Anxiety ruining my life

[3lovelykids]

Hi all just after some support tbh. My anxiety over the last few months has gone through the roof. I suffer from agoraphobia and have social anxiety. I think I also have health anxiety. Doctor put me on citalopram in September but it doesn't seem to be helping.

She said that apart from diazepam (which I can't take) there isn't really anything else. Managed to go to the local shop today which was a huge struggle and have felt terrible ever since. Please tell me this isn't my life now

Hi, came accross this in the unanswered posts and wanted to say that my DP has social anxiety as well as many other anxiety problems. His local mental health trust where he was initially referred to sent him on to do a group therapy for social anxiety and it really helped him. It was like exposure therapy I suppose in the end. Is there any support of this kind you could ask for? Maybe speak to your GP.
There is a forum also called social anxiety UK which offers support there too. This isn't your life at all. My DP now has a job after a long stint of being depressed and anxious and scared of working.
Good luck and all the best

No, like everything else this too shall pass. I have suffered in the past with all of the above. I read the dr weeks books. Self help for your nerves and all the others she wrote. They really helped me.

At my worst I was agoraphobic which was crippling but I got better. Now I have health anxiety but I use the books still to accept this is the situation. Acknowledge the symptoms as "anxiety", not fight them, just let them happen, and keep doing this... It's a bate. But it does end and it's not forever!

Just let it happen, let yourself be frightened and anxious, accept that's how you feel, try and see what you can do whilst you feel like this, because you can still do things even when you feel you can't. And let time pass..

Sorry if this all sounds wankey. It's helped me before though and it might help you too.

If not, just ignore. There will be some great posts any minute now . X x

hi 3 lovely kids, sorry your suffering so. I'm going to local shops later on as it happens. i hope your trips to the shops get back to normal again, and mine! good wishes, pip

I know exactly how you feel! I to have suffered/still suffer anxiety and struggle to go out the house! It's very hard,but remember not to feel guilty and take it slowly at a pace that makes you feel comfortable! I feel guilty myself,more for my daughters sake than mine,but your trying and going out that's great and a victory too,if you want to talk any time feel free to message me and good luck

Also I found contacting my local home start (google it if you have one locally it should say online) I found them brilliant,they offer advice,support,I have a volunteer come once a week,she comes for a cup of tea and a chat I find that helps,also they can help you find support and help

Citalopram and Diazepam certainly aren't the only medications available. You said you can't take Diazepam - Lorazapam is an alternative to Diazepam, but I'm not sure you mean you can't take benzos. Both lorazapam and Diazepam are benzos and can be addictive, so be careful if you are put on Lorazapam.
Meds like Citalopram can take over a month to work, but if you haven't seen any change since September, it might be worth trying something else - Sertraline or Fluoxetine for example.
When you refer to your doctor, do you mean a psychiatrist or GP? Some GPS have a good relationship with local psychiatrists and can ask for medication advice from them. Another alternative could be requesting a referral by your GP to the local mental health team - you might not meet the team's criteria for ongoing support, but you might be able to get some medication advice from them.

Medication isn't the only answer though. CBT can be very helpful. Ask your GP about a referral to the local IAPT (improving access to psychological therapies) service. You may have access to group or individual therapy. You can also use online self-help. Have a look here www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/Self-help-therapies.aspx
I personally found MoodGYM helpful. I've not tried the others myself.

This is NOT your life from now on. There's loads of support services out there, you just need to know where to look. I hope my suggestions are helpful. Best of luck with it all :)

It sounds like citalopram isn't the drug for you so I'd go back to your GP and ask to switch. I have social anxiety and sertraline worked brilliantly for me in that regard - I work in a very fast paced environment where I meet lots of new people and I had almost no anxiety. I did have increased anxiety for the first few weeks though. Sertraline may not be the drug for you either but I think it unfortunately is a case of trial and error. I agree that you should give CBT a go, if you can get a referral as well.