pinnor
08-04-16, 12:00
Hello everyone, first post.
I'm 31, have been suffering from anxiety in various forms since 11 years old. I've covered most of the different conditions, panic disorder, agoraphobia, pure O OCD, GAD...though I've overcome both agoraphobia and OCD with therapy and CBT. Have had loads of therapy and additionally 2 lots of CBT, currently am in therapy with a wonderful, life-saving therapist 2x a week for the last 3.5 years. I'm also a psychotherapist myself by profession.
Last year I was doing well, but this year I'm in a very bad place again. My anxiety is really stopping me from functioning at work. I have cut down to 2 days a week because of this. My anxiety seems to be a mixture of GAD and panic disorder. At my worst I worry constantly. Recently when I'm working I get extremely anxious. I get brain fog and it's a massive struggle to respond to my client or supervisor. I can still do it just about but it exhausts me. And sometimes it erupts into panic attacks too, or something close to that, during work. The more it happens the more I dread going into work. And work exhausts me so much I spend most of the rest of the week recovering, largely unable to socialise. I often spend two days in bed after working. I've also become anxious about doing things like going to the bank, going shopping far from my house etc. I can do these things but have all the usual anxious symptoms and again it's exhausting. Soon I know I will be too anxious to go in to work, or will need to quit, as it just gets worse...unless I get some meds to get me through this harsh period whilst I keep working on the underlying issues in therapy. The moment I feel I am no longer helping my own clients, I feel for ethical reasons I will need to quit. But this will destroy me, lower my confidence further, and make my anxiety worse.
Went to GP and tried to get pregalabin or buspirone. He'd never heard of buspirone and his reaction to preg, was as if I'd suggested heroin! All he offered was a short course of diazepam or anti-depressant. For various reasons (including bad personal experience) I am very anti anti-depressants. I chose the diazepam and it works wonders. It basically makes me how I was before the anxiety at work became unbearable. I only take it at work. But I am worried about tolerance rising and then potentially withdrawal. And the diaz I have been given will soon run out. I think I need to take 15mg per week to get through my two days of work.
I have an appointment with a psychiatrist and wondered what my options were.
I won't take an AD.
I'd like to try pregalabin because of it apparently being less tolerance/dependence forming than benzos. But it seems it's only licensed for long-term, rather than occasional use. Also it's only licensed for GAD, whilst my condition seems to be both GAD and panic disorder (at work I will both worry and also have panic-esque symptoms).
I wonder if a psychiatrist might consider prescribing it off label? Or would it not work for only occasional use?
If not, what are my other, non-AD options?
I would also consider just taking preg all the time, as my worry affects me the rest of the time as well, but it's only unbearable at work. If I took it all the time I would probably be able to work more days. But it seems to me the most sensible option is to continue working 2 days a week until I solve the underlying problems which are causing me to be so anxious.
Thank you so much for reading, sorry it became such a long post.
I'm 31, have been suffering from anxiety in various forms since 11 years old. I've covered most of the different conditions, panic disorder, agoraphobia, pure O OCD, GAD...though I've overcome both agoraphobia and OCD with therapy and CBT. Have had loads of therapy and additionally 2 lots of CBT, currently am in therapy with a wonderful, life-saving therapist 2x a week for the last 3.5 years. I'm also a psychotherapist myself by profession.
Last year I was doing well, but this year I'm in a very bad place again. My anxiety is really stopping me from functioning at work. I have cut down to 2 days a week because of this. My anxiety seems to be a mixture of GAD and panic disorder. At my worst I worry constantly. Recently when I'm working I get extremely anxious. I get brain fog and it's a massive struggle to respond to my client or supervisor. I can still do it just about but it exhausts me. And sometimes it erupts into panic attacks too, or something close to that, during work. The more it happens the more I dread going into work. And work exhausts me so much I spend most of the rest of the week recovering, largely unable to socialise. I often spend two days in bed after working. I've also become anxious about doing things like going to the bank, going shopping far from my house etc. I can do these things but have all the usual anxious symptoms and again it's exhausting. Soon I know I will be too anxious to go in to work, or will need to quit, as it just gets worse...unless I get some meds to get me through this harsh period whilst I keep working on the underlying issues in therapy. The moment I feel I am no longer helping my own clients, I feel for ethical reasons I will need to quit. But this will destroy me, lower my confidence further, and make my anxiety worse.
Went to GP and tried to get pregalabin or buspirone. He'd never heard of buspirone and his reaction to preg, was as if I'd suggested heroin! All he offered was a short course of diazepam or anti-depressant. For various reasons (including bad personal experience) I am very anti anti-depressants. I chose the diazepam and it works wonders. It basically makes me how I was before the anxiety at work became unbearable. I only take it at work. But I am worried about tolerance rising and then potentially withdrawal. And the diaz I have been given will soon run out. I think I need to take 15mg per week to get through my two days of work.
I have an appointment with a psychiatrist and wondered what my options were.
I won't take an AD.
I'd like to try pregalabin because of it apparently being less tolerance/dependence forming than benzos. But it seems it's only licensed for long-term, rather than occasional use. Also it's only licensed for GAD, whilst my condition seems to be both GAD and panic disorder (at work I will both worry and also have panic-esque symptoms).
I wonder if a psychiatrist might consider prescribing it off label? Or would it not work for only occasional use?
If not, what are my other, non-AD options?
I would also consider just taking preg all the time, as my worry affects me the rest of the time as well, but it's only unbearable at work. If I took it all the time I would probably be able to work more days. But it seems to me the most sensible option is to continue working 2 days a week until I solve the underlying problems which are causing me to be so anxious.
Thank you so much for reading, sorry it became such a long post.