can anyone hold my hand about to take my first ADs and very scared

[43mumof2]

doctor wants me to take them for y anxiety and depression , but im so scared about taking them ...anyone can help me through it , hold my hand ...shes prescribed citroparm (cant spell it ) not sure weather to take day time or night ?

[43mumof2]

thanks thewintersmith, are you taking ADs ? im so anxious about taking them now .. isnt this silly ..if i had a headache id take a pill wouldnt i ...so why cant i just do it ..x

[MrsEvadneCake]

I take my citalopram at bed because it suits me best. Well done for going and staying at the BBQ.
The tablets will help, you'll start to lose the on alert feeling and you will be able to think more clearly.
I was you last summer. I'm now able to squash the anxiety and get on with things.

This site has some good help tools too.

//Www.getselfhelp.co.uk

[TheWintersmith]

Hi OP

I was, but now I'm not.

6 months plus a bit of CBT did it for me.

[Bakeoffcake]

Yes if you a headache you'd take a pill.

If you had hay fever you'd could take a pill.
If you want contraception you could take a pill.
If you had high blood pressure you could take a pill. Etc etc etc.

You have anxiety, like thousand and thousand of other people. You can take a pill to switch that alarm off. It won't be instant but it is the start.

take it now then when you have the day off.x

[43mumof2]

thanks still not taken it yet ....putting it off arnt i ....im working tomorrow so should i take tonight ...will i be ok to work tomorrow ...

[postponishment]

You're not going to get rid of the feeling of anxiety without the tablets. No amount of thinking and planning and timing when you take the tablet will make that anxious feeling go away, so you need to stop trying to do that. The anxious feeling is completely out of proportion to any real risk (which is why you've got the tablets) so you need to accept its presence (until the tablets work) rather than trying to get rid of it before you do anything else.

Well done on going to the bbq despite the anxiety. If you can just do the same with the tablet, you'll have taken a step towards properly getting rid of the anxiety

But give up on trying to get rid of the anxious feelings, give up on waiting until you feel OK about taking the tablet to take it, or you never will. You know you need to take it despite feeling anxious about it so grit your teeth and try to make yourself do it anyway.

The number of times I've postponed taking medication for exactly this reason is ridiculous. I've never had any kind of instant reaction, or even bad side effects in general.

You might feel quite relieved once you've taken the first tablet and discovered that nothing bad has happened straight away as that will be one less thing you need to worry about.

Can you just make your hands move faster than the worrying part of your mind? Just grab the packet, take out a tablet while going 'la la la not listening' and swallow it fast? It really is the only way - because you have anxiety as a problem, trying to push away the anxious feeling first is like trying to stuff a duvet into a sock - impossible, however much we reassure you or you try to make the timing perfect. So taking the tablet despite feeling anxious about it is the only way, and it might as well be today.

[TheWintersmith]

A very friendly, gentle virtual shake heading your way from me :)

Seriously the side effects IF they happen take weeks to build. You will have loads and loads of time to deal with them.

The world WILL NOT stop if you grab the packet and take one. You will not suddenly turn into a zombie or a psychotic axe murderer! Though I completely get why you feel that way. I sure did.

The common side effects in my friendship group seem to be feeling a bit flat ( as I said before blessed relief imho) restlessness, mild sleep disturbances that kind of thing. Way easier to deal whith than the fuzzy head that comes with travel sickness pills or anti histamines.

More

[TheWintersmith]

And yes you will be FINE to work tomorrow

Millions of people round the world are quietly going about their business whilst on ADs.

And if you aren't - ring in and say the BBQ gave you a dodgy tummy. Nothing odd about that.

Previous poster is right - don't wait till you feel less anxious about taking them. That ain't gonna happen :)

[MrsEvadneCake]

I just had a mild spacy feeling. You will be fine to work. Please take it if you haven't.

[Bakeoffcake]

Hi 43, how are you today, I expect you're at work. Hope you're ok.

[43mumof2]

hi all , thank you all , i have yet to take them ..but im going to either tonight or tomorrow morning ...i do mean it , iv less driving tomorrow and close to home so i feel happier about that and im off wednesday so not got to go far just school run,
and you are right there will never be a right time my anxiety is with me no matter what ..
more hand holding please , can i report back to you all about how its going ?

[TheWintersmith]

Yes please, do come back and report. Happy to handhold and follow live updates!

NOW GO AND TAKE ONE!!!!! :)

Just imagine those alarms shutting off. ( my child has just got hold of some toy cymbals so I am really empathising )

[Bakeoffcake]

As Winter says, of course we're here for more handholding.

Report back when you've done it.

That's an order

[LosingNemo]

OP i know it's really scary, but these tablets aren't instant so you probably won't feel anything straight away, in fact you'll probably question that they're working until one day you'll realise that the knot in your stomach isn't there.

[LosingNemo]

Oops, posted sooner than I intended. Anyway... Like you said, it's just like any other medicine. Cal pol for teething, anti histamine for hay fever etc.
Good luck. You're going to be absolutely fine xxx

[Newnamealready]

OP I am in exactly the same situation as you - visited the GP 2 weeks ago and have only just plucked up the courage to take my first tablet (thanks to all the posters on this thread!) I took it a few hours ago and feel no different whatsoever

[MrsEvadneCake]

Still about with a hand to hold here too.

[TheWintersmith]

Yes, what nemo said.

Most folk I know said exactly the same. You will be taking them for a few weeks and idly wonder if they are doing ANYTHING. then it will dawn on you, that noise has stopped, the knot has gone...

[TheWintersmith]

Yeah, agree to that toonew. The day or two after you start it is the most ridiculous anticlimax. You are so convinced you are going to to be zombified, or you will get instant horrific side effects.

And


Nothing



Happens




Nothing







For aaaaages



Then you feel better







:)

[Bakeoffcake]

NewName- well done for taking the plunge! Hope they help you.

[bearleftmonkeyright]

I'm on Sertraline, its changed my life. Be brave OP, suddenly the sun will start shining again and you will feel better, I promise.

[43mumof2]

awe thank you all SOOOOO much , thats such a huge comfort to know you are all there ...i WILL take it in morning , as i really dont think i will sleep if i take now ....and then i may be all alone and everyone gone to bed so will feel anxious and all alone and taking a pill im not sure how i will react ...
that sounds over reacting slightly but im feeling bit like that at mo ...

but with you all rooting for me i really feel like your with me to help me ...so thank you all very much X .... iv not told anyone in RL not even my DH he doesnt under stand ..

so i will be back on in morning and will take after i had my breakfast and cup of tea ..will type as i take lol ...
and really well done NEWNAME on taking yours
keep us posted on how your doing to , hear to support you to xx

[43mumof2]

OK its done ... iv done it i promise you , i just taken my first tablet ...feeling scared and anxious bit shaky ...going to take the packet with me incase i pass out or something and no one will know what if iv taken something ....

gosh cant beleive iv done it ......

you all there to hold my hands still right ? .....will report back later once home after work ....i hope .....xx

[MrsEvadneCake]

So proud of you!!! Well done. Now just try and not symptom spot. Just drink plenty, and report back.

First step is the hardest and now you are on your way

[Bakeoffcake]

Great Mumof2!

Try to keep really busy today so you don't have time to think about it and as Mrs says, try not to symptom spot.

Good luck today!