Any other worriers /anxiety sufferers out there....

[missytabitha]

This is my first post ever on Mumsnet as new to joining you...As title implies I am worlds worst worrier and only got worse since son was born eleven months ago. I have been like this all my life. Tried the lot, counselling, hypnotherapy, exercise, diet, ADs.

My worries tend to be 'catastrophising' ie imagining the worst ever thing happening which can make others a) laugh or b) dismiss my thoughts as 'stupid' and 'daft' but is far from funny to me as I am living in this 'worst case scenario' scene such a lot of the time.

I am on a type of AD (mild dose) at mo which is supposed to help and is a bit. My Doctor is supportive and I am lucky but I don't want to waste his time as I know people have real physical illnesses and I am on the surface very lucky indeed. Apart from the anxiety I have a great life and nothing to complain about.

I really want to conquer this somehow as I want to be the best possible example to my son who I love so much, the best thing that ever happened - sure you can all relate to this. I hope I have explained how I feel. I am asking has anyone got some new way of tackling anxiety that really works, ideally
something natural. Also interested in talking to anyone who relates to this post, thanks.

have you tried CBT?

I have also suffered very badly from anxiety. CBT helped me though that may be one of the things you've tried.

I remember reading some article in a paper years ago where the writer was saying he had an Alfred Hitchcock mind e.g. couldn't walk past pointy railings without thinking what if I tripped now and impaled myself on them and bled to death. I was glad to see I wasn't the only one who thought like this.

I'm managing to control the anxiety since getting pregnant because I don't want to pass it on to my DD. I'm sure you feel the same about your DS

Have you had your thyroid levels checked by the GP? I think overactive thyroid can cause tension and anxiety. I have an underactive one, but when they put me on too high a dose of tablets I went overactive and became crippled with anxiety.

thanks to all who responded, sorry I couldnt write before now as had computer problem. Some other things to think about - thanks. Interesting about the overactive thyroid.

thanks to all who responded, sorry I couldnt write before now as had computer problem. Some other things to think about - thanks. Interesting about the overactive thyroid.

I too had really bad anxiety most of my life. Got really bad after DS1 and was diagnosed as having an overactive thyroid. I was then treated for itand ( long story) ended up with an under active thryroid. I also got extreme anxiety with under active. I am now on thyroxine and it is all under control and anxiety is really subsiding. The docs suspect my thyoid has been dodgy all my life and hence the anxiety. I would ask to get your thyroid checked as if there is a problem it gets much worse the first few months after childbirth.
Ps - know what you mean about people laughing at your 'catastophising'. Its no help is it. I think my worst was not letting my husband fly on a business trip 3 days before our wedding as I was convinced the plane would crash ! He humoured me on that one occasion !

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Hi all. V interested in this thread, and the links people are making with thyroid problems - I have an underactive thyroid which is in theory under control with thyroxine which I've been on now for about 12 years, in varying different doses, but convinced the dose is still not quite right as knackered beyond belief. Have also been on ADs in the past but not now. Anyway... I am a terrible worrier, to the point where I made myself very ill (literally sick with worry) during my pregnancy and ended up with a placental abruption (brought on by stress) triggering labour 5 weeks early. DS is now 10 months and fine but constantly anxious about him, me, life generally, tearful all the time etc. Anyway don't really have any answers, but sending lots of love to MissyT and all you other worriers and will carry on following this thread to see if anyone has a magic cure! x

Jacksmybaby,poor you,I really emapthise with you. TBH, my 'symptoms' didnt really get better till I did a 6 week detox. I felt so much better after it and all the extra vitamins I was taking. So, my thyroxine dose remained unchanged but I had loads more energy etc. missyT, get your thyroid checked right away - it maybe that it is causing your anxiety. Just being slightly out of the normal range can make you feel rotten.

Mmmmm very interesting....I'm a very anxious person and am on citalopram which keeps it in check on a day-to-day basis but am going back to work next week after 6 months ML and know that this last week will be ruined by my worrying (it makes me physcially sick). When I look back over my life its something I have always had - even as a small child. I really hope I haven't passed it onto my DD....

I had about 6 weeks of counselling after DD was born but tbh my GP is rubbish and just hands out citalopram on repeat prescription.

May discuss the thyroid thing (I am very overweight as well so that may be the same thing that can be cured easily

I've bought a variety of self-help books...but I need to read them This was recommended to me.

Will be interested to hear of any others experiences....

I think to a certain extent you are born with anxiety. I remember being 4 and at school and worrying that my mum wouldn't be there to meet me from the school gate and that she would have been killed in a car crash. Cheery or what !! Aged 11 I developed full on panic attacks for a year or so which totally disappeared until I did my finals at university when they came back with a vengeance.They went away again and came back after DS1 was born. So, looking back they always developed at times of severe stress.
The doctor thinks my thyroid could have been dodgy since childhood ( i was very thin until my teens and then overnight put on a lot of weight for no reason). Who knows what causes what but I know after I did Jason Vale's juice detox I felt loads better. Not sure how to do a link but look it up on google.

missy, welcome, i dont believe you can be the worlds worst worrier, cos i am You should take a look at the citalopram buddies thread, in the feeling depressed bit. Alot of us are taking it for anxiety. Its a great support

mousemole, are you still carrying alot of weight?

I can relate to the Hitchcock thing.

Every day when I drive to collect Ds from school, I go past a row of black and white posts by the road and just imagine driving straight through them.

Bizarre and useless thought. I do that a lot but it's generally 'background' as I've been doing it so long I tend to block it out and just get on with things.

I do have severe depression at the moment though which involves not going out or facing people unless I have to and feeling like everyone hates me.

You're not alone Tabby

I suffer anxiety & panic attacks, although I haven't had a panic attack for ages.

my anxiety is heightened by stress and I am the type of person that can't handle the smallest amount of stress. My DH is a person that seems to handle any stressful situation thrown at him and I envy people like that - he is so laid back it's unreal.

i totally sympathise with you & wish I had the answer. I know the only treatment is anti depressants and/or anxiety management counselling.

Keep posting on here for support I find this site excellent when you need support and advice.

Have you done a bit of CBT? Catastrophising is a term I learnt when I did a course of it. Really helped me when nothing else seemed to.

I also found herbalism very helpful though. Rather than buying St John's wort from the chemist or whatever, I saw a herbalist and got a tincture specialised to me. It had that and valerian and some other bits and pieces, I found it worked to keep me calm during the day and stop the anxiety building up.

I think what others have said, some of us are prone to anxiety and certain things can trigger it, ie, birth of a child. You're not wasting your GP's time, it's a serious condition. I thought I was going mad at points.

It hasn't gone completely and sometimes it flares up but I think/hope I can mostly keep it under control now.

Hope you fell better soon.

MrsCarrot - Is valerian for anxiety? I thought it was more of a sleep aid. Is it worth me buying it for anxiety? I am having problems sleeping and can't seem to relax at all & I am a born worrier.

Tried St Johns and hated it- it did nothing. The only thing that has worked for me is AD's but for some reason they cause acid reflux so I had to stop taking them.

Jinglyjangly - passiflora is also great for calming your nerves, valerian works too so you could tyr them both or visit a herbalist and get remedies made specifically for you. I can recommend
www.woodlandherbs.co.uk if you want to buy tinctures. Just add to your juice.

I suffer dreadfully from anxiety and panic - often health anxiety where I build a minor symptom into a serious illness in my head.

Two things have helped

1 No More Panic - website called www.nomorepanic.co.uk which has loads of advice and an excellent forum.

1. I am currently using EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) which basically involves tapping acupressure points - sounds barmy but it works to relive the really acute symptoms - at least it does for me.

Definitely check out the No More Panic site though.

Thanks santa. So that site sell passiflora and valerian? As for a herbalist I don't know any in my area.

pod.4relay.net/pod.jsp?pageid=search.req&_licid=nimh

Try this

Spike - I trained in EFT but I don't find it helps me. I too have tried everything apart from CBT.
I've always been a worrier but it has got much much worse over the past 5 years (but had lots of traumatic events to contend with). I went to Drs when my DD was 6 months as it got progressively worse after having her. Am 6 wks pg again and starting to worry that my anxiety levels are going to make me a hermit again.

Lucyellensmum - no weight is OK now. Once the thyroid was sorted it finally came off. Although tried weightwatchers and lost about 2lbs in a month and then did the Jason Vale jucing plan for a week followed by his healthy eating plan for a couple of months and lost almost 2 stone.
I am interested in CBT to see if it can help with a new ( post babies) anxiety which is a fear of driving on motorways. Cod knows where that one came from.Like JinglyJangly my DH is the most laid back individual and I am so jealous of his ability to not even have worrisome thoughts cross his mind.
Just remembered as well that I had a hair mineral analysis that showed I was chronically deficient in magnesium which can lead to anxiety so have been on supplements of magnesium for a while.

Thanks to all. Definitely going to get my thyroid checked as was thought to be a problem with that just before I got pregnant and then its got a bit forgotten...That would make me feel loads better if something physical behind it.

Mousemole, you in particular do sound like my twin! As I have worried as long as can remember and I remember worrying on Xmas Eve as my dad used to drive to my grandmas (to collect the pressies) and I'd worry whether he had a car crash. He is still with us thankfully 34 years later but the fear at the time!

It has helped HUGELY to know I am not the only one and thanks so much to all who have responded. I am going to get thyroid checked and also try the detox plus the links you mention.

MissyTabitha - do get it checked and let me know the results. I was a bit obsessive about researching it all and luckily ended up with one of the best specialists in the country. They will give you three readings, TSH, T3 and T4 which means nothing to you now but I would be genuinely interested to hear your results.
I know you said you tried diet to make things better and I thought I had too until I did a proper detox ( I know I sound a bit evangelical about the detox, apologies) and realised that it would take months of really healthy eating to put back all the good stuff that had been depleted over the years.
I genuinely feel better than I have in ages and LOOK better - hair, nails and skin all gleaming and even wrinkles a little better :O ! Just to crack this darn motorway driving phobia now ! ( managed a dual carriageway yesterday so feeling quite pleased !). Anyway, good luck and keep us posted !

I think valerian is used for sleeping problems but also for anxiety as it relaxes you. I have bought it from the chemist before and found it too strong, made me feel really weird, but as a component of a tincture it was very useful.

Sleeping problems often, but not always, go hand in hand with anxiety so the remedies can work as a whole rather than one for sleeping, one for nerves iyswim. I really do recommend finding a good herbalist that can get your whole picture if you can, like any alternative remedy it works better holistically. They are expensive but you can end up spending loads on different pots of things from the chemist. Could you ask your local health shop for any recommendations?