4 monthsago was severely stressd.Became depressed&deeply exhausted.had a anxietyattack & psychotic behaviour. Then childlike behaviour I then remebered sexual abuse I had repressed.I am on 10mg Cipralex.if I go off I feel the symtoms return. Help

Hi Mygirlb,
I am not clear what your question is, so perhaps you could be more specific. It sounds like the Cipralex is helping, but I am wondering if you are also seeing a therapist to deel with underlying issues. Medications help with symptoms, but they do not address the underlying issues, or help you develop coping skills. If you are not seeing a therapist, I recommend that you do that if it is an option for you. A therapist who is experienced in treating victims might be especially helpful at this time.

I am glad you are seeing a psychiatrist - hopefully on a regular basis that includes psychotherapy. I'm not sure why you stopped taking the Cipralex - did you do that under the supervision of your psychiatrist?

It is not uncommon for symptoms to return when medication is discontinued, especially if the underlying issues are not addressed and coping skills developed.

You ask if you are suffering from a mental illness... Depression is considered a mental illness, as is psychosis. Many victims of sexual abuse struggle with mental health issues including but not limited to depression, anxiety, PTSD, and borderline personality disorder.

I don't know if your depression and psychosis are because of the history of sexual abuse, or due to other reasons - usually the cause of any particular disorder is complex and not necessarily the result of one thing.

Acknowledging the abuse is really just the first step of what is often a long journey for most people. Now the real work begins of processing what happened to you, finding a way to accept it, forgive it (not easy, but important), and moving on as survivor rather than a victim (very crucial).

My recommendation for you, especially in light of the fact that you have experienced psychotic symptoms, would be to continue working with your psychiatrist with regards to medication (which hopefully you will be able to discontinue at some point in the future) and working with a psychologist or psychotherapist who specializes in treating survivors of sexual abuse (if your psychiatrist does not have that specialty).

I also recommend you read the book "The Courage to Heal" by Laura Davis - it is written for survivors of sexual abuse and may be helpful to you.

Hi Dr Lane
I find the advice very useful.I still see my doctor but must be honest not very often. The reason I stopped going regulary was because he recommeded me undergoing hypnotherapy which I was not very comfortable with. He said this would be the quickest way to deal with issues I am facing.I'm just not that comfortable with hypnosis and felt as though he was forcing this on me.I stopped taking the medication not on his recommendation but because I thought that I was better- I was eating healthily, exercising, getting enough rest.Doing as much as I could to improve my health, spending time in prayer. Based on your advice I think what would be best for me though would be to find a therapist I am comfortable with and begin to work through my issues. I must admit that the abuse is not the only issue but have had many struggles in life including growing up in an alcholic home, my older sister also was also abused and suffered with bi-polar from age 18. She is now 39 and this has been a major strain on our family, you should know what people are like who suffer from bi-polar. I was working at a high pressure job. So I think everything just became too much for me and my mind just couldn't deal with it all.I think what happened as well has given me the ability to re-evaluate my life and choose a better path as I realise I really felt so trapped by it all.Hope you will agree with this. Thank you very much again and thank you for offering this excellent service to those who are struggling.

You are very welcome. It sounds like you have some valuable insight and a good plan. I hope you are able to find a therapist soon with whom you feel comfortable so you can begin working on these issues. I wish you all the best!