Bad week

[Chris C]

This is the third day in a row I've called in sick from work again. I wake up and the anxiety and feeling of dread is just too much to take. Even after taking a klonopin I can't bring myself to leave the house. I've spent each day either in bed or on the couch hoping I fall back asleep and have some relief for a little while.

[trinidiva]

You can't give in the anxiety. Once you are out there..you will get through it. It may be tough but you can do it!

[nicnic73]

Easier said than done but you need to get to work. Try to confide in a coworker about the anxiety issues you are having and ask them to help you through each day. Take a small break when you feel like you can't make it any longer and take a walk. Distraction is key here. Try and change your thinking pattern when you get scared about how you are feeling. Positive thoughts. Break each work day into one hour increments, telling yourself you can get through the next hour. Eventually you will have made it through the whole day. Support from coworkers WILL help you. You will be surprised how many other people around you have dealt with their own anxiety maybe never saying a word about it. Good luck. I have been through all this also. I does get easy and time will heal.

[Chris C]

Thanks for the kind words and advice. It's just frustrating as the past two weeks I was doing better and made it to work each day. It wasn't easy but I did it. Now I feel like I've taken a step back. My nerves are shot.

[nicnic73]

Chris C is it appropriate to ask if you are on any meds?

[Chris C]

I'm currently taking Prozac again. One month at 10mg per day and 2 weeks now at 20. I took Prozac for about 9 years ending up at 60mg per day. My doctor switched me to Lexapro about a year and a half ago when the Prozac wasn't really working anymore. I also take 1mg of klonopin in the morning.

[nicnic73]

Did the Lexapro not work well for you?

[Chris C]

The Lexapro didn't work that great the year I was on it. At the time I was also prescribed xanax and found myself using that more and more. The doctor then tried Effexor which made my anxiety worse so I asked to be put back on Prozac. Also at that time my therapist suggested I switch from xanax to klonopin because it has a longer half life.

[nicnic73]

I take 20 mg of Lexapro daily. They first tried me on 10mg but I still had anxiety. 20 seems to do the trick, though I have a couple episodes per year when I spiral again. I also take Klonopin as needed but find if I take it to often it depresses me. When I have my episodes I do take 20mg of Atarax at night to help with sleep. It's just an antihistamine but makes me tired.

[Chris C]

How long do your episodes last when you get them? I have been feeling depressed lately. I'm not sure if it's just from the constant anxiety or due to taking klonopin every day.

[nicnic73]

Mine last about five days. It's hard to tell if the depressed feeling is from the K or just from dealing with it all but it is a depressant. It all just sucks. I have tried a lot of different meds over the last fifteen yrs. I had really good luck on Serzone for five years but they pulled it yrs ago due to liver damage. Always a guessing game with the meds. So many are generic now also and to me do not seem as effective. I pay 180 per mth for name brand Lex. That's half a car payment.

[Chris C]

Yeah I've been on meds of some kind for the last 20 years with Prozac being the longest. I've always had generic. Never actually gave any thought that there might be any difference. For some reason within he past few months my anxiety has come back with a vengeance. I feel like I'm starting all over again.

[nicnic73]

Something must be triggering this. Have you had your thyroid tested? Any added stress or excess use of caffeine? Mine usually starts from some sort of worrying. Usually about about a health concern or test. Though any big change in my life can set it off too. I have come to learn my comfort zone. Not being too bored or too busy. I have become very routine. It's seems to be the only way I can manage it. When I get to work I will send you a link of something I read quite often about anxiety setbacks. It may give you some piece of mind.

[Tranquility_Seeker]

I can relate. Work is the cause of most of my anxiety. I was out sick for something that wasn't anxiety related and found it so hard to go back! Each day I was home it got worse until I had no choice but to go in. It felt like I was walking the last mile to the electric chair! I did it, but it was so stressful. Avoidance just doesn't work for me because eventually I have to face it and the longer I put it off, the worse it gets. Nicnic had a great suggestion, I did confide in one of my co-workers and it helped, turns out she has the same problem! Now I have an ally :) and don't feel so alone. We can do this!

[nicnic73]

Sorry tried to post the link but I haven't had enough posts yet for that priviledge (silly). I could email it to you but I don't know how to do that either.

[littleone123]

Recently iv been getting worse too and have been signed off I hate the thought of going in to work. Have no idea why and what's caused all of this but I am not on any meds. Feel like I might benefit from it

[Chris C]

I recently went to an endocrinologist and had full bloodwork done including thyroid. Everything came back normal. I don't drink caffeine and there hasn't been any stressors or life changes. I'm at a loss as to why everything has gone to hell lately. I ended up staying home again today. I woke up and felt so sick after breakfast I had to lay back down again.

[DodgingRain]

I find that if I stay home it just makes the work anxiety even worse the next day so I always go in. I also avoid taking vacation for the same reasons. There is just to much added stress and anxiety every day I'm not at work.

[littleone123]

I find being off work don't always help. But find myself 'trapped' at work and 'stuck' which I hate

[ldts3012]

Hi Chris C, sorry to hear of your difficulty. I used to work at a place I hated but I changed jobs and it's been much better. A big part of my anxiety was caused by working for that particular employer at the time. I felt a sickening dread to go there but I went anyway because I needed the paycheck and I wanted to overcome my fears. Eventually I found a better job in a much friendlier environment! Do you think it would help to find a job / employer you like better? Or is it anxiety in general? What might you be able to do to take a different perspective on the situation so that the anxiety won't overtake you?

[nicnic73]

Chris just wondering how you have been feeling?

[Chris C]

Still not feeling that well. I stayed home from work today again. Though I did go see a new doctor this afternoon. I told him what meds I was taking (20mg Prozac and 1mg klonopin). His recommendation was to either increase the Prozac to 40 or switch to celexa 40. We decided to give the Prozac a try. He also switched me from klonopin to 1mg xanax xr since I've had good luck with xanax in the past. Hopefully the xanax will let me get back to work while I play the waiting game with the Prozac.