Can anyone help? Not sure where or who to go to.

[Glassie]

Please can anyone help?

i do have a history of depression. I went on medication when I was dealing with my fathers death 15 years ago. Apart from that incident I'm not the most positive person and have low self esteem but on a day to day basis I have been well and have managed my daily life well. I work part time and love my job. I am very happily married with 2 wonderful children.

Which is why I cannot understand why I am feeling the way I am right now. I have all of a sudden experienced anxiety to the extent that I cannot concentrate on work or cope. This hasn't been developing over time it's just happened. 

I experienced the same thing last year. I thought I was a bit down possibly even depressed and had a few anxiety attacks. I could not find any reason for feeling like this, it just happened very quickly. 

Last year when it happened I saw my gp, got a referral to  a psychologist who after 30 mins and $350 later could not tell me what was wrong with me, but told me to go on medication anyway. After a discussion with my husband I decided not to go on the meds. A few weeks later the anxiety disappeared. That was last September.

so now it's back, once again all of sudden.

has anyone ever experienced this? Is this a normal pattern for anxiety? 

i am reluctant to go back to my gp.

If anyone can relate to this or give me some advice on what to do id be extremely grateful.

thanks 

[JessF]

Hello Glassie, it's frustrating when you fork out money and get no results, but I wouldn't give up on your GP just yet. Unfortunately sometimes it can take a few referrals until you find the right psychologist, which is annoying but very true. Sometimes you will get a person who doesn't have a clue or who you just don't click with. I wouldn't write off medication totally either, it can be very good for anxiety (I have been taking it for some years to manage my symptoms) in combination with therapy to work out what my triggers are.  It can feel at first like it is coming out of nowhere but there will usually be something that is setting you off and it can take a good psychologist to help you work out what that might be.

You should be able to get your GP to give you a referral to a psychologist through Medicare for a number of subsidised session and this should be far far less than $350.  Mine costs me $80 a session after the rebate and there are probably others that might bulk bill or be cheaper.

What happens when you get the anxious feelings? Do you get sweaty, feel nausea, panicked thoughts? Does it only happen at work?

[Glassie]

Thanks for your response.

younare absolutely right, i just need to find the right therapist so I can find out what the cause triggers are hopefully manages it a bit better.

the only way I can describe it is that I feel very overwhelmed and heart is racing. Cannot concentrate on anything.

i left work early one day and sat on the couch, kind of watched tv but just cried. I had stuff to do around the house but just couldn't drag myself to do them.

i got my husband to pick the kids up from childcare when I should have done but I just did not feel safe to drive.

Do those feelings make any sense?