TOO MUCH ANXIETY!

[ManuelXX]

Good morning to you all.
First of all, I apologize if what I write is not completely clear: for long texts, I rely on machine translation.
I introduce myself briefly: my name is Manuel, I am 21 years old, I live in Italy and I am a student of history and philosophy. I have Asperger’s syndrome, a generalized anxiety disorder and a problem in manual activities (all three officially diagnosed). My main problem is anxiety, I suffer a lot from always, but since mid-October it’s really besieging me. I am writing a thesis and this is an extremely unpredictable job, unlike the preparation of exams: research is a constantly evolving work, it is not possible to predict everything, and this leads me to suffer from a lot of anxiety, because changing and unpredictable situations trigger this reaction in me. However, I find the anxiety, the one I have always suffered from and the one I have been suffering from since October, really untenable. I have abdominal pains and headaches very often, I have a very strong tachycardia and I can not feel good with myself. At all times I am tormented by this strong anxiety that prevents me from living well, because it absorbs every moment of my life. Also I know that solving the problem of my thesis would not involve solving the problem of anxiety, which is constantly enveloping my life. As soon as I can solve one problem, my brain produces another, and I can’t feel good. If today I am anxious for a motivation, and tomorrow morning I find that what worried me is not important, tomorrow afternoon I will have a very strong concern because of other motivations that my mind produces. ALso, if the present situation does not cause me anxiety, then U become anxious about the future. And my body is also affected. When I’m with friends or my girlfriend, I pretend to be fine, but when I’m alone or with family sometimes I explode.

I came to need help (as a child I saw psychologists, they will certainly have helped me in the past, but now I am as I described), I would ask you some advice about it: according to you I should rely on a doctor (psychologist or psychiatrist) and possibly also to psychodrugs? What do you think of the psychoactive drugs (those to manage generalized anxiety)? Do you have experience? Do you think I should rely on a different method? Since September I have tried to embrace the road of eastern psychology, with Buddhist meditation, but the only benefit that it has brought me was solving some problems related to sleep, This is not a small thing, but these approaches require long time and I feel at the moment the need for a different approach, faster, to be combined with what I am already doing.
Thank you for reading all this, and I trust you with a piece of advice.
Thank you very much
Manuel

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Hi Manuel,

I work in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The decision for or against medication is very individual, however, I see often that medication can help a lot. Some people don't react well to it and have side effects and/or don't feel an effect. But others do. So I believe that it's worth a try, considering that you're struggling a lot, and provided that you have a good doctor who looks out for you. Generally, SSRI (antidepressants) are the ones which are prescribed for anxiety disorders, such as you describe. Which one might be the best one suited for you would be up to a doctor to decide. It's possible also that you have side effects or don't have a good effect from one medication and your doctor suggests to switch to another one.

I'd always suggest to be very careful when it comes to medication which provides acute anxiety-relief, such as benzodiazepines. They can be very effective in very controlled, acute settings, but cause an addiction very quickly.

Apart from that, psychotherapy can be very helpful for anxiety. Which sort of psychotherapy you use isn't extremely important. More important is that you feel like you have a good connection with your therapist, and they know what they're doing. Maybe try to look for one who's experienced in treating autistic people, since we can need different approaches.

Apart from medication and psychotherapy, general health and relaxation techniques can be very helpful too. Maybe try some form of relaxation or mindfulness technique, such as meditation or yoga. If, like me, you're someone who isn't very good with that, maybe try something more active - the important thing is that it can clear your head. That can also be martial arts, swimming, drawing or dancing.

I wish you all the best!

 

[ManuelXX]

Hi Manuel,

I work in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The decision for or against medication is very individual, however, I see often that medication can help a lot. Some people don't react well to it and have side effects and/or don't feel an effect. But others do. So I believe that it's worth a try, considering that you're struggling a lot, and provided that you have a good doctor who looks out for you. Generally, SSRI (antidepressants) are the ones which are prescribed for anxiety disorders, such as you describe. Which one might be the best one suited for you would be up to a doctor to decide. It's possible also that you have side effects or don't have a good effect from one medication and your doctor suggests to switch to another one.

I'd always suggest to be very careful when it comes to medication which provides acute anxiety-relief, such as benzodiazepines. They can be very effective in very controlled, acute settings, but cause an addiction very quickly.

Apart from that, psychotherapy can be very helpful for anxiety. Which sort of psychotherapy you use isn't extremely important. More important is that you feel like you have a good connection with your therapist, and they know what they're doing. Maybe try to look for one who's experienced in treating autistic people, since we can need different approaches.

Apart from medication and psychotherapy, general health and relaxation techniques can be very helpful too. Maybe try some form of relaxation or mindfulness technique, such as meditation or yoga. If, like me, you're someone who isn't very good with that, maybe try something more active - the important thing is that it can clear your head. That can also be martial arts, swimming, drawing or dancing.

I wish you all the best!

Thank you very much. I think I will speak with a specialist soon, probably the moment to do something for staying better is arrived.
Thanks

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

Anxiety is terribly crippling and painful. I don’t have it all the time, but much of the time.

Exercise helps. Even just walking for 10 or 20 minutes.

The antidepressant I take also has the effect of reducing anxiety.

I have a practice of daily silent Quaker meetings which has a lot in common with meditation.

For severe attacks I can take lorazepam. It can be addictive, but I am one of those people for whom drugs do not have an addictive effect. I’ve been using it sporadically for more than 20 years without addiction.

I hope you find something that works for you.

 

[daniegirl6224]

I struggled with severe anxiety for years. There are many different medications that can help. I took Zoloft for anxiety and had some benefit. Buspar also helped for a time. I currently take hydroxyzine as needed and it helps me a lot for mild-moderate anxiety. I also take Ativan as needed for severe anxiety- you should not take this one regularly as it can cause addiction. I recommend seeing a psychiatrist to try meds- there are many different options. I also recommend seeing a therapist regularly to see if there are other ways to manage your anxiety, such as by changing your thought patterns. The book “DARE” by Barry McDonaugh also helped me some. I really hope you find some relief soon!

 

[daniegirl6224]

Anxiety is terribly crippling and painful. I don’t have it all the time, but much of the time.

Exercise helps. Even just walking for 10 or 20 minutes.

The antidepressant I take also has the effect of reducing anxiety.

I have a practice of daily silent Quaker meetings which has a lot in common with meditation.

For severe attacks I can take lorazepam. It can be addictive, but I am one of those people for whom drugs do not have an addictive effect. I’ve been using it sporadically for more than 20 years without addiction.

I hope you find something that works for you.

Yes I second the mention of regular exercise! It makes a difference with my anxiety

 

[Rodafina]

I think there’s some good advice above, @ManuelXX. Meds can be helpful to some and it is worth exploring with your psychiatrist.

I have had serious problems with addiction so all anxiety meds are off the table with me. It is really important to consider that part seriously and proceed cautiously with anxiolytics.

Even if meds aren’t helpful or possible, we can still learn to gain some control over anxiety. Even with medication, the following things may be helpful:

- Learn everything you can about anxiety

- Stay physically active, stretch and focus on proper hydration and nutrition

- Utilize a journal or some other form of writing down your thoughts to process your thoughts and feelings

- Spend time in nature or with animals when you can

- Prioritize sleep and do the best you can to get regular and sufficient rest

-Consider learning about breathing to manage anxiety in the moment. Slow, focused breathing has a physiological impact when experiencing acute stress and it can help engage your logical thinking to calm anxiety.

I think managing anxiety can be like chipping away at a mountain. It can feel overwhelming and we may never get away from it entirely. But, if you keep working, learning, and taking small steps forward, you’ll find your way through. It’s okay to get help on this path, too.

 

[daniegirl6224]

Hi Manuel,

I work in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The decision for or against medication is very individual, however, I see often that medication can help a lot. Some people don't react well to it and have side effects and/or don't feel an effect. But others do. So I believe that it's worth a try, considering that you're struggling a lot, and provided that you have a good doctor who looks out for you. Generally, SSRI (antidepressants) are the ones which are prescribed for anxiety disorders, such as you describe. Which one might be the best one suited for you would be up to a doctor to decide. It's possible also that you have side effects or don't have a good effect from one medication and your doctor suggests to switch to another one.

I'd always suggest to be very careful when it comes to medication which provides acute anxiety-relief, such as benzodiazepines. They can be very effective in very controlled, acute settings, but cause an addiction very quickly.

Apart from that, psychotherapy can be very helpful for anxiety. Which sort of psychotherapy you use isn't extremely important. More important is that you feel like you have a good connection with your therapist, and they know what they're doing. Maybe try to look for one who's experienced in treating autistic people, since we can need different approaches.

Apart from medication and psychotherapy, general health and relaxation techniques can be very helpful too. Maybe try some form of relaxation or mindfulness technique, such as meditation or yoga. If, like me, you're someone who isn't very good with that, maybe try something more active - the important thing is that it can clear your head. That can also be martial arts, swimming, drawing or dancing.

I wish you all the best!

I’d like to second the idea of finding a therapist who specializes in autism if possible! I’ve found that most of my anxiety is connected to my autism. Having a therapist who specializes in autism has been a game-changer for me. Try psychologytoday.com and select “autism” in the speciality filter.

 

[ManuelXX]

I thank you all. For the past two years I always wanted to avoid psychiatry, because my fear was that the psychiatrist might do something wrong and ruin me. But now I have come to realize that by shunning psychiatry I am ruining myself, so I have to do something.
I think the most important thing is to be careful not to have any risk of drug addiction, but I will talk to the doctor about that as soon as I find one.

 

[daniegirl6224]

I thank you all. For the past two years I always wanted to avoid psychiatry, because my fear was that the psychiatrist might do something wrong and ruin me. But now I have come to realize that by shunning psychiatry I am ruining myself, so I have to do something.
I think the most important thing is to be careful not to have any risk of drug addiction, but I will talk to the doctor about that as soon as I find one.

So glad you are willing to give meds a try, I really hope they help you!! Keep in mind that not all anxiety meds cause addiction, you mainly just have to be careful with benzodiazepines (such as Ativan and Xanax and Valium). Also keep in mind that depending on what med you try, it may take a while to work (such as Zoloft). If the first med doesn’t work despite reaching the full dose and giving it adequate time to work, tell your doctor! They sometimes won’t know you need a med change unless you tell them and there are so many different anxiety meds- some may work, others may not. Sending good thoughts your way!