Feel like a failure

[Leese1968]

Hiya.

Don't know if anyone will read this we all have busy lives.

I have suffered with anxiety for many year. I was in an abusive relationship mentally and physically and made to feel worthless. When the marriage finally broke down he told me it was because of my illness....

I have beendivorced for a few years now. Life from an outsiders point of view looks good. Me personally my anxiety and panic attacks are at an all time low. I've been off work for 8 weeks... I'm scared I'll loose my job because of it so it just makes me more stressed.. I've been to the doctor who prescribed antidepressants which I frightened to take. They just mask the problem. I feel so out of control and can't see which ways up. I try to keep going doing things even though I just don't feel like it.

I want to feel better this is taking over my life. I feel so out of control of my life. I just want to curl up and for people I know care to leave me alone.

I'm genuinely scared. This isn't getting any better. I should be going back to work next week. The thought of it seems impossible. I have panic attacks at random times which I struggle to control.

I cant let this rule my life Any suggestions to help would be greatly appreciated.

[AlexSZfutureRN]

Hey there, it sounds like you're really suffering. It makes perfect sense to be stressed from where I'm standing. For what it's worth, though, antidepressants don't mask the problem- they work on it from the root, from your brain. All meds come with some risks, but typically they've been prescribed for you because the benefits outweigh the risks; there's no need to fear! When in doubt, consider using a good source like MedScape where you can look up your medication with objectivity and plain language.

These things take time, so it's always good to try a few different methods together. Consider looking up support groups in your area so you can vent about some of these stressful things in your life, maybe one for anxiety, another for survivors of domestic violence. These groups are typically low to no cost and fairly informal.

[Leese1968 in reply to AlexSZfutureRN]

Thank u x

[BonnieSue]

The antidepressant was probably prescribed for the anxiety and panic attacks. You say they are at an all time low. Ok, maybe you don't need to take the antidepressant, but you feel your fears are taking over your life. What exactly are your fears? And you want to curl up and be left alone. This sounds a lot like depression. What do you want to do about that? Take your antidepressant after all?

You most definitely need counseling asap. You need to find out what you are most concerned about and if you are both clinically anxious and clinically depressed. If you saw a psychiatrist for the prescribing of the antidepressant that would be great! You can see that doctor for a diagnosis of depression or anxiety. If not, you might want to find one because a psychiatrist is the expert at diagnosing these things.

You very definitely would benefit greatly from counseling. You need to figure out many things and to do that you need a good counselor or therapist. You can check out some possibilities on the website Psychology Today where some providers post photos and specialties along with philosophies, education, whether they accept a sliding scale fee system, which insurances are accepted, and so on. You can also ask for referrals from your doctors and those of friends and family members.

I wish you the very best results and a great future with great help from the right professionals.