Anxiety?

[airpushingthrough]

I am 55, post menopausal and in the last couple of years I believe I have been suffering from anxiety and it’s getting worse. I am not sure if this needs a GP appointment. I do have one tomorrow for some digestion issues but I am beginning to wonder if it’s all connected. Some example are

Fear of leaving a tap on or heater at work. I need to check and double check before I leave for the day. If I forget, I worry all night that the place will have a fire or flood. It consumes me and leaves me exhausted the next day as I cannot sleep. It’s hard to describe but I can’t switch the feelings off. The next day everything is completely fine.

I was on jury duty a couple of weeks ago and I am only now just starting to come down from the verdict and the what ifs and worry that I haven’t done or said the right thing. I’ve even envisaged myself in court for doing the wrong thing which I haven’t.

DS has his driving test soon, passing terrifies me. I have had a knot in my stomach for days about it. My own driving has taken a bit of a hit particularly when I don’t know where I am going and need sat nav or directions.

I have dreadful feelings when we start to run late for something or if I make a silly mistake at work. Everything seems catastrophic in my mind. The reality is it never is but I cannot switch my mind off or stop this, particularly overnight when things grow arms and legs. It’s starting to take over my life and I don’t want it to. I want some peace.

Has anyone got any tips or advice. I was looking at some supplements but many I cannot take as I have thyroid issues.

This sounds exhausting, you poor thing. I don't have advice for anxiety in general, but for remembering if you've turned the heater off etc I find that saying out loud "I am turning the heating off" as I do it means I don't have that uncertainty later on. Feel like a tool at the time but it does help!

Have you thought about HRT?
I had terrible anxiety as above and it’s helped me immensely

Definitely anxiety, and definitely needs a GP appointment as it sounds very debilitating. Sertraline helped me, took away all that noise (I’m still on it). Hope you get some peace soon. 💐

Something you could look into is meditation, particularly breath work or guided meditation on the subject of fear/worry/anxiety.

Start to look after your general nervous state to bring your base anxiety level down a bit.

Thank you. I have done that before and even taken a photo on my phone to confirm something is switched off. This all sounds utterly ridiculous written down I know but I am exhausted with it and I just want it to stop.

Yes and no but as I said I am beginning to wonder if several things are all connected. I will speak openly with my gp tomorrow and see what she says.

I thought I was doing ok without HRT.

Thank you. Noise is a good word!

I have taken photographs for the same reasons in the past so I can totally understand. It can be exhausting and I totally feel for you. I had 4 CBT sessions and it helped change the mindset.

Thank you. Did your GP arrange CBT for you?

Yes, my GP referred me to Insight IAPT. It was quite a straightforward process. My GP sent a referral and someone from their clinic called and triaged me. It took 8 weeks to get an appointment but all my 4 sessions were done within 2 weeks.

If you have thyroid issues have you had it checked recently as an overactive thyroid can cause anxiety.

Hrt is something definitely to consider as anxiety is often a symptom of menopause. It'll protect your bone density too.

Anxiety is a known feature of menopause. 100% request HRT and consider something like Sertraline.

Thank you for helping. You have given me some relief. Thyroid was checked 10 days ago and under control with medication.

Just coming back to this. Spoke to my gp and she was lovely. She didn’t think HRT would work for me given my symptoms so she has prescribed stetraline which I know I have likely spelt wrongly. Thought I’d be ok then read some posts on mumsnet about it and it can be really awful for the first 2 weeks which has scared me.

What you could do OP if you are worried about side effects is take half the dosage that the GP has recommended for a couple of weeks and then up the dosage to what the GP has said. I have done this before with antidepressants to minimise side effects.