New to the forum

Good morning to everyone.
I have just realized that I am not alone in this world . I sat and read couple posting before making one about my self. I have been experiencing anxiety myself, not sure how I got it but I came to realize that anxiety is no respecter of persons, so I will have to find ways to cope. I am the mother of four children( my precious gems) and during my last pregnancy there was a lot of stress. Right after the baby was born I was depressed and then it went downhill from there.
Husband lost his job and Mr. Anxiety crept in. Then I started having a kind of feeling as though I am dying, legs weak, arms weak, painful stomach and chest tight. URGGGG this is scary. Ended up at the emergency room oh blood work was fine, they gave me nexium to help the acid in my stomach.
But I have been to the emergency room couple times and I think I need to get help and that I did. I got a low income health center that I can go and pay my bill in installments and I was given AMITRIPTYLINE ( old antidepressant). I started on 25 mg, then I had one bad week, doc upped it to 50 and I am on my 2nd week, but I am also having some side effects as well. I am just hoping that this kinds of feeling pass.
Also I am a victim of Miss IBS. In this life we have to deal with but I hope that I can just be normal me again. Thank you guys for reading and I hope to make some new friends. Blessings.

Welcome, Teeram. Glad to have you join us!

I'm sorry to hear that you've been going through such a hard time. I'm very glad to hear, however, that you've been able to seek some help for it. I always, always recommend CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) if it's an option for you. These people are the cream of the crop as far as therapy goes.

I've had to take a variety of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds before, so I can share that in my experience, the side effects generally diminish after a few weeks. Of course, sometimes the meds aren't exactly right, or the dosage isn't spot on, so it's often a process of trial and error. Don't let this discourage you--it's worth it once you find something that works, especially in conjunction with therapy, and there are a lot of options out there. The mods here (who are awesome people, by the way), have some helpful links at the top of this board that act as very useful self-help tools. Check them out if you get a chance. Also, breathing exercises and meditation can do a lot to help you through the more anxious periods. Sometimes you've just got to play around and see what works for you, what helps to disengage your brain and keep you focused on other things.

Good luck and I hope you'll continue posting with us! Read through some of the other posts here and perhaps you'll find that we're all kindred spirits in this way, and you might pick up some quality advice throughout. I know it's helped me loads.

Risa

Hi

Good to meet you and glad you found our forum this is a great place to come and speak with others who can relate to what you are going through with your anxiety.

Hibee