Hi Dr, I have a friend, uni student, 22 years old have been diagnosed by the GP as acute nervous breakdown and been given nexito 10, sertima 50 and another tablet(1/2) for a week already. She has been taken to seek religious(Buddhist) spiritual help too. Maybe she has been exorcised as Buddhist chanting seems able to calm her down. The question is should she carry on with the medication and if yes for how long? What are the side effects and whether any blood test can determined the side effect?
HiS he should consult a psychiatrist and a psychologist counselor to find out cause of anxiety.whether endogenous without environmental causes or some social or external stressful causes. As of now, for deep anxiety, breaking the spell is must for which the above prescribed meds are okay...once knowing cause, she could be tapered on meds and helped more by counseling. Meditation or religious practices if helping allay anxieties, It's good to follow.after all it's proven by physiologists the benefits of meditative practices on thinking, brain functions, cognition and behavior patterns.