Anxiety....

[lauraw1983]

Who has experience of it...?

I've not been doing too good, without going into too much detail I saw my GP the other day....who was wonderful actually and at the end of the appt I realised why he "got it" so much - he basically read my mind about how I'd been feeling recently....he showed me his insulin pump right at the end and was actually a bit emotional too (after I blubbed all over him too!)

I think my "year" anniversary of being diagnosed recently, it's all just got too much, plus other life stresses on top.

Anyway he gave me citalopram 20mg, which I can have a think about taking or not. He said no pressure either way. I'm still not sure what to do. Any experiences of it on here? I am wary of drugs, but wonder if something might help or not.

Sorry not been about here much either, not really had the energy to read and post much xxx

 

[astbury1]

Well Ive suffered with it all my life so I can completely understand. It really is horrible. I have been on various tablets for years. Just got everything under control to be hit with the diabetes! Tried to cope but in the end anexity went through the roof and now upped my dosage of prozac. I had to admit defeat. However if you need the help you need the help. I left it and left it thinking I could deal with it all and then it got too much.
CBT is good, mediatation and hypnotherpy cdsx

 

[astbury1]

Tablets help but you must deal with the issue too with councelling etc

 

[lauraw1983]

Tablets help but you must deal with the issue too with councelling etc

He said about this, that he could refer me.

BUT my problem is that no-one can "fix" the issue - the issue is this sodding condition which although I am managing ok, it's at the risk of my mental health it seems!

I said to the GP I had no idea really what I wanted him to do...as there is no easy answer to it is there? It's just a c**p thing to be dealt and feels really isolating at times, I think this time of year is just bringing back horrible memories too a bit for me from last year. Blahhhhhhh.

 

[AJLang]

Hi Laura

I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety at the end of October after a lot of stressful issues. My GP wouldn't prescribe me medication because of my ME but I arranged an appointment with a well being counsellor. The appointment wasn't until November 20th when it was cancelled and rearranged for Christmas Eve! I realised that I couldn't wait for them so I've tried to focus on self-help. I talk a lot to people about how I am feeling and I'm exploring new interests to keep me occupied eg tonight I am going to my first WI meeting.....I'm really, really nervous about going into a room of people that I don't know but I'm taking a deep breath. I would never have been able to do this a few weeks ago when I was reaching the stage of rarely leaving the house on my own. But I'm finding that taking baby steps and setting myself small but manageable goals is really helping.

 

[astbury1]

I honestly truely understand how you feel. Ive developed the fear that am just going to drop and pass out. I dont seem to be able to do anything on my own or go to public places without going dizzy and panicing. I really dont want to go to the xmas party as am too scared Nothing apears to be enjoyable. It may however help you look at in a different way. I would recommend getting a CBT book and work through the exercises I have had to go back there and start again as CBt was ages ago and although good you must remember to do it all the time to get the results🙂To be honest once you take the tablets you will start to look at in a different way anyway.

 

[Twitchy]

Hiya...me too 😱 I have a sneaky feeling that for some of us the diabetes turns us into control freaks to some degree (as after all, everything's about control!) & when we can't control everything we get stressed & anxious (i know I do!). I'm suppsed to be having cbt but it's been so distupted through illness & childcare issues I can't tell if it's helping yet, but it seems logical to me, so worth a try.

Don't feel bad about the citalopram either - I was on it for a while when I had pnd (huge anxiety about the baby, couldn't switch off, darkest time of my life) ...sometimes you just need a bit of help to get back on track, it's no different to antibiotics to help you fight an infection to my mind. Your GP sounds like a gem!

Take care of yourself. Xxxx

 

[cazscot]

Hi Laura,

First of all I know it might feel like it but you are not alone and it is nothing to be ashamed of. I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety/depression disorder in September but looking back I have probably had it for a couple of years. I am on the list for CBT but in the meantime I was given 20mg citalopram and have now been taking it for a few months. I can honestly say, for me, it is working, but I did have a few side effects to start with and the first two to three weeks I felt worse before I started to feel better. I now look forward to doing things, I am not as stressed over little things as I once was and I don't have that awful feeling of dread that I used to have.

It is up to you, I have a friend that was on it a few years ago (when she was about 25) and it made her feel so awful almost suicidal she had to come off it, which can be a side effect especially in younger people but other people like me have been helped a lot by it. Your gp sounds very good, and if you decided to take it I am sure you would be monitored closely.

Big (((hugs))) and good luck in whatever you decide to do xxx

 

[Robster65]

He said about this, that he could refer me.

BUT my problem is that no-one can "fix" the issue - the issue is this sodding condition which although I am managing ok, it's at the risk of my mental health it seems!

I said to the GP I had no idea really what I wanted him to do...as there is no easy answer to it is there? It's just a c**p thing to be dealt and feels really isolating at times, I think this time of year is just bringing back horrible memories too a bit for me from last year. Blahhhhhhh.

Hi Laura.

Agree with everything that's been said.

I think the reason you need counselling is precisely because diabetes isn't going to go away, so you either spend your entire life being depressed about it, or learn to accept it and work around it.

That said, we all have downers every so often and no amount of counselling can stop them but you'll be able to come out of them a lot easier and enjoy the times in between a lot more.

Take every bit of help that's offered. 🙂

Rob