I am tired of living with constant anxiety over every minor thing. Everything that doesn’t go according to plan or just thinking of my life stressors makes me sick to my stomach and I’ve started vomiting from stress. I wake up at night at any little sound scared and so tense I get severe leg cramps. I am constantly overwhelmed and feel like my life is driven by my anxiety. I just reached out to my pdoc about needing to make an appointment for this.
I don’t know what my options are. I have Ativan but I don’t want to rely on it regularly. Vistaril did jack all for me but give me awful dry mouth. SSRI’s work great but wreak havoc on my bladder, I just can’t tolerate them. Wellbutrin possibly made me manic/psychotic. I haven’t tried Buspar yet but I’ve heard questionable things about its efficacy and doubt it would help but at this point I’m desperate.
I too had out of control anxiety that was unbearable. Of all the emotions it was the one I just couldn’t master. It was so visceral. I had a physical reaction to it. Even panic attacks. I just had to organize my whole life around dealing with my anxiety, it was always a factor.
I tried a a lot of different meds including Ativan, Buspar and Vistaril. I tried probably 8 different SSRI’s over the years and had problems with them. Then one pdoc I went to prescribed Cymbalta to me for depression and quickly got me to the max dose. To my surprise the anxiety that had been bothering me for so long became manageable. I still get a reasonable amount of anxiety like a normal person would. And I do have a phobia that I need to take Ativan for occasionally, but my anxiety is doing really well otherwise.
Cymbalta is a SSNRI. So it works a little differently. I’m on the max does, but I don’t go manic. It may not be the one to work for you, but I bet there is one that will work for you. Keep looking, they’re not all the same.
I’m also on an SNRI – I take Pristiq. None of the SSRIs were good for me, but this one has cut my anxiety wayyyy down. I still, like @Leaf get anxiety, and I have diazepam for that when I need it, but it’s mostly way better.
I use to have really bad anxiety. My first mental health issue was a massive panic attack as I was driving down the highway, I thought I was having a heart attack, it felt awful and I’ll never forget it. After that I would get anxiety over having anxiety attacks, which would lead to more anxiety attacks. I became agoraphobic for a few years. Didn’t want to work, got to school or party with friends, just stay at home.
An applied CBT program really helped me understand my thoughts and then the anxiety faded and the panic attacks went away. I always had Ativan on hand just in case but I rarely used it. That was all about 20 years ago, I got over it and anxiety isn’t really a big problem for me anymore so recovery is possible.
I suffer from severe panic attacks and anxiety. It’s horrible. It has ruined any amount of esteem/confidence that I have had. I isolate myself in my home. I go out only early in the morning or very late in the evening. I only go to the supermarket, I avoid crowded places. If friends invite me to go out with them for a couple of beers, then I start binge drinking so the anxiety will go away and so that I can become sociable. Otherwise I start shaking and can’t speak. I am depressed because of all this. I have anxiety with steroids!
Yeah, that sounds very similar to my story. The company and CBT program I used that brought an end to my panic attacks and anxiety doesn’t exist anymore but it lives on as an app. You can check it out here. It’s called Attacking Anxiety and Depression. It was life changing for me.
I don’t know what that app entails, but when I did the program there were 3 basic components. Tapes that you listened too that were various people in a group discussion talking about these issues, a relaxation tape, and a work book full of CBT exercises. I would guess the app incorporates all that and more. I did the program like 20 years ago.
If I remember it cost me about $400 for the program, I was hesitant but it ended up being worth it. I still have the whole program (tapes and workbook) upstairs in my closet.
That a good idea, but you need to do more than just read the theory (although that is important) but you also need an applied CBT program that gives you exercises that help you recognize the thoughts that are making you anxious and how to counter them. These exercises will help you rewire your brain so you are in a different state of mind.
The brain has an ability called neuroplasticity which means it can rewire itself. That means you can change it and fix your anxiety issues. It may be hard to believe in your current condition but many many people have done it. CBT is a tool to do just that.
Anxiety and panic attacks are caused my your thoughts and are triggered by the amygdala which is a part of your brain. It can all be solved with CBT if done properly.
I wish you all the best. I know how debilitating and awful chronic anxiety, depression and panic attacks can be. I’ve been there.
