Anxiety and not leaving the house

[lorisparkle]

I am off work for my anxiety/depression(etc) on HRT and recently started citalopram.

I know a walk outside in the sunshine will help but I am finding it so hard to leave the house.

Any support/ideas?

What specifically is it that stops you leaving the house?

Could you sit in a garden or even just open a window first? Maybe just to enjoy the fresh winter sun and show yourself that being outside is OK before you head further afield?

Not sure what is stopping me - I think I just don't want to do anything at all except curl up in a ball on the sofa.

Doing anything is a huge effort - eating, tidying, washing, etc etc

I then beat myself up for being 'lazy'

You're not lazy, you're ill and finding a balance of what helps while you recover takes time.

If you've just staryed the meds it could be that deep rest is what you need to adjust while they take effect.
Is there a room in your house with a big window or lots of light? How do you feel about sitting in that room and just being for a bit, thinking about what you can see, feeling the sun on your face if it's shining in. Listen to the sounds. No pressure to do anything more, just a change of scene

How long have you been on the citalopram?

Thank you - this is my third week of citalapram and just increased to 20mg.

It can take 6 weeks to take effect whilst making you feel worse to begin with. Just hang in there x

In menopause HRT is recommended over ADs for anxiety.

I force myself out of bed, to have breakfast, shower and get in my car to go to work. As soon as I see my favourite colleague, I'm happy.

It takes alot of effort and the sense of doom in my stomach, is horrific.

Hopefully your meds will kick in soon. Meno anxiety is awful and I think is one symptom which is hugely underestimated.

Maybe write a very short list each day ( 1/2 tasks ) and reward yourself for completing?

What hrt regime are you on?

Have you had bood tests for folic, b12, thyroid, iron,

I had this op, it’s rubbish. ADs and HRT sorted it eventually, but I went through a phase of being really anxious to leave the house. I forced myself to go into the garden if the weather was ok, but essentially I decided to be kind to myself and not beat myself up about it. It got better and I’ve been fine for a few years now. You would need to prise my HRT and Sertraline out of my cold dead hands though!

Could you survive without the HRT if you were forced to? Would sertraline be enough? I had my HRT withdrawn suddenly, due to metastic cancer, but scared of the sertraline side effects.

I would have to in certain situations @Enigma52, and I guess I would survive but it would be tough. I wouldn’t want to have to as HRT has really helped so many symptoms (I really struggled and not just with anxiety). Sertraline would be enough on its own for the anxiety (but not the other symptoms) as I was on it while on the waiting list to see the meno specialist who gave me HRT. There’s loads of threads on Sertraline side effects - they were difficult to deal with, not gonna lie, but once out the other side of them I never looked back - Sertraline gave me my life back, doubt I could work without it (and I need to work).

I see. I may have to bite the bullet and start the sertraline then, since my HRT has swiftly been withdrawn. I work in a school so side effects would need to be minimal.

What a total headache!

Solidarity and sympathy Enigma. Trial and error but worth it when you get the balance right. Others who can’t take HRT may well have herbal suggestions or other things that help too.

I am on HRT but have had a rocky road with it. I had to stop for a while because of bleeding and then have been on it again for about 4 months. Currently on sequential with 2 pumps of gel a day but I find the days without progesterone I am waking between 3 and 4am and not going back to sleep.

I am trying to get out in the garden which is helping

I tried sertraline before but it made me feel really really bad. Loved mirtrazapine but I put on 2 stone and that made me feel bad.

How I hate menopause