Dealing with anxiety/fear?

Question

I'm on meds for depression and what made me slip the first time round was an enormous and unexplainable fear. I was just scared and it didn't let up. I still have dips but the last few weeks the fear is back, I just feel afraid the whole day through and the first thing I feel when waking up is dread.
It is probably to do with my changing situation, lesser paid job at a point where I'm moving out and into house buying. Knowing what it may be doesn't change it though, the world seems to get scarier by the minute and I really just want to hide.

How can I deal with this constant fear and dread, I don't want to go back to how I was last year.

Answer 1

Your having paranoid delusions...Get off the meds its not working and tell your doc

Answer 2

Hi there,

Iknow I'm probaly a little late inanswering this q, but i know how you is feeling as i had the same problem a few years ago.

You have already made the first step by realising you do not want to go back that far again and you do want to step forward, that could bring fear in anyone who's been in this situation would know.

As everyone else has said keep your friends nearby, talking to a professional may help, although you may want to do it alone.
Have something to look forward to, i know it may be a cliche but having a hobby helps, something you really like doing, or maybe even helping others may help you. I took up scrapbooking and volunteer work in a hospital, just waking up knowing i was helping someone and having something to look forward helped me alot.

Anyway I'm no professional but i wish you all the look but whatever you do you have to get off the meds, you become addicted to them and they stop working, they only make you feel worse! Iknow it sounds scray but going cold turkey was the best for me!

xxx

Answer 3

I felt this way for a long time, and the Dr. changed medication and it helped some. It was suggested to me to make a goal list everyday. Something social, call someone, pick up a prescription, go to the library, go to a store (even if it is just to look and not spend money) rent a dvd ETC.... Just small social things and when you do one cross it off the list. You can look back at the lists any time. That should make you feel better to see that you did it yesterday and this morning. You can make notes of how you felt when you did it and then how you felt while doing it and then when you were finished. Concetrate on the fact that you did it and not how you feel before. I took the whole small list goal over to another level and used when I felt tired and didn't want to do a thing. I would put like 5 things on a list then just set the time to them before I went to bed. Then if I was able to do all 5 then I could add another. This really helped to motivate me everyday. Then if I was having a really bad day I might only put one or two things on the list. That way I wasn't setting myself up for failure. I hope this helps. You could even call for take out and have it delivered. Then have the check or cash ready to go for when they get there. That way your contact is minimal but you still have the social and it will help you in the long run.

Answer 4

Some good advice there. I suffered the same problem & i'm only finding myself on the path to recovery now. Fill your day with as much activity as possible, hopefully when you wake in the morning then, rather than that overall feeling of dread, you will find yourself thinking of what might be on the schedule for today. Always stay positive even when life throws s**t at you, remember there are better days to come. Change can be unsettling but try & focus on the positive sides of it. Definitely find someone you can talk to, may it be a family member, a loved one or a professional, just as long as it's someone who you feel totally comfortable sharing your feelings with & who will listen to what you have to say, it's absolutely vital that you get your problems/fears/anxieties out in the open. Consider this as an alternative to the medication, the side effects can out weigh the benefits, discuss this with your doctor. & last of all find something that makes you smile at least once a day, hell visit the joke section of yahoo answers, it might turn your frown upside down :)
Good luck & hope this helps!

Answer 5

I understand completely how you feel. It has happened to me also. I am currently on anti depression medication and have been for a while. I hate that feeling that you get when you first wake up, you cannot describe it to anybody who hasn't experienced it. All I can say to you is that it will get better. I found myself in a 'situation' and had a breakdown a few years ago. I managed to pull myself together - don't ask me how - it was a gradual thing and I eventually retrained as a Teacher and now work in a college teaching IT. Something I could nevre have imagined me doing. If you had told me this is what I would do and how I would turn my life around when I was in my 'situation' I would never have believed it. I had counselling and this what I would advise you to do. There are many ways that you can get help. I saw a Community Psyciatric Nurse who came to my house to see me as I was agoraphobic at the time. She was brilliant and really helped me. Alternatively some GP surgeries have some of the practice nurses trained as counsellors and they are also a good option. Talk to your doctor and get him to get you help FAST. Tell him that you can't cope anymore. The fear you describe is awful and of course the fear is of fear itself and having anxiety or panic attacks. My advice is nag your GP to get a referral to the local hospital and see a psychiatrist and then a Community PSychiatric Nurse. I did that and now i feel great. I do have occasional dip and if I need to I phone up my Community Psychiatric Nurse and she will be there as back up. That's exactly what you need. Try it. [e-mail] if you need to contact me. Good Luck.

Answer 6

You're asking a medical question on the internet and regretably that's really not the right place. Talk to your GP about how you're feeling and seek his/her advice. It may be that techniques such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can help isolate what's causing the fear and can help break it down to a manageable level. Equally, de-sensitising the anxiexty that you're experiencing may be another approach. Then again, medication may work. There's a whole arsenal of approaches out there so don't feel that there's nothing you can do about it. Begin by discussing it with your doctor and take it from there. I empathise entirely with your position and I wish I had a 100% reliable answer, but I simply don't. I can only say I understand intuitively what you're experiencing as it resonates with my experiences too and whilst I've had some success, I'm still seeking the solution that you're seeking ultimately.

Answer 7

OK, first things first, this is the wrong place to be looking for that kind of information and anything other than suggesting you contact your GP would be irresponsible. However as well as suggesting you do go talk to your GP i would also suggest you ask your GP if there are non-medicating alternatives you could be trying to deal with your anxiety. There are many complimentary practises that can help with anxiety/stress, most of which are simple lifestyle/diet changes, setting some time for yourself every morning and evening to practise some relaxation techniques such as vipassna meditation would be a great way to relax too. The most important thing to do though, is to try and remember that anxiety usually is worrying about things that may or may not happen, its the minds habit of trying to predict the future and nine times out of ten these things don't happen at all, or are no way near as bad as the outcome our minds predicted, if you can bare that in mind and catch yourself when you begin to become anxious then it takes a little of the power of the anxiety away.

Answer 8

Don't feel defeated because you are on medication. I suffered from anxiety about 3 years ago and after 3 months on medication was fine until a few months ago. At least when it returns, you know that it is the illness and not you. I went to a different doctor at the surgery and luckily she was fantastic, I asked how I could help myself and she suggested I look up Cognitive Behavioural Therapy online. It seemed a bit like hard work to me so now I use deep breathing if something gets on top of me. I am still on just 10mg tablet a day but am back at work and feeling positive about life again. Keep your chin up and open up to people to let them know how you feel. My GP has suggested Yoga as well, I might give that a try, anything is worth trying once. All the best, hope you feel better soon.

Answer 9

Hello there, yes I can understand you entirely. Im on Venafaxine for depression/anxiety. It sounds to me you need counselling and perhaps a diifferent type of medication. It depends how long you have been on it. The system can get used to medication and then not be so effective. Also a good network of friends can help who are in the same situation. You need to regain your self confidence your CPN if you have one can give you more ideas, one day your week will be so busy that you will not have time to think about fear. But please go back to your GP and tell them exactly what you have said here. You have a bright future to look forward to. Best of luck, love Marion

Answer 10

Depression and Anxiety can go hand in hand. I was diagnosed with depression after having a panic attack, and nothing had changed in my life so it was very unexpected. Things will get better. I couldn't go out of my house at all, but now i work full time and am married, ikeep house and have an active social life. you will turn around in time and realise that you are over the worst and just how far you have come.Good Luck for the future but keep plodding away it will get better.

Answer 11

I have dealt with something similar to this and it was not fun and I wasn't livin. I went on meds too several times had to be changed cause they dont work real well with my system. Take deep breaths, relax, and talk to your doctor. I'm no Holy Roller but I do believe in GOD pray doesn't hurt. AND can give a calming feeling to a very bad situation. Good Luck & GOD Bless