Anxiety help

[Bananabadger]

Hiya, the Holland and Barrett Jacobs one is good

Feeling very anxious about it all this morning, wishing you all a peaceful Christmas Day. Spare me a good thought, I need it!

 

[Suzesnooze]

Hi all, hope I’m ok to join in. Recently been prescribed sertraline for anxiety and pnd. I’ve been having loads of problems feeding the baby and she isn’t gaining weight very well. I worry sick that I’m a bad mum and failing her as we gave up breast feeding due to the issues. I also have such a horrible anxiety about her breathing and atopppng breathing in her sleep I lie awake for so long and I’m exhausted. In the evenings im looking at the tv but not watching it, im in a constant fog. I’ve always been a “natural born worrier” but never seeked help for it. Previously I’ve been obsessed with my heart, people don’t like me etc
Now I’m a mum I am actually reaching out for help but when we have bad days with the baby it just sets me back so much and I can’t control my emotions. I just want to feel better so I can be a good mum.

You’re a good Mum. Having a baby is hard work as there’s a lot of sleep deprivation that makes the anxiety worse but you’ve sought help and that’s a good thing.

I was the same with my first baby, when she was asleep I used to think she looked like she wasn’t breathing and so I’d wake her up to reassure myself .

Don’t stress about the feeding. I breastfed and was told by a horrible health visitor that baby wasn’t gaining enough weight and that I needed to cook myself a full English breakfast another health visitor told me to ignore her.
If breastfeeding is not working for you then switch to bottle feeding.

Try to relax and just do your own thing. Don’t worry too much about what other mothers do and hopefully the medication will help but bear in mind it can take 6 weeks to kick in.

 

[Crazycatlady18]

Oh sweetheart that sounds really hard. Can I ask how long you've been on sertraline? I know that it does take up to a few weeks for the anxiety edge to disappear so it could be that it's not quite working yet? I'm not a mum so probably can't help much on that front.
Type in meditation for mothers on YouTube and give yourself 20 mins out of your day to listen and relax <3

Hi, it’s been just over two weeks now so yes you’re right the full effects won’t have started yet. Thank you I’ll have a look x

You’re a good Mum. Having a baby is hard work as there’s a lot of sleep deprivation that makes the anxiety worse but you’ve sought help and that’s a good thing.

I was the same with my first baby, when she was asleep I used to think she looked like she wasn’t breathing and so I’d wake her up to reassure myself .

Don’t stress about the feeding. I breastfed and was told by a horrible health visitor that baby wasn’t gaining enough weight and that I needed to cook myself a full English breakfast another health visitor told me to ignore her.
If breastfeeding is not working for you then switch to bottle feeding.

Try to relax and just do your own thing. Don’t worry too much about what other mothers do and hopefully the medication will help but bear in mind it can take 6 weeks to kick in.

Health visitors put so much pressure on you don’t they. She’s gaining all be it slowly. It’s absolutely destroyed my mental health though.
Edit to add I also give her a gentle poke to check she’s still alive. To be fair I think all mums at some point are guilty of that one the anxiety they give you about SIDS is unreal

 

[Saddlesoap]

I started Sertraline in May 2018 and, honestly, it was the best thing I ever did. I kick myself now for resisting it for so long.
I am a different person, for the better. I'm only on a low dose, so I still 'feel stuff' but I don't cycle up and up like I use to. My husband and colleagues saw a huge difference in me.
I tried beta blockers first and they did help a little, but didn't have a lasting effect.

Word of warning though, starting them was a rough ride. I was not expecting it to be as bad as it was. Stupidly I was on a mini break and it did ruin it a little.

I avoided medication for years. Gave in to meds after my dad died & it was the best thing I did. I take sertraline, took me 3 attempts to stick with them, I felt AWFUL for the first couple of months & the insomnia was something else but I'm so glad I stuck with it!

I didn't get insomnia and my initial side effects only lasted 7-10 days. Felt so sick from 5am-12pm though, ok by the afternoon.

 

[HandTmum]

Just wanted to park myself here as I’ve struggled with anxiety for years, trying to learn to live with it and manage it well instead of letting it take over everything.

I take 50mg of Sertraline and also tried CBT which was a great help. Have good days and bad days like anyone but just want to send you all big hugs and support.

 

[Cupcakeapple]

Hello! I have suffered with anxiety, ocd and depression starting in my teens (I’m 31 now) and after doing various forms of therapy throughout my 20s and still feeling terrible, I went on 20mg of Citalopram and they were life changing! I definitely had that ‘feeling worse before feeling better’ period for a week or so which is fairly common and some side effects like brain zaps and waking up at random hours of the night but it’s definitely worth sticking it out. I was on 20mg for about a year and a half and very slowly weened myself off with the help of a dr over about 6 months. Still feeling great now I’m off the medication but would 100% go back on if I needed to and would recommend!

Ok thank you!do you mind me asking in what way did you find that they helped ?

 

[Bananabadger]

@ChampagneBox, I don’t take medication apart from an occasional diazepam which is, frankly, a complete wonder drug. I was given loads for flying, and if I take one it’s a huge help. But my GP practice won’t prescribe them for use for anxiety (unless it’s eg fear of flying).

@georgiecait — yeah, I agree, unfortunately Christmas (which I otherwise love!) contains a lot of my triggers! I just feel sick. I also had the booster recently and it’s wiped me out, and given me nausea which reinforces the anxiety feedback loop.

 

[georgiecait]

@ChampagneBox, I don’t take medication apart from an occasional diazepam which is, frankly, a complete wonder drug. I was given loads for flying, and if I take one it’s a huge help. But my GP practice won’t prescribe them for use for anxiety (unless it’s eg fear of flying).

@georgiecait — yeah, I agree, unfortunately Christmas (which I otherwise love!) contains a lot of my triggers! I just feel sick. I also had the booster recently and it’s wiped me out, and given me nausea which reinforces the anxiety feedback loop.

You're the same as me, I love Christmas but it's quite difficult to get involved when I'm not feeling 100% Try the mints and get as much rest as you possibly can. I had my booster on Friday and had a few weird anxiety related elements pop up too, I hope it passes soon.

If you need anything just post, I know Tattle can be seen as a nasty gossip thread but I love it and it's helped me in the past with things like this and there's always someone to chat to

 

[Moolo]

Another anxiety sufferer here - for a long time ive avoided anti depressants (I really have no idea why) but reading this makes me think I need to revisit that.

I have therapy for mine and it really helps - sometimes my brain gets quite jumbled with all the things im worrying about so just having someone to talk it through with helps so much.

My main anxieties are health, and social anxiety - it's exhausting and I dont think anyone can understand just how debhabilitating (I cant spell that lol) it all is. I get a lot of physical symptoms with mine which only makes the health anxiety worse as well.

The social anxiety is a lot to do with how I look - if ive put weight on or dont feel good about myself, I think that's all people are thinking about. As I've got older I have got better at dealing with this - I care a lot less now about how I look compared to 10 years ago but it's still something that affects me and will probably be an issue when we are go out of lockdown.

Not much to add to this but I would recommend therapy and speaking to your GP - mine just threw some propanolol at me which I did not find help so you might need to go back if you're not happy with your first app xx

 

[Cupcakeapple]

I felt the same, I was so nervous.
I think as you’ve had CBT and tried other coping mechanisms they may be more likely to agree to try you on medication (that’s what my GP surgery seem to do anyway- refer to talking treatment first and then offer medication if no improvement).
The doctor I saw actually asked me what I wanted to try which gave me the opportunity to ask for medication.
I have also found some GPs are great when it comes to mental health and others not so much. I will always ask for a particular doctor at my surgery if I have to go because of mental health.

ok thank you I think I will brave it and try make an appointment tomorrow

 

[andiooop]

Hello fellow anxiety sufferers. I too have severe anxiety. Have been to therapy before and tried sertraline and venlafaxine and I did not like either, both made me feel so awful. I know you have to ride the wave with these things but tried both for weeks. I don’t usually take meds anymore but I always have some Diazepam in small quantities for emergencies and big panic attacks. I personally have found therapy and learning my own coping mechanisms most helpful. Due to lockdown and my dad passing away, I am going back to therapy as I feel I have new triggers and my doctor has suggested to try propranolol to manage the physical symptoms (I get extremely agitated and physically sick) since I’m not keen on the other types of meds so will see how therapy goes and take it from there.

Anxiety is different for everyone and so is the treatment but I hope you can all keep fighting through this and find something that will help. You are all strong beautiful capable people and it’s nice to read this thread and know I’m not alone.

 

[Annim]

I'm on Citalopram and they have always helped with my depression but not as much with anxiety. I might need my dosage upped though. I would definitely recommend though. The first two weeks I yawned a lot, even when I wasn't tired. But that went away. The only side affects I seem to get is night sweats.

 

[Reverend]

I have really bad anxiety and my meds have stopped working. I have been on the for nearly 10 years.

The worst thing about it for me is the thoughts that explode in my head like grenades. 'You are useless' , 'That typo will get you sacked', 'People at work hate you'. I would give anything to stop them and just ignore these things, not deal on typo's or minor things that other people will never think of again 24 hours later. I have had CBT, hypnotherapy or other counselling, but nothing seems to clear my head for long.

I do have some strategies to help myself cope, but the voices can really hurt and leave me feeling like a tiny doll. I am very lucky that I have an amazing g/f, very helpful boss, and the people I work with are very nice. I know I am paranoid, but I really can't help it.

 

[lozzapaloozza]

https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/...Vz-3tCh01dw4cEAQYASABEgL4sfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds for anyone suffering I highly recommend this book to the point I didn’t even need to finish the book it helped that much!

 

[Mountrushmoor]

Thank you so much for all of those helpful tips

I suffer mainly with social anxiety as well as general anxiety. Does anyone else here suffer with social anxiety

The funny thing is I posted that then worried it was too long or that it sounded condescending or that I went off on a tangent and didn’t answer the question properly anxiety hey!!

 

[lozzapaloozza]

thank you it’s such a horrible thing and it’s kind of embarassing to talk about because I’m afriad people will think im an odd ball. I’m a lot better than I was a year or two ago I went through a period of months where I wasn’t able to look people in the eye not even my own family. I couldn’t even walk down the street without getting panicked that everyone was staring at me. So silly when you think about it. I’m apprehensive because I don’t know if anti anxiety meds will help with the social anxiety but the doctor will hopefully let me know

We can be oddballs together But I think alot of people are the same so you’re not alone! That’s an achievement in itself! Look how far you’ve come and it’s only going to get better!

 

[georgiecait]

New to this thread but thought is was a perfect moment to jump on seeing as my anxiety prompts insomnia hence me being on at this time. Everytime I drift off to sleep I wake up all panicky with a racing heart, gave up lying in bed tonight as I'm up and down that much I don't want to wake my son . I've noticed my anxiety is much worse when I'm run down but it's got to point now I'm seriously considering a doctors visit, so I was just wondering does medication help?

Anxiety is always worse at night because the darkness means your eyes have less to focus on and therefore your brain has more space to be anxious. So it's completely natural. For non-medicated remedies I highly recommend:

1. a diffuser with lavender (I find the sound of it bubbling away relaxing too)
2. pop some essential oils on your collarbone and deeply inhale
3. A meditation specifically for sleep is amazing, I recommend Generation Calm on YouTube.
4. I know you've probably heard it 23985098 times before but get rid of screens 45m-1hr before bed, it truly messes you up. If you wake up early in the morning do not be tempted to go on your phone!

Meds differ per person, I always say give it a go and make sure you give it 2-3 weeks to kick in and it can help take the edge off

 

[JoanieDee]

That was 100% me. I agree with the post about finding a good dr too. I phoned up my surgery and asked if there was anyone who specialised in mental health and I was given an appointment with a lady who has worked with me over the last few years and she is just amazing.

 

[Cupcakeapple]

The funny thing is I posted that then worried it was too long or that it sounded condescending or that I went off on a tangent and didn’t answer the question properly anxiety hey!!

No it was so so helpful thank you so much omg yes over thinking absolutely EVERYTHING I can’t believe you are so confident in work that is so admirable Especially in such a people oriented job. But I am the exact same I stress going to a shop or post office or anywhere really in case I bump into someone I know and have to make awkward small talk which I am TERRIBLE at all I am thinking about it ways I can end the situation.

My life would honestly be so much better if I didn’t have social anxiety it is the one thing I would change about myself. It is honestly such a daily struggle and a constant battle

 

[GiftedNotFree]

Does anyone else suffer with season affective disorder? I’ve got usually manageable generalised anxiety which I can cope with (mostly). But at this time of year -well, since November!- SAD makes my mood / general well-being absolutely horrendous. I feel awful every single day, even when I try and be as proactive as I can to combat the symptoms. I’m literally counting down the days until it’s light at 6pm again……