dont know wat to do?

[tricia56]

hi just need a little advice as i ad to go and see pychcitrist on wensday as ive had GAD for a few years now and even tho my gp has said ive come a long way with my anxiety from wat i was a few years ago she referd me to see him because of the fear i have taking any kind of meds and fear of dizzyness, but when i went to see him and i started to tell him how i was and got a bit tearful as i always do when telling some one how i feel and cause i was anxiuosei tend to move back and forth and i tend to stiffen my legs he said that my mental state had deteriated and that i have to start taking meds and gave me sertraline 50mg and that if if i dont take them he has the power to put me in hospital to take them i told him i have the fearof taking meds but just didnt seem to listen or understand and just told me to take the meds and will see me in too weeks and he will know if i have took them or not. im now in a right mess as i just dont know wat to do now as im so scared of starting them because of the side effectsas reading the posts on here about other peoples side effercts has made me not want to take them even more and if i dont take them the pychatric will admit me to hospital even tho i know im not as bad as a lot of people who suffer with anxieity i have my bad days like any one else when you feel u cant cope with it. i managed to see my gp last nite and told him wat the other doc says andhe told me that it was a bit of bulling tactics the other doctor done to make me take the pills as i am not a danger to myself or any one else and that they cant admit me for not taking meds so im so confussed now AS I DONT KNOW WHO TO LISTEN TO MY GP OR THE PYCHIATRIC a part of me wants to take meds but then i get scared and think wat if the make me worse or loose control of myself and space out and dizzy or get suicidal thoughts as that wat the leaflet says about them sorry this post is so long i just want to tell some one who hopefully can give me some advice thks

[Jonquil]

Hi Tricia,
By the sound Your GP knows you well, is supportive and would stand by you. I suspect she might be right that he was using bullying tactics- if he can get you to take the tablets he probably thinks he will have less work to do. However, as the GP says you are not a danger to yourself or anyone else and so he can't section you- he would get into trouble for trying to. What does your GP say about taking the sertralene? I guess she thinks it is a good idea as by the sound of it she has suggested it before. I know when you are feeling very anxious information about the side effects can be worrying, but I think it is a matter of weighing the side effects up against the possibility of feeling a lot better- it doesn't sound as though you feel well now. I too have GAD and starting to take citalopram last year has just improved my quality of life so much. I did have quite bad side effects to start with and still have a few manageable ones, but if I had to make the decision again I would. Hope this helps! Jx

[tricia56]

hi thk you for ur reply my gp is very suportive to wards me and she has recomended me takings meds before but she never pushed me as she understood the fear i have, i do feel anxiouse all the timeand wish i never felt like it and wish i could be like normal people as i dont have much of a life i dont really go out socialing or have any hobbies i can do and dont have any friends really only my children which i have 8 by the way all grown up nowand been divorced for 7yrs so i have spent alot of time on my own which hasnt really helped and maybe i aint pushing myself enough
to start and get my life back just dont know ware to start so maybe thats why i am the way i am and maybe if i try the meds it might help but just cant seem to have the courage to take them the fear takes over

[Jonquil]

Hi again, I too live on my own and for me it can be difficult when I am worrying out off proportion about something and trying to manage it on my own. I don't want to tell you what to do as ultimately I think we all have to make our own decisions and do what we think is right, with advice from those around, for us. But please forgive me- I am going to push you a bit on the medication. You say you are fearful of taking the medication but it is that anxiety which is in large part contributing to the fear. If you give medication a try there is a large chance that the anxiety and fear will diminish. We are all different but until I tried it I had no idea that medication could really help reduce my anxiety or that my anxiety was not just an unchangeable part of who I am. I definitely have found the side effects from my medication alot less worrying that the fear that the anxiety caused me. Good luck Jx

[panicpanda]

Hi Tricia,
It sounds like your anxiety is high but I don't get the impression you're a danger to yourself or anyone else. The GP/psychiatrist you saw sounds like a bully. It takes 3 people to section you, and one will usually be your own GP, so you have nothing to worry about there hun.

As for the meds, I'm exactly the same. I'm agoraphobic and my anxiety is sky high most days yet I still haven't tried the meds I was prescribed 3 months ago due to the fear. I can't suggest anything there but it is YOUR choice, don't be bullied into it. If you can get past the fear and get some support it would be great if you could give them a try.