Would any one like to join in an anxiety support thread?

[Heatherandmoss]

I’ve seen lots of posts recently about people having a bad time with their anxiety and I thought an on going thread might be good do people can bob on and offer and receive support, share tips and just generally empathise with some one going through the same thing.

I’ve had anxiety since I was about ten ( I realised after my psychiatrist was able to help me pin point my earliest memory of it)

I think there is a bit of misconception of anxiety as some people think it’s just general worry - but it’s not.

When my anxiety rears her head it’s so physical. I sweat, my face can go numb, pains in my chest. I have a feeling like some one is kicking my front door in and I’m scared for my life and I could just be hoovering. Anxiety jolts me awake when I’m asleep and it rolls down my body like thunder. It makes me catastrophize at 3am and my feet start rubbing against each other ( weird) My anxiety makes me walk in to the kitchen with my kids empty dinner plates and suddenly feel so so over whelmed I struggle for breath and tears leak out in a gasp of raw emotion - all done silently so my kids can’t hear me.

I’ve had to give up drinking alcohol because Jesus the anxiety the next day was shocking and lasted days until I suddenly stepped out the anxiety room.

My anxiety has been bad since November as I’ve got some things going and I’m worried my heart is going to pack in because of the extra ‘thud thud thud’ overtime it’s being doing!

Exercise does help me take the edge of sometimes. I nearly went to the GP the other day as it was rotten but at this moment of time I need to be switched on.

Today has not been to bad. I’m considering it a win.

So I’ve you’d like to join in or have some where to say ‘holy fuck it’s bad today’ hopefully more people will be here and you will know some one knows how bad your feeling.

Maybe head off with a good book and mug of ovaltine? Write a list of things you need to do tomorrow so that you aren’t fretting about that/

Eighteen months already, can’t fucking believe it. Now by the looks of things it may start all over again

My anxiety is situational I believe, but I’m a bit stuck (long story) and they’ve decided to STOP my anti anxiety meds so.... yeah. If one more person suggests colouring I’m going to lose ny sh**

Sorry your struggling OTTYrevolution. Why have your anti anxiety meds been stopped? I find minfulness colouring and jigsaw puzzles very stressful! Been doing paint by numbers. Some of the sections are tiny, so unless I'm in the mood, it's quite stressful!

Why did they stop them?! That’s terrible!

Was part of my treatment plan is that the Lorazepam would stop and the Olanzepine and Lithium would keep going. Today hasn’t been great in all honesty, but hopefully the meds will settle soon.

Some beautiful grammar there (faceplant)

I hope it does help in the long run. Changing meds can be bloody awful.

The last few days have been terrible here. I’m now day 9 of the adhd meds, and anxiety and anger have been through the roof, I feel panicky and on edge. But it does seem like some people take a while to get used to them and also the fact I have been on my period since Thursday won’t have helped - I tend to get a big flare up of anxiety then anyway. So I need to wait it out a bit, but it’s all building up with the fear that these meds won’t work for me and I might have a battle to be allowed a non stimulant type.

Me too.

My anxiety is through the roof at the moment. I'm pregnant and lockdown is really hard. Far too much time to think.

I’m finding anything and everything is triggering ‘what ifs?!’ I then spiral with thoughts of endless problems and worries. I wish I could be a relaxed person but that’s becoming rarer and rarer these days, might chest feels constantly tight with panic. My OH kind of switches off to it now because I worry about everything...then I worry he’s burying his head in the sand and will miss something important! Exhausting. I feel like such a rubbish parent because I’m so uptight all the time

Sorry you're having a hard time 🤗
I started Mirtazapine today. Took it this afternoon instead of late evening! Been drifting in and out of sleep all day. I was so anxious about phoning my doctor. I didn't need to worry, she was lovely.

I start counselling next week. By the time I finish the 6 sessions, I'll have spent half the year doing counselling! I've already done counselling and CBT this year. Both counsellors were very pushy about doing video calls and it was very stressful.

Hi, how is everyone doing?
Everything just feels like way too much effort today. Trying to find the energy to make pancakes but I feel so drained. It's like walking through treacle.
Going to take my Mirtazapine late in the evening. Not repeating yesterday's mistake. I knew I was supposed to take it in the evening but was so worried about taking the meds. I just wanted to get it over with.

Don’t blame you loki it’s scary taking new meds. I’ve heard they make people really tired so definitely sounds right to take at bedtime from now on :)

It’s been another bad day here but I’m hoping I’m past the peak now. I went for a walk and ended up not wanting to go home, so I walked to town and sat in the rain with a hot chocolate. It was a really low point - felt really panicky and was tempted to phone DH and ask him to meet me but I was worried about him having to leave the older DCs. But after a while it faded and I just got the bus home. Since then I have just felt really flat and sad. I’m kind of hoping it means the worst stage is over now and I’ll adjust.

Sorry you had a bad day. Sometimes it feels like you just have to ride out the storm. It's a shame so many of us have to do it alone. I keep reminding myself that all feelings are temporary.
I've just tidied my bedroom. Meant to do it weeks ago. But work got so bad that I couldn't think clearly enough to do the simplest tasks. I hope I'm not speaking too soon but I feel like the cloud is lifting a tiny bit.
This thread is helping me. I have people that care about me but writing my struggles is just so much easier, if you know what I mean.

Yeah definitely 💐 well done on tidying!
I’d been doing quite well with decluttering and tidying this month but I just can’t handle it today,

Hope your mood lifts soon. Sounds like you did really well coping with the panic that you felt.

It's okay if you can't handle tidying today. Apart from work stuff, there's very little that can't wait a day or two or three 🤣

Love to listen to this song when I'm feeling blue. I love how passionate she is 🙂

That’s a lovely song loki :)
To my amazement I managed to change the laundry over, and do today’s cleaning/tidying tasks, just the bare minimum but it’s something. It takes very little for me to crash and just give up so I’m trying so hard to just keep at least one thing ticking over each day. Self care has totally fallen by the wayside though.

Hey everyone. I'm sorry I've not read previous messages- I've got very little time at the moment.

I'm really struggling. I'm getting all the physical symptoms of anxiety and my brain is fixating on anything and everything it can in an attempt to justify it. I used to suffer with it really badly but it went away after my first was born. It's come back since my second was born and has been spiralling ever since. It's really starting to get nasty and I'm worried that it's here to stay again now. I don't want to live like that again. What can I do to stop it escalating further?

Hi, WineInTheWillows, sorry to hear that you are struggling 💐. The physical symptoms of anxiety are awful. How old are your children and what support do you have?
I take Propranolol as and when I need it. I also started taking Mirtazapine 2 days ago. These seem to be helping, although it is early days.
I'm off sick with anxiety at the moment. So trying to keep myself occupied with walks, painting, Netflix and chores. And Mumsnet 🤣
Do you do anything creative? I find that this helps.
Hope you start feeling better soon. Hopefully the day will get better for you 🙂

Sometimes l feel my brain has had red hot lave poured into it, like constantly on red alert.it’s hateful.

That sounds awful. It's hard when you can't switch off. Hope today is a good day 💐

Hi wine I know what you mean about the physical symptoms coming first, I think that’s where I’m at right now. It’s hard as no amount of mindfulness (which I do find quite useful at times) seems to help!

Arse that’s a good analogy! For me it feels more like my entire body is fizzing.

I took a while to get up this morning, but I’ve loaded the dishwasher which I couldn’t manage last night, and sorted some laundry. My therapist says I’m pretty good at doing stuff while “holding” my anxiety usually so I need to try and cling onto that fact and just - for now - accept that the anxiety is there, and try and still do what I can. I’m so behind on my course, I can’t keep saying “I’ll do it when I’m less anxious” 😭