Help needed x

Hi Katecogs

Everything you say makes sense. I've ordered some of the books I've seen you recommend to try to understand this illness.😊

hey Katecogggs 😊

thank you for replying and thank you for the message that really does put things into perspective a lot and it really makes sense x its mad how our CNS can play these tricks on us but what you are saying does really make sense x

christmas was tough but I wasn't too worried about it because I was on my own so I didn't have to worry too much. I think being on my own didnt help in the long run x x just before christmas I found out my partner is expecting so I think that might have been a trigger for me because being so unwell it's scary to think I wont be any better in time if that makes sense x that worries me a lot and is on my mind pretty often so when I think about that my anxiety spikes but I think that's to be expected x I have taken it a lot better than I ever thought I would tbh x

i think aswell like you said everything is triggering and even tiny stressors seem a thousand times worse.

the thoughts are hard to deal with so do you think it would be a good idea to stop trying to find an answer for them and just accept they are there and theres nothing I can do about them until the anxiety gets a little better so just let them be.

its difficult because as you say every tiny little sensation causes anxiety and when they are new or strange it's hard to accept them as anxiety if that makes sense x

my physical symptoms are pretty bad tol so find them hard to forget about also x plus the fact they change throughout the day doesn't help 🥴🥴

thank you for replying and such a good in depth message x that does actually make sense x ❤❤

Hope you soon improve, I found Christmas very difficult think it can be a trigger everywhere is so manic., and close friend's son died just before Christmas to add to the stress. Just hoping if I switch back to citalopram things improve. What you say about just accepting thoughts are there is very true but easier said than done. I get fed up sounding like a broken record keep moaning, just so difficult to find the right med as everyone's experience seems to be different. My symptoms just mental so must be really tough if you have physiclal ones as well, hope you soon see progress.

hey Lemanna

oh no I'm sorry to hear that x it must have been pretty tough hearing that over christmas aswell x 😥

you're right it's so hard to know what to do isn't it x especially if something is making you worse x

don't apologise for posting and asking for reassurance we are all in the same boat with this illness x

how do you feel about switching? x do you feel it's the right choice for you?

Yes its absolutely the CNS is the cause of all the anxiety condition - and it tricks you into thinking the worst, it makes your head race, and all these thoughts spike anxiety over and over, and the feelings too.

Yes, stop trying to find an answer. There is none - you will only keep yourself going round in circles. The only answer you need and to everything is that its all down to the CNS.

If you’ve been ill for a while then whatever you’re searching for hasn’t cured you yet - so isn’t it tims to change what you’e doing? Speaking to Rob on here the other day, he hit the nail on the head. He said ‘its like you have to do the complete opposite of what you think you have to do’ - and that’s absolutely right.

Allow all thoughts to come, allow them to be in your head, stop trying to fix them, stop searching for an answer, allow the head chatter to chat - your answer to each thought should be its only present because my CNS is sensitised. When it calms down all those thoughts and anxiety will go.

Along with that, relax your body as much as you can even as you move around. Your CNS will fix itself if we step aside and let it. It wants to calm down, so letting go of tension, slow your life down, treat thoughts as above and you’ll be surprised at what starts to happen. Again it takes time ….. so don’t expect overnight results.

Being on medicine will help you too, though of course some people get medicine side effects too.

Don’t try and forget about the physical symptoms - again remind yourself they are present because of the CNS issue.

You can’t just step out of anxiety and you can’t just stop the thoughts and feelings, but changing the way you approach them / your attitude towards them, and slowly things will change.

Its not easy, and you don’t see results plus you’ll question if you’re doing it right all the time, as if there should be some sort of magic button you should see. But keep on doing this and it will change. There will be many failures, but thats normal, but accept that, have the bad times, and then get back on this mindset again.

I used to read about all this yet couldn't see how it could work for me. I'd say 'yes but I have this fear, that fear, this and that' ... but it doesn't matter what anyone's particular fear is, as underneath they are all the same 'but with different hats on'.

Doing the above, you’re cutting off the fuel that continually feeds the fire. It will eventually extinguish.

Congratulations with the baby!!! Yes that could have been a trigger, and again its your CNS over reacting.

Don’t worry about being better or not by the due date, don’t put pressure on yourself, and don’t put a timescale on yourself either. What will be, will be. I had both my children when I was ill and it was until my youngest was about 3 when I started recovering.

I spent 16 years with chronic anxiety and went through some very, very dark and frightening times. Like everyone, I also searched for answer but it just digs you in deeper because you’re keeping the thoughts going. Let it go. Understanding the truth about anxiety, getting on the right path and having the right mindset and it will lead you out of this. When I discovered this it was so enlightening.

So remember - everything you are going through is all down to the CNS. That’s the answer. Doing the above reverses this. Truly. You can’t see it because you’re in the middle of it all, and its only when you’re recovering you begin to see the bigger picture.

Being meds free is something I’d never had thought possible.

Remember - relax even when moving about, let go of tension, slow down, stop searching for an answer, let the thoughts head chatter and don't join in, no timescale, relax towards the feelings and carry on even with them there (but relaxed), expect failure, don't beat yourself up, understand its CNS that causes everything, expect blips and get back on the method again and again. Lastly ....... time, lots of time.

It really does work.

K x

yes mam!!!!

Don'T know what is the right thing anymore. Will try dropping to 25mg for week see what happens. Just don't think meds should me making things worse the longer you take them. The sertraline just seems to be amplifying the thoughts. Iget what Katecogs is saying and bought the book she recommended but jus can't seem put it into practice. All bit like Russian Roulette finding right dose.med etc. If things don't improve think will go back on celexa as the sertraline has given me awful depression as well. Hope you improve.

thank you Katecoggs for such an amazing reply x you're right I have to try and stop reassurance seeking as that will just feed the fire and is prolonging my recovery x wow that's gonna be hard to do though x so I'm gonna start by coming off all forums apart from this one.

what I end up doing is ask for reassurance and when I get it, it's very short lived and then my anxiety still manages to latch onto something else anyway or just morphs the reassurance I get into a negative x

the thoughts and feelings I am having as scary as they are I need to just try my best to accept them and ride with them rather than analysing everything.

because even something I am panicking about this week will be completely different next week. or sometimes it changes day to day or hour to hour x I need to accept that.

its gonna be tough but you are right x

any tips on how you managed to do this that helped to work for you would be amazing x

I might take a day off today rather than keeping busy and doing everything a thousand miles an hour to keep occupied I might take the day to relax my body as I'm in a lot of pain from anxiety and give it a little time to regroup and start tomorrow as a new day putting into place what you have mentioned in your message x

this is gonna be tough because already my mind is making up excuses as to why I shouldn't do it and blah blah blah x stupid anxiety 🥴

thank you you're amazing ❤❤

has the sertraline given you depression also? that's horrible I know how you feel bless you x

I think if you feel that going back on citalopram is the right thing to do then follow your gut instinct as 8 weeks and getting worse and worse is scary isn't it x

speak to your gp and see what they say too and keep posting on here so you don't have to do it all alone x

yes seems to have was looking back keep sort of journal how I'm doing and defintely got lot worse since going on sertraline. Everyone advises against swapping meds but can't see sense in something that's making me feel worse. Did you find celexa better than sertraline even you're obviously still having few problems Haven't had the awful depression and tears for a long time. Taking 25mg now anyway! It's tricky knowing what to do isn't it sometimes think we're all guinea pigs,

kate how do you stop thinking about anxiety

Sorry, another long reply.

Yes, this was exactly what mine did. There was always one main thing thought or compulsion that scared me along with others going on in the background which were always changing. Your mind goes on the hunt in all corners of your mind for the scariest thoughts and each new one seems scarier than the previous one.

But this is just your CNS making your mind race, making you over feel everything.

Everybody in the world also gets weird and wonderful thoughts but they’re never latched onto because they don’t have anxiety, and so those thoughts are just forgotten about. Also people don’t generally have a racing mind because they’re not trying to fix things - it’s only when we have this overwhelming anxiety feeling and thoughts that we automatically try and find an answer and fix it.

If you had a cold or a broken leg you wouldn’t spend all day thinking about it, trying to find answers or fix it because we know a cold will run it’s course and a broken leg will heal slowly. We don’t try and sort these because our body will naturally - and so this is the same with anxiety. Your body will heal itself without any interference from us.

Our minds race anyway and because of this it becomes tired. It wants to rest, but we just make it worse with all the searching for answers which is just keeping our minds racing, makes us confused because you read so many different accounts on what to do. The book I praise so highly talks of the invisible ‘backpack’ we all carry around in which we add different remedies, sayings, comforting words, this method and that method, this route and that route ...... all which become confusing because you don’t know which way to go and all of this information makes you tired. This is why people get brainfog, disassociation etc because all their thoughts and energy is spent inwardly thinking.

So yes, accept whatever thoughts you have - whatever they’re about, however scary, they are all produced by your over sensitised nervous system. Your mind will continue to churn out rubbish and might fight with you to be heard. They want to shout the loudest.

What worked for me was whatever thought or mind chatter went on, I just didn’t get into trying to reason with it. However annoying or scary the thoughts or whatever anxiety surged through me, my little mantra became ‘this is just my sensitised nervous system overworking and this is just the side effects - as my CNS calms down they won’t come and if they do they won’t bother me anymore’.

Also if you feel anxious about going places, do it anyway, but it has to be the relaxed manner I talked of. You will feel anxiety, but don't run from it. Stay, relax, relax, relax, let it all happen (nothing will happen to you). Don't restrict your life because of anxiety. You wouldn't do the same if you had a cold.

People fail to realise you can't just stop the anxiety, and you need to take it with you in order to practice the method. You don't just leave it behind, but you take it with you throughout recovery, and it will lessen throughout this time until it stops. Remind yourself its your CNS thats causing this and it needs to calm down, which you're working on.

I’d relax, slump, let go, move around gently, even drove slow, I played classical music in the car instead of having fast pop music on, and I made sure I got my sleep. I did some exercise daily even if it was a small walk, being outside amongst nature is good.

It didn’t feel like I was doing anything right, and you don’t feel any benefit, but inside you are helping your CNS to calm. The benefit emerges in time.

Over time my mind seemed a little calmer and I just felt more soothed, and I still carried on with the method. Eventually I began to feel content, noticed my anxiety was less, etc etc and it just got better.

I eventually came off meds and yes I had a wobble, but applying the same again and it’s great to see it worked. I've been anxiety free for ages, my insides feel gentle, my head clear. Its good to feel free.

You can’t just stop thinking about it, and don’t try to either. Let all thoughts of anxiety be in your head but don’t ‘head chatter’ with them. Get on with your day gently, take the anxiety thoughts with you, let them chatter, race etc ...... just don’t try and analyse them, chat, reason with them. The thoughts will eventually run its course and begin to not be so important.

Your message is eye opening.Thank you.I was ona great antidepressant fir 20 yrs.. "Imipramine" For some reason the manufacture stopped supplying to Walgreens. The withdrawls were terrible.Now My phsyciatrist has tried me on Abilify....Dixepin and Remeron with terriblr side effects.I am trying to decide to just stay on Cekexa only and not ad another antidepressant....I can tell I am not myself after the immipranie..... I just dont thimk I want to try more tablets and have horrible side effects...I have angziety and depression.....Do you think some of us can stay off antidepressants and learn to cope with depression....Thank you.

why dont you try another tryciclic.there are quite a few.best regards

Thank you.I will give it another try with another trycilic antidepressant.....Hopefully the side effects wont be as bad.The Doxepin made it hard for me to breathe in the middle of the night and eneded up in the ER....They gave me prednisone and benedryl for the reaction....Their has to be one that will work for me.

how about alival?

Hi Joan

That’s how I felt when I first started reading about this method many, many years ago. It was the only thing that ever made sense and it stopped me flailing around, enabling me to follow one answer, one path only.

Yes you can learn to cope with anxiety without meds, though by doing this the anxiety eventually stops. Depression can be different but often they come hand in hand.

This doesn’t mean come off meds and try this way, and must always consult your doctor re meds - but this can be used in conjunction with meds. That’s what I did first, both together. I then stayed on meds for many years before reducing and finally coming off. I restarted once but stopped those some years ago and feel as good as when I was taking the meds, if not better.

Yes meds give you all sorts of side effects but find the right meds and dose and they do settle down. Sometimes too many meds altogether can be tough on the body.

But learn about anxiety, the sensitised nervous system and give this a go alongside the meds.

Theres a book (if I've not sent the link to you already by pm), and a Blog to connect to other people who follow this method. Many have recovered, and like here, they all help each other.

20 plus years ago when I was diagnosed with PTSD And remarried,The Dictor gave me Immipramine and I felt like a new person.They had to give me a cocktail of other tablets for a few years and gradually took me off of all but 2 tablets.I have an amazing husband now and have peace of mind and I am thinking maybe give my body a rest and see how I can cope.I may be able to do what you have done and just not need anything else except the Celexa and the low dose of zanax for panic attacks.Thank you so very much.I am so happy I found this site.It has really given me some ideas and help knowing I am not the only one who lives with so many emotional issues.

This is a wonderful post I had never even thought about,Makes so much sense.Thank you.

How you doing? i'm weaning off sertraline dropped to 37mg and then last couple days taken 25mg not too bad so far. Will give it another week maybe start low dose citalopram. Gp told me to stop everything for week last time which think was mistake as triggered awful symptoms. Am bit up and down from day to day. Find this site lifeline as friends seem to think I should have recovered by now.

Yes I first recovered on just 20mg Citalopram (Celexa) but that was after 16 years of first being on Anafranil which did nothing for me. During those years is when I started reading about anxiety and this method, and though I understood it, I couldn’t quite put it all into practice because I had a lot of unanswered questions and it was only as I recovered I could see how it all slotted into place.

I’ll send you a link by pm to further help.

Thank you I am interested in reading about anziety.Kniwledge does help us understand more of what we are feeling.I am very hesitent to try another antidepressant from the side effects sending me to the ER... that $ 200 co pay at the ER is hard on us.I am going to do some research on trycilic antidepressants before I call my phsyciatrist tomorrow.I almost feel panic when I think about trying another antidrpressant.....If that makes any sense.....Right now I am fighting an upper respitory infection and a sinus infection.....so I think this is adding to my down feeling.I have an appointment with an ENT tomorrow about possible sinus surgery and hopefully will fix all of the sinus infections.I think when you are not feeling well it plays on our mood.I dont know if Celexa is helping me still ,I know when I stopped for 4 days the withdrawls were terrible. Take care.

oh bless you,When your on Celexa or any other antidepressant you have to taper off slowly over 2 to 4 weeks.This is what my Phsyciatrist has told me when he has discontined antidepressants for me.Your body gets out of wack if you dont taper off properly... I am sure the withdrawls made you feel awfu.Bless you

Thanks Joan, I've dropped sertraline to 3/4 tablet for a week, and last couple days to 1/2 tablet which I'll continue for another week then swap back to the celexa. Have been able to get out last couple days not brilliant but progress. Don't like swapping meds but sertraline was def making me worse hyping up the anxiety. Hope you soon improve and sort out your meds very difficult when you are on several!

i dont think he has a clue! 2-4 weeks wow!!!

two to four weeks i dont think so.best regards

Hi Joan

I sent you a private message too.

Yes, knowledge is power. If you don’t understand what’s happening to you then it’ll frighten you. Learning why anxiety happens, where it comes from, what feeds it and how to help yourself helps put you onto one path instead of trying 100's of routes.

You should stay on Celexa - too many meds mixed together, too many changes, too many dose increases / decreases won’t be kind to your body.

Btw - sorry to say but though your Psychiatrist is a professional he’s totally wrong about discontinuing meds over 2 - 4 weeks. I spent a whole year coming off Citalopram 20mg (Celexa). Depends on your dose, but never come off over a few weeks or you’ll be very ill.

Tricyclics are a completely different class of meds to SSRI’s.

Its normal to feel anxious re change of meds, that’s anxiety talking for you.

Yes I’d think the infections are upsetting your rhythm, so will no doubt be feeling a little more anxiety at the moment. Physical illness upsets the nervous system too and will affect your mood.

K x

Sounds like you are doing this the best way instead of totally stopping all at once.I am glad you were able to get out some.That is a bit of progress.I really hope you can get your medicine straightened out soon.It is so frustrating at times.I just found out Walgreens has the Immipramine back in stock and hopefully my doctor will call in a prescription and I can get back on track.Take care of yourself and know you have all of us thinking about you.

Hi Joan the others are right, sounds like you have been on a mixture of meds and for quite a while, so withdrawing slowly is the way to go. I've only been on the sertraline about 8 weeks and a low dose and mothing elsat the same time so slightly different situation. It's only because it's made my anxiety so much worse that I'm swapping to celexa. I have felt bit better since lowering the dose so think it's way to go. Hope you soon get sorted so difficult to know which is the best for you I know!

Hi Kate,Thank you I will check my PM message. I think you are right about the Celexa.I dont think 2 to 4 weeks is sufficient to taper off.I am going to stay on on Celexa right now.My husband also believes I should get this sinus situation taken care of first and get back to my healthy and silly self again before trying different medications.When you feel crummy you dont know if its the illness or depression.I do know I cant stand laying around in pain.....Not wearing make up and fixing myself up is not who I am....Thank you for your kind wirds.

I cant find your PM message.....Did you send it to my facebook page.? My Phsyciatrist mom took care of me until she retired.Her son took over her practice .I am a bit afraid to find another doctor,Only I am not sure he is as experienced as his mother was....What a dilema.lol.

I agree Toria, I dont think 2 to 4 weeks is long enough to come off Celexa..... I dont think I am going to do anything right now and just stay on my 30mg of cekexa.....I went through withdrawls from Immipramine because Walgreens couldn't get it......It was a nightmare.

Hi Joan

No I sent the private message on this forum. Go to the very top of this page and Messages are on the left next to Notifications. Follow the link through.

You'll always have doubts about everything thats unfamiliar at the moment - thats the anxiety talking. Don't listen to it - just go forward, see a new doctor if thats whats needed - and if the new doctor isn't as good, then there's plenty of others. All will be fine.

Thank you,This makes perfect sense about having doubts.My Doctor is very knowlegable about how our brain works.. .I am just not sure of the medication knwledge.....I know all will be fine soon.

Medication is good and has helped many people - it is tough to take, you need to find one that suits you as different SSRI's suit different,people.

Everything just takes time - starting meds, recovery, withdrawal - much more time than you think too. So much patience is needed.

sounds like a plan joan, but if you ever do decide to reduce etc do it at your own pace, listen to your body x

Thank you Toria...I agree to listen to my bidy.We know more on how we feel than our doctor sometimes...

HI Kay - so great to have this reminder of what i need to do - accept all thoughts and feelings and not fear them. I have been doing better but Im still suffering quite a bit with health anxiety. The latest thing is centred around a sensation of always have things stuck at the back of my tongue/throat. Do you have any specific advice for dealing with health anxiety? I have stopped googling! many thanks

Hi Tamsin

Glad you’ve been doing better.

I’ve never personally had health anxiety but the same principles apply to any anxiety issue. I’m assuming you think about that issue a lot so just let the thoughts about it come and go, let them be in your head, don’t engage / head chatter with them, don’t try reasoning with them. Understand your nervous system is sensitised which is producing anxiety, and that you’re over thinking and over feeling everything. If you feel anxiety pangs about the issue juse let them flare up, don’t react to them, carry on with whatever you’re doing and let the anxiety peter out. The anxiety and thoughts will continue to come but carry on as above and they’ll slowly dissipate.

The whole process of allowing thoughts and feelings to be there and not engaging with them, isn’t about making you feel better immediately, but by doing so allows your mind and body to heal because you’re stepping out of the way instead of piling on more thoughts (so the end result will be you feeling better).

When I was ill I found my fears shifted from one fear to another - it seemed there was always something else to feel more frightened about which then overrode the current one. Each new fear felt worse than the last. Looking back, they were all the same despite being different, because they all made me dwell on them, all made me anxious.

So whatever new fear crops up, treat it as all the others. Let it be, don't try finding an answer or fixing it because you'll just go round in circles and this is what keeps the fear here. Relax as much as you can even when moving around, step out of the way and let your nervous system heal (it will if you don't interfere) and as it heals then the anxiety, thoughts and all side effects will calm too and eventually disappear.

K x

Hi katecogs

I just read what u sad to tamsin07572 it is good I will do that

practice it thank u

hi kate could you send me the links

please iam struggleing at the moment

many thanks

It does work babsyboo - remember though that you're not doing this to try and feel better, but you are doing it to allow your mind and body to heal - the calming of the anxiety / thoughts follow.

Its a whole process.

Will do Andrew

thanks K - i think the depression has been better but the anxiety is still there a lot in the background albeit not so intense. But its that time of the month and i havent been very good the last few days and last night had a panic attack as i felt like i couldnt swallow. i know i need to practise floating and acceptance but its very difficult with the physical symptoms - this morning i am back to feeling dread and fear thats its going to happen again.

Help please so scared

Have a question

do u know anything about Lexapro , if so what please

they want me to switch from Celexa after only being on it for 4 weeks and 4 days to Lexapro

I am so scared to do so 😢😢😢 they say it's better then Celexa because they took out what works in Celexa and made it into the Lexapro

scared to switch and scared of other side effects or more

they say to switch because I'm a bit over 4 weeks on Celexa and still b Ave side effects and I should not have after 2 weeks on them

please help me really would love to hear what you think of all this

thanks ahead of time

babsyboo

I’ve never taken Lexapro (Escitalopram) but know its an SSRI medication, and believe similar to Citalopram (Celexa) but is easier to take? Again it all varies from person to person.

You will still have side effects after 4 weeks - you’ll probably still have them after 3 months. The medicine works slowly and there’s no way you’ll suddenly be symptom free after a few weeks. Are you confusing meds side effects with anxiety symptoms though? They’re the similar, because the medicine heightens your anxiety at the start which will flare up all other symptoms of anxiety.

Being scared on your symptoms and side effects is what keeps you ill and in the constant anxiety cycle.

Don't keep swapping from one meds to another - it just makes you worse and will prolong your recovery. Stick with one for a very, very long time, ride out all the side effects, symptoms, the medicine doesn't give you immediate relieft so don't expect to feel well overnight .......... time, just lots and lots of time.

I sent you a website and book link which explains all about why we get anxiety, the side effects of anxiety, how to not react to them etc. This is not meant to give you instant relief, but what it does do is it starts to give your mind and body space so that your body will heal itself, which it will do if you stop adding fuel which keeps stoking that fire that burns inside you. The body is a wonderful thing and is designed to heal itself - and it will if you step aside and let it do its job.

If you don’t understand what’s happening to you then you’ll just bombard yourself with constant questioning about each symptom, causing more anxiety and distress. Knowledge is so important in recovering.

Medicine, knowledge, helping yourself.

Hi

thank u so much for ur response back to me

yes staying on the Celexa as long as I need to

u are right I'm not going to change meds up and down for and back

I was shocked to hear the Psychiatrist say to me I should have seen

changes in 2 weeks and have NO side effects anymore

my hubby and I were looking @ each other as is he for real

so no I'm not going on Lexapro or anything else staying on the Celexa

let it balance out and take a lorazapam as needed for anxiety

have not gotten anything send from u sorry but still looking

were did u send it to ? Oh by the way u are also right about Lexapro it's of the Celexa . They took what works the best from the Celexa and made a new pill Lexapro well thanks again for ur help babsyboo