pregnant with BAD anxiety

[lavenderinscence]

I need advice. badly.

I have been suffering for the better part of the last year with what I think is a combination of Depression and general anxiety. I have been waiting for months on a waiting list to see a counselor, but in the mean time I really need help. I am almost 3 months pregnant and it seems like my anxiety problems are getting worse. I don't have any "triggers" per se, but my symptoms are debillitating to me. I feel my heart POUNDING all the time. I can feel my heart beat out of rhythm, it feels like my chest is heavy. It honestly feels like my head is vibrating ... I dont know how else to describe it. I hear ringing in my ears, my vision gets blotchy sometimes. I have an ache right behind my right ear that only hurts (and boy does it freaking hurt) when i sneeze, or otherwise put pressure in my head. I feel "flutters" in my chest ... almost like the muscles in my chest are spasming or something. I get dizzy often, I get confused often, I don't laugh, I don't feel anything really except despair and loneliness because I can't seem to get any help. I don't have any interest in anything anymore, I never want to do anything - not read, listen to music, watch tv, play with my children-nothing. I have a hard time sleeping at night and I have nightmares often. I always seem to have the same expression on my face. I am very very worried that if I don't get help soon that terrible things will happen. I wanted to know if anyone else suffers like this and if there are any drugs that are safe to take during pregnancy ( I can't take SSRI's due to side effects). It's not as simple as talking yourself out of it, that just doesn't work. I don't have full blown panic attacks ... just these horrible general symptoms that creep up and don't go away. please someone help me.  

[Paxiled]

your being pregnant makes it hard for us to respond.  There's really nothing that's recommended when you're pregnant because it gets into your child's bloodstream.  Now, some psychiatrists will say Zoloft is okay, but others say no.  And it's an ssri.  But the fact is, you're just beyond our knowledge -- we're not doctors.  You'll have to check with your ob-gyn and a psychiatrist to see what's safe to take and what isn't, and if you're not in therapy go directly to a therapist without passing go.  I don't even know which natural remedies to recommend, even though that's my expertise, because you're pregnant.  We can be supportive, but not authoritative.  Perhaps you can try the mental health forum and ask Dr. Gould what he thinks.

[dizzyhairs]

your having anxiety....it will be ok!!!  have you had a check for anemia?  My girlfriend in 6months prego and she was having some of your symptoms and she is on anxiety meds and turns out she is anemic.  I suffer from panic and anxiety and it ***** and it's hard to enjoy things, I understand.  But you have to force yourself to do things that you used to like....I know easier said than done.  I did it today!!! I left the house, went shopping( couldn't believe it) and I was so proud of me.  I have learned that I set myself up to have anxiety by thinking about it, waiting for it to happen.  So start watching tv, play online games. slowly you will notice maybe just for a minute you will be anxiety free which is so nice. And those minutes turn into 10 or an hour then a day then a week.  

[dizzyhairs]

Calm down before you throw yourself into a full blown attack....more to follow

[lavenderinscence]

i've been checking this post every minute since i posted it. please someone respond!!

[lavenderinscence]

I saw something else in the forum that describes another of my symptoms to a T. I feel like i'm dreaming but i'm awake ... like an out of body experience that i can't shake. very scary when you're driving ... that's one of the things i meant about being debillitating ... I'm afraid to drive now.