Anti anxiety medication hesitation

[Malzzy]

Hello..It's been suggested by my counselor (and others before her!) that it might be helpful for me to go on some sort of anti anxiety medication to sort of level things out a bit. I am really hesitant though as generally speaking I hate taking anything- even paracetamol! Mentally I'm ok on the surface and most of the time I'm fine, but it's like I'm constantly waiting for something to worry about- and once that comes along it can be quite consuming. I don't know if this qualifies me so to speak, or if my level of anxiety is normal and I should just get on with it. I do intend to speak to an actual doctor about it this week, as on top of all this we're TTC- but it's been a long process of 4 years so far so I don't think a pregnancy is imminent or even possible. I did pluck up the courage to phone the doctor and ask for something last year but she suggested I went for a long walk or did yoga?! (have since changed dr's).
I have spoken to a few friends (not about me going on anything) about their experiences of anti anxiety tablets and they've been really positive experiences.
I'm not really sure why I'm writing here but maybe hearing more experiences would be helpful? Am I bad enough to go on them? Would I know if I was?

If your counsellor, and others before her, have suggested you try some medication I think it’s safe to say you are in need of it.

Personally, medication has been life saving for me. You don’t have to remain on it for life but it could help you hugely.

I was where you are 6 months ago, i didn't see how medication could help things and thought there must be other ways to deal with it...

Then I realised that I was on the brink and had to do something sooner rather than later.

I had my prescription a week before I took it but now I see how bad things were and although the meds haven't gotten rid of the anxiety completely it keeps my brain stable and I'm able to process my worries and control my reactions more.

Idontlike do you mind me asking what you take.
5 yrs ago I started getting anxiety driving,then so bad I decided to stop.
Fast forward to now where I can shop alone and go out into town.
I tried some driving lessons.one was ok today I was consumed with fear.
The instructor said anti depressants could help.
I am soo frustrated as I used to love my independence.
Any info on medication would be v useful.

Douchecanoe that is very useful.
Do you just feel ok all of the time?

@whatisforteamum, no. I have times where I still feel anxiety creeping in but tbh I'm happy about that as I was worried about being "numbed" by the meds! It just gives me a bit more warning so I've got time to rationalise my thought before going into panic mode.

I'm not on a high dose though - 50mg Setraline. I'm similar to you in that learning to drive was a massive stressor for me and looking back to when it all started I think it may have been the trigger.

I take 50mg Sertraline. I had exactly your symptoms, for years. I also didn’t want to take medication. I’ve been on it for 5 weeks now. First two weeks I felt rubbish (insomnia and as if I had flu) but I stuck with it, and after that I started to feel….better. I still feel like me, but the constant knot of anxiety in my stomach has gone. If I were you, I’d try it.

Ah ok.I can already drive and did successfully for over 30 yrs.
When I started feeling anxious I could still over ride it for a while.
Then I started leaving my car places and walking home.
So annoying.i need to ask gp what she suggests.i already have CBT.

this gives me hope- it's spiralling thoughts that I have most trouble with. For example I can think about having to drive a long distance and then before I know it in my mind the car has flipped over and crashed into a barrier, certain death sort of thing. Every twinge is some deadly disease. It's really really hard to get off the thought spiral when it gets going. I'm just so tired of it all.

@whatisforteamum

I take lofepramine.
I also have propranolol that I take as and when things get a little too overwhelming.
I have previously taken citalopram which I also found really good.

@Malzzy medication will really help with all those spiralling thoughts.

Thank you for that.Idontlike

I feel really down today.i had hoped my anxiety was gone.
So frustrating as I've had times without it for many years.
Thinking of everyone on here struggling.

@whatisforteamum things will get better, hang on in there.

Thank you idontlike.

@Idontlike how do you find the Propanolol? I was on Atenolol which is a beta blocker too for post partum high blood pressure after I had my daughter and although it immediately brought down my bp, it also brought my heart rate down scarily low- resting heart rate used to be 60's and it was down below 40 at night on Atenolol. I wonder if all beta blockers do that?!
I ended up in out of hours on a saturday a couple of years ago at a really, really low point and saw the most amazing GP- she spoke to me for nearly an hour and prescribed a few valium tablets to tide me over til my own gp opened the following monday. They really did help but I understand they're generally frowned upon now! I'm wondering if there's something like that that can be taken when I feel myself going towards an 'episode'?
@whatisforteamum i've heard that medication can work well with cbt because it can bring your heightened state of anxiety to a more managable level for the cbt to work from

Yes my anxiety is generally quite good now.I just got overwhelmed with the driving.

The propranolol works well @Malzzy

A few years back I was on it 3 x a day and just took it as instructed for god knows how long. I started cutting the tablets down and reduced myself slowly and weaned myself off them in the end once things improved for me. Covid has caused me quite a bit of stress so the dr added them back onto my repeat prescription. I only take them now if I am getting extremely stressed and strung out so I don’t have any problems with low BP or anything because I don’t take them often enough. They do take that awful jittery, heart thumping panic away if I’m having a difficult time so they are useful to have on standby. I’ve never tried Valium so can’t tell you if it would be a similar effect.