So Overwhelmed

[Notrealname55]

NC.

I’m feeling so paralysed with anxiety & depression. This is not normal for me. Stressy real life stuff is pushing me to a breaking point. My brain is constantly racing & just will not stop. I just want to switch off, even for an hour. Have tried GP who said to download Headspace / Calm & go for a walk. I do not want to do anything harmful, but I cannot see a way out. I just feel so so low.

Speak to a different GP, I’m sorry that the first one didn’t help. I felt like that and went on antidepressants, signed off work for a few weeks and I feel miles better.

Have a look to see how counselling works in your area too, here we self refer to a company called Talkworks, you may have the same or similar

Could peri-menopause be a factor, op? It can cause extreme anxiety and low mood, seemingly out of nowhere. It did for me.

Are the things in your life that are stressy going to improve at any point?

How is the rest of your health? What about the basics- sleep, food, excersise?
Have you got people you can talk about it with?

I have found perimenapause has made me much more stressy. I used to rarely feel stressed but now I do.

I hope it gets better. Keep asking fir help from your doctor. Good luck

Actually, yes, now I think about it. Perimenopause could be it, but I haven’t realised until you mentioned.

Sleep and food are a bit poor at the minute. I can’t get to sleep cos my mind won’t stop. My appetite is gone but trying small meals, even toast or fruit.

Talking to others is hard. One of the issues is family related, with everyone having very strong opinions on it. I’d feel awkward discussing with others .

When I feel like this I take myself off and go for a long walk It helps to calm me down

That sounds difficult. Family stuff can be so stressful.

If you can afford it, I would highly recommend psychotherapy. So many things catch up with you at around peri menopause age. It is such a relief to talk to someone who can really listen, and the one I saw had great insight. I genuinely found it enormously helpful.

@Florasteddy I clicked on this thread because I’m feeling similar to op but this is recurrent (happens every year or so but getting more frequent as I age). I’m just 40 so thought maybe too young for peri but I would’ve liked that as an explanation rather than just that I really do have such poor mental health. I manage (only just) by exercise and self-care but change and big life decisions floor me. I just wondered what you meant by lots of things can catch up with you at peri menopause age? I just wondered if you could elaborate please?

Hi @Confuseddotcom12345 the way it was explained to me is that certain stages of your children's lives can remind you of your own childhood, or it just gets to the point when you realise that various relationships aren't as good as you wish they were.
Or maybe you realise that you have certain behaviours that aren't helpful to you, that were developed when you were younger (for good reason at the time)
My therapist said most of her clients aren't 'crazy, but are people who responded very normally to some difficult situations. She said that overwhelmingly, clients start seeing her in their 40s.
Anyway apparently seeking help from a therapist doesn't mean that you have mental health problems.
Tolerance for other people's shit can drop as your hormone levels do too, possibly.
Hope you're ok

@Florasteddy thanks so much for that explanation. It is very fitting and explains a lot.

[quote Confuseddotcom12345]@Florasteddy thanks so much for that explanation. It is very fitting and explains a lot.[/quote]
My pleasure. Im glad it was helpful. Very best wishes to you.