Havent been here for years, anxiety is back.

[lavender]

Hello everyone,

I havent posted here for years ive had a 5 year stretch of being 90% anxiety free, and now this curse is back, complete with terrifying mental confusion and all the other crap that goes with it.

What would you recommend i do to try and calm myself down when i get anxiety bad?

I dont want to be a nuisance to other sufferers of this cruel illness, but sometimes it gets unbearable to the point i pace up and down wondering what the bloody hells happening to me.

Thanks folks

[WiredIncorrectly]

Hello everyone,

I havent posted here for years ive had a 5 year stretch of being 90% anxiety free, and now this curse is back, complete with terrifying mental confusion and all the other crap that goes with it.

What would you recommend i do to try and calm myself down when i get anxiety bad?

I dont want to be a nuisance to other sufferers of this cruel illness, but sometimes it gets unbearable to the point i pace up and down wondering what the bloody hells happening to me.

Thanks folks

I do the whole pacing thing too. It helps a little. I find reading anxiety stories helpful during an attack. But I have no idea how to stop them :( When was your last one and has anything in your life recently changed or became stressful? For me stress and excitement are triggers.

[purplepie]

I am the same, I have been pretty much major anxiety free for a good few years and in December - bam! It was triggered I think by delayed reaction to my Sisters death (2 and half years ago) as I hadn't properly grieved her. I can understand that but the anxious/depression it has brought with it is so bad and I am still off work from Christmas. I am doing what I can each day but it is hard going. I get so restless and it is exhausting. I would not wish this on anyone!

[lavender]

Its the worst feeling in the world isnt it!

Most of the time i try to take my mind off it by doing painting, i have recently had a meds change from citalopram to sertraline, i now take 2x sertraline in the morning and one mirtazapine at night, its the pacing that sometimes amplifies the problem puts my body into shock mode.

I try my best just to breathe deep and start painting with my enamels (i do model railways) ive bought myself an airbrush kit to help and its ready setup and waiting when the anxiety kicks in, should i stop drinking coffee you think? i drink quite a lot of it about 4 a day.

Im the same with grieving! (i actually dont know how to grieve) lost my mother in 2006 had to switch her life support off and 2 years later the anxiety started when i was on a bus going to work (first time i have ever experienced it) out of the blue i thought i was gonna shout out or say something silly on the bus, had to calm myself down.

You are right i wouldnt wish this on anyone either, only good decent people get this you know, people that go through their lives being utter ***** to others seem to never have anything wrong with them and live to be 90 (think jimmy savile)

Theres got to be a way out of it somehow im trying different things daily, in 2008 when it kicked in i ended up in hospital twice thinking i was dying.

stress and excitement are defo triggers you are right, even simple changes in daily routines start it off, we are in a very dark place guys n gals, lets stick together and combat this horrible illness.

[purplepie]

Hi Lavender
I hear what you are saying. I am so fed up of feeling as I do. This website and forum has been a big help to me over the years as well as an understanding GP. At the moment the feelings of anxiety are so high, I am not in work and even though I try to do some hobbies, I am just not feeling happy, calm or relaxed.

[lavender]

Hi Lavender
I hear what you are saying. I am so fed up of feeling as I do. This website and forum has been a big help to me over the years as well as an understanding GP. At the moment the feelings of anxiety are so high, I am not in work and even though I try to do some hobbies, I am just not feeling happy, calm or relaxed.

Mate i'm so sorry, i'm exactly the same my friend, we are good decent people plagued by this horrible nasty illness, i've been totally on edge with this bloody anxiety constantly and something slight can tip it over the edge and trigger an attack. I just cant concentrate on anything even when talking to people my mind drifts off, in fact most of the time being in the same room with someone is very hard work. Im always here if you need to talk to someone who understands what you are going through.

[purplepie]

Thanks Lavender, that means a lot. I feel exactly like you have just said. Today as particularly bad. I wake sweating and feeling sick. I don't want to be anywhere but feel like I have to go somewhere. I feel on edge, can't concentrate and like I am going to freak out. It's so getting me down. Are you on medication. I am on clomipramine (70mg) and beta blockers but nothing is changing how I feel.

[lavender]

Hello again, yes i went from citalopram to sertraline, was on citalopram for roughly 8 years in the end they stopped working, but to be fair i dont really think they did much to begin with.

I take one mirtazapine at night to help sleep, however im seriously suspecting its these that are making me worse, strangely i went through a period of feeling absolutely fantastic about 4 years ago when i moved in to my new flat (i didnt take any mirtazapine then) so it seems yes they help you sleep but i have to suffer the consequences.

Thing is i doubt i would sleep at all without them thats the sad part.

Yep thats classic anxiety when you feel like youre gonna lash out at someone for no reason, its because of this i rarely ever go out at all, its a bloody awful illness.

Youre up and down all the time with moods as well i bet just like me, its rare i even get 5 minutes peace from it actually even typing this is hard work.

Im going to try my best to come off the mirtazapine theyre no good, im on week 3 of the sertraline and they take 6 weeks to fully start working, so im in early heightened anxiety stages at the moment, its a bloody nuisance!

EDIT:

Ive noticed lately im getting a lot of chest pains as well, ive got to see the doctor tomorrow for a fasting blood test so im going to mention this, better to be safe than sorry.

[lavender]

I am the same, I have been pretty much major anxiety free for a good few years and in December - bam! It was triggered I think by delayed reaction to my Sisters death (2 and half years ago) as I hadn't properly grieved her. I can understand that but the anxious/depression it has brought with it is so bad and I am still off work from Christmas. I am doing what I can each day but it is hard going. I get so restless and it is exhausting. I would not wish this on anyone!

This is unreal!

my anxiety started 2 1/2 years after my mother died, but i did have to switch her life support off at staffs hospital this was in 2006, so ive had this horrible illness since the age of 35 and now im 45 so yea roughly 10 years, isnt it amazing though, because at the time i thought i could handle it, but obviously not, anxiety it seems is a delayed reaction to chronic stress, my mother was only 51 as well, so sad.

[ankietyjoe]

I notice in another post you made that you found CBT to be particularly effective, but you've been on medication for a while now? I know that the efficacy of medication can change, so perhaps it's just that?

Have there been any other sources of abnormal stress recently?

[lavender]

Thats it, CBT is effective, the medication really supposed to be taken with the aid of CBT combined, they work hand in hand, getting out of the house daily improves things massively, even if its just for 10 minutes, it breaks the anxiety cycle.

[purplepie]

I too believe that anxiety is a delayed reaction to stress /trauma. When I have major life events, it seems anxiety/depression creep up. My trigger when I went completely anxious in December was delayed grief of my Sister 2.5 years ago.

[lavender]

Yep, this type of anxiety is called PTSD in the old days men of war ended up with it, then it used to be called shell shock.

Thats right it can just start for no apparent reason as well, even if you have no history of it, im sorry about your sister m8, not nice at all, looking back in 2006 watching my mother die in a hospital bed its no wonder im the way i am today, mine kicked in just like yours exactly 2.5 years after. Its evil, and puts your whole body in a constant state of anxiety.

It can also be caused by illegal drugs such as speed or cannabis, but in all fairness we will beat this nasty illness, i try now to get on this site when i can.