New member. I'm not alone?

[Maleficent]

New member here. I've had minor (controlled) anxiety ever since I could remember but within the last two years it has gotten very bad. My grandma passed away in 2014 and then my uncle passed in 2015 from cancer. My anxiety has been all over the place since then. Went to my doctor in 2015 and she prescribed me Zoloft, which I could not take. The thought of mind-altering pills even gives me anxiety. I've tried to cope with it on my own but the last week I have had two panic attacks, the second one I ended up at the ER. I have another appointment with my primary care physician tomorrow. I'm sure she will want me to try another medication. I have a 5 year old and am scared to be on medication, for fear of being sedated while taking care of her.

Please tell me I'm not alone. I just feel so helpless that I can't control my mind or my feelings.

[magicmarcus]

you are definitely not alone.

what i find helps is to stop trying to control anxiety... it cannot be done... its like one of those traps where the more you try to get out the harder it gets.

its best to learn about it and watch it from afar... dont "BE IN" your anxiety... and try not to look at it as something that is happening TO you but rather just something that is... and it will go down. its not a miracle cure but over time your mind will learn to cope and your level of anxiety will drop.

its all about training your mind that you are going to be ok :-)

[gypsylee]

Hey and welcome :)

I was thinking about this yesterday - that what scares me a lot about anxiety is the feeling of being out of control, which of course creates a vicious cycle of more anxiety. I can go from really high functioning to a complete mess overnight basically, and that in itself scares the hell out of me.

Anyway, no you are not alone!

Cheers,
Gypsy x

[fixmybrokenmind]

You are far from alone maleficient. Forums like this wouldn't exist otherwise so try and stick around.

I have a healthy fear of medication as well, I avoid it at all cost but we all have our breaking point.

If you feel like you can not handle whatever it is you are going through, talk to your doctor and voice your concerns of impairment around your child. Most medications likely won't do that (benzodiazepines may) and a doctor should be able to inform you which ones run a higher risk of sedation.

When I am having a panic attack I use a beta blocker and it calms my heart rate down without any sedation (personally). I am heavily prone to fatigue as well so having something I can use on an as needed basis is huge for the mind. I take it roughly 20% as frequently as I initially did just by knowing I have it if I need it!

[jasonrobert252]

Thanks bác, giá»� mình má»›i biết đến thông tin hữu Ã*ch nÃ*y. Ai có những thông tin dạng nhÆ° thế nÃ*y post lên cho má»�i ngÆ°á»�i cùng tham khảo luôn nhé. Ä�ang rất quan tâm

[MainerMikeBrown]

Maleficent, I don't know if all medications for anxiety can potentially sedate you like you're afraid of. It's very possible that not all of them do.

That would be a good question to ask the doctor.

[Fashoom]

Yes, there are several anti-anxiety meds that are non-sedating, in fact they are considered "activating", in that they sort of pep you up. Agree that it's worth talking to your doctor about. Even a med that might sedate one user can be non-sedating for another. It's very individual. You could do a trial on a low dose and see if it helps your anxiety and whether there are any side effects that bother you.

Thanks for sharing your story, and let us know what happens.