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First time posting about my anxiety and I’m scared

Alice2261
Community Member

Hi there

Ive been a long time sufferer of anxiety and have been on medication for approx 6 years which was working well for me up until recently. My dr has now weaned me off a medication and I have started on another medication a week ago. These past couple of days though I have been very down and in tears on the verge of a panic attack. I feel so flat and not functioning very well. I’m scared i will never get better. Has anyone else had this when starting new medication? Is it something that gets worse before it gets better ? Any advice would be very much appreciated

Thank you 😊

4 Replies 4

Bedrock83
Community Member

Hey Alice2261,

Firstly, well done for having the courage to reach out and post something on here. It might not seem like such a big effort to most people, but to those who understand what you're going through, it's a big step.

Secondly, has there been anything else going on in your life that might have triggered these feelings? Sometimes the process of changing medications can feel very unsettling, which can be a scary and vulnerable place to be.

I have been on and off medication over the years for both anxiety and depression, and the unfortunately ironic part of going on them is that they do often give an increase in anxiety before they begin to show improvement. I'm not a medical expert, so if you have any major concerns about your medication, you should contact the doctor who prescribed them to you. However, as increased anxiety is a common side-effect, I would do your best to get through this next period until the storm settles again.

As far as feeling like you'll never get better, this is definitely something I think we all feel, especially when things feel at their worst. Rather than giving yourself more anxiety about your anxiety, use this time to self-nurture. I find cleaning/tidying, cooking a nice meal (even just for myself), going for a walk, are all things that help get me through anxious periods. Keeping a simple routine can also be great, but don't expect too much of yourself.

Mental health can be a rough journey, but each time you go through a shaky period you gather more knowledge/tools/experience that will help you take more control the next time round.

Be kind to yourself, and keep reaching out if it gets too much!

PamelaR
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member

Welcome to our community Alice

Things sound a little hard for you at the moment. My thoughts are it would be good to talk with your doctor and let them know how you are responding to the new medication.

I haven't had experience with changing my medication, though I do know starting any medication will take a few weeks before you'll feel any benefit from it. Some say 4 to 6 weeks.

In the meantime, if you're not already aware of how to self manage and you're interested, there's a thread that's pinned to the top of the Anxiety forum - Tips for Managing Anxiety. This may help to reduce some of the symptoms. The things I find particularly useful is the controlled breathing, the mindfulness, and the grounding.

There are also some useful phone apps out there these days that help with anxiety. Are you okay with doing a google search for these apps?

Is there anyone you can talk to? For example a close trusted friend or family member? I always find talking helps me significantly - to get to the bottom of what is causing the anxiety in the first place.

Hope some of this helps Alice. Keep reaching out to us, if and when you want to.

Kind regards

PamelaR

Thanks for your response. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in all this. I’m going back to my Dr on Friday to discuss how I’m feeling. I definitely am feeding my anxiety by worrying about my anxiety ! Lol I do find cleaning and tyding helpful as well. I have just got back from a quick trip to Queensland to visit my brother and I am missing him so maybe that could be a reason. I agree these rough patches make us stronger in the long run. Thanks so much for your support

Thanks for the tip PamelaR. I’ll check out that thread. Yes im going back to Dr on Fri to discuss. I’m also seeing psychologist as well. I’ll have a look with the anxiety apps. Thank you