Struggling with sudden severe anxiety

[YourCoralPoster]

Hi everyone, I'm about 8 weeks pregnant with my first child. I've always been a bit of an anxious person with occasional panic attacks in certain situations (like planes) but it was very well managed and I felt fine and happy most of the time.

However, 9 days after finding out I'm pregnant I suddenly woke up with extreme anxiety and it just hasn't stopped for 3 weeks. It's constant, from the time I wake up to the time I sleep (and even during the night). I feel shaky, sick, my stomach is in knots. It's making me not want to eat and panicky about leaving the house for fear of having panic attacks.

I have no idea what triggered it, but the anxiety is causing more anxiety and I'm worried I'm going to continue like this forever. Just can't seem to get out of it. I went from being happy and excited for this baby to just feeling hopeless and like I won't be able to cope like this.

I desperately want to stop feeling anxious but it's hard when I can't pinpoint a cause. It's all I can think about and it's making me hate life.

It's not that I'm worried specifically about the baby's health etc, I'm just constantly anxious for seemingly no reason.

I also can't tell whether the feeling sick is pregnancy related or anxiety so that's annoying.

I contacted a therapist and have had 3 sessions so far but don't seem to be helping much. I've been trying meditation and breathing techniques etc but still stuck in this anxiety cycle. My GP did prescribe sertraline but I've been scared to take it for a few reasons: it might make me feel worse initially, it might not work at all and then what??, and I don't want to become dependent on medication.

But I'm honestly really struggling right now. Would love some advice/to hear from anyone who's been through something similar!

I’m sorry you’re going through this. I can very much relate. I think it’s hard for people to understand how debilitating anxiety can be if you haven’t experienced it!

I have had occasional periods of anxiety pre pregnancy, but it really went into overdrive when I found out I was pregnant this time. Initially I put it down to being nervous because previous losses, but I actually think another factor for me is that cortisol levels naturally increase in pregnancy, and your blood pressure can drop. This combination can create that buzzing, restless, heart-racing type feeling, and if you’ve had panic attacks before, it can feel horribly familiar.

I’ve had some therapy sessions, but the thing I’ve found most helpful is exercise. I appreciate that won’t work for everyone - and is sometimes the last thing you feel like in the first trimester! Also knowing that biological changes were probably a factor behind the strong physical panicky feelings was reassuring to me.

It has eased for me over time (I’m 19 weeks now). Wishing you all the best - pregnancy can be tough! ❤️

I take sertraline, please don’t be worried about taking it. It won’t make you feel worse, there are side effects of course but you won’t become reliant on it. Sometimes for all the will in the world, you just need to take medication because nothing else works if you can’t pinpoint the reason why it started. When you become panicky have you tried breathing techniques? Try breathing in for 7 counts and out for 10, it can help to switch off the fight or flight response.