lonely but not alone

[carebear:)]

hello i am 31 years old and have suffered with anxiety for so long now i feel completly defeated. i have major worries about my health all day everyday slightest thing and im stressing over it and googling it the more i stress the more panick attacks i have i hate being around people out in crowds or just visiting someone i get so anxious that it's just easier to stay home but then on the other hand i hate being alone with just me and my negative worrying thoughts.I constantly worry about what i should be doing and actually not getting much done at all leading to more guilt feelings i always feel so guilty am so worried that im dragging down my husband and children with all the things i can't do but want to do so get depressed.
Have major social issues have been so worried about what people are thinking or how i'm acting for so long i think i've forgotten how to socialise now just end up with a racing heart and going home.
have low iron at the moment so my heart race is faster and i get breathless which is leading to so much panic even though ii know what's wrong i can't stop it.
feel so alone even though i have a wonderful hubby and 4 children no-one knows what im going threw most people's view is should just get on with it am i alone in all this is it just me????

[alankay]

Hi, are you being seen by a dr. or counselor? If not you need to. If you can't trace you anxiety/depression to issues within yourself(past traumas, etc), you should see your dr. You'll likely benefit from an ssri(zoloft, celexa, etc) and maybe a beta blocker(propranolol, atenolol) if you really get shaky/racing heart during social events like I do. I use propranol 30-40mg and boy it helps. You're not alone with way you feel. You shouldn't suffer any longer than needed. See your dr and tell him all. If you're on meds and they aren't helping message me and maybe I will have ideas. I'm 48 and had anxiety since freshman year in college so am pretty knowledgeable.

[dthul1]

Welcome to the forum! You are by no means alone. I have terrible anxiety as well and I have no idea where it came from. It can be vary frustrating at times. I will say STOP GOOGLING!! It will only make things worse. Luckily, I'm seeing my doctor on Monday to discuss this problem. Sad thing is, I'm already getting nervous to see my doctor! So trust me, your not alone. :)

[carebear:)]

thank you for wonderful replies cant take medication as it makes me worse i get so stressed just having to take paracetemol lol have tried many and they never seem to help and/or i get scared and stop taking them! have really been trying to not google and is helping a lot i had docs today and had to wait there about 3 1/2 hrs and was anervous mess by time i left hate going to docs and there was so many people there it was horrid but i did get e great result finally have a plan of action from heamatologist for 18 mths of iron tabs ( the only tabs i can take!!) so now my stress levels have gone down but would love to just not be anxious anymore its like a bad friend that just won't leave lol alnkay does this get easier to live with ever?????

[alankay]

With treatment and doing reading, progressive relaxation, deep breathing, aerobic exercise, etc, yes. I am not anywhere near where I was when I first started having anxiety enough to see a dr. for. Question. What med(s) make it worse? If ssri's have you tried starting at a lower dose and moving up to the recommended dose as you tolerate it? In addition to talking with a counselor I'd think about starting a low dose of an ssri(like zoloft, maybe 25mgs) and work slowlyyy up to 50mg. That might take a few weeks. That's just an example, fluoxetine is another I''ve had luck with(you could try going from 5mg, to 10mg and then 15mg and hold at 20 mg for a few months, going say 2 weeks between dose adjustments). Disregard if you're tried that. What I've saying is using an ssri is safe and probably the best way to lower your anxiety slowly and with very little risks(except for some temp increase in anxiety that goes away soon after you begin them). I wish there were ssri's when I was diagnosed, there was just imiprimine(nasty dry mouth, very anxious, hungry, etc) but if I'd stayed on it, I would have done better. I wish I listened to my pdoc on that but he started me on fluoxetein in 1992(low dose and increased slowly and it helped!!). Another scenario to try(but is harder in the UK because of the benzodiazepine paranoia Dr. Ashton created) is to start an ssri along with a TEMP course of a low dose benzo(serax, clorazepate, klonopin) and taper down the benzo after 2 weeks or so. Don't buy into the benzo fear. Yeah it's stupid to have drs. prescribe high dosages for years and then "Ohhhh you should probably be off that by now on second thought" and that sucks big time for the patient. If USED PROPERLY(short term use) benzo's are invaluable for folks with anxiety resistant to ssri's and/or folks who are sensitive to ssri's and have trouble getting started on one(and therefore never get the benefits of that class of meds versus others as the main med). Your GP knows this, here in the US they try to start you on an ssri and use a temp course of a benzo ONLY if they can't get you on the ssri successfully without it. Since ssri are a much better long term med option for anxiety. Very safe, non habit forming, side effects almost always disappear in weeks. If you were my sister/very good friend, etc, I'd advise a good counselor to talk about your anxiety with and if that's is not helping, start an ssri even if a short course off a benzo is needed to help you get past some of the unpleasant side effects to get the benefits of the ssri long term. Maybe stay on it for 6 moths to a year and go from there. Practice progressive relaxation, deep breathing, get aerobic exercise and try to get a copy of Reid Wilson book "Don't panic". Limit caffeine and alcohol for now. Ask your local druggist if he recommends an antihistamine for anxiety/sleep(those are pretty darn safe). "Sleepy Time" teas(have chamomile and valerian root) help many with anxiety. Let me be clear here. I'm NOT trying to push meds. But at some point you may need to "bite the bullet " and give them a truly fair trail. I was not willing to work with my pdoc at first not knowing(at 18) that all they recommend is based on large and long studies that follow long term outcomes of folks with various subtypes of anxiety and the chosen treatments and use allll that experience/knowledge to develop treatment guides for other drs to benefit patients. That's how it works. No doubt your doc has treated many patients with anxiety and had success. If you opt out of any meds, I RESPECT THAT and hope you work with a counselor on non med. treatments. Since I try to write on as many posts as I feel I can be helpful with please message me directly if you'd like. I love to help folks with anxiety issues since I've gained so much info. from having it and getting much better. Plus folks with anxiety tend to be highly intelligent, creative, energetic and have kind souls.:) If I don't say so myself!!:) Again message if you'd like any time. Cheers!