:( please help me x

[lashes]

Hiya I'm having a bad time , not been on for a while but recently went up to 100mg sertraline and I just can't cope any more physically no side effects really but for the past few months my anxiety is just out of control , firstly it was the panic attacks then am general anxiety the depersonalisation then constant tapping intrusive thoughts of all different natures and now the worst I think I might be schizophrenic :( I know this probably makes no sense but what should I do , u go from one thing to another and I just want it to stop .

---------- Post added at 11:47 ---------- Previous post was at 11:45 ----------

Also health anxiety which was one of the worst does all this mean that I am truly crazy ?

[My_Labyrinth]

Hi There,

I'm so sorry that your are going through this.

Have you talked to your Dr about this? It sounds to me that your medicine might not be the right type.

I'm no doctor though, but when my psychiatrist adjusted my meds to something completely different, my anxiety really reduced.

Try and keep your mind occupied, read a book, watch a movie, listen to music, focus on your breathing.

I have realized that not focusing on your health/anxiety helps a bit.

Good Luck, Everything will be okay!

:flowers:

---------- Post added at 12:52 ---------- Previous post was at 12:50 ----------

PS. You are not crazy. :hugs:

[lashes]

I just really don't want to hurt anyone or die or anything awful but what if I do I'm so scared I might lose control and be crazy I don't know about the meds I have only been on the new dose for a week so I don't know if they have had enough time to settle I just wonder if all this anxiety will make me go crazy :( so anxious right now x

---------- Post added at 11:56 ---------- Previous post was at 11:54 ----------

Thankyou it's just this day aswel my boss made me cry so I hid for ages in the loo just thinking what's the point I'm struggling focusing on work with all this in my mind x

[My_Labyrinth]

I really doubt anyone has ever died or "gone crazy" from an anxiety attack/ being anxious :)

My psychologist taught me a deep relaxation technique, you can try it if you like, It sometimes calms me down a bit more, cause I know anxiety can make you over-think, over-worry and think of every worse possible outcome - which is rarely the cause.

Close your eyes, try and clear your mind and start by taking a deep breath in, hold it for 3 seconds and blow it out by your month slowly, focus on your breathing.

Next focus on each muscle while you are doing the breathing exercise, one at a time, contract the muscle when you breath in, and relax when you breath out.

I normally do my feet, legs, bottom, shoulders, arms and hands.

Next while still doing the breathing exercises, imagine you are standing in front of a couple of steps, leading upwards towards a door.

On each breath in, imagine taking a step up and breath out.

You can do this for 10 steps, or 5.

Keep doing the breathing exercise throughout whole exercise.

When you get to the door, imagine unlocking the door, stepping inside and locking behind it.

Then think of a place you like, some place you find peace, happiness and calmness. I imagine a forest, as I really like the outdoors.

Imagine hearing the sounds, like beach waves, or birds chirping, smell the sea or smell flowers, feel the sand between your toes or the moss on the ground.

Imagine that calmness, that "happy place" becoming part of you, like a light radiating inside you.

You can then leave the place by unlocking the door, stepping out and locking it behind you.

You can then continue down the steps, all the way still doing your breathing exercises.

When you get to the bottom of the stairs, open your eyes, and you should feel more relaxed.

The breathing and focusing on a "happy place" really helps calm your mind and body.

Remember you can always go back to this place.

I know this sound silly, but it really works for me.

If you decide to do this, I really hope it helps you.

Don't worry, maybe your body still needs some time to adjust to the dose.

If however you still feel like you can't cope, I would go back to the doctor and tell him your feelings and fears.

---------- Post added at 13:13 ---------- Previous post was at 13:12 ----------

P.S My anxiety also effected my work and my work attitude, but things will get better, I promise.

[lashes]

Thanks I will try that when I get back , the worried about being crazy thing has started since the other day because I woke up about an hour before work I had dreamt that my boyfriend asked me to get him some socks so he woke up like what are you doing and I was in the sock drawer getting him some ! I really thought he had asked me until he said he hadn't and I got back in bed so I googled it and I didn't know if it was a hallucination or something sorry if it sounds so silly because I was so anxious before I went to bed I was having nightmares about things that had happened that day like a stain I got on my dress and in the dream j couldn't get it out really random rings like that ! X