Anxiety verging on a breakdown - advice please 🙏

[WorriedMum2323]

I have already made a post in Mental Health but there’s not much traffic on there.

I currently have a lot going on but the main trigger is my daughter is being referred for Developmental delays and I am worried sick. I’m not sleeping well and I have barely ate in days. This morning the anxiety was making me feel physically sick to the point of retching but had nothing in me to vomit. I’m about 4 months post natal after another child so this could be impacting on things.

My family know and are supportive and I have spoken to my GP but in hindsight I probably underplayed how I am feeling. I know it will pass but it feels chronic at the moment.

I am going to go back to my GP on Tuesday, I think I need prescribed something to balance me out again as this level of worry isn’t sustainable. Those who have experience, will the doctor prescribe me anything? If so, what?

I'm on duloxetine for anxiety. Two tablets in the morning.

It's working.

I went through something very similar sounding and didn't ask for help when I probably should have.

Right now you sound totally and understandably overwhelmed. I leapt to catastrophising and couldn't get the thoughts out of my head. It stopped me enjoying my younger child.

It's difficult when your reasons for anxiety - worries about a child - are valid but you need your response to be manageable. Hopefully there will be a treatment which can do this.

And hopefully all will work out anyway. It's very much easier when you know what you're dealing with and have a plan.

For what it's worth, my source of endless worry had one of the top exam results for his year and is currently out on a driving lesson. They constantly grow and amaze you.

Thank You, I really think I need something to help me function so I can concentrate on being there for her and my other child. I hope the doctor does prescribe me something

It's the realisation that things aren't what they seem and after a wait and see approach and referral wait time I am just so so anxious and scared of the future. I'm not enjoying life and I feel like the life I thought I would have is gone.

I am glad to hear about your son, things like that give me hope

Try and get out side for a walk by yourself and preferably in nature. Do not forget to eat and drink. Do not drink alcohol. Do not over extend with activities even if they are nice events as it can be too much. Anxiety gives you too much adrenalin it’s why in extreme anxiety you can get shaky, it’s flight or fight mode. Do some exercise to burn it off. I suffer from anxiety, I’m not going to go in to detail as to why so as not to derail. I was on meds but didn’t want to take them forever so have managed without now for years under the supervision of my MH team. I follow those basic rules. Some people do needs meds forever it’s not a weakness, we are all different.

Thank you for your reply, I had a shower and that helped me to feel a bit better. I am drinking but I can't bear stomaching any food as I feel I'll be sick. I couldn't even think about alcohol at the moment.

I feel like anxiety has a grip on me right now, my favourite time of the day is going to bed and I am filled with dread when I wake up to have to wake up and do it all again. My maternity leave should be some of the best time of my life, but I can't enjoy it. I need something to get me back on top and to help me to think straight just to feel in control.

How do the pills work? Won't I still have the same worries? Do they suppress things?

The pills take a while to work.

I was using a lot of strategies to manage the anxiety and what I found was that over time I was much less anxious and now I am very rarely anxious.

Some things I did

• assign a time to specifically worry about things. Then if I worried about X outside of the time I would try to do something else/distract myself and remind myself that I would think about it in the morning.

• specifically research things I was worried about so I had a plan. So if I was worried about what I would do in X situation (eg being in my wheelchair and not being able to reach my car) I thought of strategies - wheel a bit and take a rest, keep chocolate in bag to keep me going, etc.

Hi everyone, thanks for all your help and advice so far. I contacted the doctors this morning and have managed to get s prescription for Fluoxetine. I hope it helps to balance me out a little bit. Has anyone else experienced these?