Mild anxiety

[Richs28]

Hi there,

For the past 10 years or so ive had struggles controlling my anxiety. I can be a really sociable and friendly person and running my own gardening business i have to try and be on top form the best i can. Ive found there are certain times when i become more anxious and my heart starts to beat really quickly and i get short of breath. This has mainly been when i meet new people and especially when i enter a new relationship. Infact 2 or 3 times in the past ive had to end a perfectly good relationship because i feel im losing control and just cant relax. This is really starting to grind me down now and once again ive entered a new relationship and desperately dont want this to happen again.
Ive tried rescue remedy in the past have just started taking st johns wort for the first time. Some advice from people who have also had these problems would be appreciated!

[Richs28]

Wow 18% is a high number! Thanks i will keep you posted and hopefully will be able to dish out some advice of my own someday!

[nursegirl6572]

Medications and therapy together is the best treatment option for most people.  The success rate increases dramatically when both approaches are used together, instead of just one.

Glad to hear you're ready to do something about the anxiety.  You certainly don't have to suffer needlessly!  Anxiety disorders are more common than you would think, and there's no shame in neediong help for it.

Over 18% of the US population is diagnosed with some form of anxiety disorder.  That's pretty significant if you think about it.  Best of luck, be sure to stick around and let us know what's going on.  It may take a little time, and patience, but you'll get there.

[Richs28]

Cheers for the advice guys, just talking to people on here has made me feel better and made me realise its time to stop trying to deal with these things alone and get some kind of help.
Im from the UK so not sure what the cost will be in terms of prescription but at the moment im not too fussed. Just want to wake up and not have the anxious feeling inside.
A mixture of medication and therapy sounds like a good choice and i'd like to hope that my case is not in the 'severe' bracket at all so hopefully it wont take much to reach a feeling of wellbeing again :)

[nursegirl6572]

It all depends on what kind of insurance a person has.  Also, just recently, they finally came out with a generic version of Lexapro.  He'll have to wait to talk to his doc.  HIs doc may recommend a totally different med.  Remember, everyone is different.  Your experience with a med is going to be different for someone else.

[SkaterDave]

Nursegirl brings up some good points to remember.  You must give it time to work.  Recall that I felt very weird in the brain for two or three days when starting Lexapro.  In Michigan where I live, insurance covers meds on a tiered level.  If you're exploring meds, they will start you on celexa because it's cheap.  You won't be able to start on Lexapro.  At least I'm kinda sure that's how it happens here.  I'm paying out of pocket so I can do what I want.  It's a killer though.  Celexa is 20 bucks a month, Lexapro is 100!  

[nursegirl6572]

Glad you are going to do something about your anxiety.  You may not exactly be able to choose WHICH med you want to try, and remember, everyone is different.  There are a couple meds that are commonly Rx'd for anxiety disorders with great success.  The more common ones are Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa (those are two different meds, btw), Prozac.  Just have a chat with your doc, tell him/her what you're thinking.

It can take up to 4-6 weeks before improvements are noticed, you have to just be patient and give yourself time to adjust.  Also, therapy is worth looking into.  Taking medication alone is just like putting a bandaid on a massive wound...therapy will help you learn how to cope with the anxiety...how to change that anxious cycle of thinking. Meds and therapy together increases the success rate dramatically.

Best of luck...let us know how it's going.

[Richs28]

Thanks buddy, im going to try Lexapro and see what the results are. Im a realist so know everyone acts a little differently to things but hopefully i will have similar results to you. I will keep you updated on how it goes :)

Good luck picking from the 4 ladies.....made me chuckle!

[SkaterDave]

I think each person is a bit different and I did have different feelings starting each one, but then again my life was in different modes during the beginning of each pill so I don't know if it was the nature of my stresses or the effects of the pills that made the difference.  With Celexa, I felt calmer and more stressless in like four or five days.  In about a week the constant feelings of impending doom were gone.  With the Lexapro, I actually had two or three days of some pretty weird feelings that I did not like at all.  It was a slightly altered version of the anxiety I already have but kinda scared me because I knew it was from the Lexapro.  After five or six days I felt pretty rad though and after that it's been smooth sailing.  I still have insomnia issues for some reason, but I don't trip out at night, I'm merely awake.  It's like my anxiety never happened for the most part and I'm able to move past all the moments anxiety would've crippled me and into the life I've desired all along but been too scared to manifest.  What we desire the most, we fear the most could be an anxiety persons tag line.  

[Richs28]

Ive been looking into it more and have seen some good reviews. Infact since recieving your last mail ive had an invite from the person im dating to a big party where i'll be introduced to all her friends. Rather than worrying about this i want to feel great about it and go and make a good impression.

How long did it take for the lexapro to kick in?

I feel quite inspired already. Want to kick this gut nervousness into touch!

Thanks for your comments by the way :)

[SkaterDave]

Man, it really is a chemical imbalance I'm telling you.  I didn't want to believe for ten years.  I wake up in the morning feeling amazing.  I did the same crap you did with new relationships, everything in my life really.  I had this feeling of impending doom and fear nearly all the time (in waves of intensity of course)  Now I'm not like that.  I still have relationship fears to get over, but they're the normal ones everyone has.  Being on celexa or lexapro or whatever will help that so much.  My problem now is I don't know who to choose!!!  I feel that awesome about myself suddenly.  Keep me posted.  

[Richs28]

Cheers mate, im really pleased to read all of this. One of my main issues is that i start to fear upcoming events when really i'd love to embrace them and look forward to the fun stuff that should be going on in my life. I over analyse a new relationship rather than just going with the flow. When im on form i think im quite funny and fit into most social circles but when im in an anxious state of mind im not at all the person i want to be and beat myself up inside over this. The heart palpitation thing really frustrates me too.

Are you taking a mild dose of lexapro? Has this transformed the way you feel when you wake up each day?

Think i need a trip to my doctors!

[SkaterDave]

Dude, you sound almost exactly like me.  The only difference is that my anxiety was nearly all the time rather than in as big of waves as yours.  To be sure, mine did come in waves too, just of smaller magnitude.  I have all the symptoms of General Anxiety Disorder.  You may be more on the panic disorder side.  No one knows/knew I have it though as I live a normal life on the surface.  Everything you describe is me pretty much.  Therefore I feel like I can comment here.  

Are you able to be honest with your new partner about your behavior pattern?  What you need is extra time to get used to the newness.  Most humans don't like change, but people like us are hyper sensitive to change and certain changes affect us terribly when others aren't affected at all.  Starting relationships is the poster event for this.  I've found that I need time to come to terms with what's happening, with fears that materialize in my head, with adjusting to partnering with someone, to sexual intimacy, to emotional baring and all that good stuff.  

Anyway, I'm going to cut to the chase.  After eleven years of trying to go it alone, of quitting all things bad for me, starting yoga, swimming, everything, I finally broke down and tried some drugs.  I started on celexa and now I'm on lexapro and I feel like a million bucks.  I lost jobs because of my anxiety.  Suddenly I have a city career job.  I'm dating three or four beautiful women who have always been just outside my perceived league now, and i'm incredibly anxiety free and happy.  I thought I'd never say those words again, but I am. I'm so happy and relieved.  It really is a chemical imbalance.  I had no side effects from the celexa the three months I was on that.  I'm on my fifth week of lexapro and the only effect is that I can't orgasm very easily.  I can sense that that won't last long. I just need to adjust.  A small price to pay for feeling amazing.  Talk to you doctor about an SSRI.  I was scared and anit-pharm for a decade. Imagine the positive stuff that would have occurred n my life had I started years ago.

Best of luck.