Constant high anxiety

[Carnation]

I'm so sorry to hear that Eric
I think many of us have had a similar experience.
Maybe if you took a 4 week Mindfulness course it might help. You can even do that on your own.

[WiredIncorrectly]

Went to assessment today with a member of mental health team at hospital. Saw a mental health nurse not a pychiratrist. Listened to me, made lots of notes. Said I should take meds to help with my anxiety and go back to GP to get that as he cant issue meds. All he will do is write a letter back to GP based on what I said today.. So in other words I feel no further with anything. So now I am stuck back with GPs that have no interest in my anxiety and feel I got no hope. No contact with mental health team direct except thru the GP so cant talk to anyone there. Meanwhile my anxiety is so high I am battling to function all day now and feel I got no support. That is the level of help i have had. The only way I will get a pychiratrist now is to pay mega money to go private. Great.

The mental health team are wan*ers. Sorry for my french, but my experience with them has been disgusting. I had a direct number to them, and I would often call them to speak to somebody when I was under their care. But, when I was no longer under their care they send you back to the GP. It's just going around in circles.

I often think if they just dedicate some time and effort to helping us get well then we'd be ok. But, resources don't permit that so they cycle you through like a conveyor belt. At one point I thought the best place for me was the mental hospital. I begged them to put me there many times, even recently. I feel like 1 to 1 treatment is what I need.

But since starting on the sertraline I'm much better. Still have rough patches, but it's nothing like it was. I was reluctant to take the medications. I was on them, got well, took myself off them and got unwell again. But it hit me twice as hard this time around. So I bit the bullet and so far so good.

It sucks when anxiety kills your appetite. I'm doing my next podcast on this symptom of anxiety. It messed me up for a good few weeks and I lost weight rapidly. I honestly thought I had something wrong with me. The anxiety fed itself. It wasn't until a week or so after taking the meds that my appetite returned. Now I have a new problem ... I can't stop eating.

It's a tough battle and sometimes I question how I ended up this far down the path. All we can do is take baby steps and allow time to heal and get well again.

[KK77]

The mental health team are wan*ers. Sorry for my french, but my experience with them has been disgusting. I had a direct number to them, and I would often call them to speak to somebody when I was under their care. But, when I was no longer under their care they send you back to the GP. It's just going around in circles.

.

I know the "system" stinks but what are those working as part of MHT supposed to do if you're no longer under their care? Do you mean they should speak to you regardless? I think it's harsh to blame people trying to do their job, which at times must feel very unrewarding.

(I'm not belittling your suffering BTW.)

[purplepie]

Hi Stressederic

I am sorry that you have not had the best help from the MHT. I live in the north west of england and they have been great with me. They have been supportive and although really busy, they have done what they can for me. I am still very early days of a medication change and still have really high panicky anxiety when going out and I have depression.

Have you looked at changing your GP to a more understanding practice? If you are really desperate, call your MHT back and tell them you are worried about yourself and your state of mind and what you might do to yourself if you have to carry on like that. They will have to do something. I have been off work since Christmas, I honestly don't know how you are getting through the days at work? You must be so strong.

[WiredIncorrectly]

I know the "system" stinks but what are those working as part of MHT supposed to do if you're no longer under their care? Do you mean they should speak to you regardless? I think it's harsh to blame people trying to do their job, which at times must feel very unrewarding.

(I'm not belittling your suffering BTW.)

That's the problem. The way the "system" is set up means there's no immediate help when required. Those that can help are a part of teams that require referrals. Doctor and patient relationships usually break down at this point with a feeling of hopelessness and you're left with a feeling of "where do I turn now?". I've been through it so many times.

I'm not blaming any individual. I am blaming a poor mental health care system.

[purplepie]

Hi Stressederic

I am sorry that you have not had the best help from the MHT. I live in the north west of england and they have been great with me. They have been supportive and although really busy, they have done what they can for me. I am still very early days of a medication change and still have really high panicky anxiety when going out and I have depression.

Have you looked at changing your GP to a more understanding practice? If you are really desperate, call your MHT back and tell them you are worried about yourself and your state of mind and what you might do to yourself if you have to carry on like that. They will have to do something. I have been off work since Christmas, I honestly don't know how you are getting through the days at work? You must be so strong.

[StressedEric]

Thanks for the replies. I have been to doctors today and think I have found a doctor who has been very helpful. I explained how I feeling and took time to listen. He did advise me that medication is the best treatment to help me and prescribed Citalopram as I have been on them in the past. He went through the side effects with me although I already knew them and he was willing to spend more than the "regulation" 10mins. I know it is possible to beat anxiety without medication but I have been and mentioned a lot in this thread but I think maybe I need just a little bit more help as well.
Councelling was mentioned in particular CBT but he said the waiting list is over a year. Will see how I get on.

I want to continue taking probiotics and b vits as well but unsure if this causes any problems with taking Citalopram.

[Fishmanpa]

Councelling was mentioned in particular CBT but he said the waiting list is over a year.

Why not download and work on the FREE CBT course offered here?

Positive thoughts

[StressedEric]

I know that Citalopram could help me but I am increasingly very afraid now to start taking it. I have been telling people I going to start them.for 2days now but every time I open the packet I am scared as to what might happen, the side effects and what I will feel like as I am already feeling spaced out and have difficulty concentrating etc. I have been trying so hard to not go on meds and try to control my anxiety without them and one part of me is still thinking if I made more of an effort I could still do this even though my anxiety is currently constantly very high and finding it difficult to get tjrough the day. This indecision and fear of the med is giving me even more anxiety now I just don't know what to do. God this is so difficult. I know if I start taking the meds there is no going back but then again it could mean I feel a lot better. On the other hand I could feel a lot worse. I just got these things things round and round my head.

[BlueIris]

I can't speak for anybody else, but Citalopram gave me my life back. I spent a couple of days feeling spacy and a week feeling lightly nauseous, but the only ongoing side effects I've had are some minor fatigue and vivid dreams.

I'd urge you to at least give it a try - you might not be lucky like I was, but there's a good chance, and the difference between me now and eight months ago is like night and day.