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Overcoming general anxiety - success stories please!

8 replies

BeckyBendyLegs · 27/06/2010 08:19

Hi there, basically I have been suffering from anxiety at a manageable level most of my life but since DS3 was born it's gone into hyperdrive. It has affected my sleep resulting in sleep anxiety now. It's been fluctuating since January - I go through days of feeling better then days of stomach in knots, feeling sick, not sleeping. I've been dithering for months now (as some of you if you know me know already!) about whether to take any medication. I did try fluoxitine in January but it made life unbearable for the 3 days I tried it for (ie couldn't sleep at all, anxiety through the roof, extreme nausea, dizzyness, just horrible). I have dithered and dithered and dithered (as I know there are alternative ADs to the SSRIs) and I still don't know whether to go for the AD route.

So, please fellow anxiety sufferers tell me what you have done to try to get better, medication, CBT, hypnotherapy, homeopathy, etc, which worked, which helped the most.

I have just been referred for CBT - 12 month waiting list.

Any advice welcome. I don't feel depressed (except when I am sleep deprived and then I am down in the depths). Generally I am very happy, I am very busy, rushing around, loving life, etc. I just have this horrible knotty ball of anxiety in my stomach most of the time (worst in the mornings and some evenings). It would be a dream come true to get it down to normal levels again. I couldn't even tell you want causes it. It is worse when there is illness, extra stress, DH working too hard, etc., but it is there most of the time.

OP posts:
kizzie · 27/06/2010 15:39

Hi Becky i do use medication (quite a low dose of a tricycli called cloimpramine) but had also taken SSRIs.
I do have depression as well but this is generally the result of the severe anxiety rather than the other way round.

In my experience the medication for anxiety has made me much much worse in the first instance (not able to work/sleep/ be on my own etc) and this can take a few weeks to wear off. Drs will very rarely acknowledge this which can make it worse.

Because you say 'generally I am very happy, I am very busy, rushing around, loving life, etc' then I can see why you dont want to go through that.

Eveything ive read suggests that cbt is the best option. 12 months is a long time to wait - is seeing someone privately an option?

Hope you find best solution soon x

monkeroo · 27/06/2010 15:59

Hi Becky, was interesting reading your post - you could be me!
I went down the CBT route, when my anxiety got so that I didn't want to leave the house. I was lucky that my GP referred me to a therapist who was just about to qualify, and only charged £10 a session.
I'm much better now, still feel anxious, but am able to rationalise and overcome it.
Good luck xx

zippy539 · 27/06/2010 18:38

Hi Becky - I had general anxiety and hypervigilism (sp?) which came on after two spectacularly scary births. Like you - I didn't have anything which I would describe as depression - I just felt very worried all the time and constantly expected the worst! However looking back I was knackered and apathetic - which was later explained to me as being a result of my brain being knackered because of the energy it was expending on being anxious about stuff.

I was v lucky in that my HV (useful for once!) referred me to a GP who specialised in hypnosis for anxiety issues. I only went to one session but it helped hugely (now kicking myself that I didn't do the full course). Every so often I get a recurrence but I use the techniques the hypnosis GP taught me and they really, really help.

Good luck - you'll get this sorted!

Rocklover · 27/06/2010 22:48

I had severe generalised anxiety and ended up not being able to work for over a year. I resisted medication as I also had a horrfic 3 days on Fluoxetine. Eventually I was persuaded to try Citalopram and it really helped me, I took it for just over 6 months and no longer need it.

With lots of support and baby steps I got my life and confidence back. I was able to work and travel again. I also did a course of CBT which helped me to challenge my fears and the unhealthy behaviours I had developed to deal with my fears.

I would urge you to go back to your gp and ask to be put down for some cbt and possibly discuss alternative meds. Also contact your local MIND group, they can offer support.

No matter how bad it gets I can guarantee you WILL recover, it's just a case of finding what works for you.

Rocklover · 27/06/2010 22:49

Bugger didn't read the bit about CBT, so ignore that in my post lol. Good that you have asked for it though.

monkeroo · 28/06/2010 08:44

I also found this book terrifically helpful - very practical and solution based. If you can't find an affordable CBT practitioner then working through this may help.

www.amazon.co.uk/Mind-Over-Mood-Change-Changing/dp/0898621283

BeckyBendyLegs · 28/06/2010 09:47

Hi everyone, thanks so much for your replies. All very useful.

Monkeroo that book looks interesting, I will take a look.

My anxiety, strangely, is worse when I am at home, especially first thing in the morning when I wake up. I actually feel much better when I am out and about and it gradually decreases during the day, worse again at tea time.

I think hypnosis is great stuff - I use it on my ipod to help me sleep sometimes and even if it doesn't work that night it does seem to help generally. My mum is a hypnotherapist (long retired though) and she has given me some relaxation sessions but she's not supposed to treat family so it's not ideal.

I might try and see about paying for CBT. We've got to spend a lot of money on the house though so we'll see.

It is very encouraging to hear about you all managing anxiety and getting better. I'm hopeful that as DS3 gets older I will start to feel better.

OP posts:
Digi2al · 03/08/2019 19:36

I remember the first time I felt this wave of anxiety come over me, I was sitting in class, top of the class and the teacher made a point that I must never play rounder’s with the girls again, that I was sissy and I have to play with the boys. I was around 10 and I just wanted the floor to swallow me. The entire class was staring at me and they were judging me negatively, laughing at me and I never felt so alone. However thanks to youtube and this awesome YouTuber called The Anxiety guy, I found a way to fight anxiety.
bit.ly/2p2XwqC

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