How can I stop excessive worrying?!
Question: In short, used to be on Prozac for an eating disorder. Whilst on it, I stopped worrying so much and a brief talk with another doctor revealed that my worrying could be part of an underlying mental condition rather than "just worrying". However, I fell out with my old doctor over treatment (and don't have the other doctors contact details) and am not comfortable going back there. However, worrying is now excessive and is interfering with my daily life (like being near tears over the smallest thing, being late for things because I have to go check the door is locked 200 times, panicing so much I'm exhausted all the time etc.). I can't carry on like this but not sure where to start looking for help. I would quite like to go back on Prozac but mum and boyfriend aren't keen for me to do this. New doctor? Private therapist? Self help book? Any personal experiences and recommendations welcomed! Thank you!
Answers: In short, used to be on Prozac for an eating disorder. Whilst on it, I stopped worrying so much and a brief talk with another doctor revealed that my worrying could be part of an underlying mental condition rather than "just worrying". However, I fell out with my old doctor over treatment (and don't have the other doctors contact details) and am not comfortable going back there. However, worrying is now excessive and is interfering with my daily life (like being near tears over the smallest thing, being late for things because I have to go check the door is locked 200 times, panicing so much I'm exhausted all the time etc.). I can't carry on like this but not sure where to start looking for help. I would quite like to go back on Prozac but mum and boyfriend aren't keen for me to do this. New doctor? Private therapist? Self help book? Any personal experiences and recommendations welcomed! Thank you!
Hi, I also have an eating disorder and anxiety /depression issues. My worring takes on the form of worring about the end of the world- no literally the end of the world. Its like Ia get very scared and suddenly I am sure that there will be a nuclear war or some other catasrophy and I get terrifed.
I am taking anti depressants (seroxat) and they help me alot. The do not take away the problem they reduce its stregnth and I can fight it a bit better.
Interms of my eating disorder, I have had to get my weight up, to a healthy level (body mass index of 20 no less), I used to be very anorexic, very tiny (hospital tiny) but I want to feel better. This is not the same as wanting to gain weight, I dont want to gain weight and still want to be tiny. But I want a life more than I want to be tiny. I am still working on the tiny stuiff with a therapist.
I found that in each of my 3 relapses to a skinny weight, I found my emotions got harder to dewal with, not the panic and worrying, that stayed the same. but the sensitivity, the feeling that I was the odd one out, that everyone hated me, that I was about to burst into tears at the smallest thing...
Bringing up my weight helped me to be stronger with the sensitivity- and stacks of other stuff aswell, like not feeling so so low all the time, I feel slightly happier, and the ability to talk to people on a emotional level, that just was so so vague before, its like I lacked the ability to have fast thoughts, I would hear what someone said and then it would either pass over me or I would feel what I wanted to say, but couldnt put it into words.
I have been in treatment for both my ED and my depression/anxiety for 8 years now. I have relapsed from a healthy weight back down to a skinny weight three times now, each time the skinny side and the emotional problems which come with it are the same. Please get your weight up before you even consider vernturing into what I suggest next.
I see a psychotherapist once a week, I work on why I am how I am (depression/anxiety) and work in what purpose it serves me -we all do stuff for a reason even if we dont know that reason. I feel this helps me massively with my depression and anxiey, it gives me hope that my life wont always feel like this and it can get better!
I would also recommend while you get your weight up or normalise your food pattern or eat healthily -whatever the case may be, that you seek not just dietitions advice but therapy for your eating disorder, and when your done with that, then go and work on your depression more as oppose to just your food. One battle at a time mate!
I would also advise a new doctor, and although drugs are not a cure in anyway shapre or form, they can make the therapy more bearable and thus you able to participate and improve. If your nearest and dearest dont agree well thats thier problem, its you that has to wake up in your body, not them, They are entitled to thier own opinions but not entitled to control your life or your chance at emotional and mental good health.
In terms of a doctor? yes find a new one! you can find out your nearset via the nhs website and if there are none availible, call or contact the general medical council (GMC) who will sort you out with a new one. Even if you think no one will take you on, these people can make it happen!
When you see your new doctor (who you can ask for prozac from) he/she will also be able to refer you to a mental health team/ specialist centre for your eating disorder, this needs to be dealt with before you try your hand at your anxiety (or worrying as you have put it). All this should be availible free to you as an NHS patient.
I found that to deal with the depression and anxiety I have, I had to go privatly. I am not loaded, I do not have a cash fund and I am in debt! I am able to see someone who offers fees on a sliding scale, I have arranged to pay what I can afford. There are many places and therapists who work like this. They are all found via the bacp who moniters all good psychiatric and councelling serices in the UK.
But check out what type of therapy your looking for first: if its short term this is on the nhs alot, if its CBT this is on the nhs alot, buit if its longer term (over 16 weeks) and you want to try psychoanalytic or psychotherapy, you'll be hard pushed to find it and really its better to go privately.
But first, try to ignore your family if they disagree with you needing to take prozac, no its not an end solution but it is some type of method to get you through. Your boyfr/motyher prob know very little about how you realy feel.
Also try the b-eat website, (www.b-eat.co.uk) who have an excellent message board (go to "help and support" on the left hand list, then to "self help" then to "message boards") there are many of us in your situation, its not something you shoulf have to face alone if you dont want to!
good luck mate (from jennie)
sorry to say this and i know i will get slated to death for it but i find cannabis really helps me to stop worrying
You make it clear that you would rather do with out drugs and stop the ocd but as daft as it seems you carnt medicate your self keeping away from prozac is a good thing it causes complicactions that can not be reversed later. know what you are doing and stop yourself .use your memory to help you .
You sound a little OCD - you could find another doctor. You are the one who is going through this not your mom and there are other medications besides Prozac that might help you. Since this is affecting your everyday life - I would definitely see a doctor. Best of Luck!!!!
I am a worryguts as well, it is not any sort of psychiatric condition, it is me. I feel a lot better since I accepted this, I still worry, but not about the fact that my worrying is abnormal. You sound to be under a lot of stress, that is the thing to tackle, not the actual anxiety. The first answer is half way right, a bit of spliff will work wonders, a phuck sight better than Prozac any day. All I can say (it does sound trite I know) is that you should find a bit of beauty in your life, give yourself a "goodie" at least every other day, by that I mean that you should cultivate and nurture something nice in your life. Be gentle with yourself, centre and ground your spirit. Love, Light and Peace.
don't worry about it
please come and see the psychological doctor. and planning your life scientific.