Hi, im new here and just want to know if there is anyone who have gone through what im going through.
I was diagnosed with postnatal anxiety when my daughter was 10 months old, things had been tough leading up to that point as my son who was 4 at the time had been really ill, something that had been going on since he was a baby. At that point i was stressed out and worn thin, i had a bout of the flu and then just snapped. I had the worse anxiety, it hit me for six, i couldnt look after myself let alone my children so i moved in with my mum for a while whilst i wated for the sertraline the dr prescribed to kick in. I had never suffered with mental health at all in my life so this was a major shock to me.. It took a little while for me to stop feeling anxious but then my period came and i felt like i was back at square one with the anxiety and intrusive thoughts. This passed but the time my period would come it always brought the same downs until i went on the pill. This helped a little but it wasnt until i started taking the pill continually that all the ups and downs stopped. I waited for another 8 months of feeling good before I came off the pill and the sertraline, thinking that this post natal anxiety was done. Things were going splendid and for the last 3 months ive felt great mostly. I would get a bit worrysome around the end to a week after my period but it was manageable and not an issue, normal pmt stuff.
until this month, i had my normal period, followed by a bad shift in work, where i was assaulted. (I work in a residential home for looked after children. its stressfull at times) being the week after my period my anxiety was a slightly present. and the final straw was my upcoming fly to cyprus with my husband and 2 children the following sat. by the friday i was cancelling my flight as i just couldnt bare The thought of flying. despite doing it many times before. I was at the drs fri morning also and she put me on fluoxetine and told me i would have to be on it long term. Im staying at my mums because we decided my husband should still take our son away and i am slowly recovering but something has occured to me. I have said all along that there is a strong link between my periods and my anxiety and it seemed that it wasnt until i was on the pill non stop that my anxiety was regulated. but through a bit of research the last day or two I have found that anemia can cause anxiety. it seems to fit with what has gone on for me in the last year and a half. i wondered if there was anyone out there who had a similar experience, or who had thoughts on this. I dont want to imagine my life as me with anxiety and always being plagued by it. i want to be free like i was before. can anyone help please. or share some good stories. thanks