Feels like I'm spiraling down

[Sne2p]

I was diagnosed with GAD about 4 years ago, so bad that I developed many phobias...I got better with therapy a medication but every since I had my son in March of this year I've had trouble getting my anxiety back under control. It just feels like a never ending battle and like I started the whole process over again. I just wish there was an off switch for it...I just had an anxiety attack 10 minutes before posting this and now I feel so on edge and scared as if I'm going to have a heart attack. I've made my body so sensitive to any and every sensation...it's like I'm always on ALERT!!!! PLEASE HELP, I really need to talk! Thanks

[Ansleyok]

Hello, I'm sorry to hear that you just had a panic attack. I can't imagine the stress you are going through with just having a child. I feel like I am always on alert too. Sometimes I take a little walk to help ease my mind.

[Ddorne]

Do you think you had postpartum depression? You will get your anxiety under control. It's a process and takes time. I have bad anxiety too. A good day is when I don't wake up shaking and worried.

[Sne2p in reply to Ddorne]

I don't feel like I had or have postpartum depression. I was doing really good for a month or two after the baby then the anxiety came with a vengence, I just wish it would stop

[Bookishmar]

I feel for you! Let your doctor know what you are going through and ask for help. Do you have a therapist? A friend or family member who you can talk with? I find that talking with someone helps me so much. Also, look into NAMI groups in your area.

[BonnieSue]

My best guess is that with all the (raging) hormonal changes you're going through your anxiety has been affected negatively. Which you already know. So this is probably short term. Why not contact the Dr. who is treating you for GAD and let him/her know where your anxiety is at right now? Or have you not been currently treated? In which case you need to get to any GP or whoever will treat you on an emergent basis and get an appointment with a good psychiatrist. Even the emergency room is better than nothing. They'll help you out with meds for a day or 2 and then you can go back to the ER if needed until you get to a doctor who can treat you for a longer period. It's a patchwork treatment plan to get you through each day until you're back under good psychiatric care. And I highly recommend you don't ever go without it again. GAD doesn't just go away so you need to be current with a good psych Dr. or suffer this misery the next time life gets stressful or your hormones get out of whack.

I've been diagnosed with GAD for 29 years and it's been mostly smooth sailing for me. But when I was bad I was very very bad. So I do know about your pain. I'm just trying to say that you don't have to stay miserable most of the time if you are under a good Dr's. care. You will benefit from some counseling. You need to know about your disorder and how to handle it. One way to describe it is that you don't have an "off" switch for anxiety. Anxiety is normal and useful at certain times, but after the anxious moments pass, normal regulation of anxiety means a person's anxiety decreases and their levels dial down to normal. Ours doesn't ever dial down, it has no "off" switch. It just keeps building. So don't dismiss your psych Dr. because your disorder won't be leaving anytime soon.

Best of luck to you and let us know how you do in a couple of days, please.

[BonnieSue in reply to BonnieSue]

Some natural remedies and non-drug sources of information are books, videos, and workbooks suggested by other people on this site:

1---"I've found David D. Burns' "Feeling Good" and "When Panic Attacks" to be very helpful."

2---"I am working through the anxiety workbook by Dr David Carbonell and it has helped immensely!!! "

3---TRE (Trauma releasing exercises) is something you can learn in a class but you don't have to talk about your problems and once you have learned the technique you can use it at home.

4---"A good book that I came across recently is "The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, 6th Edition" by Edmund J. Bourne, PhD. You might find this book to be of some help to you, although communicating your thoughts and feelings in a group setting is enormously helpful as well. "

5---“The book DARE, which is about anxiety. It’s a very good book about accepting anxiety and letting go of the fear. The author is Barry Mcdonagh and he also has a YouTube channel and a Facebook support group.”

6---For anxiety: Claire Weekes audio books on iTunes. “Self Held for Your Nerves” is one title that is good. You can see her on YouTube. “The Dr. Claire Weekes book is easy to understand and will help you on your way to recovery through acceptance.”

7---Another really good CD and book is the Linden method.

8---Try the meditation app called Headspace. It's done in 10 mins slots once a day.

9---Videos on YouTube by THAT ANXIETY GUY helps with anxiety re: depersonalization/ de-realization states.

10—For UK residents: Have you ever been in touch with the organisation called MIND? They offer one to one sessions with a Project Worker free. They also run courses that you can attend free of charge. One of the courses is about Anxiety. Their website is mind.org.uk

11---"Go on the psychology today site and look for a therapist that specializes in anxiety."

12---“Have you ever listened to Louise Hay on YouTube? Some of the talks help motivate you and hopefully you will feel a positive energy.”

13---“I called one of these online therapist sites. The therapist was really good. It was prestoexperts dot com. Her name was Lori Burke. Definitely a professional and she got me through this awful depression/anxiety morning.” (There is a charge for this service)

14---For meditation look at:

Tara Brach and Chopra Center

15---theworrygames.com/anxiety-f...

16---“AnxietyNoMore” by Paul Bywater. A phone app.

17---“At Last a Life” book by Paul David.

18---The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook

Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance

By: Matthew McKay PhD, Jeffrey Wood PsyD, Jeffrey Brantley MD

A Clear and Effective Approach to Learning DBT Skills

First developed for treating borderline personality disorder, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has proven effective as treatment for a range of other mental health problems, especially for those characterized by overwhelming emotions. Research shows that DBT can improve your ability to handle distress without losing control and acting destructively. In order to make use of these techniques, you need to build skills in four key areas-distress tolerance, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Source: NewHarbingerPublications

Caution for non-Buddhists: Zen Buddhism inspired aspects of DBT, along with behavioral science and dialectical philosophy. Source: GoodTherapy.com.

[Loveflower82]

I know what u mean!!!! I THINK I'm doin good then somethin ALWAYS happens to knock me back again but I'm learnin to get thru it w/therapy. If u wanna talk off of here my email is [e-mail] 💗💋 ya