Why is it all back again :(

[Lizzyg]

Now 9 weeks into sertraline and was doing so well. I even went back to work last Thursday which was great!!
Now its all back feel so rubbish. :lac:
The tremors are becoming enbearable, the shakes the pins and needles in my head, tight chest and no energy at all :weep:
Why is this happening??? I was feeling so good and felt like I was getting my life back. Could this just be as blip?? I had to ring in sick today only managed 3 days which is making me feel useless and hopeless again!
I hate this thing anxiety :weep:

[WillyB]

Hi there, you've proved to yourself you can feel well again. You had 9 weeks where you were doing well and thats a long time ! this will just be a little setback, they must be expected, as i have found out, on the road to recovery.

Stay in there, things will pick up again :)

[Bill]

All it takes is a thought, a feeling, a worry, our stress limit being exceeded, and off our minds go focusing on all the physical symptoms that surface just like opening a door and finding yourself confronted by a lion.:scared15:

This is why sometimes I have doubts about meds. I know alot of people do need them to keep well and I know they can also help to ease anxious feelings but sometimes also all it needs is a new worry to trigger our fear or that little bit of extra stress in our lives and the meds seem to lose their effect. After all, I guess if you were confronted by a lion, would the meds stop you feeling afraid...or would you want to run like hell out of sheer panic?:scared15:

I think basically that while you've been away from work you've been ok because your stress levels have been kept low but now you're back at work under pressure, you maybe feeling the effects.

I've copied the following from your first post as there is something within it to remember....

I get periods of anxiety and panic and periods of time without. They leave me as quick as they come. When I have them my whole life is dominated with symptoms of palpitations, not being able to breathe, constant yawning and dizziness, tightness in my chest, tingling and numbness in my hands and lips, oh I could go on!

Panicky feelings never last forever unless we keep focusing them. You may find that after your panic reaches its peak, the anxiety naturally decreases which then makes you feel calmer so you then stop worrying about your feelings which would then mean the feelings pass until the next time your anxiety is triggered by a new worry or more stress etc.

It's frustrating and depressing I know but it does always pass as you've found out.:hugs:

[Lizzyg]

Thanks Bill for your wise words!!
The physical symptoms are now subsiding you are right. They peeked on Thursday but after a good nights sleep (thanks to sleeping pills!) I felt much better yesterday.
You are right they physical symptoms creep back and I start to focus on them again I then get a bit bored with it and start thinking of other things. I think the pills are helping with that! I think the initial going back to work was a new pressure and may have just triggered something. I have a week off now and will try again after easter. Perhaps now the initial 'shock' of going back after such a long time has been done I might cope a bit better.
Thanks again xx

[Bill]

One little thought - try to remember your limits. I know it's not always possible but sometimes after a long time away we feel we need to catch up on lost time so we try to do everything at once which then overstresses us. If you can, try to ease yourself back in by not taking on too much reminding yourself that things can wait. Don't expect too much of yourself too soon or you'll just put more pressure on yourself.

We all have different stress thresholds and we have to remember our limits. Sometimes the workplace will demand too much on you but other times we expect and demand too much of ourselves so we try to fit in more in a day than our minds can cope with without realising how it will affect us later.

If you can remember the person climbing the hill, each time they set out, someone asks if they can carry a little more to the top and the person obliges until one day they start feeling out of breath and start wondering why since they've always coped ok before. If they then keep on pushing themselves and keep accepting a little more, they end up collapsing with exhaustion still saying to themselves "I should be able to do this, I've always been ok before".

People can expect too much of us but we often contribute to our own downfall by thinking we should always be able to cope with that little bit more. If you start feeling out of breath, you'll know you've reached your limit and it's time to take a little of the load off and slow down. Unfortunately though often in the workplace or even at home, we constantly have to go beyond our limits and end up needing meds to help us cope.

Stress at home or at work isn't the only factor that causes our anxieties but it is a trigger to be aware of.:hugs: