Anxiety and depression thread (Please read OP)

someyoke

carzony wrote: »

Hi Folks,

I have a massive job interview coming up in the next few days and my anxiety is seriously getting to me. The last interview I completely panicked and my throat constantly dried up despite drinking liters of water..

is there any medication out there that helps with these nerves? I'm not on anything at present but was hoping I could take something on the day to help me focus..

Thanks all.

Been having the same throat problem in interviews recently! didn't realise it was due to anxiety until I googled it recently.
How did you get on?

Shpud2

Jesus I am not stable. Up and down and up and down. Can't keep things on an even keel at all.

LonelyBoy84

How does anyone know if their SSRI dosage is right? I’m on 15mg of escitalopram for anxiety/depression. My mood has definitely improved & I’m not having anxiety attacks, but I always feel nervous/worried and at best feel very flat about things. Is this the best I should expect?

Tell me how

Shpud2 wrote: »

Jesus I am not stable. Up and down and up and down. Can't keep things on an even keel at all.

Are you talking about on an hourly basis, daily or weekly?

Depression moves very much in cycles. Can be very frustrating to be good one day and bad the next with no tangible reason or influence to explain it.

Hopefully though the general trend is upwards, being up and down is better than being infinitely down and hopefully the duration of the up periods gets longer and longer.

Tell me how

LonelyBoy84 wrote: »

How does anyone know if their SSRI dosage is right? I’m on 15mg of escitalopram for anxiety/depression. My mood has definitely improved & I’m not having anxiety attacks, but I always feel nervous/worried and at best feel very flat about things. Is this the best I should expect?

No. Meds are only partly responsible for our overall form. If they brought everyone to a state of continued elation then anyone whoever took them would stay on them and the rest of the population would be trying to get on them.

Life can be tough at times. No one is walking around in great form 100% of the day. The aim is to accept the low periods knowing that they are temporary and hopefully not debilitating.

It's excellent that your dosage seems to be correct in reducing anxiety attacks and that your mood has improved. Now might be a good time to explore the nervousness/worry/flatness through talking therapy in conjunction with the meds. Or maybe now that your mood is better, start to look to identify things which you could do which excite you or give you joy. Is there a hobby that you left behind because of the A&D that you could now explore again for example?

LonelyBoy84

Tell me how wrote: »

No. Meds are only partly responsible for our overall form. If they brought everyone to a state of continued elation then anyone whoever took them would stay on them and the rest of the population would be trying to get on them.

Life can be tough at times. No one is walking around in great form 100% of the day. The aim is to accept the low periods knowing that they are temporary and hopefully not debilitating.

It's excellent that your dosage seems to be correct in reducing anxiety attacks and that your mood has improved. Now might be a good time to explore the nervousness/worry/flatness through talking therapy in conjunction with the meds. Or maybe now that your mood is better, start to look to identify things which you could do which excite you or give you joy. Is there a hobby that you left behind because of the A&D that you could now explore again for example?

Have started CBT with Gerry Butcher in The Capel Building but not getting any joy with that yet

Shpud2

Tell me how wrote: »

Are you talking about on an hourly basis, daily or weekly?

Depression moves very much in cycles. Can be very frustrating to be good one day and bad the next with no tangible reason or influence to explain it.

Hopefully though the general trend is upwards, being up and down is better than being infinitely down and hopefully the duration of the up periods gets longer and longer.

Hourly pretty much. Good mood for one hour and then a bad mood for a few hours.

PTH2009

I'm looking at doing a few counselling sessions

A friend recommended Pieta House. How do I get an appointment with them ???.

PM it anyone has used there services before

RabbleRouser2k

Has anyone been having feelings of inadequacy? Or had those feelings? I'm wondering if much of this is me, or is it my OCD, anxiety or depression doing it's 'trickster' thing to me.
It's common-it used to be something else that would 'trigger' things.

I just see success all around me, and instead I feel lost, downbeat and all that.

Trying to arrange a time with a counsellor, but it's hard to find one I believe will suit me.

PTH2009 wrote: »

I'm looking at doing a few counselling sessions

A friend recommended Pieta House. How do I get an appointment with them ???.

PM it anyone has used there services before

A friend's brother used em and I believe still occasionally uses Pieta house after a very dark period in his life. Literally go to their website, call them, email em. They'll give you advice on how to call in or arrange a time.

Also, if you feel that the therapist with them isn't working, according to their website, you can change to a different therapist. (I think they allow this because sometimes a therapist can 'trigger' an individual who suffered a trauma).

carzony

someyoke wrote: »

Been having the same throat problem in interviews recently! didn't realise it was due to anxiety until I googled it recently.
How did you get on?

Really out of my comfort zone today but managed it very well. After constant obsession about this interview I went in and had zero anxiety at all.

I was instantly comfortable in the room with 4 people asking me questions. I feel 10 tonne lighter now it's all over.

The constant bad thoughts were really starting to affect me.

Spanish Eyes

carzony wrote: »

Hi Folks,

I have a massive job interview coming up in the next few days and my anxiety is seriously getting to me. The last interview I completely panicked and my throat constantly dried up despite drinking liters of water..

is there any medication out there that helps with these nerves? I'm not on anything at present but was hoping I could take something on the day to help me focus..

Thanks all.

Beta blockers can help massively. Talk to your GP. They are not benzos or anything addictive like that, but they calm down the symptoms of increased anxiety by cooling a fluttering heart, sweating, tight throat and other symptoms like that.

Actors and public speakers have been known to swear by them. Maybe worth checking out with your doctor?

I must stress that they do not solve anxiety, but help with the symptoms, and are not on the benzodiazepine list at all. They are a low dose of hypertension meds.

One More Toy

Can anyone share any anxiety coping methods? Willing to try anything at this stage, started new meds but they'll take time to kick in

PTH2009

I emailed them and they wrote back with a number and Siad to ring it and they set me up an appointment

Few issues i need sorted and hopefully they can guide me through it

Gremlinertia

One More Toy wrote: »

Can anyone share any anxiety coping methods? Willing to try anything at this stage, started new meds but they'll take time to kick in

What have you been doing, if anything, so far?

There are some nice mindfulness exercises on youtube if you feel up for that.. Also you can look up sounds of weather or other ambient sound, i find that good with headphones..
Have you heard of/looked in to CBT or DBT exercises at all?

RabbleRouser2k

One More Toy wrote: »

Can anyone share any anxiety coping methods? Willing to try anything at this stage, started new meds but they'll take time to kick in

One thing that can help, at least it did for me, was breathing exercises. Some times it can feel like we're being strangled by anxiety, and in that case, it's breathing exercises that are needed.

So just take ten-to 20 minutes out of your day, and sit in a comfy chair. Then inhale, deep, deep into your lungs Feel the breath all over your body, as it goes down to your toes. Then slowly release, and feel it leaving your body, taking all your problems with it.
And repeat.

You can do that exercise to calming music, while focusing on a candle or what have you.

One More Toy

Gremlinertia wrote: »

What have you been doing, if anything, so far?

There are some nice mindfulness exercises on youtube if you feel up for that.. Also you can look up sounds of weather or other ambient sound, i find that good with headphones..
Have you heard of/looked in to CBT or DBT exercises at all?

Haven't tried CBT or dbt yet I'm using that as a last resort

LonelyBoy84

Anyone ever tried havening technique?

Gremlinertia

Not familiar with the havening thing you mention, any info?.

LonelyBoy84

Gremlinertia wrote: »

Not familiar with the havening thing you mention, any info?.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-myths/201305/can-the-new-havening-technique-really-cure-trauma-and-fear

jaxxx

Well I tried counseling again. Failed, AGAIN. So I said, "f@ck this, I'm not made of money". So now back to square one. I have come to something of not quite an epiphany but just short of one..... Keep in mind I am being slightly comical here but... I think I'm stuck in right in the middle some sort of paradoxical see-saw, with sanity being on one end, madness the other, and yet I'm forever stuck directly in the centre, completely and forever unyielding to the extremities that try so hard to knock me to one way or the other, I am simultaneously the immovable object and the unstoppable force. My life... feels like some sorta purgatory (a purgatory that has nothing to do with any of that religious nonsense).

aluminium

3 and a bit in to lexapro 10mg. Augmented with xanax.

I havent told anyone. Just posted here 'cos the doctor will ask if I confided in anyone. I dont want to be a liar.

LonelyBoy84

aluminium wrote: »

3 and a bit in to lexapro 10mg. Augmented with xanax.

I havent told anyone. Just posted here 'cos the doctor will ask if I confided in anyone. I dont want to be a liar.

You should try talk to people, I really find that helps me

DrWu

My psych team cant seem to figure this out so I'm checking if anyone else gets this?

I could be fine, it could be a sunny day, I'm listening to music in the car and I get this sudden instant depressive attack. It lasts a split second but I can feel that dread and the adrenaline and skin crawling sensation. Then it's gone. I'll usually get several of these but each time I'm return almost to normal - except that the world seems....different. Or should I say it feels different for the whole day. These short, intense attacks usually precede a general decline into depression that can last days or weeks.

Anyone get this?

aluminium

DrWu wrote: »

My psych team cant seem to figure this out so I'm checking if anyone else gets this?

I could be fine, it could be a sunny day, I'm listening to music in the car and I get this sudden instant depressive attack. It lasts a split second but I can feel that dread and the adrenaline and skin crawling sensation. Then it's gone. I'll usually get several of these but each time I'm return almost to normal - except that the world seems....different. Or should I say it feels different for the whole day. These short, intense attacks usually precede a general decline into depression that can last days or weeks.

Anyone get this?

yes.

I grew up like this. Was always refered to as "a worrier". Its now called anxieity. I just have the gp so no psych. team. I get chest pains. Now I take a xanax. and wait for it to pass. - but it does not pass - just a little less intense.

Im trying not to "do worry" anymore.

Gremlinertia

I get similar instances and I've kinda grouped them in with intrusive thoughts.. I get very strong sometimes violent thoughts, they are fleeting but tend to leave me pretty disturbed for some time after.

LonelyBoy84

Has anyone any experience seeing a psychiatrist privately?

My story is a few pages back on this thread, but I'm on Lexapro the last 3 and a half months.
On 15mg escitalopram about 2 months at this stage. Panic attacks are gone, but still feeling worried most of the time, and when not worried, very flat/depressed. Not enjoying things like I used to at all. Mornings are the worst by some distance, I'm so tired no matter how much sleep I get and I get upset sometimes just because I don't feel at all like myself and feel drained by the whole thing.

I spoke to my GP and he said that I should probably expect to be on the meds for some considerable time going forward and perhaps for the rest of my life. I'd have no issue with that if I was feeling myself tbh, but I ain't - so I was a little disappointed with that and it seemed kind of defeatist. I'm in my early thirties and this is my first time on anti-depressants (with esciptralopram being the first one I was prescribed).

I'm doing CBT, mindfulness & going to the gym, but thinking someone to take a closer look at my meds might be beneficial or bring some improvement. Anyone any thoughts?

DrWu

aluminium wrote: »

yes.

I grew up like this. Was always refered to as "a worrier". Its now called anxieity. I just have the gp so no psych. team. I get chest pains. Now I take a xanax. and wait for it to pass. - but it does not pass - just a little less intense.

Im trying not to "do worry" anymore.

Hi Aluminium.

Thanks for the reply. It's not anxiety. I also get anxiety and panic attacks and this is a totally different thing. It's an intense sudden depression with no warning. It passes in seconds but seems to be a precursor for a longer depressive period, usually that evening or the next day. Psychiatrists seem stumped.

Gremlinertia

Hey LonelyBoy, in my situation there was a lot of changing meds, mostly dosages over the first year to find a balance, have you been referred to your local mental health unit?.

DrWu

Gremlinertia wrote: »

I get similar instances and I've kinda grouped them in with intrusive thoughts.. I get very strong sometimes violent thoughts, they are fleeting but tend to leave me pretty disturbed for some time after.

I never thought of it in terms of intrusive thoughts but I think you could be right. I also get very sudden suicidal urges. I acted on one on Feb and hanged myself from the attic, but the rafter broke. The whole thing from thought to execution (sorry!) lasted 5 mins.

I did come across a thing called Recurrent Brief Depression which seems to match. Its like Bipolar without the mania.

Gremlinertia

I have to watch myself too, I get these thoughts so strong that my body moves involuntarily with them.. Actually physically shaking my head a bit helps. Docs can't seem to fathom it so far.