inspiration and one of MY heroes!

Robert, hey, hey, hey! You're lookin' good! Yes, I agree... you get off this stuff, and life is not absolutely WONDERFUL, but it does steadily improve in many, many ways. It's a slow process, even *after* getting off Paxil. These are not easy times, even for the best of us--there are many reasons to be depressed and anxious in today's world. But as you said, you have to be less judgmental and roll with things a bit. Oh, ya, the weight thing is a real b*tch, isn't it? I still have the carb cravings, although not as ravenous. I was exercising and eating better for some time but recently sort of fell off the wagon. I guess maybe I lost 10 lbs, although lately I may have inched my way back up again. Bummer. Well, Robert--keep on keeping on. What else can we do, huh?