Anxiety is ruining my life. Can't do this anymore

[Anxietyneedstofoff]

Hi,

Just that really. I have hit a wall today and I can't keep going on like this.

The constant worry. The constant panic. The always jumping to worse case scenario. The catastrophising. The awful physical symptoms of being this anxious all the time. It's too much and I'm honestly mentally and physically exhausted with it all.

I've had CBT 3 times, but I keep coming back to this place. I do try. I use the techniques, but my anxiety seems too strong and destroys any logic and takes over everything.

I don't want to be like this anymore, but what else can I do?

Is this just who I am? Someone who is always crippled by her fears and intrusive, often disturbing thoughts?

Help, please.

Only medication worked for my DM. Has your GP suggested this?

Medication for me too, have you spoke to your gp? I have crippling anxiety and panic attacks, and after a horrible two weeks when I started citralopram I soon got it under control. Now I barely think about. Please speak to someone, or if you are already on meds go back and say it’s not working, you really do not need to suffer.

I had hypnosis, it was amazing but not an instant fix. I now use meditation breathing techniques.

Its an option if you don't want to go down the medication route.

But medication is a valid, effective option. why not call (or ask someone to call) your GP?

I'm so sorry you are feeling this way, anxiety is truly awful. Are you taking any medication, or waiting for the medication to work? I know some prescriptions can take a few weeks to get into your system and take a while for you feel any improvement. Which is torture when you just want to feel better immediately.

How about downloading the Calm app? I found that playing the sound of rain or thunderstorms on the app could sometimes calm me down, or listening to some of their stories/meditations.

When I'm having extreme bouts of anxiety I keep reminding myself that the anxiety is lying to me, that there is nothing in my life to provoke or justify this level of fear and doom. Doesn't always work but maybe saying it to yourself and reminding yourself that anxiety plays tricks on your mind might help in a small way. But I do know how impossible it can be sometimes to see through the fog of it all and see clearly.

Can you talk to anyone about how you're feeling like a friend, family member, other half? Or is there anything you can do that might help decrease your anxiety if some of your anxiety comes from getting a task done? For example, if you're worrying about filling in a tax return, or having to speak to your boss about something, can you do anything towards that task so you feel like you are on top of it?

Medication for me too - Citalopram

For my sister, the answer was medication too (Sertraline for her).

Also, therapy for me was an absolute lifesaver but I was fortunate enough that my husbands work health insurance funded it privately. Are you in a position to pay for therapy? I'm not knocking what the nhs offers but it can be limited and you might not get a huge amount of choice as to who you see and what style of therapy you get. I can't recommend therapy enough with the right therapist.

Beta blockers stopped my anxiety dead. Mine was extreme too!

Meds! I feel perfectly just normal on mine. Which is a blessed relief.

Do you mind if i ask what sort of rhings youre anxious about.. is it everything and anything? Im not much help i know but i have had many anxieties manifest all throughout my life, one seems to go and a different one appears .. i tried therapy.. didnt really work.. tried medicston and didnt seem to work...but weirdly i just seemed better... im no longer very anxious no longer have that horrible butterfly feeling, dizziness, black cloud feeling but i dont know how it went!.. i do think that maybe changing my life circumstances helped a bit.. are you unhappy in a job, relationship or something? Changing this could help if so...

@shepabear ..not to mention the 12 months waiting list

Totally empathise, horrible when you feel stuck with. I’ve been thinking about therapy either from my work or privately. But think I’d feel silly saying I’m anxious after the horrendous things so many people have been through over the last couple of years.
Hope you find relief soon.

Medication - Paroxetine an SSRI -was a lifesaver for me.

Yah Citalopram saved me.

@Newbabynewhouse yes, the waiting list is horrendous too.

Firstly I'm sending you some massive sympathy. I've had awful days-long panic attacks at times over the years, once to the point where I ended up in A & E because I just couldn't bring it to an end. On that occasion I was given diazapam (sp?) as a once off, which stopped the attack straight away. I can still remember how bloody amazing it felt to be panic-free for this first time in weeks! Its strong stuff though so isn't prescribed routinely I think. After that I was prescribed something called propranolol, which works by suppressing the physical symptoms of the anxiety attack. Its really really helped - I was getting into a vicious circle of panicking about my uncontrollable panic and the propranolol gave me a sense of control. I actually don't need it much anymore, but I do keep a box in my drawer to head off potential attacks.

Hopefully once you're settled on helpful medication you can then try and get to the root of your panic issues. Also it might seem a small thing, but I also found diet and exercise helped much more than I thought (cut caffeine!)

That sounds horrible op. Do you exercise?
Do you use caffeine?
Are you able to keep to good sleep hygiene habits

Hi, OP

Please talk to your GP. You definitely need to consider medication. Citraplam saved my life after developing PND.

Please, please see your doctor as soon as you can x

Lexapro saved me .. all the yoga’s do deep breathing and talking didn’t do anything near as good as Lexapro

It’s awful OP.
I’m medicated, have had CBT, counselling, meditate, do yoga, exercise, eat healthily, don’t drink alcohol…I do all the things I’m supposed to do to help myself yet I’m getting so bad I can’t answer the door to my Tesco food delivery.

I just wanted to say I know how you feel. Sending you hugs. Hang on in there.

I get you, I am in the exact same place. Endless CBT sessions, counselling, hypnotherapy, meditation, mindfulness and currently 8 weeks into seeing a psychotherapist but nothing has touched the unrelenting, overwhelming, daily, hourly anxiety, it’s all consuming.
I know some of the above things I have mentioned have helped many but I think, if you are like me and the anxiety has become too deep set then medication is the only way out of it.
I just need to somehow get over my medication side effect anxiety first!

Thanks so much for all your replies and kind words.

I will reply properly in the morning, but just wanted to post a quick reply to say thank you.

Only citalopram worked for me. Therapy/cbt didn’t really help atall.

OP, please try medication. You don't need to suffer this much.

I know there is a stigma, but you'd never read about a diabetic struggling with a raft of symptoms while refusing insulin. I think mental health is the same.