Coming off my medication early
QMy GP prescribed citalopram for me a few months ago as I had started having panic attacks. I think it was all triggered by stress at work and I have now changed job and feel well. I asked about stopping my medication and she said I should stay on it for a minimum of six months. Is this necessary? Citalopram is one of a family of drugs called SSRIS. It is used for anxiety and depression and there is good evidence that stopping before six months has a significant risk of relapse. Most mental health issues are worse in the winter months too, so I would agree with your GP and suggest you think about weaning down in the spring.
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1 DOWNLOAD THE MINDSHIFT APP. This is one of the best mental-health apps (free on IOS and android) which teaches teens how to deal with intense emotions. 2 LISTEN. When dealing with anxious teens, this is the most important skill to learn. Ask openended questions like ‘How are you feeling?’ or ‘Is there anything that I can do to make you feel more comfortable?’ Then just listen. 3 EDUCATE YOURSELF. Contact Youngminds (youngminds.org.uk) to learn about the links between triggers and anxious thoughts, as well as how to reframe anxietybased thinking.
QI am 38 years old and engaged to a man who’s a lovely, kind person, but not affectionate at all. Our sex life is good, but he’s not the hugging type, and I have to push him to tell me he loves me. I come from a very emotional family where we always say what we think, and hug and kiss everyone. He’s pretty horrified by this kind of demonstrative behaviour and often says he finds my family over the top and unbearable – but to me they’re normal. How do I get him to be more loving towards me? Jess, 38, by email
It’s not that your fiancé isn’t showing you affection, it’s that he’s not showing you affection the way you want him to. As you say, you come from a family where strong emotions are encouraged, and this can feel hugely uncomfortable to someone whose experience is different. Try not to see this as a right or wrong issue, but as something you both need to work on together so you can create a mutual sense of what it means to be openly loving. Have an honest conversation and see if you can find a happy medium where you both feel comfortable.
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