Crippling anxiety - I don't know what else to do

[QuestionableMouse]

I'm struggling with very severe anxiety that means I haven't been further than my back yard for almost a month now. It's very much physical anxiety; short of breath, shaky legs, feeling of doom. I've tried breathing exercises and distracting myself but they offered very limited relief. I've had several panic attacks, including one that started while I was driving. I literally can't function because of it and I have no life. I haven't seen most of my family for over a month and my sister needs me to babysit my nephews next week due to the Easter holiday.

My GP prescribed me sertriline which as far as I can tell is doing nothing. I've been taking it for a month now and if anything it's made me worse because I'm now also struggling with very disordered sleep to the point it was 3pm when I got out of bed today.

I've spoken to my GP and they want me to be seen in person which simply isn't possible. I'd like to try pregabalin which worked brilliantly for my mum's anxiety but my GP just keeps telling me they cannot prescribe it for anxiety. I've also tried flulexitine which gave me terrible diarrhea.

I genuinely don't know what to do. I'm considering booking a private GP appointment through bupa but I don't know if they can help either. I'm booked on a course for cbt which starts on Wed and have been forcing myself to go out each day but I think all it's done is made the anxiety worse.

Sounds so awful, I’m so sorry. Have you tried Propanalol for the physical effects? It stops them altogether, and although the brain is still experiencing anxiety it’s easier to stay calm if the physical effects aren’t taking place

You need to do exposure therapy you can do it yourself. I didn't leave the house for 2 years. You start by standing on your doorstep. Then the next day you walk to your neighbours house then the next day 2 doors and so on. It takes a long time but it works.

I tried several different tablets but had horrendous side effects on them. Finally the GP prescribed mirtazapine, which is brilliant as it also helps me to sleep.

Does your sister know how unwell you are ?

It took a good while for the sertraline to work for me and anxiety was way worse while it settled. Been on it a while now and it has worked but the acclimatisation period was rough. Advice is to keep going with it but try and go to the gp. Anxiety is hard.

Agree with the suggestion to ask to try propranolol

Try speaking with the community mental health team. I was in a similar but slightly worse situation and they saw me on a video call and someone picked it up for me from the chemist

Hey OP. It sounds like you’ve been really struggling. Could I ask what dose sertraline you have been given? I suggest speaking to the GP about a dose increase or swapping to Citalopram. Your sleep will return once
your anxiety settles and your system isn’t pumped full of adrenaline. Pregablin is strictly controlled and not ideal for anxiety these days. There are much better drugs. Sertraline and citalopram are SSRIs and work wonders for millions.

Anxiety is horrific. It’s your brain working overtime to try and protect you, it does a really good job but the problem is that it senses that everything is a threat and gets out of kilter sometimes.

CBT is really good too but there isn’t a quick fix . Keep posting here, speak to your GP and let your sister know you are struggling.

Be very very kind to yourself, you will get through this.

So sorry to hear this, I have and still do suffer with anxiety and it’s exhausting having to battle with yourself daily, it’s honestly awful!! I have in the past been on sertraline and it was a no no for me, again it took a longtime and sometimes it doesn’t work, but you have to convince yourself it’s not real, that your brain is just tricking you to feel all these things your feeling, again in the moment it can be difficult but the more you persuade yourself that it’s the truth, the quicker you become to realise. Again everyone is different but this really helped me. Hope it helps you or others out there x

The physical sensations of anxiety are pent up energy that needs to be released. The fix for me is always exercise. It completely gets rid of it. It becomes a vicious cycle if you’re not leaving the house and staying in bed. The nervous energy has nowhere to go. Start small - 5 star jumps in the sunlight first thing in the morning. Next day, a walk to the end of the road and back. Day after you walk to the doctors. And so forth.

As others have said, ask for propanalol to help with the symptoms and hopefully allow you to function enough to get the help you need xx

Yes I've tried propranolol but it did nothing for me unfortunately. My main anxiety symptoms are air hunger/shortness of breath and shaking and the feeling of panic. I'm constantly terrified of having another panic attack.

My sister has been really supportive but unfortunately our mam died in Jan after being unwell for a long time and our dad has been very unwell too so she can't take any more time off work without getting into trouble. She also afford to take more time off.

I have been forcing myself to go out every day but I'm struggling massively and the feeling of panic is totally debilitating.

Try reading claire weekes.
Also you can hear her talks on youtube, she worked wonders for me.
I have her books downloaded on my phone so i can her her when im out.
Also barry harry hes really good, but start with claire.

I've tried exercising and while moving does help as soon as I get even slightly out of breath it makes the anxiety massively worse.

Just grabbed that on Audible, thank you.

I'm not sure how old you are but anxiety can also be a perimenopause symptom. It was the main one for me but didn't realise as I was supposedly too young and no one suggested it. Now I am on HRT I am nearly back to my normal self.

Anxiety sucks good luck with finding something that works for you.

I take pregabalin for anxiety. 300mg morning and 300mg night. It does need to be prescribed by a psychiatrist. I was completely struggling to function. Ask your gp for a referral, I suspect howver it may be quite a wait until you see one.

Most anti anxiety/depression meds take a good 6 weeks to be effective and you made need to increase from the starting dose.

She is a life saver for me.
I had agoraphobia and thanks to this woman i can get out again.
She as a few books and i heard them all.

I’m the same as you OP, I can’t exercise when my anxiety is high. I actually strip back to basics, cancel all plans and embrace a really simple life of no pressure, simple
joys and buckets of self compassion.

I take a SSNI for mine and HRT.

Please give your doctor a call tomorrow to discuss the lack of improvement. You can also speak to the charity MIND for support.

I wondered if the book Burnout might be of use, by Emily and Amelia Nagoski. This link has a podcast transcription that summarises the main suggestions of the book to deal with emotions so they can be released from our bodies: Exercise, Breathing, Laughter, Hugs, Crying, Creative self expression. Burnout and How to Complete the Stress Cycle - Brené Brown

This OP. I had crushing anxiety that came out of nowhere, had never had it in my life before. It was terrible - all the same symptoms as you, and awful panic attacks as well. I was in my early-to-mid 40s at the time. I found out afterwards that it's really common for panic attacks to be triggered by bereavement as well, even if you don't necessarily feel that your loss is connected to your anxiety. (My dad had recently died, but it was expected for a long time - dementia - and I had done a lot of my grieving while he was still alive. I felt quite at peace when he died as he was no longer suffering. So I didn't connect his death to my panic attacks at the time.)

My main symptoms were:
Dizziness and lightheadedness
Irregular heartbeat (ectopic beats)
Choking sensations and nausea
Shaking and sweating
Feeling that I was about to die or be seriously ill
Chest pain and heartburn

I was put on HRT and sertraline at the same time, so I'm not sure whether it's one of the two or both that's helped the most, but over 6-8 weeks all the symptoms went away and now I feel completely back to normal. I also listened to some really helpful YouTube videos, basically CBT for health anxiety, which really helped. Will try and find them. I feel for you, it's absolutely bloody awful and I hope you find a path through it that works for you.

Sertraline does take a few weeks to settle. My sleep was all over the place and i was like a zombie.
as others have stated ,
What helped me mostly was -
exposure, i didnt stop doing things. Your brain needs to create a new pathway and realise it’s safe.

i have also had CBT and found a useful technique was knowing that my brain can only carry one thought at a time. I distracted myself by thinking one random thought which keeps my mind focused and not ‘scanning’ my body for anxiety symptoms and thinking i’ll have a panic attack.

challenge your thoughts ‘is how im feeling really true? Why is it?’

practice gratitude - what positive things are you grateful for?

i found i was flooded with adrenaline with i completed something which didnt help so i focused on not reacting as much. If i went shopping and got home ‘safe’ instead of a rollercoaster of emotions i just told myself ‘ok that was fine, i can so it again’ i didnt get too happy or sad just normal’ and my brain seemed to calm down.

listen to podcasts/ audiobooks etc on anxiety to understand and reason with my mind.

good luck, you will be ok. One day at a time 👌🏼

Please try propranolol. It’s got rid of my anxiety completely.

I know this will sound mad but when i get to high stage of anxiety i dont want to feel alone.
So i play claire or lofti girl in the background and have my patting plushie patting my back, really soothing tbh.
Edited to add i also have a breathing bear.