Anxiety or depression?

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5 months ago•11 Replies

Hi,

I recently became really low for a few weeks, whilst me and my boyfriend of 4 years almost split up, a few days after we finally sorted things out, I stupidly tried edibles for the first time and ended up having a really bad experience and a panic attack that lasted hours. I’ve always been a nervous person but ever since that moment I just haven’t felt the same. I became really stuck in my own head and my anxiety was so extreme I was signed off work. I experienced lots of strange thoughts and thoughts of suicide for the first time which I never thought I ever would (and don’t plan to act on)

That was back in May and I’m back at work now and functioning but I still don’t feel right. I feel detached from reality, have no confidence in my future and struggle to be on my own with my thoughts. (I have been to my GP/therapy and was on sertraline for a while but had to stop as it brought on tinnitus) I just don’t know if the whole experience has left me with a generalised anxiety disorder or is it depression as I was extremely low before the drugs. I just wish I had a time machine so that I could go back and make some different decisions!!

11 Replies

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MAS_Nurse

5 months ago

Hello philippac30,

Welcome to our supportive community. Well done for taking a brave step out of your comfort zone to reach out for help. You are obviously having a difficult time right now but hopefully, you will find folks here are only too willing to come alongside you and share from their personal journeys and experiences. Sorry to be ignorant, but by 'edibles' do you mean recreational drugs such as marijuana/cannabis? You may find this information helpful about the effects on mental health when taking recreational drugs, from Mind UK: mind.org.uk/information-sup...

Do check out our Pinned Post section for free mental health guides, International crisis support helplines: healthunlocked.com/mental-h...

Do keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. Ok folks do pop by and welcome this new member on board.

Best wishes,

MAS Nurse and Moderator

borderriever

5 months ago

How is your Relationship now, at this time ?

Medications need time to work and you need to be patient, sometimes if we can place where and how we started your Depression and Anxiety, you may be able to act upon it and move on. If you have had CBT you should have in many ways picked up coping skills so you can help yourself, with courage, help yourself.

Many people have problems relating to Partners who over time develop A Mental illness.

In my early days my family looked upon me as weak and lacking in brain power they just made matters worse and it took many decades to pull myself around. Now I feel I need to be more brutal with those remaining siblings as they try to revert me back to those early decades, of manipulation

Consider what you want in life, try not throwing the Baby out with the Bathwater and consider what you want and expect from your relationship. Be firm and kind consider if you would be better moving on or making a positive life with each other. Being a walk over is not your way forward

BOB

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in reply to borderriever

5 months ago

BOB,

Thanks for ur reply.

Our relationship is good now, I guess because I’ve not really had time to think about it - I’ve only been able to think about myself. He struggles to deal with this issue of mine because he doesn’t know what to say to make it better and is worried he will say the wrong thing. I think he feels guilty too but seems to be more in to me than ever since it happened.

I was on medication but had to stop as it caused tinnitus which I felt was making me feel more anxious.

I have been to therapy privately but I feel as though I have kind of hit a wall with him. He talks a lot about the past and brings up things I don’t feel are relevant when I’d rather deal with the issue at hand.

I guess the whole experience has just really really knocked my confidence to make decisions in life and I feel as though I have lost my sense of self. Is that normal?

Hidden

5 months ago

Welcome aboard and I'm sorry to hear your experience didn't go well. I wouldn't believe a one time use (if only once) would have a dramatic impact overall but the situation itself could be a trigger for anxiety which could give you the feelings with detached reality and so on. If I'm being honest, I used an illicit drug once in my life and I feared it would make things worse. When I had my first panic attack, they asked over and over if I had taken drugs....and all I could say was only once and years ago (they clearly meant that day). I've asked several doctors if taking that drug once could have caused my later anxiety/panic attacks as well as flashbacks or something.... and it was a resounding no from all. Of course, all situations differ....and who knows....but it would sound like you had a bad experience which is impeding your progress forward as you're back to functioning.

I'm not a doctor, nor am I a mental health professional, but this could be worth checking in with a counselor/therapist to see if maybe the situation and bad trip you had might be causing anxiety as you mentioned. They can explore a treatment plan to help you work through this and the feelings you are experiencing. A well visit with a GP never hurts to make sure all your vitals, vision, and hearing are good. A confident clean bill should basically lead you to assume that it's anxiety lingering around like you suspect. A counselor/therapist could help give you direction on that a la CBT type methods which I have been told are just as helpful as medication which you mentioned gave you some issues. It will make things a lot more tolerable if done successfully. Again, none of this is any substitute for medical facts as much as just an opinion. There's no doubt you can get back to feeling more like you. Wishing you the best, a hearty welcome, and to take care!