Confused About Progress

[JBR2890]

Hey,

After suffering for years without a diagnosis, without meds or any support...I feel like I'm getting better all the time.

The thing is, I don't know if it's the medication or the fact that I've stopped drinking. I'm terrified that if I start to drink again I'll revert back to the unstable version of myself. Same goes for my anxiety, I don't get the feelings of impending doom or the severe chest pains...yet if I go back to my old ways will it all come back.

My doctor was talking of reducing my dosage from 200mg sertraline a day to 100mg. My current dose is fine and I feel if I reduce it I won't feel as happy as I do at the moment.

I guess it's just that I never want to go back to the state I was in before..

[lonelyheartemma]

That's great you feel you are getting better

I can understand that you want to know whats making you better, often when you feel better its a combination of things being right. So for you it could be not drinking and taking the medication and maybe some other good things as well, stuff that doesn't really have anything directly to do with you at all like the snow going, the temprature not being as cold, less arguements, feeling especialy close to a friend, just about anything can play a part.

Unfortunately its hard to know whats helping and what isn't, often the only way to be sure is by taking something away and seeing if you still feel ok. If your doctor does reduce your dose it might give you some more idea of whats helping you but it is likely to be a mixture of both. The tablets probably rebalance all the chemicals to make you feel better and not drinking stops the alcohol from dragging your mood back down again.