New to forum - waking up with anxiety and depression

Blue_girl · ‎20-09-2014

I have suffered from anxiety and depression since I had my second child 15 years ago. Since then, I have been on different medications to help with chronic insomnia, but other than bad days every now and then, I have been coping pretty well. I've had some kind of melt down this past week and have barely been able to function. Mornings are the worst, panic, nausea, foggy head etc. I have been off work all week but need to get back to work this week. Feeling very anxious about how I am going to function while I feel so bad? Any suggestions to help with these awful mornings?

BeeGee · ‎20-09-2014

Hi Blue girl,

Welcome to BB. I'm sorry to hear that you are in such a low place at the moment, that sounds truly awful.

If I understand you correctly, you've had meds for insomnia, but you've not had your depression treated before. Maybe now is the time to tackle that monster, because it seems after many years of valiantly battling it out by yourself the monster might be starting to win.

If you have had a medical diagnosis of depression then I'm surprised that your doctor has not tackled this before... was there some reason behind that? If you're not comfortable with your GP for mental health issues there's no reason why you can't try someone else - even if only for this particular issue.

There is a wide variety of antidepressants, some of which can also be quite useful in helping you sleep. Your doctor will be able to put together all your symptoms and recommend a good med to try. I'm sure you know though that it can take several tries to get the right one for you, so some persistence is required.

In terms of going back to work, I don't know what you do but I wonder if there's any possibility of extending your leave? It sounds like you need some time and space to deal with where you have ended up, and I'm not sure rushing back to work is necessarily the best plan. That's probably not going to facilitate you making progress on getting better.

It's hard to offer suggestions that might help without knowing a little more about your circumstances. For example, does thinking about certain things bring on your feelings of panic and anxiety, or do they come out of the blue? If you can identify triggers it's easier to make plans to avoid falling into those thought patterns. It takes a bit more work if they just come out of nowhere. A psychologist may be of some help there, and your GP can hook you up with one for 10 Medicare funded sessions.

I'm sorry this wasn't the clear answers you were looking for! I do think though that a quick-fix band-aid is probably not going to be that helpful - you probably need to deal with the underlying issue in order to make the symptoms better and hopefully your GP is a good place to start to get the help you need.

Blue_girl · ‎21-09-2014

Hi Bee Gee

thank you very much for your reply. I am on anti depressant meds and my GP has referred me to a psychiatrist, I have my first appointment this week. The bad 'episodes' seem to come out of nowhere, but I have had to deal with a lot of stressful events over the past few years. I can't really extend my leave from work so just have to hope that I can cope okay. It is reassuring to participate in a forum like this, as I feel very alone with this problem.

geoff · ‎21-09-2014

dear Blue girl, thanks for coming to the site, as it's always good to be able to talk to other people who have encountered the same issues or similar ones that you are now having to try and cope with, and there is never an easy option which to take that you agree with or understand, that's why it's a fascinating place to be, because it may give you other angles which you can take.

Your psychiatrist is most likely to change the AD's you are now taking, because they do this for one reason, they want to be able to have you under their medication, because they believe that it's probably the best, so don't panic about this if and when it happens, just let them know if the side-effects are terrible.

These stressful events that have occurred over the past are ones that have never been dealt with, in such a way that you can learn to push them aside, and I certainly hope that as you were only 15 years old that you weren't taken advantage of, and only answer this if you feel as though you can trust us.

Normally when we feel the worst in the morning is because we dread what may happen to us/you for the rest of the day, so a coping plan is something that needs to be organised, but it's not fair that you have to this alone, so you will need help, so maybe the psychiatrist could do this, however a psychologist would be even better.

It's just that I have seen both and I prefer seeing a psychologist, whereas other people are inclined to see the psychiatrist, but time will tell you this, so leave your options open.

There are plenty of sites to google on the net which may help you with this organisation of your day, but I do believe that it has to be plain and rather simple, so that it doesn't confuse you, but easy to follow.

Please let us know how you are going especially after your visit. L Geoff. x

Neil_1 · ‎22-09-2014

Hi there Blue Girl (who’s initials are the same as Bee Gee’s, so I definitely won’t do abbreviations here, otherwise, I’ll confuse, possibly the both of you as well as ME !) 🙂

I’m assuming now, that you are on meds for depression as well as a different variety for insomnia – is that correct?

Now, while we can’t mention any medication names on this site, I will say that I’m on two varieties at night time; and one in the morning. Of the two at night-time, one of them has potential to make you feel kind of sleepy and foggy in the morning – IF, I take more than one of them. I was only told that last week by my Doc.

So, just a question to ask – did you per chance try to slightly increase your insomnia meds last week, when you were feeling so ordinary – as possibly doing something like that to try and counter the way you were feeling? I ask that, cause I’ve done similar things in the past (probably not the wisest thing to do, but the two words of “Neil” and “wise” have never gone hand-in-hand anyway). I just thought I’d ask – cause if yes, then that “may” explain why your mornings have been very difficult of late.

Also another thought is that if your episodes come out of the blue, then there could be something that happens during the night – with a dream or something like that – that when you wake, you may well feel exhausted and worn out – and again, I’ve experienced this as well. Particularly if the dream is not so much of a dream but something bordering on the not so pleasant.

Both of my above suggestions may not be what’s occurring to you, but hey, just thought I’d chip in to see, on the off chance.

Out of everything else, I do hope you keep on posting. 🙂

Neil

Chloekat84 · ‎22-09-2014

Hi Blue Girl, I know exactly how ur feeling my anxiety and depression are at their worst in the mornings.They used to get better by the afternoon but since ive changed meds and weaning of another at the same time ive felt awful all day. I mean bad anxiety that I cant keep still, hyperventilating, neasea and crying over nothing. and this can last all day. I don't know if ur in a similar situation with ur meds but I know it can muck up the brain chemicals o I just need to tuffen it out as hard as it is. Ive found that being around family and friends helps. Just having company and talking to someone helps and getting out of th house as hard as it is can help like going for a brisk walk which is wat I do with my daughter in her pram. Don't worry u r not alone im going through this the same time as u 😞 I promise there is a light at the end of the tunnel.