*TW re MH* What did you do about anxiety? AIBU to keep giving it time?

[Littleideasbigbook]

If you have had anxiety did you get treatment or did you self manage it, make changes in your life, wait for it to pass?

I had clinical depression in my late teens and early twenties brought on by a serious sexual assault at 11 that I ignored, hoping it would go away, but it developed into an eating disorder, an inpatient stay, an uncompleted but physically damaging suicide attempt and finally a dx of PTSD. I was medicated and underwent psychotherapy and EMDR with rape crisis and was pretty sorted with my MH to the point I stopped medication a decade ago. I even navigated a physically abusive marriage, broken ribs, lone parenting 3 DC and qualifying as a family therapist without becoming ill again. I foolishly thought anxiety was nothing in the past, depressions less difficult sister but I was so so wrong. I am floored. Since September 2019 I have been suffering bouts of anxiety that stop me sleeping, make me shake and literally have me feeling like me and my DC are in life threatening danger. I changed my job as I thought it was stress related, I walk miles and miles every weekend as it calms me whilst I am doing it, I meditate, I read, I eat well. Tonight I feel like I need to gulp for air and can hear my heart/blood pounding in my ears. What did you do? Anymore lifestyle changes? Should I get a dog? What did you do?

I went to the GP, got a prescription and a referral, and was a completely different person in 6 weeks.

What did you get a prescription of, if you don't mind me asking?

Sertraline. I'd previously taken it for depression and found it didn't agree with me long-term second time round even though it was great for the anxiety, so ended up on citalopram, which nixed my sex drive, so eventually ended up on duloxetine. Bit of a faff, but so worth it.

Sertraline has saved me.

I swim, I walk, I cycle. I eat well, don’t drink or smoke and am the master of keeping busy.

But still, sertraline has saved me.

Please book an appointment with your GP.

Thank you. I used to be on something called trimipramine and mirtazapine but they were very dulling medications so I wasn't very lucid but that could have been the illness. I had fluoxetine at the very start and had some success with that so I might ask to go back on it, it killed my libido too I remember.

@Littleideasbigbook I can relate I've been struggling with severe anxiety the last couple of months as well. I'm on Quetiapine because I'm not allowed anti depressants anymore due to the side effects it causes for me. I did try beta blockers but it didn't work either now I'm on light sedatives or Valium when it gets that bad. I try to distract myself by reading and listening to some music that normally helps calm it down. Go see your GP and see they can help

Nowhere near as bad as your trauma OP but I’ve just started sertraline and already feel better. I am only taking it 2 weeks out of 4 as it’s related to my cycle although I am my baseline is quite anxious anyway on a good day. But yeah. Sertraline! I’ve had intrusive thoughts for the past few years and anxiety since I was a child and am seeing a therapist too.

I did Acceptance and Commitment Therapy through the NHS and take fluoxetine. They have both helped enormously and dealt with past trauma, but the best thing for my day to day anxiety has been going low carb, so no sugar or refined white carbs.

@MattBerrysHair I have been doing keto as I have endometriosis but have fallen off the wagon in November. Must get back on it.

@Luciferthecat666 thank you. I am wary abput SSRI's so useful to know there is alternatives. Can I ask what side effects you had with SSRI's?

@PolarnOPirate thank you. I thought it was linked to my cycke so had the mirena removed and the low mood (and quite awful anger) I had before my period went but the anxiety is hanging around like a bad smell.

I’ve tried all sorts of things over the years, medical and natural, which have all helped in one way or another but sertraline is the only thing that has kicked my anxiety into touch. I’m honestly a different person. For me, it’s removed the brain-body connection, the vicious circle of thoughts and physical symptoms. Now it’s as if there’s a disconnect between the two ( in a good way) - I don’t panic if I feel a bit light headed or breathless, so the upshot is I hardly ever feel light headed or breathless.

@Littleideasbigbook SSRI based meds especially Sertaline sent me crazy, I didn't know at the time but I had undiagnosed bipolar disorder and they caused really bad hyper manic episodes and my moods were so unstable it was like being on a rollercoaster, I did try SNRI based meds but they didn't work either and made my anxiety worse and I was having physical side effects as well so my GP and Psychiatrist both agreed that I am not to be given anti depressants again. I take anti psychotic medication now and thankfully it has worked really well for me only a few minor side effects that are fairly easy to manage. One thing I will say with meds though is that what works for some doesn't work for everyone I know people who have had better experiences than I did with Sertaline and other meds. Amitriptyline wasn't so bad but it made me so drowsy I couldn't function on it at all.

I think I might call my GP and ask for the lowest dose of sertraline. I have to start somewhere.

@Littleideasbigbook Yep that sounds like the best thing, when I started Quetiapine my GP and Psychiatrist decided to start me off on a low dose then did a gradual increase over about three or four months to avoid any severe side effects and it worked for me no severe side effects just minor fairly manageable ones. Let us know how it goes :)

I went on meds. Doesn't takethe anciety away but allows me to function.

Also, anti-depressants did nothing good for me so they put me on a very low dosage of an anti-psychotic which has made a lot of difference without the side effects the other drugs were having.

Sertraline worked wonders me! When in the middle of a panic attack, breathing exercises really help ground you. Try box breathing (Google it, you basically exhale for longer than you inhale and this relaxes you, slows your heart rate and regulates your breathing).

Another thing that works for me is grounding - as you breathe out you focus on how your body feels against whatever surface it’s on - bed, chair, whatever and let yourself sink into it.

You sound like you are doing really well in managing your anxiety, and tbh I take the same behavioural steps as you, however, I also take citalopram to help.

It just takes the edge off and makes it manageable.

My anxiety was very bad at one point though - I'm talking bad physical symptoms like losing 1.7 stone in 3 weeks and passing out during a panic attack. To be honest I don't think I would have been able to sort myself out without my medication.

Wow do they really give medication out like that in the UK?! It sounds like America now

Good luck with your gp op

I also had to go on meds, giving it time only made it worse. The longer I left it uncontrolled the worse it got. I went to therapy also.

Cbd oil, prozac, talking therapy and going on long term sick to give me a rest from the biggest trigger. When I realized how happy I was without that job I quit and changed career entirely.

@GoldfishParade

Wow do they really give medication out like that in the UK?! It sounds like America now

Yes, in the UK if you're struggling with a medical condition they do tend to offer you appropriate treatment!

There have been so many studies to show that a combination of medication and therapy is much more effective to treat depression than just one or the other on it's own. Anxiety is generally even more efficiently treated with medication, because of the significant physical component to a panic attack or anxiety spiral, which usually prevents the individual from being able to sufficiently execute whatever calming or mindfulness techniques work for them.

I'm not sure why you seem to view scientifically proven, medically up-to-date treatment provided by the state when necessary as a negative, but one can only assume you belong to the relic, "pull yourself together" school of thought. I hope it always works for you, and if it ever stops working i hope the doctor you go to offers you an appropriate treatment option.

Until then, maybe pull your judgy pants out of your crack. You'll get a UTI.

@GoldfishParade or maybe just a lot of people struggle with their mental health eh? I’m sure most have been through everything else and tried it all before they resorted to medication to function.

I’ve had problems this year with anxiety and it’s been horrible besides the mental
Impact of worry/anxiety, irritability, tension, moodiness, apathy. The physical symptoms with raised heart rate,palpitations, insomnia and body aches due to anxiety/stress. I’m lucky: I took time off work to stop and breathe, found magnesium oil and valerian root help me ( plus hi energy cardio, yoga, mindfulness , outside air all help too. I was offered cbt from work and the doctors but feel I’m not there yet and feel much better. I felt like it was a blip caused by the pandemic and working through it in the NHS. Would rather those still struggling access it

If the things I tried and therapy didn’t work I’d absolutely try small doses of medication because quite frankly it was a horrible time and I don’t want to feel like that again!