I am new to this community and I am just looking for a way to meet people who are dealing with the same issues that I am.
I was diagnosed with anxiety over 3 years ago and was just recently diagnosed with mild depression. The anxiety is both social and work related. For the most part I can manage just fine, but I have moment of intense fear where I have to take Xanax medication (1mg 2x a day as needed). As for the depression, that diagnosis came after the death of my brother this past October. He committed suicide. I have been struggling a lot with this as I have only ever lost one close person (my grandfather over 17 years ago) and I really do not know how to cope. It is very difficult to have to be the adult in the situation so I can relieve my mom from some of her stress. But I feel like my load just gets heavier. It wasn't until my mother was diagnosed with severe depression (partly my brother's death and partly her struggle from life in general) that I realize that I now have a family history of depression. Even this realization causes me to feel more anxious because now I worry about possibly passing this on to my future children.
The anxiety label does not bother me too much, though there are people in my office who, without thinking, make off handed comments on how "everyone claims to have anxiety" and I get the sense that they don't look at it as something that can be very debilitating. They are aware that I struggle with anxiety and I do not think they mean any harm towards me when they say it. I just wish they were more aware of their surroundings when the topic comes up.
As for the depression label, I am struggling to be comfortable with it. I have seen how people are treated when the world finds out they suffer from depressions and I do not what to be seen as broken or fragile. I have only told a few people about it because I need to make sure that I have people who will make sure to check on me in case I have some of the more serious side effects.
I was prescribed Zoloft (50mg) and Vistril (50mg) once I was diagnosed with depression. I still also have the Xananx. I am on my first week of the depression medication and I find that the Zoloft is causing me to clench my teeth and I get this jittery nervousness feeling. I was told that it should go away soon but it is very annoying to deal with. I am now taking my Xanax, which is really to be used as needed, to try to counter the effects of the Zoloft. Does anyone else deal with the teeth clinching? How long did it take to go away, if it went away at all? Has anyone tried magnesium to counter the teeth clenching?