Spotty anxiety,don't know how to treat this

[brittany09]

Long story short I've had anxiety for a couple years,and been diagnosed with GAD. I had a bout of agoraphobia earlier this year and got myself out of it. Now I'm doing better but feel like I need to get to the next step. Most things are doable for me with little trouble,except for the fact that I'm unemployed. I haven't been working and would love to,but am lacking the confidence to. I'm afraid I will end up not being able to handle it and quitting right away. My anxiety is here and there. Usually things are going good and I have it minimally,but every now and then I feel like crap for an entire night or day. Sometimes I feel anxious for days at a time. I really don't know how to take the next step. I have a script to lorazepam which I barely ever take. I don't feel like I have enough anxiety to make an antidepressant worth taking,since the idea of them scares me and it seems like there's a long list of side effects. So I'm wondering if anybody has spotty anxiety too,and what has helped you? I'm thinking about trying therapy or maybe just ordering cognitive behavior books to try on my own. Any help would be appreciated!

[SunnieDebris]

Brittany,

I'm glad to hear that you are progressing, and you want to take that next step! The thing about antidepressant medication, is that it takes time to build up in your system. Taking 1 here or there is probably not going to help much. My personal suggestion would be to take it as prescribed for 6 weeks, and record your progress in a journal, so you can really see if the meds are working for you. Seeing a therapist is also a great idea. Not everyone has access to mental health services, so for anyone who does, I always encourage it. I think that it's great that you want to start working again, and a therapist will probably be more beneficial than a self-help book. Good luck! I wish you nothing but the best!

Sunnie