This anxiety spiral feels like it will never end

[Melly4]

I am currently in a deep anxiety hole for over 3 weeks. I'm doing all the things I can - restarted medication, counseling, etc. I have never experienced anxiety at this high level for this long. I am struggling to stay asleep despite being given something to help with that temporarily. It feels as if the whole world is marching on and I'm stuck wondering if I will ever feel normal again. Anyone who has a few words of hope would be helpful. I have a loving and supportive family but still feeling incredibly lonely and would love to hear from others who have dealt with severe, prolonged anxiety. Waiting for the medication to 'kick in' is brutal. Thank you

[Dolphin14]

Welcome to the community

So many of us have been through this. Waiting for meds to begin to work feels like forever.

I'm glad you found us. Having people to talk with will be very helpful

🐬

[Melly4 in reply to Dolphin14]

thank you!

[GhostRobin]

I had about 2 months of severe anxiety and depression at the start of this year. It was hard to do anything besides just lay under my covers and feel totally overwhelmed. I talked to my doctor about adjusting meds and ended up adding Buspar for a while. Meds/support from family/therapy eventually started to make a difference, partially just because I felt like I was actually DOING something positive. It does get better! You deserve to feel better.

[Melly4 in reply to GhostRobin]

Thank you! My doc prescribed me buspar as well as lexapro. Ive been taking for 3 weeks and expected to feel at least somewhat better. It is helpful to read what you shared and know that others have struggled with it going on for many weeks in such an intense way. At times it feels like I may never be my normal self again.

[GhostRobin in reply to Melly4]

Yup, same combo for me but I have been on Lexapro for 10+ years. Some things that also helped me were excercise (I'm not in great shape or anything, I like riding the exercise bike so I can sit while I workout 😄) and stopping alcohol usage, but I am sure you have heard those things before. You will feel like yourself again, the "episodes" do pass. Sorry your going through it now though!

[BedBug]

Yes it is. I know it feels like it will never end but it will. I found just talking to someone helped. I found my Pastor really helped. He is unbiased and tells me like it is requardless . I am for you.

[Agora1]

Hi Melly4, It can and it will eventually go away. That is, once you learn to let go

and accept the fear as not dangerous. When we fight the fear then we end up

going into a cycle of fear begets fear and we get caught in this web.

When not having an anxiety attack then we go into a free floating anticipational

anxiety in worrying if it might come back and when.

So you see how these thoughts can keep you in a constant state of "fight or flight"?

Give the medication about 4-6 weeks to reach full efficacy (a little longer if the

dose is increased) Patience and believing that it will work are important.

While waiting, it's important to be using your therapy to get past the bumps in

the road. To have the therapist direct you to a better path in life.

You are fortunate to have the support of family and friends while going through this.

I didn't have the support at the time I was struggling, however, I did believe that I

would and I could beat this Anxiety Entity. And I did. I am now here to help others

reach control of their lives once again. When the time is right and you are ready,

all things will fall into place. My best to you xx

[bonkers65]

You will get better. Always do

[moxoni237]

Hi Melly4 nice to hear that you are reflecting on you’re anxious thoughts which often challenge our mindset moving forward with any challenges can seem never ending l believe that building the momentum to find clarity and focus starts from within negative emotive can cause strieve in the making self care needs more positivity and self awareness keeping space safe for self worth and belief habits rekindled senses small changes can make the process easier talk talk with friends and family or groups good therapeutic awareness joy hope empowering value and purpose lighten burdens with gratitude hope that you find you’re motivation

[punkster]

I am so sorry you're going through this. Anxiety is a beast! It all has to do with your brain chemistry, and some of us are prone to suffering from anxiety. I'm glad you have done everything you can to help yourself through this (counseling, medication, etc.) The word of hope I have to offer you is that you can be guaranteed that this won't last forever. When I start to have an anxious day I get busy so I can't think about my anxiety. This may not work for everyone. I make sure I exercise. Meditation helps, but not always when my anxiety peaks. You are lucky that you have a supportive family- lean on them.

[P1987]

does your therapist or counselor have you do any journaling? If he or she does. Do they have you write down trying to recall the points of when your anxiety started and what could’ve triggered it. Reminding yourself to breathe. Even if you have to say it out loud. Literally, you need to breathe Melly, you need to keep breathing. Saying that to yourself can be very helpful. Including taking steps to focus on certain things, and describing them on paper. An object, a person, the mountain, something you see outside your window. For instance, you’re looking out your window, you would write down I see the traffic And the cars are driving really fast. The light changed from red to green and a guy ran across the street. Try to be as detailed as you can seeing things like this will get your mind off the anxiety, you’re experiencing. , one of my favorites, when I start experiencing anxiety creeping up on me, I put on a headset or earbuds, and I start to dance, or do stretches, go for a walk something that immediately comes to mind . Dealing with anxiety is different for everyone, you just have to find that one thing or couple of things that will help you to get through it. I have a child, who uses a weight blanket that helps her with her anxiety.. there are people who play card games, solitaire games, do the crossword puzzle. You just keep trying different things to help you. Gardening, which is one of my favorites. Let me know if you need any other ideas I’ll be more than happy to help you.

[Kinlay]

I completely understand, and have definitely been there! A few things that help me are:

1. Exercise - dancing, walking, weight lifting, anything physical has been proven to boost your mood and distract you from the anxiety spirals. I find yoga especially helpful, and these short videos are designed just for people like us (you don't need to match any pose perfectly, just do your best approximation that feels good):

youtube.com/watch?v=bJJWArR...(Not working as expected?)

youtube.com/watch?v=8Lg4Eze...(Not working as expected?)

youtube.com/watch?v=hJbRpHZ...(Not working as expected?)

2. Getting outside. There is a LOT of research that shows that even just 15 minutes outdoors with nature (sun, trees, plants, water, etc.) can boost mood and lessen anxiety.

3. Tea. Both caffeinated tea, green and black, and chamomile contain ingredients with proven anti-anxiety benefits. Just check with your doctor about chamomile, as it can increase bleeding and bruising in higher doses and in combination with certain medications.

If you are waiting for your new med to kick in and still struggling to function, you may also want to ask your doctor about a short-term prescription for a benzodiazepine. Just be careful not to overdo these, as they are all addicting long term or in high doses. I take half a lorazepam or 1/4 of a diazepam VERY occasionally for really bad anxiety attacks. Sometimes just knowing I have it and can take it helps. The diazepam also makes me sleepy, so I only use those at night when I'm an obsessive anxiety spiral.

Hang in there. It will get better - and there are lots of folks on here who are happy to help and give support!

[car103]

Every suggestion here is spot on and I hope you embrace some of them.

I would like to add something I do. When I wake up in the morning with heart pounding anxiety, I pause. I acknowledge that this is anxiety. I name it and feel it. I tell myself this isn't forever. And I push through a routine that gets me out of bed.

Anxiety is exhausting. Unapologetically take care of you.

[Iamom]

I am hoping this helps you because, I am slowly on a road to feeling like myself again and it was a combination of things. One major thing that I did was cut out things and people that made me feel bad. Many people around us are well-meaning but sometimes, those closest to us lack the compassion needed for our recovery. I've learned to love some people from a distance and keep those closest to me that are positive. Just be careful not to isolate because anxiety can quickly lead to depression if you are using avoidance as your go-to strategy for coping.

I found a hobby that brings me joy and that I can always find time for. I love to draw. If I can't think of what to draw, I look up tutorials and dive into learning something new. Doing something that distracts me from my self-awareness is the only way to shut up my brain. Find your thing. As you're doing what calms you, pay attention when your mind drifts. It's hard, but try to full your focus back to what you are doing instead of what you are thinking. If the thing you like to do is a quiet hobby, add TV, music that you know the lyrics to, or a podcast to play in the background. Don't let it interrupt your bedtime, though.

Stay out of bed until bedtime. Associating your bed with sleep and nothing else is key to reconditioning your body to relax during that time and nothing else. I had to start taking Melatonin and Magnesium to regulate my sleep and it helps most nights. Another thing I had to do was cut out TV at bedtime. I can listen to music or a podcast, but visual stimulation will keep you awake. (From my somnologist)

I think the biggest issue with anxiety and/or depression is self-awareness. We are so aware of everything about ourselves that the tiniest of thoughts, changes, and actions trigger self-reflection. We are so fine tuned to our place in such a large world and are constantly contemplating our purpose, existence, or role in it all. So much so that we can forget to just 'be'. I'm speaking like it is easy, but it isn't an easy switch to turn off and even turning it off, there are situations that cause it to automatically turn back on. The greatest thing you can do is build a habit of focusing on the now. That, combined with the medicine will make your normal something you can always get back to even if you slip into an episode. You'll recognize the signs and know that you can turn that switch off just as you've down in the past.

The last thing I want to say is to remember the last time that you had a bout of anxiety and how it felt like it would never go away and how it felt like you would never get back to normal but then you did. Give yourself some grace because you deserve it. You've earned it. Anxiety is a hard fought battle and everyday that you wake up and you are still here, you're winning that battle. Remind yourself that it won't last because in the past, it has gone away and it will this time, too. No one deserves to feel this way and that includes you.

[Melly4 in reply to Iamom]

Thank you so much for these encouraging words! This gives me hope and it feels so good to hear others share and know Im not alone.