Anxiety meds and meditation

[LucidMind]

Hi guys, I haven't posted here in a while because life has been crazy.

My mom passed away a few months ago, and I just moved to a completely different state for graduate school (a PhD program). I live alone and don't know many people here. Previously, my anxiety was under control through mindfulness and 40 minutes of meditation a day.

However, since I traveled up here my anxiety got so terrible that my therapist put me on ativan (lorazapam). I stopped meditating for about a week because my therapist and I both felt that I needed to distract myself (the anxiety was pulling me to quit school). Anyways, my program has started and I am feeling a lot more comfortable. This morning I did my fist meditation in a long time (10 min) and it felt good! However, I am still taking the anti-Anxiety medication, and I will be on it for a while. Do you guys think I will still get the benefits of meditation even while having Lorazapam in my system. Any of you guys have experience with psychotropic medications while practicing mindfulness? Thanks in advance for your support everyone, I love this forum

[Vixine]

So sorry to hear about the loss of your mom. Definitely, keep going with the meditation if it feels okay. The meds will help you with the anxiety so that you can meditate without all of that distraction. If anything, they will help you get back on track with meditating. In turn, hopefully getting back into regular meditation will help you feel more like yourself again, and ultimately you may find that you don't need the medication as much anymore. I've never meditated on ativan (it has been a long time since I've taken those) but I have been on antidepressants before and I don't think it impacted my meditation much if any.

[FeeHutch]

Hi and welcome back.
I am so sorry for your loss.
I don't have experience of the meds you mention but you have the support of your therapist and it sounds like meditating today felt like the 'right' thing for you to do. Please keep posting and letting us know how you are doing.
Fee

[LucidMind]

Thanks so much for the warm replies you guys. Yeah...it's been a really rough summer. I'm not going to get back into 40 min meditation sessions for a while...too intense for me right now. I really do feel like at this point in my life the anxiety meds will benefit my meditation. My feelings have been almost unbearable, and at least not I can mellow out a bit and focus on the moment. I'll probably aim for 10 minutes a day for now, and just see how things progress.

My grandmother who I am really close with is dying also from cancer (my mom's mom), she is on hospice in another state. It's a tragedy that she had to see her daughter die. I know this is wayyyyy TMI, but I feel like venting to you guys. I am in a new state with no friends, and times can be quite lonely.

My program is extremely hard, like the hardest work I have ever done on my life. I feel so unbalanced and emotional lately. I literally feel like my life has been ripped up beneath my feet. As some of you may know, before all this terribleness happened I had been meditating strongly everyday for 40 minutes (for at least 3 months). Even though I am on an anxiety med I really believe those months have been instrumental in helping me get through these times. When my mind starts going to dark places I find it much easier to pull it back to the "now". Also, I have class about 8 hours straight on some days, and my attention is definitely more honed then it used to be.

[JonW]

Sorry to hear things are so tough for you right now.
Have you thought about starting a mindfulness meet-up group in your area? You can set one up very cheaply with meetup.com
Good way to meet like-minded souls and keep your meditation practice fresh.
Wishing you all good things,
Jon

[FeeHutch]

You are dealing with so much but trying your best to look after yourself too and that is no small achievement at all.
Jon's suggestion could be a really good idea too. Even if you don't feel up to starting one yourself right now there might already be one in your area. It could be a great and gentle way to meet people. And you always have your community here of course

[LucidMind]

Jon and Fee...that's actually a great idea. I'll have to check that out. I'll let you know if it works!

[JonW]

"Meditation is the space that allows everything to be."
Joan Tollifson, Awake In The Heartland