Mental breakdown

[biscuitlover]

Hi all

I’ve been a member for years but had been managing my anxiety. Then Before Christmas I had a massive project at work and felt like I wasn’t coping. I signed myself off. I then started to get palps and got a bit worried about that. Skip forward a week and I’m a mess. My dr called it burnout. I have so many strategies I use to get through the day usually but none are working. Anxiety comes ans takes me over, I feel trapped, scared and I stay like that until the evening. My husband is off work looking after me. I’m hardly eating as I feel so sick.
Is burn out a thing? I can’t understand why none of my strategies work anymore. My dr has put me on a high dose of Valium until tomorrow when I’m seeing a psychiatrist. Has anyone been through this extreme constant anxiety and is there an end as I can’t see one. I think this is what scares me most going from coping to the end of the world in a week

Thanks

[KK77]

Take the diazepam and it should help until you get to see psych tomorrow. What dose have you been given?

Remain positive - this isn't a life sentence!

[biscuitlover]

Initially 2mg 3 times a day but it didn’t work this morning.

She also have me some 5mg tablets for night but I can use them in the day too.

I have in short space of time become this wreck and I was coping with the anxiety a week ago. I think that’s what’s scared me

[KK77]

Initially 2mg 3 times a day but it didn’t work this morning.

She also have me some 5mg tablets for night but I can use them in the day too.

I have in short space of time become this wreck and I was coping with the anxiety a week ago. I think that’s what’s scared me

I understand that it feels scary, as you have obviously coped well previously, and as you say, 'managed' your anxiety for so long. But don't be too hard on yourself - relapses/blips happen. You're taking action by seeing psych who I hope can prescribe a better long-term med and/or therapy. But I would take the higher dose diazepam today. 2mg does little for me too. 5mg is better average dose.

Hope you feel better soon and update us once you've seen psychiatrist tomorrow.

[biscuitlover]

Thank you for the kind wordS and I’ll up my dose

[pulisa]

You will feel a lot more comfortable on the higher dose and it will dampen down the awful agitation. This is very familiar territory for me. Sometimes you just reach your "limit" and the agitation ramps up to scary levels..but you will get back to your old self again with the right help and advice from the psychiatrist. Good luck and just tell him/her everything which is worrying you.

[Lissa101]

I'd be careful about labelling this a 'mental breakdown' and going down the self-prophetised road of catastrophe. Anxiety makes you feel like you're descending into the pit of hell but, in reality, you're just going through a flare up that you need time to recover from, in whatever ways work best for you. It's hard to see things in context when anxiety is high but try not to think too negatively. I know it's horrid and terrifying but you'll be ok, this isn't forever.

Sending hugs X

[biscuitlover]

Yes you’re right. When the anxiety eases I can see it for what it is. I think my new worry focus is the ‘I can’t cope’ and catastrophic thinking as you say. You’re comments are appreciated xx

[pulisa]

Lissa is so right-you're certainly not having a "mental breakdown" and the diazepam will calm things down to make things more manageable.

[purplepie]

Hi Biscuitlover

Your symptoms match mine exactly. I was doing ok anxious but managing then one day at the beginning of December, bam, I just freaked out and couldn't cope anymore. I had high anxiety, didn't want to be on my own, didn't know what to do with myself, retching in a morning and to me it came out of the blue. I do think it is burnout, trying for too long to be 'normal'.

The GP gave me some valium as I was going on holiday and didn't even want to do that. I am already on a low dose of an AD but GP has increased this and I am signed off work. Being off is a 2 edged sword, I feel guilty for letting people and myself down ( a symptom of depression), but I know if I went back to work I would by lying that I can cope.

It is a breakdown of sorts as you can't take anymore, but as they others say, it will pass in time and this is what I tell myself. Sometimes I believe this more than others.

Keep posting and keep talking to people, don't hide how you feel.

Big hug

[biscuitlover]

Sorry you’re suffering too purplepie

I find it hard when the anxiety seems to have a life of its own and comes for no reason as yours did as well.

What meds are you taking and are they helping?

Saw the psychiatrist yesterday and she insisted that drugs were the only way and talking wouldn’t help me, I have a chemical imbalance . Not sure what to do now. I’m so against drugs and she was so for them and pushy .

Can you get to a good functioning level without drugs or are they essential ?

[KK77]

I'm not anti-meds, I take them myself (chiefly for chronic pain), but I don't believe they're a "cure" either, as work is needed to find and treat the root causes of our fears. Meds are a sticking plaster to give us time to do that.

You seem to have coped for long periods of time without meds so perhaps some self-help CBT/Mindfulness, or even yoga/meditation, will get you back on track. There is also a free CBT prog recommended by NMP at CBT4Panic.org. You do still have the option to go back to GP and ask for talking therapy/CBT referral - but that will take time.

I'm sorry the psych wasn't able to offer you more in terms of non-med therapy but that doesn't surprise me TBH :lac:

[purplepie]

I was on 30mg clomipramine but GP wants me to get to 50mg which I have now been on a week. I was completely anti med a few years ago but now, I think well I can only give it a go and see what happens. If it doesn't help, then I will come down to a low dose again. If it helps thatn I will stay on it for the duration that my GP recommends.

If you are really not wanting to take meds, then don't let a psychiatrist push you into it, but if you are really struggling then don't completely rule them out.

7 years ago when I was really bad the things I found that worked for me, I named the three T's - Time, Tablets and Talking. Let time pass if you can rather than obsess day on day, take the tablets if needed and keep talking to whomever will listen, be open about your worst fears about your anxiety whatever they may be and how strange they may sound. Once out in the open, they will not seem so odd.

This is the way I am trying to heal this bout of anxiety/depression - it is far easier said than done and no-one journey is the same. Do what works for you biscuitlover.

How are you feeling now?

[biscuitlover]

Hi purple pie
What you say makes sense.
Did you have a trigger for this recent event or was it out the blue ?
I admire yours and others strength in takin tablets. I fear side effects so much that I can’t bring myself to take them to help me.

I am better. Rest and a few diazepam has helped. I think a had burnout at work and ignoring the signs.

This is the most anxious I’ve been in years so I think that’s panicked me and made me doubt all my coping strategies I had before. Anxiety scares us so much and that is it’s hold on everyone . I want to find other ways to mange this but if it’s not improved in a few weeks I’ll need to review the meds again.

Hope you’re ok

---------- Post added at 09:40 ---------- Previous post was at 09:38 ----------


I'm not anti-meds, I take them myself (chiefly for chronic pain), but I don't believe they're a "cure" either, as work is needed to find and treat the root causes of our fears. Meds are a sticking plaster to give us time to do that.

You seem to have coped for long periods of time without meds so perhaps some self-help CBT/Mindfulness, or even yoga/meditation, will get you back on track. There is also a free CBT prog recommended by NMP at CBT4Panic.org. You do still have the option to go back to GP and ask for talking therapy/CBT referral - but that will take time.

I'm sorry the psych wasn't able to offer you more in terms of non-med therapy but that doesn't surprise me TBH :lac:

I will take a look at the cbt link. Thank you.

[pulisa]

I'll be blunt and say that in my opinion the psychiatrist was trying to scare you into thinking that meds are the only option. The fact that you are feeling better after some time away from triggering circumstances/work is proof that you needed a mental break from too much pressure-nothing more. You are certainly not having a "mental breakdown".

As KK suggests, take a look at the CBT link and self-help coping strategies in general before you commit to meds. You don't have to be pushed into taking meds if you would prefer to explore other options.