squidge00 Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 I have been free of anxiety, depression and stress for about a year now, and have begun to feel really good about myself, and pleased with my progress. However, i can feel the anxiety beginning to creep back, and i would appreciate your advice because i don't want to go back to the black hole that i was in about 18 months ago. When i was poorly last time, i didn't ask for any help, and was suicidal as a result. I went to a couple of counselling sessions, and a stress management course but ultimately, i should have gone to the doctors a lot sooner. I am beginning to get the symptoms of anxiety - chest pain, night panic, chattering heard - and i feel that i am at the top of a slippery slope. I spoke to a pharmacist yesterday who said i should go to the doctors and asked to be prescribed some drugs...but i am nervous about it. However, i cannot let this stop my life again, and therefore would really appreciate your views on the use of medication? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyD Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 Medication can help for sure, yes. However the other thing you need is someone for you to dump your stress on, you know like a shoulder to cry on. Always a good thing to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SupraSteve Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 Doctors can give advice as well as prescribe medicine. You said it yourself - last time you should have gone to see your doctor sooner, so start by booking an appointment now, and take things from there. I've no idea what this is like to suffer from, but you sound like you're at a knife-egde crossroads,a nd cuold easily go one way or another but aren't firmly in the grip of it yet? If that's the case, can you quickly get out and about and do the things that you have enjoyed in the last year or so but are anxious about when the disorder has a strong grip? Sort of, 'decide' it's not going to affect you again? Maybe a positive action like that will help you have the mental strength to fight it off, at least till you can get 'reinforcements' in the form of the doc's professional opinion? Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medusa Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 Even if you don't have any medication at this stage, don't you think it's important that your doctor is aware of what's happening, so that if you need to go back for medication s/he knows how long it's been happening for? Your GP may also be able to offer you other things that can help, like cognitive behavioural therapy or counselling (which I know from experience can stop the trip down the slippery slope), and getting yourself on the waiting list for those could be really important too. Bite the bullet, get down to the doctors and tell them how you're feeling. They'll understand and do their best to help. It's not an admission of failure just because you may be ill again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squidge00 Posted October 5, 2006 Author Share Posted October 5, 2006 In response to SupraSteve: I need help and support from the people around me, because i have quite a few commitments and stresses that are difficult to handle. However, i tend to bottle up my stress, and don't share my feelings, because when i have tried to do so before, i have been rejected. If i could rely on help from elsewhere, then i might be able to manage the stresses in my life more effectively. However, i often feel that i am talking to a brick wall when i try to address a problem, or convey my feelings. I can't change this, therefore, i feel i need another coping mechanism. Otherwise, i am really scared that i am going to go under again. The physical impact of stress has made me realise that i need to find solutions to my problems. However, now that i am feeling poorly, i need a bit of extra support through medication in order to properly tackle the problems. If i could gain some strenghth through medication by removing the physical symptoms, then i could get my head around addressing the issues. I hope this makes things clearer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tartempion Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 I think sometimes it's the fear that it might happen again that drives the anxiety. You know had bad it can get and you're terrified of ending up there again... Have you ever thought that in your eagerness to feel completely anxiety free, you're possibly putting more pressure on yourself to stay that way, thus causing more anxiety for yourself? I don't know if this is making any sense... But sometimes for me, when I admit to myself properly (usually by talking to a friend about it) that I'm feeling anxious, it allows me to work out what the causes are, which usually alleviates it a bit. Also, I've realised it's entirely possible to live with a little bit of anxiety and that I don't need to beat myself up about the fact that I'm not always "on top" of it 24/7. Sorry if I'm completely missing the point. I know it's different for everyone. It's just sometimes it can help to hear someone else's point of view. Hope you feel better soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squidge00 Posted October 5, 2006 Author Share Posted October 5, 2006 Even if you don't have any medication at this stage, don't you think it's important that your doctor is aware of what's happening, so that if you need to go back for medication s/he knows how long it's been happening for? Your GP may also be able to offer you other things that can help, like cognitive behavioural therapy or counselling (which I know from experience can stop the trip down the slippery slope), and getting yourself on the waiting list for those could be really important too. Bite the bullet, get down to the doctors and tell them how you're feeling. They'll understand and do their best to help. It's not an admission of failure just because you may be ill again. I am timid about going to the doctors through fear of being rejected and also, because it means that i am truly admitting the problem rather than just deliberating over it. I am never one to ask for help, which is why the prospect of going to the doctors to ask for medication is so daunting. However, i know from my last phase of illness that i am inclined to tell myself that 'It's not so bad, it could be worse' which just allows me even more time to get worse. Stupid, i know, but its almost like a state of denial. I wonder if anyone else who suffers with anxiety etc has this feeling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squidge00 Posted October 5, 2006 Author Share Posted October 5, 2006 Also, I've realised it's entirely possible to live with a little bit of anxiety and that I don't need to beat myself up about the fact that I'm not always "on top" of it 24/7. Quote from Tartempion My problem is that i feel that i have to be on top of everything, and then becasue i don't ask for help, i can't cope and i can't do anything, so it just defies the whole point of me trying to do everything in the first place. Does this sound like the sort of thing that CBT could address? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann_a Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 The doctors time is limited,and sometimes I feel it is all too easy to reach for the prescription pad.Making two appointments with him/her,..30 mins?..would enable you to explain fully how you feel.Is your doctor sympathetic?If not,change to one who is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SupraSteve Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 ....I hope this makes things clearer. It doesm thanks for the insight - very well described! I feel for you, what is it that we forummers can do to help, or do you feel you only get support from those you know who are around you? Either way, I still think that it's a good idea to contact the doctor now - Medusa cited a good reason for it but you've told us it's a good idea anyway. To echo Medusa, bite the bullet. I'm not trying to be condecesnding (at all!), just trying to help encourage you do what you've already said you should do. That's step 1, then maybe we can work out what step 2 is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.