Crippling Anxiety

[HelenR23]

Thankyou for letting me join. I am also on the gastritis and thyroid hub as I have both conditions too.

I suffered severe anxiety when my husband died unexpectedly in 2008 from a heart attack. He was only 42yrs old so I went into shock . Anyway fast forward to now and I've managed to rebuild my life and have a partner.

I had severe gastritis in August this year so ended up in A&E and was given copious amounts of PPIs. The pain was unbearable but I suffer hospital phobias and sick people phobias but I knew I had to go.

on returning home I was given antibiotics etc which made me extremely ill for a few weeks and then the massive Anxiety attacks took hold. I've been on a low dose SSRI for years so the doctor upped it but I was so poorly from gastritis I started many panic attacks a day. My Thyroid levels went off the scale but that's a different story.

I am now housebound from severe anxiety,I take Diazepam daily which scares me as I'm scared that they will be too addictive but it's the only thing that seems to lessen the heart palpitations and chest pain.

I had an ECG last week but all clear. I'm doing counselling via Zoom but I'm getting panic attacks all day. The mental health nurse is looking to change my SSRI as it's not working after all the years on it.

I try breathing, distraction,music etc but to no avail.

I wake up with chest tightness and it's there all day.

I've never felt so ill in my life. My counsellor says I've lived through the worst thing when my husband died but this seems to be worse and I can't stop the anxiety at all.

I know it's probably health anxiety but I'm scared it won't ever go and I will end up stuck in the bedroom for ever.

I have a good cry everyday which Im not worried about as it releases my emotions. My partner is fantastic with me and I know I'm lucky but with gastritis and thyroid issues to deal with I'm just not coping at all.

I can't live like this going from one tablet to another.

Can anyone advise me or have been through similar severe anxiety and have managed to cope?

Thankyou and sorry for long post.

[Sunshine2424]

I can't tell you what you should, but I want to thank you for sharing your experience and feelings. You being willing to express how you feel is inspiring to me.

All I can tell you is to continue sharing how you feel. Thank you and I am sorry I couldn't provide any advice, I just want you to know that I am listening.

[HelenR23 in reply to Sunshine2424]

Thankyou for those kind words.

[designguy]

It sounds like you may be having some c-ptsd from the traumas you have experienced. You might find a therapist that treats trauma and work with them. Mine used emdr therapy which was very helpful for resolving mine. I also found the DARE Anxiety book and youtube videos very helpful for learning how to constructively deal and heal anxiety/panic. And you might check out the website and youtube videos of Paige Pradko about dealing with health anxiety, best to you.

[HelenR23 in reply to designguy]

Thankyou for your advice. I will check out your recommendations on you tube etc. I live in hope that I can recover and live a half decent life. It's the biggest struggle I've ever faced.

[designguy in reply to HelenR23]

You're welcome, it's definitely possible to heal and get on with your life. One of the other really helpful things for me was realizing how much I suffered from low-self-esteem/self-worth and working on improving that part of myself. There are a lot of good books on it as well as a lot of info/resources on youtube about it. Another thing for me was working on getting over my fear of death, it's something we all face eventually. I started reading obituaries, people dying and stories of near death experiences to help resolve it.

[lowtech]

I'm sorry - from my own experience I cannot see any value in Zoom counseling except through a sort of moral support. Even with the old face-to-face counseling you will get limited value in how they can help you and this will be trying to get you to somehow face up to how you cope with whatever is causing your traumas. i.e. change how you look at them in the bigger picture rather than doing anything about the causes.

That is the big problem. If your trauma is caused by external influences e.g. rogue Government departments like in Disability, NHS, Employment and Allowances Offices, neighbors, all too common and getting worse; there will be no solution and we are forced down the medication route for years without end. It's a sorry State of affairs and costs taxpayers millions if not billions through other failures in continued cuts, negligent practice, 'jobsworths'. One can only press on and do one's best for family and friends and trying to hide the traumas and sickness it generates.

It's Life even if it's 'no life'.

Always ask questions of the situations which case this Country (or State) to be how it is.

Vote with your heart and with your feet... next time?

[HelenR23 in reply to lowtech]

Thankyou.

[RayannAbbey]

l feel your pain x l too suffer from pstd as my mum died suddenly in my arms so l get it. I am constantly at a&e looking for reassurance x my dad recently had a heart attack and l had to go to hospital every day but had several panic attacks prior and during visit. My life is taken over by this anxiety at the min x tried meds but couldn’t tolerant the side effects so trying the natural path. Therapist and passiflora and ashwaghanda x l wish us both luck x always here to talk x

[HelenR23 in reply to RayannAbbey]

Thankyou for replying. Yes the anxiety has taken over my life. I no longer function well but I also have other health issues which are real. I'm trying to cut down on my anxiety medication but it's so hard. My body produces so much adrenalin I shake inside 24/7. I'm in constant fight or flight mode which drains me. Are you getting any relief from your Ashwaghanda ? What is passiflora? I'm taking lots of vitamins as my thyroid is causing some anxiety. The meds aren't working for my thyroid a 100% lately but that's due to too much stress. How are you doing now?

[RayannAbbey in reply to HelenR23]

can l ask what meds you are taking ? X x the passiflora is a tincture x x I take 10 drops twice a day at the min as lm so sensitive to any meds x do you get the burning feeling all over your body? I’m constantly shaking too x x it’s hell isn’t it x fourth day on naturals now x

[HelenR23]

I have to take Levothyroxine daily for my thyroid. I take antidepressants which is 20mg Citalopram and also 2 to 4mg of diazepam. I'm trying to wean off the diazepam slowly. Although I'm on a low dose of it I have been on it for 3 months so my system has got used to it. It's going to be a long road. My anxiety caused lots of symptoms. Burning pains, arm and leg pains, fuzzy head, high blood pressure, chest pressure which is extreme sometimes and awful tremors all day. My blood pressure is up and down and I get nauseous too. Horrible symptoms. Keep me updated on how you are doing. It's early days for you.