Anxious and trying to find the right treatment and medicine

[jshen]

So like I posted before, I am now on effexor (just went up to 75 mg to days ago) for my bad GAD. I was on 225mg of this for two years and then I stopped to see if something else could do a bit better. I should not have switched because I was dealing ok with my anxiety but wanted to see if something could do better. I have been super anxious lately and am now back on the effexor. I think it might be working a little, but not sure. I wake up fine, but as soon as I'm up my mind is like "why are you not anxious now?" and my mind just starts going with worrying about everything. Its like i'm so use to be worried my mind wants me to be. I hate this and just want my mind to be calm and not worry about everything. Has anyone felt like this? I also feel sometimes that I'm dealing with dereaization, and try to be as social as I can to distract myself. When i'm not feeling the derealization, my mind still thinks, well what if i feel that way soon? And that puts it back into my mind all over again.
I hate being alone and anxious. I go to my moms a lot when I am. I'm 21 years old and live alone, which is nice to entertain friends, but sucks when you anxious and want company. I haven't really been wanting to hang out with friends lately due to anxiety but appetite seems to be coming back. I'm often not hungry when i'm anxious. I am doing the right things and anyone felt anything similar?

[gypsylee]

"Its like i'm so use to be worried my mind wants me to be."

This is more correct than you probably realise and I think most people here can relate. Anxiety and worrying is a pattern of thought that becomes an automatic habit over time. If you don't consciously intervene, it's what your mind will do. There are ways of changing it though, such as CBT and meditation. It's not something you can do overnight and it takes work but it is possible to become a non-anxious person. I've found meds help when anxiety/depression is acute but not so much for chronic anxiety.

Diaphragmatic breathing is a good way to start breaking the habit of being anxious. If I find myself lying in bed worrying about stuff I make myself do some breathing and it really helps. Then you can build on that with meditation. And as I say, CBT is a technique whereby you change your thinking pattern over time.

Cheers,
Gypsy x

[needtogetwell]

Hang in there Jshen,

That's still a small dosage of Effexor, you are just going through the adjustment period. You know this stuff works so be patient. You are doing everything right.

Good for you knowing to go to your moms when you are really anxious. It's wonderful to have a safe place to go when you don't want to be alone.

It will get better, you know this. Just take it one day at a time. You will get there.

Cheers!

[pinkrose]

Hi Jshen, it seeems to me based on what you say that the medication has really started working. So as soon as you wake up you are not anxious right? Then your mind says why are you not anxious. So the meds have started working and you really have to think positively that you are going to get well. In my experience you need some counselling or other forms of treatment as well. Don't rely on medication alone. Going to mom's is a good idea and it will surely help you. Other things such as diet can also constitute to calming down your mind. So avoid processed foods as much as possible and go for home cooked foods and also avoid sugary foods.

[matty_t]

Hmmm, when I went through the most severe times with GAD I could not stand being alone. I was living at home and would wait in my room nervously until my parents got back (I was 23 at the time). I live on my own now, even in a different part of the country. Whenever I am not anxious, being alone is no problem at all. But when you are anxious, you rush from place to place trying to keep yourself occupied. I know how this feels, and unfortunately it can be both good and bad. It is good to keep yourself occupied for sure, instead of staying home drowning in your own thoughts. But it isn't a good idea to keep yourself occupied in such a way as to avoid what is happening. It is a negative reinforcing behavior.

You might need to practice being on your own (in a controlled way), little by little try to come to terms with it.