Anxiety help!!

[Shinyshiny2]

I’ve been through various periods in my life where I get anxious and my anxiety fixates around sleep. I worry about sleep and therefore don’t sleep. I know I can sleep and just need to not worry but I can’t. Previously I’ve taken fluoxetine and things have improved. I stopped taking fluoxetine regularly in the summer as I felt good. I’ve been taking maybe one or two per week until last week when I started taking them daily again as my anxiety increased. At the weekend I worried about sleep and therefore didn’t sleep! I’ve had to call in sick to work today as I’m so anxious and sleep deprived - I’m a teacher. I went to the doctor who said I may feel more anxious until the fluoxetine levels out and he’s given me a sedating tablet to take at night. I asked him if I’d be stuck like this forever and he replied you might be it’s up to you! I’m so scared I’m never going to get better, end up having a nervous breakdown or being admitted to hospital or suicidal! I‘M so anxious and just want things to improve!! Am I stuck like this??

So sorry are struggling. You will get better.

I’ve suffered dreadfully on & off over the years with A&D, I will say that these times have always been (looking back at test results) more frequent, and worse, when my Ferritin and or Vit D, B12/folate have been low or the low end of normal.

Interestingly I saw this last night and the Dr is saying ferritin can be marked normal pretty low, but for MH it would benefit being 50-100. I’ve managed to boost mine into the 40’s and feel less worried and sleep better (low ferritin can affect sleep also). I do also have B12 injections and prescription Vit D as I can’t seem to keep any of my levels up.

Thyroid issues can also cause depression/anxiety. Did the Dr do up to date bloods or just restart your prescription? Get copies of test results if you can so you can compare them to your local labs reference ranges and boost if needed.

I know it may be that none of the above are contributing to your depression, but it’s worth ruling it all out.

I hope the fluoxetine helps soon and things start improving for you

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRJbHoJy/

You can get CBT for sleep. I have adhd and am a massive night owl plus peri and a stressful job.

Things that are working currently magnesium glycinate 20 mins before bed, a 20 min soak in an Epsom salt bath once a week.

For my brain, I have 2 things. One is to play a version of a word game. Take the alphabet. Start with A. Come up with a 3 letter word. Then B, C etc.

Any word.

Arm, Bog, Cat etc.

When you get to Z, move to 4 letters, then 5 letters. I've never made it to the end of Z with 4 letters before I'm asleep. Really straightens out a jumpy mind.

The other one is to stare really hard at the backs of your eyelids, try and focus on them with eyes shut. I'm always asleep quite quick with that.

For settling my emotions, I might listen to serotonin beats on Spotify, basically any ambient sound for 10 mins.

Breathing exercises can also help a bit. I had a vibrating fit bit that has a breath in and out timed option which used to be helpful.

I also use the phrase 'My Work is done today. I'm putting today's work to rest now because it fuels tomorrow tasks.'

Have a pitch dark room. As cool as possible. Consider a mattress foam topper for comfort. Cotton duvet. Not synthetic. Lowest summer tog all year round. Loop earplugs (although can be a worry if you sleep through and alarm).

Good luck.

Well that's a helpful response from your GP!!!!!!

Fluoxetine ramps my anxiety up no end when stepping up or starting to take regularly.. this is absolutely temporary, like 100% temporary. You've been here before and got better, no reason you won't this time.

I find it helpful to think of these thoughts as symptoms of your mental illness health and not truths, as pain is a symptom of a broken bone. Bones heal and the pain gets better......as will your brain xx

Hi OP, i truly understand and empathise.

Years ago, I had a terrible head injury and post concussion syndrome that was so awful, I ended up literally not sleeping for a week 💔😪 The post concussion syndrome symptoms made me feel terrible and anxious, which led to insomnia and I did have a breakdown - i managed to get better by going on an off label antipsychotic (which actually harmed me and gave me a neurological involuntary movement disorder 😪)

Anyway, the point of my anecdote was not to make you feel worse or worry you (i promise!) but to say that these things can and do get better. The best advice I had was to not worry about going to sleep (easier said than done, I know!) as it becomes a bit self fulfilling, so just try relaxation exercises, breathing, listening to the radio etc. And definitely, as the advice goes, get up after a while and do something boring like ironing.

You'll be fine, please don't worry 💖

Thank you. I’m just worried I’ll be stuck anxious forever. I’m anxious about work on Monday even though I love my job! I really want to go in but I’m anxious that I won’t sleep the night before!

I completely understand the horrible feeling of the possibility of being stuck
I had a breakdown a few years ago after breast cancer treatment and sudden death of my dad
i never thought I would feel calm and ok
It took time ,tears , meds , therapy and I felt better
Yet last year we moved house , lost our business , plus other issues
I tried to carry on
but in August this year finally asked for help again
i am now on therapy , seeing a mental health practioner , setraline and propranolol and have diazepam for when really overwhelmed
I am again feeling like the only one struggling , feel stuck , no energy and scared of not recovering

Hi all,
I’m dealing with a period of anxiety and low mood, and although I’m improving, I still have some very wobbly days. I get tired easily and sometimes need long naps, which makes me feel guilty or “weak.”
Some days I feel confused about whether I’ll cope, and other days I feel more hopeful.
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has had a slow, up-and-down recovery. It would help to know I’m not alone.
Thank you

@JJBJ your not alone, I have experienced this up and down as have quite a few of my friends on the road to recovery with both depression and anxiety. Improvement is certainly not linear, just think day to day when your well you have peaks and troughs in mood although you don't take as much notice of them as you do when your poorly as everything provokes that 'oh god I'm not getting better, I'm getting worse, why aren't I better, I'll never be better' response.

I have had bouts of depressive thoughts and quite debilitating anxiety, the last one I decided to write a diary so that if I went there again I had evidence of how up and down my journey was and could prove to myself that I would get better

Thank you for responding , the diary idea is a good one as it’s so hard to recall the ups and downs in a reasonable way . It’s too easy to spiral with negative thoughts . I had a 4-5 days last week being able to go out for a light lunch , have a dog walk , babysit my baby granddaughter , so I assumed wow this is better , certainly not perfect but a bit more manageable - along with the help of a very low dose of diazepam as directed by my mental health nurse , but this week I need to nap rest and do very little & feel overwhelmed & tearful at times
which makes me feel like a lesser human being
I just need reassurance this is recovery