I think I’ve been suffering from anxiety the last few months and I don’t know what to do next

[Anxious1018]

I’m in my thirties and over the last few months I’ve found myself getting extremely anxious especially when it comes to health.

If I feel a slight pain anywhere in my body I automatically think I’m dying, will have palpitations and feel like I’m going to be sick/pass out. I felt very embarrased typing that out!

Ive been struggling with tiredness and feeling occasionally weak so I’ve requested bloods from my doctor. My doctor explained to me that he thinks I may have some anxiety but I completely brushed it off and told him I was fine which I now totally regret.

What can I do? Is medication the best solution here? I can’t afford private counselling so that’s out of the equation at the moment.

thanks

Been there op. Sertraline saved my life. Honestly try it. You don't have to feel this way.

Thanks for sharing that. It's not easy, but have another chat with the doc and be open about it with them. Medication helped me too, and some counsellors do reduced fees. Check out your local NHS for talking therapies? In my area we can self refer in.

What is the doctor testing your blood for? There might be a physical basis for how you're feeling so it makes sense to rule that out first.

Are you getting enough sleep? Sleep deprivation can give anxiety symptoms.

@CaptainCabinetsTrappedInCabinets did you have any side effects with the sertraline? I’ve spoken to my husband and he’s encouraging me to do more exercise which I know exercise is great for the mind but I don’t see how this is going to help control the sudden panics I get into

@NDerbys32 did you have sertraline too? My doctor did mention talking therapies before I brushed him off. I just feel silly because I don’t feel like I have a valid reason to be like this, I’ve not been through any traumatic events, this has literally just started from nowhere.

@Almostwelsh I’m getting enough sleep so can’t complain there. Doctor is testing me for some deficiencies as I’m getting random pains in my arms and he said this can be a symptom of B12 deficiency and will be doing full blood count to check inflammatory markers, iron levels etc. I mentioned random pains in my chest/under left armpit but he checked an ECG I had done 2 years ago and said my heart is fine and it must be anxiety.

Low haemoglobin or anaemia maybe? Do you have heavy periods?

Initially yes, gave me a bad stomach and made me super tired for about 3 weeks and then it tapered off.

Excercise is a good idea and helps but won't stop the panic attacks.

Propranolol for the panic is also a possibility. It stops your heart going overboard and reduces the impact of the panic attack. Had this at the beginning too which really helped.

The Calm app is also very good.

@thequickbrowndog i do have heavy periods, have done for a very long time. Never looked into anaemia before but will research, thank you

@CaptainCabinetsTrappedInCabinets did you stay on the medication for a long time? Yes I agree, would be very surprised if the exercise would help with the actual panic attacks. I can’t be certain but i think I’ve had 2 panic attacks, absolutely awful, my husband just couldn’t understand how I got myself into such a state but that was before we sat down and I mentioned could it be anxiety? We’ve never known anyone who openly has it so no experience of it. I never knew there was an app, I’ll take a look of it, thank you

I'm still on sertraline, have been now for 12 months. The propranolol started to make me feel wierd once the sertraline started to kick in.

I'm on 25mg which is half the recommended dose but it works well.

I also practice CBT techniques and try to look after myself better. A big part of the health anxiety was knowing I wasn't taking care of myself at all.

Hi - Yes, I'm on Sertraline too. I'd put it off for some time before I agreed to it, but had a particularly rough time, then I decided to go on it. Had a few weeks of not sleeping the best but it settled down after about 5 weeks and works for me.

May I say that you're not silly, and that it doesn't need a traumatic event to bring anxiety into our lives?

Like another poster above, once I felt a bit better I started to work on my diet and get out for walks regularly. We all have different ways of managing it.
I hope the advice on here helps. It's a bit of a cliché but you really are not alone with it.

I have a MH business, working with some large organisations and I can say that no one, from any background or job role is immune from anxiety/ stress etc.

@CaptainCabinetsTrappedInCabinets thanks for the info. I’m going to take baby steps, will speak to my doctor when I get my blood results and take it from there.

@NDerbys32 thank you for the kind words, it’s certainly made me feel better 😊. Hopefully once I speak to the doctor and maybe sort out medication and also make some lifestyle changes it will do me the world of good.

I second sertraline. Instantly stopped intrusive thoughts. Side effects were mainly feeling like a zombie for a few weeks. I had nausea with it for the first few weeks too but found taking it before bed was helpful for that. It also made me sleep very deeply (but that was much needed at the time as my intrusive thoughts kept me awake). I was on it for about 18months and it saved my life honestly.

I was able to find free therapy (then it moved to low cost after 16 sessions) in my area but I’m in a “poor” area South Wales so not sure if anything is available in your area. That was with the Alderian society. Go back to your GP and be honest with them. They would rather you open up so they can give you the right support than judge for your “not coping” or however you may feel.

sertraline helped remove intrusive thoughts initially, and then talking therapy helped me to cope more long term.

@RollaRooS92 intrusive thoughts is definitely something I really struggle with so it’s great to hear yours stopped immediately. Thanks for the info