Obsessing that I will be like this forever..

[Scared_11]

Hi everyone.

I am in the midst of a huge relapse with my anxiety and OCD. It's realy tough but I am soldiering on.

I worry all the time about my mental health and at the minute I am terrified that this is what my life is going to be like forever and that it will never get easier. I am only 27 (today actually) and I have had 3 or 4 major periods of intense anxiety and I don't want this to be what my life is like forever. I worry about having kids and getting worse post natal and about any major life stressed I may have to come across.

I am just realy struggling these past few weeks.

[cmc46]

Happy Birthday, I hope you are able to enjoy your day. I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling, it isn't easy is it, I had a bad attack of anxiety 2 years ago and went on to citalopram which made me feel normal again, this summer I started to come off of it and now feel I am back to square one, I really thought I would be able to cope without the medication so now I am starting from scratch again. I do hope things get better for you soon.

[Scared_11]

Thank u.

That's exactly the position I am in! I started on sertraline last feb and started to do amazing. Felt I could handle things without it as I had learned so much about anxiety and ocd I thought I would never be back here.

So stopped the meds in august and now here I am, back at square 1.

Sorry u are too, have u started back on ur medication?

[russdownunder]

If you grab anxiety and OCD quickly enough and get on to the appropriate treatment, it is NOT a life sentence. I'm not saying it's easy, but it CAN be overcome. You said your having a relapse so you've been through this all before. Get back to the doc quick smart. The sooner you do this the sooner you'll feel a bit better.

Try your best to have a happy birthday OK. I've spent plenty of bithdays in your condition so I can sypathize with you.

[Tanner40]

Happy Birthday! Relapses are pretty normal at times, but it doesn't mean that we have to live our lives like this forever. Mfor me, it is a nudge that means that I need to work harder. Work harder at what? Mnot worrying and not seeking reassurance, as those create the very cycle of anxiety that I want tomleave behind.

I work harder at distracting myself and facing my fears - facing the fears for exactly what they are, which is anxiety. I have found that a refresher course of CBT can help me immensely.

[Scared_11]

Thank u for ur responses.

I will try my best to enjoy my birthday.

I have been on medication which realy helped but stopped this in august which is why I gig back into the grips of anxiety and OCD. I know I will get better, I just worry that I will stop trying to get better and always have this for te rest of my life.

I am starting CBT for the 3rd time in 2 weeks.

[russdownunder]

Well done and good luck! :D

[cmc46]

I am now on 10mg of citalopram, GP wants me to go up to 20 which is what I started on in the first place, I am hoping the 10 might help without having to do that.

[Scared_11]

I am having such a bad day, I am worrying that having this relapse means I will just spend my life relapsing and there is no hope.

I thought I would never be back here.

[Rennie1989]

I've relapsed more times then I care to remember. It's very normal to relapse when recovering from a mental illness, it's a sign that you CAN recover, it just takes a few attempts. The worse thing you can do is to punish yourself for it, it will put you down, make you worse, and the relapse will continue. Accept it's happened, try to remember that you learnt when you tried recovery last time and keep trying.

[Scared_11]

Thanks rennie!

This is my first full blown relapse and i am back in a place I didn't think I ever would be!!

I know I will get better again it's just the hard work of getting there that's scares me and even the fact that I can always end up back here.

[Cú Chulainn]

I've relapsed more times then I care to remember. It's very normal to relapse when recovering from a mental illness, it's a sign that you CAN recover, it just takes a few attempts. The worse thing you can do is to punish yourself for it, it will put you down, make you worse, and the relapse will continue. Accept it's happened, try to remember that you learnt when you tried recovery last time and keep trying.

That's a very nice thing you said :)

[Volvoman50]

Yes I agree you will have relapses this shows you are recovering and CAN continue to recover so I fully support Rennie's post and ACCEPT things; I know its hard but this shows the courage you have to continue no one would criticize someone with a physical illness who had a relapse they would have compassion the same as you should have compassion for yourself and continue on your upward path.