MrMan
05-10-12, 00:17
Just thought i'd introduce myself, found this site recently and found some comfort in reading other people's experiences and advice.
Briefly, in retrospect I've suffered depression since I was around 16 and really put up with it as part of me for over a decade. I've always been a reasonably nervous person too, although I managed to put up with that too and, with the help of alchohol, have avoided social anxiety to an extent.
So, it was my late twenties when I started suffering the sort of anxiety symptoms listed on this site. I've since had several serious episodes, I guess you guys refer to them as relapses.
I've previously been on Citalopram 20mg which, along with CBT and a lot of personal effort, helped for a while. Each time I've tried to come off the tablets I have relapsed, so I expect I am dependent on them to an extent now. This time I've moved to Sertraline 100mg, maybe I'm at week 6 and past the worst of this episode.
I'd like to get back on track again now but I'm obviously seriously apprehensive. I need to start work again but I find work to be the most hostile and difficult place to cope, its that stress that pushes me over for sure.
The big confusion now is, when do you know you're ready ? Clearly it wouldn't be easy for anyone to pick up from where I am, anxiety or not, but what is a normal level ?
I don't know about anyone else here, but I find it so hard to judge my general state, its been such a long road now that I'm not sure what normal is supposed to feel like...
Briefly, in retrospect I've suffered depression since I was around 16 and really put up with it as part of me for over a decade. I've always been a reasonably nervous person too, although I managed to put up with that too and, with the help of alchohol, have avoided social anxiety to an extent.
So, it was my late twenties when I started suffering the sort of anxiety symptoms listed on this site. I've since had several serious episodes, I guess you guys refer to them as relapses.
I've previously been on Citalopram 20mg which, along with CBT and a lot of personal effort, helped for a while. Each time I've tried to come off the tablets I have relapsed, so I expect I am dependent on them to an extent now. This time I've moved to Sertraline 100mg, maybe I'm at week 6 and past the worst of this episode.
I'd like to get back on track again now but I'm obviously seriously apprehensive. I need to start work again but I find work to be the most hostile and difficult place to cope, its that stress that pushes me over for sure.
The big confusion now is, when do you know you're ready ? Clearly it wouldn't be easy for anyone to pick up from where I am, anxiety or not, but what is a normal level ?
I don't know about anyone else here, but I find it so hard to judge my general state, its been such a long road now that I'm not sure what normal is supposed to feel like...