will my anxiety get better?

Posted , 36 users are following.

Hi. This is my first post on here, i have felt encouraged by reading this forum. I started cit 4 weeks ago for having bouts of health anxiety. I started on 10mg. As soon as i took the tablet my anxiety went through the roof. I had about a week where i found it very difficult to eat or sleep but things did improve over the four weeks and i even had some days where i felt pretty normal with very limited anxiety last week, however this weekend my anxiety rocketed again for no real reason, i have reply eat or slept again. When i went to see my gp Friday before the anxiety rocketed she did say about me increasing to 20mg but as she knew i was scared to do so she suggested leaving another two weeks, but after a terrible day Saturday i decided to bite the bullet and double the dose yesterday, so i am now on 20mg. My question is, when i wake in the morning my first thing i think is am i anxious which gets me feeling very anxious and takes ages if not all day to calm down, will this subside ! I am now obsessive about when and if i will get better as i am so much worse since taking the medication. Do people think that the 20mg will stop me feeling anxious whenever i wake in the morning and throughout the day? I am so frightened that i am never going to come out of this and will never be able enjoy a meal with my family again. Thanks so much for reading.

5 likes, 41 replies

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  • Posted

    Change your diet? Please expand on this, you've intrigued me.

    Danielle x

  • Posted

    I have suffered with anxiety for years and I promise things will get better. Like you my waking thought would be oh no I feel anxious and from then on it would just get worse. No one can understand how frightening the feeling is unless they have suffered it themselves. I have been on a combination of medication for years and in the main they keep the anxiety at bay. Some days if the feeling of anxiety washes over me for no reason at all I take 2 x 5mg diazepam and it subsides.

    i have had spells where the anxiety has come on for no apparent reason and lasted a few weeks, it does get better although I know at the time you are experiencing it, it's like a living hell.

    i am currently suffering and have been for 3 weeks, brought on by vertigo but blown up out of all proportion due to 2 family members being very ill in hospital at the same time. I listen to relaxation music and practice deep breathing, it's hard to concentrate to start with but I am now begining to get the benefit of it. If you have a good day and the next it's back again don't despair, think of the positive good day and before you know it they will outweight the bad. 

    I can see your post was a few months ago, I have only joined today, I do hope that you are now feeling much better. 

  • Posted

    Hi Everyone,

    I have just experienced what I think is my first "anxiety" problem. About 6 days ago I became very anxious at work and didn't like the way I felt. It didn't feel "normal" and just wished I could go to sleep and wake up feeling "good" again. I work away from my home and had to endure a 5 hour flight to get back to my house. This flight was the most difficult thing I have ever done. Minutes felt like hours and I had to constantly do things to distract me form losing the plot. I didn't feel like I was going have a panic attack but it was so removed to what I would call feeling "normal" I feared I would never come back to my version of safe reality. I am in a country with not so good medical services and when I went to my GP he just prescibed Xanax and sent me on my way. I took the Xanax (0.5mg twice a day) but didn't really feel that much better. I made me less on edge but certainly didn't completely take the feelings away. The only way I can describe my feelings is that its like being on a "bad trip" that never stops. I don't take drugs or drink heavily. 

    I don't know if I have axniety or depression on something else. I'm really scared and need some answers. I have an appointment with a psychologist in the next few days who hopefully has some more answers. 

    • Posted

      Hi Craig

      how are you doing today?

      well done for getting through the flight and for setting up an appointment with your GP. It does sound like you are experiencing anxiety. The good news is that we can learn to minimise our response to anxiety. your psychologist will be able to get you started on your journey to recovery. When you feel scared, try some abdominal breathing to help you relax. Worth looking into CBT for anxiety - lots of information on the internet.

      Armed with some knowledge & support from your therapist, you will start feeling better soon.

      sleepy crow x

       

    • Posted

      Thanks sleepy crow. I have the psych booked on Saturday so hopefully I get a treatment plan. 

      I have a question for you. I sometimes feel that the world isn't real and why am i here? I know Im not going crazy but they are very difficult feelings to control. With treatment do they go away or do I just have to cope with them?

      thanks x

    • Posted

      Hi Craig

      thats great that you have an appointment lined up for Saturday.

      makes notes beforehand - write down your physical feelings, how you are feeling emotionally and how you feel your thoughts are affecting you.

      anxiety affects lots of people in different ways - we all have different quantities of chemicals in our bodies (like your brain serotonin or adrenaline for fear). Whatever your thoughts you are experiencing - you know that you are not feeling yourself. It may be recommended that your start a drug treatment and that you begin a course of talking therapy (CBT). The CBT helps you to analyse your thoughts and challenge them and it is a great tool for understanding your bodies response to stress/anxiety.

      i am not a psychologist, but I think that anxiety is your bodies way of telling you that it has had enough of your current lifestyle/thinking pattern and your body wants you to address it. You might be feeling a bit disconnected socially - sometimes we are so busy working that we forget to live by having fun and relaxing.

      you can recover from anxiety and get back to normal life....it is important to build time in your schedule for self enjoyment & relaxation 

      Keep positive!

      sleepy crow

    • Posted

      Hi Craig

      did you have a chat with a therapist today? 

      Did you feel that the meeting was helpful for you?

      i do hope you feel happier today and that your therapist has helped you to plan your next steps.

      sleepy crow 

       

    • Posted

      Hi,

      Yes I saw the psychiatrist yesterday. He told me I have adjustment disorder! Not what I expected. My brain couldn't cope with the stress anymore and just went in to protection mode. That's what caused my week long anxiety trouble. It was truly frightening but I was told most people get over it with time and a bit of treatment. Can't do the same job anymore! 

      I feel very lucky to have been diagnosed with something that has a very high success rate of recovery. Battling with those feeling long term would be very difficult. 

      Thanks for the concern sleepy crow

    • Posted

      Hi Craig

      glad your psychaitrist was helpful. It is always a relief to find out exactly why we are feeling the way we do as it helps us to plan how we can get better. I wish you well with your recovery. 

      Sleepy crow

  • Posted

    Hi

    First post on here so hello to everyone.

    I have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety in the last few months but in all honesty I have probably had it for almost a year without doing anything about it.

    The mood swings and bouts of crying for no reason became too much so finally went to the doctors a few months ago. Was initially given Sertraline but changed this after 3 weeks of the worst nausea and insomia that I could imagine.

    When i went back and saw my original doctor he gave me citalopram for the depression but also gave me Propranolol for the anxiety and I have to say the combination work really well together.

    The propranolol are in instant anxiety relief that you take twice a day whereas the citalopram obviously takes longer to get into your system to get any true medical effects.

    The bouts of crying and anxiety are now minimal and starting to feel more positive about things again.

    Anyone who is struggling with citalopram for anxiety issues I would suggest asking the doctor about propranolol.

  • Posted

    My anxiety is crazy..... i have racing heart, palpitations, feel i cant take a deep breath, cant sleep, it has taken over me. Ive had this mess since i was 17.... im 33 now

    I went untreated up til 3 years ago and ive had every kind of test due to me believing something is wrong with me... again tonight i think something is wrong, wish it would just goooo awayyy.

    Its caused other things like... i cant go far from home.. i have a line as to how far i can go and be ok, i have to have my cell on me at all times, i have to have someone ride with me most of the time, i think something got in my drink or it taste like soap for no reason... on on on i could go...

    • Posted

      I feel this way exactly! Everyone thinks I'm just crazy. Every time I have a bad panic attack all I wanna do is go to the ER because I am convinced that there is something seriously wrong. I don't know how much more of this I can take.
    • Posted

      Depression and anxiety is hell on earth, it is a hidden stigma because we feel inadequate if we show it, people can see a broken arm or leg but not a broken mind, most who have never experienced it will never understand how it feels, it controls our life!   I too experience everything people have said on this site and it has affected the whole of my life, i am 68.   I want to go back on Citalopram but have so many symptoms now that going back on it terrifies me because of the side effects when starting.  
  • Posted

    Maisie, I too am taking magnesium as recommended by jayneejay, and it is so helpful. But its whatever suits each individual I think. It calmed my palpitations completly, touch wood! Altho a cardiologist looked puzzled when i told him this! And helps me to sleep. Only thing is I cant swallow large pills and the liquid I take is full of sucrose. Some people have suggested soluble magnesium but my stomach isnt great, what do you take?
    • Posted

      Hi Gary, thanks for your comment, yes I might try it. Just want to research a bit more, because my doctor told me my high potassium reading was related to taking mag supplement. I dont know how, but I want to be sure as it was very high and that can be dangerous. I do hope she is wrong as it was so helpful. And yes the oil sounds good. Thanks, Anne

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