Took my 5HTP this morning but have had a horrible day of anxiety. I am trying to improve my presentation skills. I'm delivering 5 courses next week & was practising with a couple of colleagues & my anxiety was through the roof.
I then went to my parents to pick my dogs up after work, Mum phoned me last night & couldn't string a sentence together as she was so drunk. Got there at 5pm today & she was drinking Brandy. I keep trying to accept them as they are but time I left I was shaking with anxiety. Dad kept trying to drag me into their arguments.
Just wish they would be the grown ups sometimes & I could feel they would be there for me & take some responsibility.
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Written by
aberkaz
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Oh that sounds so tough, not surprised you are anxious. I'm really sorry that your Mum had an alcohol problem, I'm sure it's really difficult all round. As you will no doubt have heard lots of times you can't sort it out for her and that is the hardest thing, nobody else can stop it. She is ill and unable to take any responsibility or care for anyone else and that is hard to accept.
Your priority now is to take care of yourself and to keep yourself strong mentally, distance yourself as best you can mentally from your parents lives. It doesn't mean you don't care, it's obvious you do but your health is important too. Concentrate on making your own life the best you can.
Are you finding the 5HTP helps? I have heard good things about it.
Do you think the anxiety is especially bad because of the courses next week, it is a pretty full on thing to do and I think you are wonderful to be able to do it as I certainly couldn't.
Maybe the pressure is just a bit full on right now and things will calm down in time.
You probably need a bit more TLC right now to get yourself through it. I know I say this quite a bit but there are breathing and relaxation exercises which you could try. You can find them on-line.
Do you have a friend or family member you can chat to ......which just helps to take the pressure off.
If you feel that you could do with a bit more help then a visit to the GP would be an idea and just explain how anxious you are feeling.
There is also Al Anon for the families of people who have alcohol addiction. They have weekly meetings that anyone can attend and you will meet people in a similar situation and can share your thoughts and support each other. There are meetings is virtually every town If you do a search on-line for Al-Anon you will probably be able to find out where to get the information you need.
Thank you for your kind reply. My other half keeps saying the same, that I need to accept that my parents are the way they are and stop hoping for some radical change.
I find the 5HTP does help, I have never been to the doctors to get anything stronger. I have tried to avoid going down the medication route.
Public speaking does make me very nervous, but I am much better than I use to be. Something I have really had to work hard at but I hope to excel at it one day!
I talk to my fiancé very openingly and have a good friend who also suffers from anxiety so we support each other on bad days. I have looked up Al Anon but the closest ones to me are all about 30 miles. Which isn’t too bad, but just a bit of a pain on a winter’s night after work.
I have organised a 3 month trip to Oz/Nz for next year so hoping that will help. I definitely feel less stressed when away from my family.
Good to hear that you have your fiance and friend to talk to. Yes 30 miles is a long way to go to a meeting especially in the winter.
Your trip to Oz and NY sounds great ......it's a lovely thing to look forward to, would like to hear about it when you have been.
Running is great for anxiety as the physical effort you have to make burns off the adrenaline and the stress hormones. It's a good natural way to do it.
I am very interested in the 5HTP as I have taken Citalopram for quite a few years but have stopped taking then about 7 months ago and feel the difference, I'm definitely struggling more without them and I was thinking of trying the 5HTP.
Anyway great to hear you are feeling better :-). PL
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