Severe Anxiety - Orlando,FL

I have anxiety which stems from a traumatic event in my life. I had a hysterectomy so I can't relate any of it to my periods.
I agree with Erica. Exercise can be so good for you. You don't have to go to the gym or anything, but walking really helps me. Getting outside and breathing fresh air.
You can also try meditation. It might sound weird, but if you feel your anxiety rising, you can do breathing techniques. Also, stretching gently can help with muscles from being so tense. Can you sign up for tai chi at a local recreation center or something?
Exercise is free. You don't have to over do it, but you might find that "walking" things off when you're feeling super anxious helps.

I wish you the best. Anxiety can be managed. Hopefully you will find what works for you.

Peri and menopause can change your norm quite a bit. I havent slept all night in a zillion years... well actually about 8 years. I started the perimenopause at 45. I did find that taking a combination of black cohosh and some of the other homeopathic herbs did help me. I quite bleeding about 2 years ago but still have hot flashes and get insomnia from time to time. I'm just used to it now. I come in and make a cup of tea at 3am and get on the computer... then I'll try to go back to bed after I get cold from sitting here... and most of the time I will fall back to sleep.
You really need to 86 any caffeine from your life right now, I became very sensitive to it affects when menopause started. Take walks, get plenty of exercise. Do some deep breathing, especially when you feel anxious.
Maybe try some advil pm to help you relax and sleep at night, I've done that with fair results on occasion.
Milk and a banana before bed is also a sleep inducer.
OR just get used to not sleeping as much at night and catch a good nap during the day if you have that opportunity, that's what I do nowadays. I sleep better during naps than I do at night most of the time.

I have suffered with a severe anxiety disorder in the past, my heart goes out to you. This is going to sound cheesy, but check out the book "The feeling good handbook" and give it a try. It is about cognitive behavior therapy and it gives you some ideas on how to change your thinking, it helped me. Second, you need treatment. When my anxiety started I did not have insurance or any children so I did not qualify for public aide in my area. Make sure you at least apply for that first. If you have and have been turned down, see if there is a hospital in your area that offers charity care. I got 100% coverage from a local hospital and any services I had at their family practice clinic or in the hospital was free. It was as easy as a phone call to their billing department to inquire about any programs and answering a few questions like income, family size, rent/mortgage amount. Even though I did not qualify for public aide I did qualify for care through this hospital so I suggest you start there at local hospitals. I even was able to see a therapist in the clinic once a week 100% covered and I can't tell you how much that made a difference. It might also take some time to find the right combination of medicine for you, it is vital that you are being monitored. Lastly when you figure out the right drug for you, make sure you contact the drug company themselves and see what kind of programs they have. I now have insurance through my husband's employer but my asthma meds run almost $200 a month! I called up Astro Zeneca (the makers) and based on our family income I qualify for the meds free. They send me three months supply free. I hope you get the help you need, don't give up!

--and as others have posted exercise is great for you. Definitely nix the caffeine, or any alcohol as they just aggravate anxiety. And if nothing else taking a benadryl actually has mild sedative properties and most likely will help relax you. The same medicine as tylenol pm, but does not have the tylenol which makes it safe to take daily at night if needed.

I'm sorry your experiencing this, but I'm happy to know that you are reaching out for some help.

My advice would be to get counseling to see what brought about the anxiety. It's just plain old fear! Find out what are you afraid of or worried that will happen and talk to a couselor about how you can become free. If you've had any trauma, break ups, stress, some sort of situations from the past resurfing, this could be a motive to your anxiety problem.

I would also recommend that you exercise, swimming aerobics, yoga helps with stress, and meditating and trying to refocus your thoughts. Also try doing some daily affirmations, tell yourself that you are going to be alright and say that things are going to turn around for you. Speak positive things into your life until you feel them.

I would get rid of anything with caffeine in it and try drinking camomille tea, it helps relax you. Lastly, don't forget to talk with your doctor about recommending a counselor to help you sort through your situation.

Be Blessed

Grandma T is right on the mark from folks I've known in your position (short of asking the obvious in terms of whether there have been life life changes that might be influencing your anxiety levels?) If you have had either good or not so good experiences your anxiety might stem from that, in which case the other mama's are right on the mark:)

The only thing I might comment on regarding Grandma T would be to NOT take advil or tylenol PM because there are other medicines involved that regular use could damage organs over time. What works as well is either Unisom (over the counter with the same sleep ingrediant) or even better Benadryl.

Best of luck to you!

Hi Mrs. B.,
I can definitely empathize with you. I don't know that much about Peri- menopause, but I have suffered from chronic anxiety in the past. Now if you definitely are not going through Peri-menopause and having hormonal changes than from what you have described sounds like you are having panic attacks. This is different from an anxiety attack because of the symptoms and that it's not brought on by stress alone but by other factors too. Your body goes into a severe fearful mode that you feel like you're going to die or go crazy and the symptoms feel VERY REAL. Does your heart beat 240, your hands sweat, your head pound with pain and you feel a bit dizzy? These and others are symptoms of a panic attack. In general it sounds like you might be going through a bout with depression. Anxiety, exhaustion, a sleeping disorder are some of the symptoms, panic attacks may be also but it is on a individual basis. What I would do is seek a good therapist and/or psychiatrist that has knowledge of how to manage panic attacks. The right antidepressant may be the solution to your problem. There are so many on the market that the doctor has to figure out what would help you and all the symptoms you are experiencing, this is where it gets tricky and the need for a good doctor comes in. Maybe someone that has experience in "medicine management". Picking the right medication for you is key. Being overtired from lack of sleep could definitely bring on panick attacks as your body is very week and vulnerable. For panic attacks benzodiazapenes work in addition to a antidepressant, and something for sleep so that you can get some rest. They definitely help all the symptoms of an attack. Now the antidepressant that has worked well for me for a number of years is Wellbutrin. A benzodiazapene could be Ativan or Zanax, etc. I respond well to Ativan. For almost 5 years now I have been free of the attacks thanks to the right medication and a change in lifestyle (key). Medication does not cure it, only helps with the symptoms. However, they help you think straight and figure out what you need to do to help yourself. Maybe that's all you need temporarily. Please message me privately if you would like to talk more on this subject, I'll be happy to help if I can. I hope you find the right solution to your problems, my prayers are with you. Sending you a really big hug, you will be okay.
Sincerely, Bernie

I have not experienced peri or menopause, but I started having severe anxiety when my daughter was about 3 years old. I was so afraid that I was going to die and leave her motherless. My doctor put me on Paxil, but I really didn't feel like it helped at all. I don't know your social situation, but what really helped me was getting to know more moms with kids my daughter's age. It was just nice to know that there were others out there that were going through the same issues and feelings that I was. I would still consider myself an anxious person, but I don't spend my time worrying about every single thing that pops into my head. I hope you find someone that you can talk openly to and that you get your anxiety under control.

Have you tried exercise? I was going through similar situations and had horrible weight issues, then I started walking 4 miles a day. I feel SOOOO much better! My moods don't change nearly as much, I have more of a tolerance for the kids & hubby, I don't eat us out of house and home, etc. You may want to try something along that line before you go and medicate yourself. HTH

You need to look into natural therapies to balance your energy system & hormones, the drugs just throw you even further out of balance. Don't rely on insurance and the regular doctors to get good care. Best wishes for the holidays.

I am 42 and going through this too. I was recently put on Effexor 37.5 mg twice daily. It helped me calm down with little side effects. Watch your diet (eat veggies, fruits, whole grains) and exercise more--it really does help. Mother Nature is cruel, isn't she?

Hope this helps:)

M.

Dear Mrs. B,
Can you see a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist to help you deal with your anxiety. Many times they can help you work on your thoughts and thereby you may not need to take medication.
Best of Luck. Jilly

Hi, so I'm going in a different direction from the other Mom's here. Have you had your thyroid checked? I had an overactive thyroid (until removed 6 years ago) for close to 7 years. I would have rapid heart rate, felt like I'd just sprinted a mile when I was just lying in the bed. Bad night sweats & your metabolism goes through the roof. It's a very disturbing feeling, you feel like you're about to have a heart attack & there's nothing you can do to stop it. Irritability, weight loss, hair loss and miserable periods are also signs of an overactive thyroid (or Graves Disease). My dr prescribed PTU and I stayed on that for close to 7 years. After I had my oldest son, my levels were fine & I was not on any med's. My dr monitored it every month. I had a very stressful time 6 months after he was born & even 2 weeks after my last bloodwork had been done, my levels had completely gone haywire & he had to put me on PTU again.. It finally got to the point a few years later that I wasn't able to control anymore, so I had it surgically removed. I did not want to do the radioactive iodine pill, as I wanted to have more kids & didn't trust what could happen to my unborn child if that material was in my body. Now that my thyroid is for the most part gone, I'm on Synthroid. Works like a charm (there's different levels that can be taken, the dr would have to experiment to figure out which would be the best to keep you under control....Lord knows, you wouldn't want to have an underactive thyroid...it makes you gain weight! yikes!). Either way, I am now buying my Synthroid (not generic) from Sam's for $16/mth. Walmart also has it pretty cheap. Best thing to do is shop around to find the best prices.
Just a thought that I'd not seen mentioned on here. The thyroid is a very mysterious gland that controls so many portions of your body. Hope you can figure out what is going on with you. Good Luck!