Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
Hello, I had an emotional breakdown early in August. Doctor said it was anxiety which it probably was. I have a tendency towards anxiety but nothing debilitating until now. I had COVID in May and my therapist feels it is a large factor in my situation. I was sick but did not have any respiratory issues. Mostly tired, fever, feeling like crap and distorted taste and no appetite. Even after I recovered I still had issues with my appetite. I realized that I over focused on it and by August I couldn't eat much of anything. I also developed excess hair shedding and was dealing with lots of stress at work. My doctor put me back on Zoloft, which I had weaned off of several months before. I was on the Zoloft for some anxiety after having my son. My doctor also suggested Ambien for sleep. I wasn't having sleep trouble up until then, but thought it may be helpful. After 3 days of 50mg. Zoloft and Ambien, I woke after only 3 hours of sleep with my heart beating out of my chest. I never had any physical symptoms like that prior. My doctor kept telling me that I need to give the meds more time. Well it has been about 13 weeks now on Zoloft, upped to 100mg after first 3 weeks. I am also on Buspar 30 mg daily and a low dose beta blocker. I have had some somewhat better days but nothing consistent. I haven't been able to work either. I tried to go back about a week ago but ended up becoming extremely anxious and couldn't function. I hadn't been sleeping and I ended up taking the Ambien again which I feel made things worse. Now I am unable to sleep without taking Lorazepam. I generally awaken by anxiety symptoms. I get a racing heart, burning sensation in my arms including the back of my hands and sometimes gasp for a breath. My doctor is having me see a psychiatrist as I don't think she knows what to do about the meds. Waiting on an appointment. Nothing is taking the edge off. I have had some better periods of time but not an entire day. Symptoms overall seem to cycle. I have anxiety with physical symptoms many days for hours. It is like I am in fight, flight, or freeze mode non-stop. I am also going though menopause which may also be adding to my issues. I have an appointment to see a GYN about hormone therapy. I feel like I have gone backwards other than forward. I know that I have anxiety surrounding sleep after going though weeks and weeks of insomnia. I am using Calm app for mediation and sleep stories. Just wondering if anyone out there has dealt with anything like this before.
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I don't really know how to label this but I having a rough week and I can't say it's one thing.... I have a lot on my plate which is nothing new and I try to cope in many positive ways and do but I still have my moments.My kids more so my daughters talk to me about everything which I know it's cause of comfort and we are close.... however I really struggle with the venting about their dad which...
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I did the dumbest thing today. I charged my earbuds, unplugged the block and put the block in my little bag instead of the earbuds. I wasn't happy about that when I got to the gym. What a dummy!
Wow! Some of what you are experiencing is the same that I have been experiencing since a mild case of COVID at the beginning of August. I still don’t have my full sense of smell back. Taste seems to be okay but there are a lot of things I used to eat that don’t even tempt me now. My appetite is pretty non-existent until later in the day when I try to get more calories in and can usually eat dinner.
I have had a lot of anxiety since August that I thought would go away once my husband and I felt better. I now have terrible hot flashes, anxiety, insomnia, and nausea in the mornings.
I saw my GYN last week because these symptoms are very similar to what I experienced in perimenopause. Back then I started using a bioidentical progesterone cream and it was like a miracle. In the last 6 years I have felt normal with minimal hot flashes and anxiety. Fast forward to August and WHAM! all that started up again. I restarted the progesterone cream and this time it did nothing. I am two years post-menopause. So, my GYN did some blood work and determined my estrogen is low. She talked about using an estrogen patch but I am afraid of the side effects. She also recommended that I could try some OTC menopause medications and I started taking Estroven last Friday. My sister-in-law actually takes it and says that it dramatically reduced her hot flashes.
I need some relief because I have little energy from lack of good sleep. I have been alternating taking benadryl type sleep aids or an Ativan before bed. The only problem is that the benadryl leaves me really foggy the next morning.
I have always been a good sleeper so having insomnia is really frustrating. I also have always enjoyed the occasional afternoon nap. Now I want to take a nap but when I lay down I cannot really fall asleep. Ugh!
I use the Calm app to help me fall asleep. I really like it, other than the ear buds digging into my ear canals.
My two wishes, well maybe three, are better sleep, reduced hot flashes, and to get my appetite back.
I will be interested to hear what your GYN tells you at your appt. I wonder how much COVID has influenced these changes we are experiencing?
Take care.
You are doing the right thing in writing it out to help sort out the patterns so you can find your better balance.
Here's the thing with covid. There are treatment plans that use anti-depression medication in order to reduce the impact on the chemical balance in the brain.
Your chemical level is acting wonky as it tries to continue to heal from the side/after effects of covid.
The symptoms shared are connected, and the treatment plan needs to be adjusted to work with the symptoms to reduce them bit by bit to a better balance.
It is necessary to keep a journal and to be detailed in those symptoms and medicine times so it can be worked better for your well-being.
As mentioned, there are several suggestions to help you reduce your anxiety in general and they work.
As one symptom disappears, another one will pop up until you sort all the way through the awareness of the anxiety.
Best wishes as you find your better balance.
I find myself wondering if "COVID Anxiety," or some such, is going to surface as it's very own syndrome. To the best of my knowledge, I still haven't had The Virus, but I've experienced quite a few of the lingering symptoms you and other victims have described. Inside my own skin, it feels like an accumulated side effect of 2 consecutive years and counting of social chaos. What new rules will I wake up to in the morning? Sigh. . . Just wondering from a safe social distance. Don't accuse me of experting. Healing hopes for all. No exceptions.
Just opining. . .
Gentle support while you sort you own case. Welcome aboard.