Please help - severe anxiety

[Severeanxietypleasehelp]

Hi all

I am waiting for a GP to call me. Am suffering from extreme anxiety at the moment. Work related. Signed off with stress.

Cannot sleep. 1.15 hours last night. Cannot eat. Trying to keep water down.

Going on holiday on Saturday for 2 weeks with my best friend but so much to organise.

Just feel so weak and shaky.

What can I push the GP for so I can get through this and enjoy my break as best as I can?

They never seem to want to prescribe me anything just for the anxiety.

TIA - am going to try and keep busy but everything seems such an effort.

That sounds very hard OP, sorry this is a difficult day.
First off, a lot of what you're feeling is probably linked to the little sleep- I really sympathise. Can you lie down at all and rest your eyes while listening to an audiotape or a film you know well? You may drop off or you may not, but you should rest.
Also, I think you really should try and eat something calorific to keep your energy levels up. Something nice and easy, never mind if it's junk, something quick so you just have to get through it and not thinking about eating again for a while. You will just feel worse until you eat something, please think about it.

I'm sorry I don't have any useful advice, but I would say to focus on the practical stuff but also admit to yourself properly that this is a really rough time and you are signed off work for a reason and should take it easy today.

Thanks for kind response.

Spent yesterday on sofa but could not concentrate on films etc.

Can pick something up from GP now to help with nausea and potentially something from them later for anxiety.

Managed a shower so will collect prescription and collect some bits at shopping centre to try and eat and for my holiday. Need to keep my mind off it.

One hour at a time at the moment.

I also suffer from severe anxiety and insomnia - usually work related. I find that some herbal remedies can be quite helpful in taking the edge of it. At the moment I'm taking Holy Basil and Ashwagandha, which apparently reduce the stress hormones in your body. I usually notice a difference within 20 minutes of taking these.

Thanks Daisy. I have decided to go back on the ADs and sleeping tablets as this has been on and off for 20 years.

Hopefully when I turn a corner and get off them I can look at the herbal remedies. Would prefer that but been here before unfortunately.

Have you tried the anti-anxiety type of ADs, such as Mirtazapine? They're not addictive like sleeping tablets, but they do help you to sleep. I was on them a few years ago after a major breakdown and they did help... Good luck - hope you manage to get some relief

Short-term some diazepam will help. I also recommend downloading some Paul McKenna hypnosis things. They are pretty good at filling your head with calm stuff.

Had mirtazapine before and it made me put on 5 stone which I have now shifted.

For whatever reason my GP (no matter who I speak to) will prescribe diazepam or similar. Not in 5 years. Would need to see a psychiatrist for that.

Will check out Paul McKenna for when I am on holiday and need to calm side effects

Thanks all. Hoping for some sleep tonight.

I actually only take antihistamines as sleeping tablets as I find they help me get to sleep which is my main issue. Off to bed to try them out again but starting on a low dose.

I suffer with extreme anxiety have alot of physical symt, was only recently progabalin and I can say I feel like myself also on citalopram and amitrip, with counselling, that med has been a life saver and I can now function with no probs

The anxiety medications that are more or less specifically for anxiety are; pregabalin (Lyrica), gabapentin (Neurontin) and buspirone (Buspar).

There are also medications that can help with the physical symptoms such as palpitations which are things like Propranolol.

Other medications for anxiety are the benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, Klonopin) but these can be addictive and habit forming and are hard to come off so wouldn't recommend them.

Some anti-depressants are supposedly good for anxiety, especially sertraline and escitalopram.

You could go the natural route and try things like Ashwagandha, Lemon Balm, Niacinamide, Holy Basil, Theanine, Baicalin, Valerian, Chamomile, Kava Kava (not sold in the UK), Bacopa, Relora etc. These are all herbs (with the exception of Theanine and Niacinamide) and some work better than others for anxiety. Melatonin is also good for sleep, although it can make you feel drowsy/drugged when you wake up.

I hope you can find something to help.