Hello all
my DP has (I believe) severe anxiety problems. He has on my insistence sought some help for these and been put into an intensive CBT/anger management talking therapy, but tbh he find this stressful too so not sure how much good it's doing him. He is absolutely against taking anti-depressants. Where things get really bad he has severe fight or flight symptoms, the one that bothers him most is a pounding heart which makes him feel very scared and can devolve into a panic attack.
A friend who also suffers anxiety has mentioned that she sometimes uses beta-blockers as a short term method of controlling the physical symptoms of anxiety while adjusting to new or changed long term depression/anxiety meds.
I was wondering about how you would take these - as in, do you just pop one if you're feeling your symptoms ramp up, or in advance of something you know will make you stressed, or do you have to take them regularly (albeit for short term periods)?
He is unlikely to adopt any 'regular' medication (he fears it I think), but also I'd be concerned about him taking them regularly because he gets Raynauds in his hands and feet sometimes which I believe indicates low/slow blood pressure?
Basically, I want to arm him with as much info as I can so he can feel confident approaching a GP to ask about this option. Also, is it likely a GP would even consider this approach given he is totally unwilling to discuss anything long term like SSRIs?
I'm aware I'm probably over-involved but I'd so love to help him find something that could enable him to manage these symptoms. They used to badly affect our whole family, and since I put my foot down about that he has been trying SO hard to keep a lid on them and not affect me and our DD, I really value the efforts he's making but I know he's still suffering and wish I could help him more practically.