Mother suffering from severe anxiety

[Concerned-Son]

Hey all,

Looking for some help as I do not know where to turn at this time. My mother has been suffering from severe anxiety for the last year she and I feel hopeless as to what can be done. A little background about my Mom. She is in her late 50's and was what I considered a very stable person until this last year. She was a working professional and was at the same company for 25 years. For some reason about a year ago she started having really bad anxiety and thought it was work related so she took a leave of absence from work. However, things appeared to worsen. She could not sleep, should could not relax, she couldn't stand still. She would leave the house in the middle of the night and walk for miles her anxiety was so bad! She described it to me as "hell on earth". The doctor ended up putting her on temazepam which is a sleeping add laced with Benzo's. This made things more manageable for her although she still times the anxiety would come back. She has now been on temazepam for about a year and the anxiety appears to be coming back. Her bouts of anxiety are now longer and stronger than they were before. We think the Benzo effectiveness may have worn off. I am concerned with her current and future state considering she is having high anxiety and dependent on Benzo's that were prescribed by the doctor.

The last few days have been really tough. She says her feelings are very hard to describe but she said the only thing she can compare it to is like "sticking her finger in a light socket". Her body and mind is in complete over drive. Yesterday she saw her doctor and asked to committed to a hospital as she is in complete despair and cannot live in this state. My mom was committed to the hospital last evening and is now in 72 hour watch. I have concerns that this may not be of big help; but at this time she is so desperate and really needs some help.

All in all I posted this to see if anyone has any advice. Also, its been very hard to find any intensive inpatient treatment for my mother's severe anxiety. There just does not seem to be a lot of resources out there. Please let me know if you have any recommendations as to how I can help my mom.

It is very hard to see my mom suffering like this. She has changed a lot physically and has lost a lot of weight; she does not look well. She can no longer work or participate in social events; she for the most part stays locked up in her room or exercises to help ease her anxiety. I feel like this almost equivalent to having a family member sick with some terminal illness. She is truly suffering and is not well; she is a shell of herself right now. Again, your comments and thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks

[JohnC]

Hello young man. I do not have a quick answer for you but your love sure shows for your mom. Stand by her and support her and hopefully the doc's will be able to help. In the mean time I truely hope that one of the senoir members of this forum will step up and give you some better advice. I will keep you both in my prayers.

[Dahila]

It would be helpful to know what country you are from, or rather are in. We have pretty much every nation here, and people know a lot where to find the help:)

[crussellii]

Hey all, Looking for some help as I do not know where to turn at this time. My mother has been suffering from severe anxiety for the last year she and I feel hopeless as to what can be done. A little background about my Mom. She is in her late 50's and was what I considered a very stable person until this last year. She was a working professional and was at the same company for 25 years. For some reason about a year ago she started having really bad anxiety and thought it was work related so she took a leave of absence from work. However, things appeared to worsen. She could not sleep, should could not relax, she couldn't stand still. She would leave the house in the middle of the night and walk for miles her anxiety was so bad! She described it to me as "hell on earth". The doctor ended up putting her on temazepam which is a sleeping add laced with Benzo's. This made things more manageable for her although she still times the anxiety would come back. She has now been on temazepam for about a year and the anxiety appears to be coming back. Her bouts of anxiety are now longer and stronger than they were before. We think the Benzo effectiveness may have worn off. I am concerned with her current and future state considering she is having high anxiety and dependent on Benzo's that were prescribed by the doctor. The last few days have been really tough. She says her feelings are very hard to describe but she said the only thing she can compare it to is like "sticking her finger in a light socket". Her body and mind is in complete over drive. Yesterday she saw her doctor and asked to committed to a hospital as she is in complete despair and cannot live in this state. My mom was committed to the hospital last evening and is now in 72 hour watch. I have concerns that this may not be of big help; but at this time she is so desperate and really needs some help. All in all I posted this to see if anyone has any advice. Also, its been very hard to find any intensive inpatient treatment for my mother's severe anxiety. There just does not seem to be a lot of resources out there. Please let me know if you have any recommendations as to how I can help my mom. It is very hard to see my mom suffering like this. She has changed a lot physically and has lost a lot of weight; she does not look well. She can no longer work or participate in social events; she for the most part stays locked up in her room or exercises to help ease her anxiety. I feel like this almost equivalent to having a family member sick with some terminal illness. She is truly suffering and is not well; she is a shell of herself right now. Again, your comments and thoughts are appreciated. Thanks

Has your mother ever been prescribed any SSRI medications or something besides Benzos?

[Damavandi]

Hi:

My message to you is quite formidable, and expect you to have just
a simple blood test done for your mother.

Please read the below link, which is my thread/story at this forum. It could change her life, quickly.
Please, when you read it, read it with care.

http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showth...Panic-Disorder

Best regards,
Ali

[JohnC]

Hi Damavandi, I just tried to go to your link and it would not let me. I thought I may want to read it too. Just an FYI

[Dahila]

I am on VD3 and I do not see any difference, it is placebo effect like magnesium and other things. It is not changing no one life. We all are deficient with it, because of the life we have now and the sun burning , many people have to cover themselves with sunblock
It does nothing for depression.

[Ritch]

Hi CS.

First things first, I think that your mother has been on temazepam for far too long. Benzo's are advised to be only used for a short period of time as the body can build tolerance to it and the dosage may have to keep on being increased to have the desired effect. In my opinion it would have been better to give her a tricyclic anti depressant at night such as amitriptyline which would have helped induce sleep and also potentially bring the anxiety to a level that is tolerable. I think what is happening with your mother at the moment with regards to the bouts of anxiety being stronger is that she now has her own anxiety & rebound anxiety from the temzaepam no longer having the same effect.

Speaking from personal experience, I was detained in a psychiatric facility for severe anxiety amongst other things for around 5-6 months. Whilst I was in hospital I was given a lot of benzodiazepines to treat anxiety, in the short term they offered relief but caused more problems in the long term. Also going into a psychiatric facility with anxiety may offer some short term relief, but you have to be aware of the possible dangers of this aswell. Speaking from experience when I was in the hospital it felt like a weight had been taken off of my shoulders, that my problems in the outside world didn't matter. This is because you are surrounded by healthcare professionals who are friendly/helpful and in a way in a protective bubble..... this for me personally set me up for a fall when I left the facility.

As you said " For some reason about a year ago she started having really bad anxiety" this reason needs to be identified. You need to have her bloodwork done to make sure that her levels are in the required ranges and to rule out any underlying cause. She also needs to be under the care of a psychiatrist not a general practitioner, they are much better equipped and have more experience in treating psychiatric problems. Once the psychiatrist has been able bring her anxiety down to a more reasonable level I would get her some therapy, a mixture of cognitive behavioral therapy and cognitive analytical therapy could make a significant difference.

Unfortunately it sounds like your mothers recovery may be a long one, but just remember little steps. I know from my own experiences that there is nothing that can compare to watching your mother suffer, it's probably the most difficult thing I have had to do and I wouldn't wish it on anybody. But for the moment you may have to become a sad clown........Smiling on the outside for your mother to see but crying on the inside. Final thing please be aware of yourself...... the amount of stress you are under on top of what comes with the modern day to day life is more than enough to cause you some emotional/anxiety related problems. So do your best to not bottle everything up and make sure you speak to/supported by someone about what is going on whether that be a friend, family member or professional.

I hope that your mother makes a speedy recovery and that you yourself are able to cope.


Oh and dahila please feel free to backup your claims with scientific evidence, conspiracy theories will not suffice :)

[Damavandi]

Hi JohnC:

Here is the link again:

http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?12695-Vitamin-D3-Cured-my-Anxiety-Depression-and-Panic-Disorder

Best wishes,
Ali

[Dahila]

Oh and dahila please feel free to backup your claims with scientific evidence, conspiracy theories will not suffice
I will not, cause my life, my very long life with anxiety and trying everything what is possible, is an evidence :))
The only what works but is not so potent is St John's wort, Mellisa aka lemon balm, Valerian root. Just keep in mind that I am herbalist, and I must acquired some knowledge about it. :))

[Concerned-Son]

Hey all,

Thanks for the insight. I believe she had some blood work when this all started but I will confirm. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of her stress. She did have some life changing events; but she seemed to intermittently get these waves of anxiety attacks. She has been seeing a psychiatrist for some time. The intensity and duration of the attacks have increased over the last year and is also mixed with depression.

She is still hospitalized at this time and she is having her bad days and her okay days(okay days are a success at this point). The doctor thought she might be bi-polar because my mother believes she had a severe reaction to Buspar where her anxiety increased 10 fold. He said that this paradoxical reaction could indicate some type of bi-polar disorder. The doctor is putting her on Latuda to see how she reacts. She seems to be doing better but it is too early to tell. I guess I don't really see the classic bi-polar symptoms in her; but again I am no psychiatric professional. To me she seems very anxious and depressed. I do not see any type of manic behavior. At this time she is going to remain at the hospital until she gets more stabilized. Once she is stabilized for a longer period of time she will start to ween off of the Temazepam.

Will keep everyone posted.

Thanks

[Ritch]

I will not, cause my life, my very long life with anxiety and trying everything what is possible, is an evidence :))
The only what works but is not so potent is St John's wort, Mellisa aka lemon balm, Valerian root. Just keep in mind that I am herbalist, and I must acquired some knowledge about it. :))

I guess it depends on your genetic makeup.Magnesium certainly helps my anxiety/mood and so does inositol hexanicotinate. I have also come across a study of a doctor not a pharmaceutical company using B3 to treat anxiety with good results.

Prozac didn't work for me but it doesn't make it a placebo because it doesn't work for..... see where I am going with this..... :)

[Ritch]

Hey all,

Thanks for the insight. I believe she had some blood work when this all started but I will confirm. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of her stress. She did have some life changing events; but she seemed to intermittently get these waves of anxiety attacks. She has been seeing a psychiatrist for some time. The intensity and duration of the attacks have increased over the last year and is also mixed with depression.

She is still hospitalized at this time and she is having her bad days and her okay days(okay days are a success at this point). The doctor thought she might be bi-polar because my mother believes she had a severe reaction to Buspar where her anxiety increased 10 fold. He said that this paradoxical reaction could indicate some type of bi-polar disorder. The doctor is putting her on Latuda to see how she reacts. She seems to be doing better but it is too early to tell. I guess I don't really see the classic bi-polar symptoms in her; but again I am no psychiatric professional. To me she seems very anxious and depressed. I do not see any type of manic behavior. At this time she is going to remain at the hospital until she gets more stabilized. Once she is stabilized for a longer period of time she will start to ween off of the Temazepam.

Will keep everyone posted.

Thanks


I look forward to you updating us, don't forget to look after yourself aswell!

[JohnC]

Hi,
I just wanted to add that Magnesium seemed to help me to. I use a brand that was recommend by a family psychiatrist it is called Neural Magtein and is made by Magceutics. You might be able to google Magtein but when I find the link I will post here.

[Dahila]

I guess it depends on your genetic makeup.Magnesium certainly helps my anxiety/mood and so does inositol hexanicotinate. I have also come across a study of a doctor not a pharmaceutical company using B3 to treat anxiety with good results.

Prozac didn't work for me but it doesn't make it a placebo because it doesn't work for..... see where I am going with this..... :)

Well not SRRi works for me, I do not tolerate them. Ritch please do not mind my lanugage skills, English is my second language and up to 40 years of age I had not speak or understand more than "thank you or love you " Love story and bla bla.

Even with many years of picking up and experimenting with herbs, I am on meds....
I do believe that the magnesium imbalance or any imbalance in body, can cause a lot of symptoms which we take as anxiety symptoms. Low blood sugar for example. i was sure it was a panic attack till they checked my levels....

With the short time of intake what needed and adequate diet it should be controlled.

Placebo is good, anything is good as long as people believe in it. I do read you Ritch. Everyone is diffferent. I am a lot here on forum and people who believed that they were cured by mangnesium or VD3 are back after short time...it is worth to try though..

[mikecole114]

Hey cs

Like everyone eles here I know exactly how you feel when I was at my worst I think sometimes I upset my family more then I realised. Please stay strong to your mum as often others will sterotype this behaviour your mum is your mum not bipolar or anxiety she is her own person hope all is well