1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Sertraline

Extreme anxiety, finding it hard to cope with it

Posted , 6 users are following.

chelsea0507
chelsea0507

Sorry for the long post but I really need to talk to someone going through the same as me. I'll start from the beginning. I'm 24 years old and for as long as I can remember I've had some form of anxiety. When I was a teen it was very very mild to the point I never actually knew I had it I just thought finding it hard to breathe was normal! Now, over the past 2/3 years my anxiety has become completely out of control. I thought I was dying when I got my first major attack it was the first day of a new job and I blacked out only to wake back up convinced I had just had a heart attack which sounds ridiculous I know. I actually had to leave my job for 10 months in total as it got so bad that I was diagnosed with extreme generalised anxiety disorder with a score of 98 out of 100 for anxiety levels. I was passing out daily, suffering from tension headaches, locked jaw, shaking and sweating, vertigo, vomiting, diarrhoea, numb hands face chest and feet, difficulty breathing and sleep paralysis. My existence became so miserable I developed a fear of leaving my house for 7 months straight. I have recently had a baby and while my anxiety died down a little for a few months it is back worse than ever. I feel like I'm having heart attacks constantly. I suffer from approx 5-6 anxiety attacks a day and I'm really really struggling to even want to exist. I feel my life has been taken from me and I'm just a shell. I've been on 200mg of setraline for the past 2 years but it makes next to no difference. The doctors have told me that it's just something I'm going to have to learn to live with but I can't go on feeling like I'm dying 5 times a day I struggle to do anything other than care for my baby he's the love of my life and I keep going for him but I don't know what to do. Can anyone tell me that I can get through this? sad

0 likes, 28 replies

28 Replies

Prev
  • a-new-day
    a-new-day chelsea0507

    Posted

    hello chelsea it sounds like you should be on something other than sertraline? if switching to something else is difficult, could you not get a months supply of a benzo type drug from your doctor (which will make you feel relaxed and calm), to take as you switch over to the new med (you could get a fast acting benzo 'incase of emergency' so to speak, or perhaps instead an extended release one, so you get the effects throughout the day/evening)

    • chelsea0507
      chelsea0507 a-new-day

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply. I've been given beta blockers in the past but taking them gave me an anxiety attack because I was scared my heart was gonna stop beating. Stupid I know. I think I'll ask my doctor to try them again it's so frustrating having such extreme anxiety as everything sets an attack off. I know it's mind over matter but I just worry about dying almost every second of the day so anything I do sets me off for example I drank fizzy juice yesterday and was convinced I would have a heart attack from all the sugar which resulted in an anxiety attack from 9pm to 5am on and off this morning. sad

    • sandy79417
      sandy79417 chelsea0507

      Posted

      Hi! Are you exercising and eating a healthy clean low sugar diet. I would be having anxiety attacks all day long if I did not watch my food and do some form of cardio every single day. I am tapering down my 100mg dosage after taking Setraline for 14 yrs. Meditation and prayer along with diet and exercise have made all the difference in the world.
    • chelsea0507
      chelsea0507 sandy79417

      Posted

      Hi sandy. Before I was pregnant I was working out every day I actually dropped 3 stone from working out so much in the space of 6 months as it was the only thing that took my mind off it. As soon as I got to around 4 months pregnant I was so ill with morning sickness all day I didn't have energy to do anything. Then at around 7 mnths I was put on bed rest and signed off work as I was doing too much ch and it was stressing me and the baby. Since giving birth 3 months ago I'll admit I've not been exercising nearly as much. My diet is pretty balanced the only thing I have that's bad for me is fizzy juice other than that I eat salads, fish chicken etc so I'm not sure if that's a problem

    • chelsea0507
      chelsea0507

      Posted

      Also I should add during my pregnancy I gained the 3 stone back and I'm currently 11.5 stone which is really making me depressed as I feel huge and it gives me bad anxiety so I know there's an issue with the weight gain and my anxiety

    • sandy79417
      sandy79417 chelsea0507

      Posted

      Hi Chelsea, You need to get you and your baby outside for a long walk everyday. The endorphin high from exercising will really help you feel better and less anxious. Don't be so hard on yourself for gaining weight back especially after having a baby. I think you need to practice loving kindness to yourself the moment you wake up. Start your day while lying and bed and think about having a good healthy happy balanced life. Put one foot in front of the other and dig yourself out of this rut. You can do this!               

  • a-new-day
    a-new-day chelsea0507

    Posted

    hey, regarding my post above which says:  "is being moderated",  i forgot that we cant include links to other websites in our replies

Back to top
Prev

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.