Hi All,
I'm almost 5 weeks in to taking sertraline for generalised anxiety (1 week at 25mg, then the last 3.5 weeks at 50mg). I've been on it twice before for postnatal anxiety, and knew my anxiety had been getting worse this time over the past 6 months or so, so it was a big decision for me to go back on it. The thing that finally pushed me to do it was that I started experiencing insomnia, something I've never suffered from before and it terrified me.
Anyway, I'm just looking for some reassurance. Although I've had a few good days since starting the sertraline, and sleep is improving, this week I feel like I'm back to square one with the anxiety and bad tummy. I wake up every day at 5am with a racing heart and dreading the day. I get up with my 4 year old but I'm so crippled by it I find it hard to interact with him or play with him. I usually manage to walk my kids to school but it takes a superhuman effort. I feel like I'm being a bad Mum, I just don't have the capacity or energy to do much with them at the moment and the idea of the long 6 week summer holiday is only adding to my anxiety. My husband is helpful on a practical level but has never experienced mental health issues so struggles to understand quite how bad I feel.
People who have been on it before – do you think I'll start to turn a corner soon? From memory, it took a good 3 months for me to feel almost normal again but somehow this time feels so much worse because I have older kids to deal with and more responsibilities.
Only positive responses please!