feeling very anxious

[thinker]

I suffer from anxiety especially regarding my kids health. I am pregnant and am coming off Citalopram in order to commence Sitraline. My 3 yo daughter has been fine today, has eaten quite a lot compared to normal. About 5.30 this evening, she started playing in babys buggy and strapped herself in, then by 6 she had fallen asleep. My husband came in and so he thought it was odd and is she ill?? Now it has set me off on an anxiety thingy. She wunt have eaten all that today if she felt ill would she? No temperature or anything.

Don't worry thinker - at this age if she's ill she would normally have some other symptom than going to sleep. Perhaps she's just had a really busy day (with all that eating!) and the buggy is a familiar place where she used to sleep and that helped her drop off. Good luck if you can get her into bed without waking her up though!!

Just put her to bed, she woke up and screamed a bit but that is normal for her if woken. I calmed her down and she has gone back to sleep. She feels warm but no temp. I think (deep breath lets try and be rational) that what husband said triggered my anxiety and now cant think straight. If he had not said anything I would have thought she had got cosy in the buggy and fallen asleep like she does on car journeys. Yes, calming down lots now, coming on here helps a lot actually because I dont feel so isolated, thank you so much xx

Yes, thinker, just tired, I'm sure. Three year old's can get utterly, exhausted seemingly randomly.

Would it be a good idea, bearing in mind your other thread, to ask your dh not to mention illness to you except in an emergency?

Big arm squeeze to you.

It's hard isn't it when they behave slightly different from normal and you start fretting?

I remember last year I wasn't well at all mentally and DH was away on (compulsory) retreat. One night DS just decided to cry and cry and cry for no particular reason. I was chatting to a friend on fb and just kept coming back with ever more panicked messages. He said the next day it was like watching a train crash in slow motion.He nearly jumped in the car and drove all the way over.

You're doing really well.

Oh God onebatmother you will make me cry being kind to me xx Its all too much, pregnancy, withdrawal children I am going mad.

Want a glass of wine to knock edge off.

I promise you're really NOT going mad, thinker. You've got the same level of emotional difficulties as a lot of the rest of us, but right now they're expressing themselves in a very specific, and therefore very noticeable and unpleasant-to-experience way. Honestly.

Unless you have previous alcohol problems it would not be a bad idea to have a glass of wine, I'd say.

Next time try the controlled breathing thing - lying down on the floor. Has anyone seen you when in a panic and ascertained whether or not you hyperventilate?

No I don`t have physical symptoms, just feel very very frightened and alone. Can feel adrenaline pumping round body its awful.

feel bad having the wine cos pregnant 23 weeks. Feel stupid being pregnant if I am going to be like this, I thought i would be a real lioness mum but have turned out to be a neurotic one. I want to enjoy being a mum but it is turning out to be a bloody nightmare for me and this illness thing.

well adrenaline is a sign of a panic attack.

wine is fine - adrenaline no better/worse. I had a glass a day all through preg and have crazily bright happy children.

You ARE a lioness mum - gone a bit too far, that's all

Wine, breathe in, breathe out - 4 counts in, 6 out - and be proud of your astonishingly strong sense of protection towards your babies. Then, let it go.

And tomorrow, look into whether you can afford psychotherapy as discussed on the other thread.

Go for the lesser of two evils. What is better - you calm with a small glass of wine or you stressed with adrenaline. I would go for the wine if you think it will help you.

And I'm with onebatmother, you are NOT mad, just a mother. You're talking to someone who had a child in her bed ALL night and didn't sleep because I thought he was breathing strangely. We have all been there...

Just been to tesco and bought a bottle of wine and ferrero rocher, came back and checked on daughter, she is just asleep. Checked temperature and it is fine again. So if she is ill it is a mystery symptomless illness feeling better now, going to go onto nopanic and see about crossing over to setiraline rather than leaving a gap. Thanks for your kindness and support everyone xxx

V glad you're feeling better thinker. Onwards and upwards. Every time you get through one of these episodes you're a bit stronger, a bit more prepared, a bit more aware that they are your brain doing odd things to your body.