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@Bostongrl25: Don't beat yourself up over this. Anxiety has almost ruined my life. I fell apart a few months ago from anxiety and broke down and finally saw a therapist. I kept telling myself it would get better or it was just anxiety and I should be able to handle my own problems, but you can't talk yourself out of it. I just found a local therapist in the area and she referred me to a psychiatrist who prescribed me Celexa and Buspar for anxiety. I am very anti drugs, but after a year and a half of "dealing" with it on my own, I gave in. I just started the meds 2 weeks ago so it's too soon to tell how they're working, but I feel so much better knowing I'm doing something. Hang in there! PM me if you need to talk!!!
@ebet24: Thank you so much. I keep feeling like things will get better, or "if I get this and this done then I'll feel better", but I still feel the same.
Honestly, you need to see a doctor. It could be something entirely different than anxiety; it could boil down to a sleep issue to begin with, which is stressing you out. Or it could just be really stress. The only way to find this out is to go to a doctor.
Before even considering taking medication, you should try other ways of managing stress. Yoga, exercising, meditation, or even reading a book can help calm you down. Unless you've tried other non-medicinal methods, I'd shy from becoming dependant on a pill numbing you to the point that you don't feel stressed/anxious anymore. Definitely go see a psychologist or psychiatrist to figure out what you can do to help, either with or without the aid of medication.
I would honestly recommend starting with your regular doctor. Sometimes, anxiety is a symptom of a medical disorder (over active thyroid). It's always good to have a complete check-up and rule everything out and then talk to him about anxiety medication, if needed.
Good luck, it's not a good feeling - I can sympathize with that!
@Bostongrl25: Anxiety can be crippling, I would definitely start by going to a counselor of some sort - could be a social worker, therapist, anyone like that. A psychiatrist would be someone who would prescribe medication, though they often do not do much 'talking' it out. From my experience, they tend not to prescribe anxiety medication unless it is completely disabling because it is wildly addicitive (espcially if you're younger - 20s or 30s I think). They will sometimes prescribe anti-depressants to see how those work.
There are a variety of other things that can really help as well, including meditation and exercise. Reducing the amount of caffeine you drink, the amount of time you spend reading the news, and exercising regularly can really make a difference. I am NOT trying to belittle what you're going through with simple tips, I just know from experience they really can work.
I would definitely at least start with a counselor who can help you just talk through a few things to figure out what direction you want to go in. My brother said this to me when I was having a lot of anxiety, that it will, someday, get better. And it will, I hope for you you can find a path that's successful for you sooner rather than later!!
Anxiolytics (anti-anxiety medications) are great, and work pretty reliably. However, most of them come with a laundry list of unpleasant side effects.
Even coming from a pharmacy background, I would say that you should pursue treatment via alternate methods before starting pharmacotherapy.
@abbie017: @RR: Thanks ladies!
I will make an appointment with my regular doctor and start from there. I did try talking to my last doctor about my sleep issues but she sort of brushed it off and told me to get into a schedule, which I already do. I work out 4-6 times a week, eat a healthy diet, and read before bed instead of watching TV. I fall asleep ok, it's waking up in a panic about everything I have to do the next day that is keeping me awake.
I feel for you. I have suffered from anxiety my entire life and never realized how bad it was until a couple of years ago. I was nauseous 24/7 and had chest pains and went to the hospital a few times, just to be told I'm fine.
Finally after my doctor (he's nuts) misdiagnosed me a few times, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I took Paxil for over a year but didn't like the numb feeling. I weened off and eventually realized I can't handle life without medication. I'm now on a low-dose of Effexor which has helped me tremendously.
Definitely speak to your doctor. Tell him your symptoms and be completely open and don't hesitate to tell him any little thing. Also, don't be afraid to go on a medication. I hear that so many people say "I don't want drugs" and I used to be one of them. But I can honestly say I would much rather take a drug and live a fairly normal life than the way I was living before.
Good luck!
I started with my regular doctor, and now I see a psychiatrist (because the meds I was on weren't working, and I needed to be evaluated to see what I needed). Now, I am doing much better on what I'm on, and its tailored to my personal needs
Medicine for anything comes with more baggage that you may sign up for. If you can just go to counseling and that may help alone, I would recommend doing that. Medicine will not cure anything, but it might hold you over for a while, as long as you can afford paying for it and taking the side-effects. Please consider going into counseling, as it has *cured* many people of their anxiety.
Thank you for all the advice ladies, I didn't realize how common this was. For so long I thought my feelings were normal and this is just how life is. It's nice to know I am not alone!
Insomnia is the worst. I have at a couple of times in the past taken anti-anxiety medication on a short-term basis when I was going through stress and I couldn't sleep because of it. The drug I took was temezapem - a benzodiazepene. It was prescribed by a psychiatrist. I didn't have any trouble stopping once I was feeling better and was able to get to sleep without it. Of course everyone reacts differently and for some they can be habit-forming. But if you've tried all of the non-drug approaches and they haven't worked I would consider it (after seeing a doctor, preferably a psychiatrist). Not being able to get enough sleep SUCKS - I hope you can find something that works!
@Bostongrl25: If your doctor brushes off your concerns again, I'd consider getting a new doctor, or at least a second opinion. It's not right for a doctor to ignore persistent complaints, especially when they are now having a dramatic effect on your life. I hope you get this sorted out soon, because it can be really hard!
But like pharmy said, I was on medication for chronic migraines and it definitely messed me up. The migraines got better, but I never felt like myself. I eventually got off of them and learned other ways to manage pain and lessen how frequent they came. I hope there's a homeopathic way you can use to try and handle this.
This sounds exactly like me! I have been dealing with insomnia (or so I thought) for 6 years. It tooks lots of sleeping pills for me to realize that I still couldn't sleep and there was something else. My doctor decided I have anxiety (I fall asleep fine but wake up 50 million times looking at my alarm clock worrying I wont wake up in time and that I wont get everything done the next day). I have been on a handful of different medications. I was on amitriptyline for years but had to keep taking more and more and lost my sex drive. I spent the summer trying out many different meds and found that I needed one with a relaxation side effect to it so I could fall asleep at night. The others I took kept me up all night. I have found one I like now (but I can't remember the name). It has no sexual side effects so that is good! I also see a psychologist on occasion (I saw her weekly over the summer so I could learn how to better manage my anxiety). PM me if you have any questions.
@abbie017: I agree with trying alternative options first (I spent a year and a half learning to meditate, reading and working through anti-anxiety books, trying homeopathic remedies, taking Niacin and St Johns Wort, and actively doing yoga). These are all great places to start.
However, this may not be enough if your anxiety is bad enough-don't be afraid to take drugs if you need to. Anxiety can consume your life. I spent so much time saying, "Well once this project is out of the way or once we have more money or once I'm done with my thesis, this will all be better." I finally just had to accept that there would always be something and I needed to take control of my life now.
The anti anxiety drug I just started is called Buspar-it is not addictive (which was very important to me). I also take Propranolol in advance of an event that I know will be stress inducing. It is a beta blocker, so it is not addictive either. There are options out there that a psychiatrist can go over with you.
@ebet24: Agreed, this is basically what I was saying. I just recommend trying non-medicinal ways first, but sometimes medication is necessary. Unfortunately, a lot of doctors turn to medication really quickly because it gets a patient off their back, but then the person may be stuck on medication long-term, rather than learning how to cope with stressors. But I do agree there are some cases when medication is necessary.
And this stuff has pretty much saved my life: http://www.healthbeyondhype.com/melatoninnd-5-oz-p-223.html.
It's liquid melatonin and is the only stuff I've tried that actually gives me a good nights sleep without making me groggy in the morning. The melatonin at the grocery store and GNC just gave me weird vivid dreams, but my naturopath suggested this stuff and it works awesome. I take 5 drops before bed (you can take up to 6).
You guys are all so helpful!
I definetly don't want to just start taking medicine first without exploring other options. I have gone to counseling in the past, so I am open to it again.
Thanks again ladies.
After struggling for years I finally broke down last year after I went to the ER three times in one month. my relationships were in shambles and I needed help. I am also anti-medication but my doctor said I need to get stable first before non-medication interventions would work for the long term. So I went on a low dose of Cipralex. It was a god-send. I am stable enough now that I am coming off in March. I took a mindfulness based stress reduction course that has taought me to identify the signs of anxiety and deal with them before a full blown panic attack. It has changed my life.
the person I was a year ago is no longer who I am now. My relationships are back on solid footing, my digestion is normal again, and chest painbs and headaches are reduced dramatically.
Seriously, getting help is hard work but it is very much worth it.
After struggling for years I finally broke down last year after I went to the ER three times in one month. my relationships were in shambles and I needed help. I am also anti-medication but my doctor said I need to get stable first before non-medication interventions would work for the long term. So I went on a low dose of Cipralex. It was a god-send. I am stable enough now that I am coming off in March. I took a mindfulness based stress reduction course that has taought me to identify the signs of anxiety and deal with them before a full blown panic attack. It has changed my life.
the person I was a year ago is no longer who I am now. My relationships are back on solid footing, my digestion is normal again, and chest painbs and headaches are reduced dramatically.
Seriously, getting help is hard work but it is very much worth it.
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I have self diagnosed anxiety. It's something I have dealt with for years, but some months are better than others. Lately though, I am going through a rough patch. Between work, wedding planning, financial worries, family drama, etc. I am not getting more than 2-3 hours of sleep a night. I wake all night longand then can't fall back asleep, and I feel nervous and stressed all the time.
I don't even know who to talk to or where to go. I've never taken any type of medicine before, so I don't know where to start. I should probably start with some type of counseling first,huh? I'm fairly new to my area, but I do have a regular doctor that I have seen twice for a check up and because I had strep throat.
I just feel lost and confused and almost embarassed. I mean, everyone is stressed and I know that. I just can't seem to get mine under control. Ugh