Breakdown Symptoms?

[MissHDynamite]

Hello Everyone,

I have suffered with panic attack for most of my life and have always been able to either handle them or get to my place of safety.

I have a very stressful life with partner and family none of which "get it" and have found recently that my panic attacks are almost constant and very very agressive for any reason or sometimes no reason at all.

My safety places that i used to have are no longer as I am panicking in the house out the house, people in the house or on my own. I feel constantly poorly, stressed and depersonalised.

I am petrified that I am not going to get better and know that this is playing on my mind as there seems no let up at the moment. The worry is making me feel worse and frightened I am having a breakdown.

I have been on Lustral for just over 6 weeks.. 5 at 12.5, one week at 25 and just up to 50...

Any thoughts, advice or experiences would be appreciated xx

[kittikat]

Sorry to hear how you are feeling :hugs:

Have you spoken to your GP about this? It's possible your heightened anxiety & panic attacks are worse at the moment due to the medication side effects. I had a similar experience when I was put on Citalopram and had to come off it.

I had a breakdown last November, I was only using diazepam then on an as & when needed basis. I literally stopped functioning and felt like the whole world had fallen down on top of me. I wasn't really having a lot of PA's at the time, but I was suffering with severe anxiety and had a lot of stress at work.

I hope you get the help and reassurance you need. I'm pretty sure you are not having a breakdown but please speak with your doctor to put your mind at rest.

Take care, Kitti :)

[MissHDynamite]

Heelo Kitti... That's pretty much how I feel.. struggling to function and lost all interest . Are you on a different tablet now and how did you begin to feel better xx

[kittikat]

Well, I was put on diazepam 12mg a day, I never left the house for nearly 3 months, then we tried the citalopram which made me a million times worse - I was panicking all the time and I was frightened of even going to the bathroom on my own. I can also remember begging my partner not to go to work as I was so scared to be alone in the house. After I came off that I just stuck to the diazepam. It was a bit of a lifesaver for me but I know a lot of docs wont prescribe it.

I returned to work at the end of January (on a six week phased return) and started CBT in April which gave me some good coping skills. I managed to reduce my daily dose of diazepam to 8mg but I had a major blip at the end of July due to work stress and was put straight back up to 15mg day. I was also prescribed Venlafaxine at the end of August so have been on that for about 7 weeks (seems to be helping now) still on the diazepam too.

Still have good and bad days but making progress. I would definitely go back and tell your doctor exactly how you are feeling. :hugs: Kitti xx

[saro]

I would advise that you stick with the meds and give them time to take full effect and maybe you should also get some CBT because I found it essential in my recovery. People around aren't going to understand if they have not been in that situation. That's just how it is but you have all us on here who know exactly what you are going through.

Take each day as it comes. I did alot of breathing exercises and meditation which really helps me to relax. Maybe you could try it too. Just remember that it will get better for you if you keep doing all these things to work with it. Try to accept it rather than fight it. Hope this helps :) x

[MissHDynamite]

Thank you both...

I do have some diazepam to have when needed but I just can't see the light and the end of the tunnel.. that's what is worrying me.

Unbelievably, I have been waiting for CBT for 18 months now.. it is a 2 year waiting list and I am due to get it in July next year!

I will stay on the 50 tab until my next review on the 30th October.. It would be so nice just to have one day where you feel quite well to keep the hope up.

Thanks again and so pleased your both feeling better :)