Anxiety+Pregnancy=Worried

[VanessaNeil]

Hello!

So.. I'm not sure if there's any pregnant ladies on here, but I'm having a bit of a problem. I've been dealing with generalized anxiety and depression since I was 16 years old. I am 20 years old now (going to be 21 in December), and found out 2 weeks ago that I am about 7 or 8 weeks pregnant. Though it was not planned, my boyfriend and I beyond happy and blessed that I have a little bun in the oven. Anyways, I've been taking medication for anxiety and depression the past 4 years (Valium, Lamictal, Zololft), and just yesterday my phsychatrist told me to stop taking the Valium and Lamictal, but stay on the Zoloft, because I am not able to function without it. I'd be having panic attacks all throughout the day, and have terrible depresonalization. Anyways, I take 200mg every night, and I'm so scared that it's going to harm the baby. My phsychatrist told me to think about it, because the benefits outweigh the risks. It still freaks me out though, because all I want is a healthy baby. I'm so scared of having a miscarrige, or having the baby have a birth defect or have the baby die when I give birth. I'm also afraid that something might happen to me! Since being diagnosed with anxiety and depression, I have had this feeling that I am going to die young. That I don't have much longer to live. As far as I know, I have no life threatning diseases or anything. I just have anxiety, depression, GERD, and I also have vitamin D deficiancy. For some reason though, I have a feeling I'm going to die young. I feel like I'm going to have something horrible happen to me while I'm pregnant.. Or that something might happen to the baby. It is so stressful and it kills my boyfriend, because it hurts him to hear these things come out of my mouth. I just don't know what to do. I live in constant fear of something horrible happening! Any little pain, ache, whatever it is, I feel like it's something horrible about to happen or is happening. Has anyone else ever felt like this? All I want is to be okay, and have a beautiful healthy baby. I'm so paranoid and sick of it. I want to get these thoughts out of my head! It's just so hard to though. Having anxiety symptoms and pregnancy symptoms all at the same time.. It's just so much!

[sarahkr]

Everyone is different. Like I said before, if you feel like you get to a state where you are thinking irrationaly, do not hesitate to bring it up with your doctor or even go check yourself in to a psychiatric hospital for a few nights just so you are in a safe environment as well as counselors there to talk with. but believe me when I say it will get easier.. I was dealing with the same thing earlier in pregnancy and everything keeps getting easier and I have my child to thank for it because he has helped me rise up from complete darkness and when you reach that peak of light it Is the best feeling ever when.all you have ever known is sadness. :)

[VanessaNeil]

Thank you so much for this! It puts me more at ease. I tend to over think everything, especially now that I'm pregnant. I just worry about the baby so much, and I want everything to turn out fine. I wish I could completely be off my meds, but my pshycatrist recommended I stay on the Zoloft because my case is "too severe" to deal with, without the meds. Which is true. I've tried going off of them before, and I ended up in an inpatient rehab where I had to be monitered to make sure I take my meds, because I was out of control when I wasn't on them. It was horrible. I really need to get these negative thoughts out of my head. A lot of them are irrational as well. I guess it's all mind over matter, and just hoping for the best!

xx

[sarahkr]

Sweetie your not alone.. I've suffered with depression, anxiety and PTSD since I was 12 and I'm 19 almost 20 and I fear so badly that after the baby is born I'm going to go into severe postpartum depression because the risks are higher I was told when you already deal with depression. I stopped all my meds when I found out I was pregnant (lamictal, lexapro, ativan, and prestiq) it was hard at first but it got much much easier. I am now 29+3 weeks pregnant with my son and he is very very healthy. If it helps any to hear this, I was told and even realized that during pregnancy your hormones are so out of wack that it can actually balance out everything else if you deal with such things. and I've realized how much better psychologically I've been during my pregnancy than I thought was ever possible due to the chemical changes and hormonal changes of pregnancy. so mabey the same will happen with you. all I know is I'm.still scared for after birth if ill go into a state of sever post partum.. and my ob is actually gonna keep an eye on that with me and set me up with someone after birth. so your not alone hun, and know that there is so much support out thereof you need it and never hesitate to seek help if you feel you need it. Feel free to message me if you ever need someone to talk to who battles the same thing. best of luck.
-Sarah :)

[VanessaNeil]

It's good knowing I'm not alone in this! Hopefully all does go well!

xx

[CarolinaLopez93]

Oh hun , i can understand you in some part, for the past month i have been super depress and sometimes i even feel like im having anxiety attacks ...i have been trying to control everything for the same reason with is that i dont wanna hurt my baby with antidepressants...but if we dont get help now it will worst after we deliver...so lets be strong and hope for the best :)

[VanessaNeil]

Ooops! I posted this on an anxiety forum as well, and I forgot to take out the "I'm not sure if there's any pregnant ladies on here."  Duhh there is!