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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what a gp can do to help me with severe anxiety, will medication help?

13 replies

OceanCoffeeLover · 06/08/2026 13:00

I feel like I’m in a slow motion breakdown.
I’m aware I am probably on the verge of burn out, working full time , young family, one child with AuDHD and a husband who is great one day and angry/stroppy the next. I also work with young children so I feel like my whole existence is co-regulating other people!

I have felt my anxiety creeping up over the last few months but now it’s almost constant. I feel anxious all day, between moderately to severe and I have started getting heart palpitations in the evening which worries me.

I’ve also slipped back into obsessive dieting, restricting food intake and working out every night to try and burn off what I ate. The guilt and urge to make myself sick after eating is extremely strong and overwhelming but I’m trying my best not to do that and work out instead. I had a bout of this mindset in my 20s but it feel worse this time .

I’m doing therapy. Have done about 6 sessions but so far the feelings remain the same. I am thinking about asking my gp for medication. What type of meds are available for anxiety and how can I make sure I get them? Last time I went 3 weeks ago she talked a lot about meditation and deep breathing but I’m still struggling. I want to have an idea of what to ask for and try to advocate for myself.

Any advice appreciated!

OP posts:
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FindingMeno · 06/08/2026 21:59

Medication was the answer for me. Fluoxetine in my case.

twiddlingthumbs69 · 06/08/2026 21:48

Also make sure your GP understands your eating issues. I couldn’t eat at all for over two weeks (lost a stone). I think that was the trigger to prescribe mirtazapine as it increases appetite, but that’s manageable and I’d rather have that than the hell I was going through

bgi · 06/08/2026 21:46

Medication massively helps me. I was previously feeling exactly as you describe

noctilucentcloud · 06/08/2026 21:46

Medication has helped me too, in my case SSRIs really helped take the edge off my anxiety so I could deal with it. As a PP said go to the GP and say I'm doing this, this and this and am still really struggling with my anxiety.

twiddlingthumbs69 · 06/08/2026 21:45

Mirtazapine! It literally saved my life. I’d gone through an extremely traumatic event and although I coped initially, I soon felt like you and had a breakdown. Luckily for me it worked the first night that I took it (apparently it can work that quickly for some ppl). It basically reset my brain. The other thing it helps with is sleep, hence taking it at night. It’s an SNRI rather than a SSRI (think I’ve got that right). Really hope you can get something to help you quickly, it’s the most awful feeling ❤️

Sprinked · 06/08/2026 21:13

Bushmillsbabe · 06/08/2026 15:55

Medication helped me with PNA - initially they gave me SSRI's until I managed to convince them was anxiety rather than depression - all the SSRI's was make me feel sick and sleepy, but they tend to offer them first as cheaper.

I then got given Pregabalin, which was brilliant, I was 'me but calmer', whereas on the SSRI'S I felt numb, and distanced from everyone, like I wasn't really there. It is a controlled drug, so it can be hard to get, and gave to wean off very slowly, but for me they were literally a lifesaver.

You do generally need an 'exit plan' to get these - as they dont like people to be on for longer than 6 months - I had psychology support and the pregabalin enabled me to access this effectively, and after about 5 months I started to come off it very slowly, with no side effects.

Meds on their own aren't a solution, but they can get you through a rough patch, and enable you to focus on long term solutions and strategies.

SSRIs are the first line medication for anxiety. Not pregabalin.

Original poster
OceanCoffeeLover · 06/08/2026 21:02

Catza · 06/08/2026 15:35

Yes, medication will help to manage symptoms. You don't need to go to the GP armed with a list of meds. It should be sufficient to list what you are already doing - therapy, breathing, meditation - and that it is not helping.
However, human nervous system is not built to handle prolonged stress induced by the realities of their social situation. So your reaction is absolutely normal.
I'd start by stopping co-regulating your husband. It's simply not your job and he should be pulling his socks up to support you.

Yes the stress feels unmanageable at the moment and I have told him he needs to step up. He is hopeless at regulating his stress so we’re use to his emotions taking the priority in the family, I’ve always been the ‘level’ one so I think he’s struggling with this now. Between him and my AuDHD DD someone is always shouting 😟

OP posts:
Original poster
OceanCoffeeLover · 06/08/2026 20:59

Thank You, this is all really helpful. I won’t necessarily ask the GP for something specific but it’s good to have some idea incase they try to fob me off again. I’m a bit nervous about starting long term medication but I think it’s the right thing.

Do you think it will help with the eating issues?

OP posts:
Bushmillsbabe · 06/08/2026 15:55

Medication helped me with PNA - initially they gave me SSRI's until I managed to convince them was anxiety rather than depression - all the SSRI's was make me feel sick and sleepy, but they tend to offer them first as cheaper.

I then got given Pregabalin, which was brilliant, I was 'me but calmer', whereas on the SSRI'S I felt numb, and distanced from everyone, like I wasn't really there. It is a controlled drug, so it can be hard to get, and gave to wean off very slowly, but for me they were literally a lifesaver.

You do generally need an 'exit plan' to get these - as they dont like people to be on for longer than 6 months - I had psychology support and the pregabalin enabled me to access this effectively, and after about 5 months I started to come off it very slowly, with no side effects.

Meds on their own aren't a solution, but they can get you through a rough patch, and enable you to focus on long term solutions and strategies.

Catza · 06/08/2026 15:35

Yes, medication will help to manage symptoms. You don't need to go to the GP armed with a list of meds. It should be sufficient to list what you are already doing - therapy, breathing, meditation - and that it is not helping.
However, human nervous system is not built to handle prolonged stress induced by the realities of their social situation. So your reaction is absolutely normal.
I'd start by stopping co-regulating your husband. It's simply not your job and he should be pulling his socks up to support you.

AgnesMcDoo · 06/08/2026 13:28

Medication helped me

TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne · 06/08/2026 13:24

Yes, medication will definitely help you with all of this.

Don't delay anymore. Go and see your doctor.

All the best - it sounds like you're having a very tricky time at the moment.

Flowers
AmberUser · 06/08/2026 13:22

Medication can definitely help. You can take SSRIs, which treat a big range of things. They can take a few weeks to have a positive effect, and you might have a process finding the right type and dosage for you. I've had good experiences with sertraline, but it took a while getting it right. Propanolol is more straightforward for tackling the physical symptoms of anxiety. Dp takes it, and it's been life changing.