To think there's treatment that works for excessive worry?

[Elephant07]

I've tried cbt which hasn't solved the problem. Really need a solution. Never taken medication, does it help or is it a personality trait I'm stuck with to over analyse and catastrophise? Thanks!

I am taking CBD oil for anxiety and other things. It is definitely helping. There is a facebook group where advice and info is shared. I found it very useful because I didn't want to end up buying possibly dodgy stuff online. Worth a looksee. Hugs for you, anxiety is horrid x

I take clomipramine. It's v effective and helps control the thoughts that threaten to take over. If I come off it I certainly know about it. 2 rounds of cbt so far for me. 2nd was more helpful, and I've managed to cut down some of my 'routines' with the help of cbt and the tablets.

I take sertraline and have found it really takes the edge off my worrying, took about 4 months to work though with some pretty major ups and downs along the way. I'd say its worth a try.

I had 6 sessions of cbt. It's the obsessive worry/researching into concerns which is completely draining. It's so irrational but hard to control.

Psychotherapy worked for me. It wasn’t an immediate switch but I wish I’d started sooner!

I'll have a look at that - thanks. Feels like losing mind sometimes with the obsessing.

Sertraline. It has been a life saver for me.

Propranolol worked really well but unfortunately I can't take it anymore. I'm on Amitriptyline now, it's ok and the only side effect I get is sleepiness which is helpful as I sleep really badly. I went for the amitriptyline over an SSRI because you don't have to take it every day which you do with an SSRI.

Sertraline has changed my life. I wish I’d had it 10 years ago. I now know what ‘normal’ stress is, compared with obsessive, intrusive worries about things that would never happen.

From what you’re describing it sounds like rumination May be your problem specifically? www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/depression-management-techniques/201604/rumination-problem-in-anxiety-and-depression%3famp

There is a good book called The Mindful Way Through Depression - even if you’re more depressed it focuses on stopping the ruminations which cause the issue so could Ben useful?

Mindfulness in particular is good for this kind of thing as it is the exact opposite to rumination.

First you need to explore exactly what the worrying is. It could indeed be rumination, or anxiety, or it could be a manifestation of the pure O type of OCD.
I personally have never got along with CBT. I found it very simplistic, and very much addressed at retraining thoughts without addressing the underlying issue.
I suffered from quite extreme O type OCD after the birth of my first which manifested as intrusive worried thoughts/visions of harm coming to him and magical thinking. I found the latter particularly distressing as I’m a rational person and I knew it was nonsense but I couldnt stop it. Also loads of worry and anxiety.
I found a combination of drug and proper therapy helpful. I saw someone (not in the UK) who practised an integrative approach - so some psychotherapy, mixed with other bits. Basically the stuff he’d found useful from a variety of schools without sticking dogmatically to one and with the ability to flex to fit the patient.

What I found most helpful was simply being able to talk about stuff from a safe perspective. It sounds very wanky and pretentious but just being able to open up properly was like releasing a valve. I spent the first eight weeks sobbing in the poor blokes office and then we did some work...

Cbt I think can be useful if there are no real underlying issues and if it’s purely a matter of coping techniques for odd thought patterns. However it doesn’t address any root causes and it’s very simplistic.

Anyway, that was rambly but I’d suggest trying an SSRI or a beta blocker (I didn’t get along well with the latter alas) and some decent therapy. Find a therapist you trust, or it won’t work. Pay if you can - I honestly wish I’d done it ten years ago. I found it quite transformative.

Okay, six sessions isn't enough.

Likely, you had six sessions with a psychological wellbeing practitioner. If that doesn't help enough you should have been offered a full course of proper CBT with a therapist.

I recommend ringing your local IAPT team and self referring for an assessment for CBT. Tell them you had a short course previously but it wasn't enough and you'd like to be assessed for full CBT with a registered therapist for excessive worry/generalised anxiety disorder.

I think that's the most likely way to get the help you need. PM me if you have any questions about what to say/ask for. There's a treatment based on the work of a therapist called Dugas that they will be able to offer as it's evidence based and NICE guidelines indicated. Good luck.

Excessive worrying can be reduced, you just need the right support and the will and ability to do the work.

I also worry I've been a bit too open about the anxiety with colleagues. Is it better kept secret? I suppose I worry I look mad them worry cause I've mention I have anxiety no one takes me seriously with concerns. It's vicious isn't it..

I see a hypnotherapist who practices solution focused brief therapy (sfbt) and its amazing. I honestly felt transformed after my first session. I would also recommend bwrt which is kind of similar. Neither delve into your past. They focus on how you want to live your life. Good luck .x

Yes, now you're worrying about your worrying and how it comes across to others and worrying about whether to disclose your worrying to colleagues. Which is completely unsurprising.

Time to break the cycle.