please help

[cassandra1988xx]

I'm not sure if my last post went through. I started anti depressants 5 days ago and my anxiety is so extremely high. Does it get worse before it gets better?

[blondguy]

Hello Cassandra

Welcome to the forums...

This can be a difficult time for you. It can take anything from a week to four weeks before they start to kick in.

Like any medication there are side effects and anxiety can unfortunately be one of them. I have had severe anxiety for many years...I understand what you are going through.

Being with people at the moment is a good idea so you can have some gentle distraction to hopefully reduce the anxiety. If you get really stuck and need a kind voice on the phone BB has a 24/7 support line 1300 22 4636

Will you be calling your GP in the morning? He/she may be able to give you some more re-assurance especially as its meds related.

There are many kind people that are here for you Cassandra if you need us too! You are more than welcome to post back as many times as you wish.

Kind Thoughts

Paul

[Gruffudd]

Hi there,

Welcome to the forums, glad you found us.

For me the answer was yes, when I started antidepressants I felt sick in the tummy, which was like anxiety and made it worse because of that, I was super grumpy (like don't come near me or I will kill you grumpy) and my sleep stopped working all together. And then over a week all that went away and I settled. It is different for everyone though.

It sounds like early days, don't forget to keep talking to the doctor, talk about the side effects, if they are too much, go and see the doctor again sooner.

Distractions are the best thing I can find in these situations. Is there something you can do like listen to music, climb a big hill, or maybe garden that could take your mind off things, and even be a bit enjoyable?

Rob.

[cassandra1988xx]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your reply. I feel at ease knowing that anxiety is an inital side effect however seems ironic that I've been prescribed them for my anxiety. I'm going to call my doctor first thing in the morning and hope to get an appointment. I had last week off to commence the medication and I'm so worried work is losing patience but I am just not coping.

[cassandra1988xx]

Thanks Rob,

I'm currently reading which is helping but the anxiety is just coming in waves.

[blondguy]

Hi Cassandra

Thanks for posting back..I was given AD's and they took about 10 days to kick in. My attacks were severe..

Being worried about work is understandable but its like a physical illness...sometimes it might take a bit longer. Besides Rob's great ideas...In my early anxiety stages I was crippled with it...I turned on the TV and found a really boring movie...and lied on the couch...I became that bored with the movie that the anxiety did reduce.

Great to talk with you 🙂

Kind Thoughts

Paul

[cassandra1988xx]

Thanks so much Paul

[blondguy]

No worries Cassandra

Anxiety is like wearing invisible crutches....people just cant see them!

You have great strength and courage to have reached out and posted....well done to you 🙂

Paulx

[Gruffudd]

Paul might be able to help me describe this...

Anxiety comes in waves, you are so right about that in my experience it does. One thing you can do with waves is to learn to surf. I'm not diminishing it, I think one of the things that really helped me was learning to ride out the worst of anxiety knowing it would pass. Sometimes that means me finding a quiet place for a wobbly cup of tea, other times in means finding a powerful distraction like some bad country music which will annoy the socks off me.

Hang in there.

Rob.