Good and bad news

[Iysa]

Zoloft(Sertaline) saved my life twice. In 2013 I had a horrific relapse of severe anxiety. It took seven weeks but the anxiety stopped and I returned to my happy life although fear of anxiety was always in the background. I slowly tapered down after three years and had no withdrawal symptoms. Tapering was not like all the horror stories I read online. Eight months later, relapse. Anxiety was back in full force. I wanted to die. I went back on Zoloft, slowly increasing to 75 mg. scared to death the whole time, unable to work. I was so nervous and jumpy that I couldn't stand the water spray on my skin so I dreaded taking a shower. I kept asking the doctor, the psych doc, the crisis intervention therapists how long? When will the Sertaline start working? true to form, seven weeks in the anxiety was gone. I remember clearly the moment when I felt it stop. Praise God, thank you Jesus. I returned to work and a normal life which included coordinating and making or shopping for all the decor in my son's wedding. It has been one year and I have again relapsed. The anxiety is not as crippling as the last time. Still I am not able to work and I am full of fear. I am 57 years old. I am exhausted from this anxiety. My doc upped my Sertaline from 75 to 100 last week. No detectable improvement yet. So I am asking all those old terrifying questions again: will the increase work? Will this anxiety go away? Will I be me again? How long till it kicks in? How long? Waiting is not an option. But it is so hard. I hate not feeling "present" with my family. Always when in a state of severe anxiety, I am fearful and weepy and clingy. And I wonder what it is like to feel normal like other people. I want to ask everyone I see if they have ever had anxiety attacks and if they got well, how did they do it? I know my fear of fear triggers more fear. I don't know how to stop it. I am trying! There is so much scary stuff on the internet about anxiety and panic and medication side effects. I try to read only the positive ones. I do know that the medication works. It did before so now I must only wait for it to work again. But I also now know medication by itself is not a cure all. I am looking for a Cognitive behavioral specialist and digging into my Bible and doing a lot of talking to God. Things I could have and should have been doing all along. Keep moving forward everyone. We will get better. And... I have to ask... Do any of you know how long it will take for the increase(bump) in the Sertaline to tamp down this anxiety? Sorry. But I had to ask! Lol

[Lag1]

DBT is great for anxiety. It doesn't just try to change your thoughts but how you deal with the emotions in the moment; being mindful of how you are feeling and how you are responding to your emotions.