Adult onset anxiety - embarrassed

[Dontletthebedbugsbite2]

Hello, I've had a rough few years, death of both parents, working in NHS during covid (before & then after my mum suddenly died making me an orphan at 30) and various childhood traumas - nothing major some bullying at secondary school, some domestic violence in the family etc. All things I felt I had taken in my stride & moved on from. However I still just feel a bit sad. Which is normal I suppose so I've accepted that. What I am struggling with is what I now realise is anxiety. Particularly anxiety around infestations. I haven't had an infestation in my home but I found one singular flea in my very clean pet free home & it has caused me to spiral and panic after getting one single bite last night - which may not even be from a flea. I have treated the whole house with sprays/hoovering etc so should be in the clear. I also thought I had a skin infection last week (I don't). It all seems to be fears based on bugs/infestations. I don't have health anxiety - infact I dont care if I die today. My question is, are there medications that can help me? Thank you.

For medications that can help, you need to talk to GP for either a prescription or a referral. There are therapies that can also help – maybe a combination might be best for you.

In the short term you can always reach out to the Samaritans on 116 123 anytime for someone to talk to.

You might have health anxiety because the reaction to a flea, as it seems you are aware is a bit extreme.

Are you F/perimenopause? I ask because my good friend who is a PhD gynecologist told me that women experience anxiety they never previously had due to hormone shifts. She said it was why many women develop a fear of driving.

She was going through this and told me turmeric was helping.

Sorry you are feeling unwell.

You need to make an appointment to see a GP. There are medications that can help. But a GP will be the one to help. Ring up and ask for the GP or Nurse Practitioner with a special interest or extra training in mental health.

There are a few things you described such as anxiety, low mood, health anxiety and obsessions but you need a professional diagnosis in a face to face setting. Then ask for a review in a month to 6 weeks. DO NOT BE FOBBED OFF.

Thank you for all of your replies. I will of course contact a GP if needed but I was looking for personal experiences of things that helped, really just to go in armed with information. I have bought some St Johns Wart to try for now & hope it helps. I don't personally feel I do have health anxiety - my anxiety is around things living in my house & it not being clean. I understand a single flea won't kill me but it's the thought of them multiplying & me being overrun with them that causes me to spiral. I know its not normal or healthy and I would love to not feel this way.

Sorry I didn't reply to this in my original post. I dont think I'm menopausal - I have PCOS though so my cycle is always a bit all over the place & I do get really sad and almost depressed before a period, unsure if it's related. But yes ideally I want to stop the anxiety and thoughts spiralling. I am a calm and level headed person normally so this is very unlike me & has only become an issue in the last year - 18 months I would say.

How old are you? Agree with others to check whether or not it is the beginnings of peri. Anxiety came and bit me in the bum in my early 40s. I have found lifestyle stuff really helps to control it except when there are external things going on that make it worse: exercise, exercise, exercise; no alcohol; less caffeine; meditation (even though I don't like it); diet. And I tried HRT.

So I've recently lost 4stone & taken up running which I enjoy. I am 35 & probably the healthiest (physically) I've ever been which is why this is so frustrating. I'm honestly really embarrassed about it in real life because I know it is so silly.

Edited because I misspelled.