Constant anxiety...really need help.

[rocklover]

I am constantly anxious at the moment and I cannot seem to relax. I feel sick constantly and am taking anti-emetics, although they do not seem to be lessening the nausea.

I do have panic attacks when I am out (which is not often at the moment), but even when at home, when I should be relaxing I feel constantly uptight, I can FEEL the adrenalin rushing through my veins. I know that if I could calm myself, then I wouldn't feel so dreadful, but I just don't seem to know how. I do deep breathing, but find that very hard and often I lose concentration when the "what if?" thoughts cloud my mind.

I am not working, I gave up a new job because I just couldn't cope, but my life feels like a waking nightmare. I am woken by the anxiety every morning with hot pins and needles down my arms and then the nausea kicks in.
I am hardly eating and I know hunger makes it worse so I have been forcing things down me. I try keeping my mind busy by doing puzzles, reading, playing Nintendo, housework etc and looking after my daughter. I am on 100mg of Amitriptyline (been on this dose for 2 weeks), but I don't feel better at all. What the hell can I do? I never feel safe and I really need to.

[Franz]

Hi Rocklover,

I can sympathise with how you feel. I recognise that sense of "never feeling safe". I go through periods of waking up with nausea and there've been times when I could barely eat. I'm stiff with tension all the time and I have headaches most of the day. I work, but it's difficult.

It sounds like you need some sympathetic adult company. Do you have a partner?

Sorry, realise what I've written isn't much help.

F

[pinkpiglet]

Hi there,
aint anxiety a pain?
When our anxiety is at it's strongest it's pretty hard to beat it down and we
are left feeling very weak and vulnerable. You are trying to fight this thing
and that is all you can do for now, just remember, it will pass. Since march i
had been feeling very worked up and anxious, it came to the point where it
was constant. Like you, i was experiencing severe nausea to the point
where i was physically sick, pins and needles in my arms, legs and head and
just feeling constanly wound up. I have a 22 mth old son and i found it such
a struggle to play with him, i did, but my heart wasnt in it and i so much
wanted to sort myself out for his sake. All i could focus on was my anxiety
but all i was doing was feeding it. I went to see my doctor (which i presume
you have done) and was prescribed fluoxetine 20mg. I also bought some
rlaxation cd's and a book on cognitive behaviour therapy. I'm not saying this was the answer but it certainly helped to lift me out of a huge hole. I have finally come out the other end which i'm certain you will too.
It hasnt been easy but today i feel a million times better than i did on this day in March.
Have a hug, :bighug1:

[rocklover]

I live with my parents at the mo as going through a divorce, my Mum is very helpful and supportive. The other problem is that I am an emetophobe and the thought of being sick makes the anxiety a million times worse. I am being given access to an online CBT course through the gp and I have also been referred for couselling, but that won't be for 2-4 months yet. I haven't actually been sick yet, but I dread that I will make myself sick if I keep going on like this. It is awful.

[molly2906]

Hi there
Please rest assured the Amtriptyline will kick in really soon, usually takes 3-4 weeks. I have been on the same med as you, starting at 125mg when i had a really severe period of GAD back in March 2007. How i got through that period i will never know. I had to take 3 months of work as i could not function properly at all. I was as you are anxious for what seemed to be 24/7 but things did improve gradually. I have now cut back to 100mg earlier this year and will continue to hopefully decrease the dose when i feel ready. What i do recommend is that you buy the book 'Essential Help for your Nerves' by Dr Claire Weeks. This was recommended by my counsellor and it was like the bible to me. It helped me understand some of what is going on in my head and how to deal with these feelings. Sorry if i am rambling a bit but believe me i do know how you are feeling, keep practicing your deep breathing and relaxtion techniques and they will help, and do get that book it will help you understand. You take care.

[Bill]

You must be under alot of stress with the divorce and this could in itself trigger your anxiety symptoms but I also feel that your emetophobia is also a root cause.

When we feel afraid of panics, we create them through our fear of them. When we're afraid of needing a loo, we make ourselves want to go! It's the same with the fear of being sick. Our fear will make us feel we're going to be sick.

In all cases, we need to overcome the fear of our phobia and then all the anxiety symptoms are much easier to deal with. When I feel a fear of needing a loo when I'm out, I take my mind away from thinking about it by looking for something of interest. Often though we need something "really" interesting to stop us thinking about our anxious thoughts but always it's a case of training the mind away from our phobia because then our gradually our confidence builds as our fear diminishes but it does take time and often other stresses in our lives also need to be addressed before we feel better able to tackle the fears that the stress creates.

One thing though, try not to stay indoors too much as fresh air and different surroundings can help to relax the mind and ease anxiety symptoms by giving us other things to think about.

I'm sure you Will get there but be patient.:hugs:

[babydoll1979]

hi rocklover,im new to this site but reading your post i could have wrote that myself even down to the fear of vomiting i cant even be near someone who says they feel sick,i dont work like you and i feel like i will feel like this forever and never be able to controll it i just stay home where i feel safest!
i dont have much info for you as im still learning on here lol but i do know what you are going through so always here to talk hopefully talking through our up and downs on here will help us!

[rocklover]

Thanks to you all for taking the time to reply to my post, you have all been very helpful. I know that I will get better, I just need to find a way through, but it's very hard to feel positive when you're in the midst of the anxiety symptoms. I think I will get the book as I have seen it recommended by so many people on here. I know that the key to getting better is to not be afraid, but it will take time andI guess I will just have to face up to things until that happens.

[leeg]

hey yes i have just read that book at the weekend and yesterdayi was in town for the first time in months and i started an evening college class i put all that on reading that book xx