Worst anxiety of my life.

Idk what is going on. Every second of every day for the last two or three days I am deathly afraid. It seems to be rapidly getting worse. I am crying as I type this. I think this is it for me. Its not even a derealization or physical symptom thing I am just SO AFRAID. I am so afraid that it literally hurts. Im thinking Im definitely going to make my boyfriend take me to the hospital when he gets home in an hour. I dont know why this is happening now or what triggered it. I have had anxiety for years and I have never felt such raw fear. I have been taking xanax to try to calm it and that dulls it for maybe an hour or so and makes it barely bearable. Could this kill me? Is it the lexapro I'm taking? I have been taking it for 5 months so I don't know why this would start to happen now. I can barely see straight and my stomach is a mess. This feels so crazy that I am just crying and crying when I can (sometimes I am too scared to even cry). Has this ever happened to any of you? Is Agora online? What should I do? I am only 23 years old. Please help me

[Minnie87]

Oh hun bless you.

Please believe me when I say you will NOT die.you are okay and this is just anxiety being cruel and overwhelming.

If you can, sit down and take some deep breaths.i get like this everyday at some point I promise you.you are not alone and you will get through this.

At the moment you cannot see a way out but I promise you there is.have you got someone there with you to talk to whilst you are waiting for your boyfriend?

If you ever want to talk please message me anytime hun.i promise you will be okay. x

[Hidden in reply to Minnie87]

Thank you

[JAYnLA]

Hello there. I can't know if the Lexapro is adding to your current wave of anxiety (it would be odd for that to start 5 months in), but let me share with you what my first few weeks of therapy were like. I'd go in, start crying, and just repeat over and over, "I had no idea how terrified I am. I had no idea how much pain I've been in." What I learned was that this was old fear and old pain that I had to avoid earlier in life and now it's coming up. That's why it seems to be 'out of nowhere'. I had stopped doing the things that kept it down (drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, over working), so now they can come up to be dealt with. I'm hoping this may give you some help with your own situation. Hang in there love - this will pass.

[Hidden in reply to JAYnLA]

Thank you

[Mom2375]

Sorry your going through bad anxiety your 23 I pray it gets better for you. My oldest daughter is 24 and she has episodes of bad anxiety as well.Anxiety really traps us in our own bodies and minds. It is so miserable i am telling you been feeling the same way you are deathly afraid and dizzy etc. I cry constantly i think my family thinks i am INSANE i go from happy to sad like snapping your fingers lately praying ae both can over come this fear and MADNESS! Huggsssss from a mom ❤

[Hidden in reply to Mom2375]

Thank you <3

[Hidden]

It still just seems to be getting worse. I'm feeling really sick and out of it. I'm afraid there's something going wrong in my brain and I'm going to have a seizure or something

[Staciel]

Hey, you're not alone. Anxiety affects psyche, that's the reason why you feel so. It is curable, but time is needed.

Cognitive therapy shall help here. When you begin to 'explain' that everything is normal, it ceases away.

[davietich]

Hello someone5673, I can completely empathize and relate to your situation having just got over a similar attack of crippling Anxiety - it will get better, please believe that - Can I ask you , have you recently stopped taking the Lexapro as the withdrawal effects can cause extreme anxiety. I had to go back on my Medication ( Venlafaxine) and noticed almost immediate relief.

We are all here to help.

Davie

[Karolis]

Have you tried meditating? I am using APP called Headspace. Helps me a lot.

[Pamdon81]

I feel for you, I really do. I was like this over 18 months ago, I was literally in constant panic, scary derealization to the point I couldn't go outside cos it was like the twilight zone, every thought in my head made me panic, just evening looking at the kettle and having strange thoughts about a kettle! I didn't know who I was any more. I was in constant tears too ringing my doctor every morning crying! I wanted to admit myself in a hospital! I felt lost and scared and didn't want to live anymore but i didn't want to die too! I had this constant feeling of terror! I wanted to run away from myself! I thought it was my citalopram pooping out on me, so I weaned myself off it, diazapam didn't even touch the sides. Anyway I changed doctors cos they where no help and the new doctor changed me to sertraline and I got to see a psychiatrist, after a few months sertraline didn't help much but the pyschartrist recommend venlafaxine which made my anxiety bearable. Please get a emergency doctors appointment. Have you had any trauma in ur life? How was your childhood? I had childhood trauma and I had a breakdown because of burying it in my head. Take one day at a time and try to not add fear to fear, try and accept the bodily sensations for what they are. I know it's easier said than done....I'm here if u need me x

[Autumnsa in reply to Pamdon81]

I've been on Venlafaxine for 4 years!

It truthfully saved my life. I'm so serious.

I truly hope it works for you.

[Autumnsa]

I am currently in a battle myself. My insides constantly tremble and I'm deathly afraid of everything! But listen to me, YOU HAVE TO STAY AS STRONG AS YOU CAN! I say this to myself a million times a day. My doctor started me on Buspar yesterday and I'm so worried I'm not gonna make it to see any relief!

WE ARE STRONGER THAN THIS!

YOU ARE STRONGER THAN THIS!

[titanfall]

I drink Lavender and chamomile tea to help my anxiety.

[Agora1]

Hi someone, sorry I just saw this today. It certainly sounds exactly like what I went

through years ago. From my own experience, while being on Xanax, I started to feel

terror one day. Afraid of everything, shaking, the whole 10 yards. I was getting worse

until a doctor explained to be that I was going through withdrawal. How could I be

when I'm already on Xanax. The Xanax was no longer working at that dosage and so

anxiety was breaking through. Rather than up the dose my doctor decided to start me

on Ativan which didn't do anything. That is when I was put on Lexapro (am still on it)

and it made a world of difference. I was weaned off the Xanax as I think you know and

those feelings subsided substantially.

Did you go to the ER last nite? If so what did they say? If they gave you Ativan, it probably

made you feel better for a while I hope. Let us know how you are today. xx

[davietich]

Hello 'someone 5673' have you had some successful professional help, could you please give us an update as like me I am sure there are a lot of people on this site worried about you.

As I said in my last post I had very similar symptoms to you, I did not think I would survive until I started the Antidepressants again, Diazepam wouldn't even touch the Anxiety! , now I know my brain needs this chemical and I will have to stay on this Medication.

Hope you are feeling better now.

Kindest regards

Davie

[davietich]

Just a thought and I don't know if this is allowed on here but after my experience trying and failing miserably to come off my current AD with horrific side effects - Anxiety and suicidal thoughts like I have never , ever experienced before in my long journey battling Depression & now having to go back on the Meds that weren't working that well anyway!

There is a large petition going to Parliament in the UK for Pharmaceutical companies to provide 'Tapering strips' for people affected to come off meds more safely and gradually. The link if anyone is interested is:- change.org/p/provide-taperi...

[Hidden]

It's still just as bad. Pure fear feeling 24/7. I went to the ER and they suggested putting me in an inpatient hospital. I agreed because I was desperate for anything to help me and I was locked in a psych ward for 3 days. I was terrified the whole time and it was absolutely traumatizing. No one else had anxiety like me, they were all depressed or had mood disorders. The group therapy sessions never had anything to do with what I was feeling. I felt like the craziest person there because most days I spent in my room crying with a nurse begging her to help me because I was dying. I'm out now on new meds and feeling just as bad as I did when I went in. They suggested I see an endocrinologist so I'm making an appointment tomorrow. I can barely move and barely eat. All I do is cry. I can't concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes through the fear. The world feels like a hellish dream and it looks so weird that sometimes I think I'm hallucinating. There are no thoughts with the fear it is just the most intense feeling of fear I've ever experienced and it never stops.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I am not being dramatic, I've had anxiety for years and I have never ever ever felt anything like this or had anything like this happen to me.

[Hidden]

I’ve had what you are experiencing. It’s so hard and I am so sorry you are going through it. I was at this heightened feeling of panic and terror solid for a couple weeks. It was during a really stressful time of my life and I couldn’t come down from it - not even with my Xanax.

Please know this - IT WILL GET BETTER. Its so incredibly hard right now but the feelings you have won’t last forever.

What helped me was taking a little more of my Xanax than normal. I also worked out which is something that helps my bad panic feelings. Also - I would do SUPER comforting things to at least make the horrible feelings tolerable. I took a lot of bubble baths with dim lights and candles. I made hot chocolate. I watched comforting movies. I went for drives with my husband and dogs. I would be crying half the time but things like that were enough to at least help me survive. Also - I use a heating pad a lot and put it on my chest. The warm feeling is really comforting to me.

I totally understand what you’re going through. The constant fear and terror and feeling like you are crawling out of your skin and that everything around you is almost spinning out of control. Please know you’re not alone and it WILL get better!!! Please message me anytime if you ever need to talk. 💜

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so so much. Right now I'm watching the hannah montana movie lmao. I haven't seen it since I was 12.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Lol I love that movie!!! Makes me want to watch it again now too!

[davietich]

Hello someone 5673, sorry you are still suffering,it will take a few weeks for your new meds to kick in as mine did - In the meantime what helped me was changing diet a bit, I stopped eating anything made with white flour and cut sugar out completely - Also I take chamomile tea, dark chocolate (at least 70% - Lidl do a good range) ,Almonds and Avocados which I researched online and seems to have helped my nervous system recover quicker.

Oh and of course, no caffeine or fizzy drinks!!

I wish you a speedy recovery and believe me you will get better!

Best wishes

Davie

[APOR2017]

someone5673, I am so sorry for all that you are going through. Have you tried talking to a professional? It hurts my heart to know that you are going through each day this way. I know anxiety can be more intense some days than others. Please feel free to reach out here anytime you need anything. I am praying for you. Big hugs!!

[mel-waukee]

Hey!

I think I can relate to what you've been going through recently. I started Lexapro two days ago and have felt more anxious than I was before, with added symptoms like heart burn, loss of apetite and headaches. Not to mention falling and staying asleep has gotten exponentially harder. I completely relate to you when you're describing your feelings of fear; every pain feels possibly catastrophic, like I'm going to drop dead at any second. I know you said you started Lexapro 5 months ago, but did you have these feelings of intense fear surrounding your health before starting it? In my experience the added side effects of Lexapro have only contributed to my health related anxiety. I even went to the ER on my first night because I felt so nauseous and completely terrified I was having some sort of reaction to it. Im 21 and I understand the impact these feelings can have on the quality of your life. Hang in there, you are strong and we will get through this!

[Hidden]

I have this at least once a day... been a year now! Last night I was eating my dinner chomping away and all of a sudden a huge wave of pure dread came over me. Then today I’m still thinking about it. I’m just telling myself it only lasts 5 mins tops and it doesn’t hurt me, it’s just highly uncomfortable. I don’t get breathless or anything, just the fear and then I feel like crying with frustration that it keeps happening ... My life has been ruined by anxiety but this last year has been the worst of my life.