my experience with escitalopram (generic lexapro!)

ive been having panic attacks on and off throughout my teen years, (the first one i remember was when i was 14.) for a long time i tried to ignore it or avoid situations that would cause me anxiety.

i thought i must be faking because having anxiety is deemed “trendy” and “quirky.” i worried i just wanted to fit in and was making up symptoms.

when i started having panic attacks over going to my friends house, i knew it was time to make a change.

i told my sister how i felt, i talked to my mom, and made an appointment with my GP.

i was so worried that he was gonna tell me it was all in my head and i was faking it. but when i told him what was going on he basically told me i had SEVERE anxiety and would benefit from medication.

i started taking the generic lexapro (escitalopram) the very next day. my GP told me it would take a few weeks to start working, but i felt the benefits as soon as three days later.

i did have some side effects at first, (little to no appetite, dry mouth, diarrhea, nausea) but they were very mild and went away within a month.

little by little i started feeling more like myself than i had in months/years. i felt so light, so happy.

i was able to talk with people! go to my friends house! make new friends! have fun in social settings!

my GP started me off in a very low dose so i could adjust to the side effects, and after a few months, i needed to have my dosage adjusted.

i had started to feel depressed. heavy. and that was discouraging. but, i made an appointment and talked to my GP, and he gave me a higher dosage.

now, im one year into this ✨mental health journey✨ if you will.

im doing good, im feeling pretty steady. generally i feel equal to the situation, but there are times that my anxiety overwhelms me.

i also notice that my anxiety increases the week before my period (tmi?).

im learning how to manage my anxiety, and i’m so grateful to have this medication as an aid.

i probably will get my dosage adjusted again in the coming months due to the consistent anxiety spikes i face - but i wanted to share this so if anyone’s struggling with their medication/their dosage you know it’s okay to have to play around with it.

sometimes you just have to make adjustments until it’s juuuust right 🥰

TAGS: #lexapro #lexaprogirly #mentalhealthcreator #mentalhealth2023 #mentalhealth #anxietyawareness #anxietyhealingjourney