I need to vent - anxiety

[georgeharrison]

I am struggling so much today, this week, recently.  My life is REALLY good.  I have a great, flexible job that allows me to still spend as much time with Tman as I like to, still be able to take care of my household, etc.  My marriage is strong.  My kid is amazing.  We are healthy, happy, secure.  We are blessed.  In my mind this is obvious.  BUT, I'm dealing with strong anxiety.  I have struggled with it on and off.  I talked to my doc about it a couple years ago.  He prescribed zoloft which, I'm not sure on the regular how much it helped, but when something would instigate anxiety, it didn't help.  He upped my dose and that didn't really help, so I just let it go.  So, now it's back and I don't know what to do.  I feel weird going to a new doctor that I have never met before and requesting anxiety meds.  I think I need something like xanax or something.  But I'm afraid that I will look like someone who is just there for the pills...which I am, but I don't intend to abuse them or anything.

I am feeling cold and sweaty and panicky and filled with dread all at once and I don't know what to do to get over it...

I can only think of one thing in my life right now that warrants any kind of worry, and that's not even happening to me.  Tman needs to have two baby teeth pulled next week and he's not good with the dentist doing anything besides a cleaning.  He freaked out when we were there last month and he got sealants put on his teeth.  So, I'm a little worried about how that's going to go, but overall, it's just such a small thing and not something that shouldn't warrant this kind of physical reaction.

I just really wanted to get something out about this because I feel like crap.  Thanks for reading.

[ilovebed]

I'm sorry what a horrible feeling. I know you've struggled with this off and on. Maybe you should see someone other than a general practitioner to help you figure out which meds would be best for you. Would consider seeing a psychiatrist? Therapist can't proscribe, although it might be helpful to work through your triggers

Hugs.

[larzhope]

totally agree with ilovebed - i would recommend seeing a specialist - they would know better which medicine(s) are going to be best for what is going on. Hugs!

[Deleted]

Agree with PP - zoloft doesn't seem to be working for you. But you know what, THAT'S WHY THERE ARE SOOO MANY DIFFERENT DRUGS!! Everyone's brains work differently. Xanax is a quick fix but is not a solution for a more permanent state of generalized anxiety like you seem to be suffering from.

If your GP just wants to keep retreading the same path then go to a different doctor. Yes, a psychiatrist might be the answer, scary as that title sounds, psychologists and therapists can't prescribe medication.

Minor things: how is your eating, exercise routine, and sleeping? Those can make minor differences but considering that anxiety seems to be something that keeps increasing on a regular basis with you, I don't think they're the end all answer.

[georgeharrison]

I wouldn't say that it's increasing. It comes in waves. I can be fine for months and then it washes over me and it's really hard to pull myself out of it. Once I am out of it, I feel fine for a while, but then it comes back. That's kind of why I'd like to get something like Xanax. I feel like if I can get pulled out right away I won't get sucked back in. I don't know. I need to figure it out, though, because this sucks.

[Deleted]

Jan 22, 2015 15:37:43 GMT -5 georgeharrison said:

I wouldn't say that it's increasing. It comes in waves. I can be fine for months and then it washes over me and it's really hard to pull myself out of it. Once I am out of it, I feel fine for a while, but then it comes back. That's kind of why I'd like to get something like Xanax. I feel like if I can get pulled out right away I won't get sucked back in. I don't know. I need to figure it out, though, because this sucks.

*cuddles*
Ok, waves, I guess I'm just remembering the last time you dealt with a wave. There is something my doctor tried to prescribe to me once that takes a few days to build up in your system and doesn't give you an instantaneous fix like Xanax. It didn't work for me simply because I didn't want to take some pill constantly when I only typically get hormone-induced anxiety 3-4 days near my period and not every month. Some combination of that PLUS Xanax might be good for you -- start taking them at the same time when you feel a wave coming, take the xanax only for the few days it takes for the other pill to kick in, then after a few weeks you can come off the other pill. Just thinking aloud, I'm not a doctor though

[Deleted]

Also - do you have anything that helps manage your anxiety, at least immediate bouts? For me if I'm at home, I go find Ivan wherever he is and stick my face in his fur and pet him and listen to purrs. Or when the whether is nice, going out and sticking my hands in the dirt and pulling weeds seems to work. I haven't yet found any tricks to help manage when I'm away from home though, like at work, as escaping somewhere quiet (my car, the bathroom) and just concentrating on deep breaths only works somewhat.

[toratoratori]

I don't have any suggestions, so I'm just sending creepy Internet hugs ❤️

[Deleted]

I don't have any suggestions, but I also wanted to offer hugs.

I don't think you need to worry about a doctor thinking that you're a pill popper. But I think that ilovebed is right and you need to see a specialist.

[gogreengowhite]

I hope you don't mind me barging in from MM, but I saw your post on the app and had to respond.

**sorry, this got long.

I wrote a post very very similar back in September or October. Same idea, I have this house, and amazing husband, super healthy amazing children and I can't stop feeling the dread/cry/anxiety/etc. I felt "if only I could see how great my life really is I wouldn't..." But that's not it, depression/anxiety is a real medical problem.

I didn't have a primary doc so my DH looked on our insurance website for doctors that listed depression as one of their specialties. I cried while making the appointment, I cried through the whole appointment. However, it was so worth it. She prescribed prozac for everyday and Xanax when the anxiety got bad.

Prozac is an antidepressant but she described it as leveling out the highs and lows of depression and anxiety. It did increase my anxiety at first (which is why she have me the Xanax) but it was SO WORTH IT!

I just had my 3 month check up with her and got teary eyed thanking her for listening to me.

I hope you can find a different doctor and get some relief soon. Please PM if you want to talk.