SOIA,Wait for me - I know I am slow this morning but here I am. Anxiety is a chronic condition. Symptoms tend to wax and wane. Often, when people seem to have recovered from an anxiety disorder, the symptoms recur or another anxiety disorder develops. This doesn't mean that either you or your treatment has failed. It simply means that you need to resume treatment (if you've stopped the one you were on) or try a different one (if your current treatment has stopped working). The nature of anxiety disorders can be frustrating, but there are several things you can do to get the most from your treatment and reduce the chances of a relapse.
The most important thing you can do is to stay with your treatment for as long as your doctor recommends. People often stop taking medication or attending therapy sessions too soon. Some halt treatment because they start to feel better and think they no longer need it. When symptoms return, they assume that the treatment was ineffective. Others stop taking medication when they develop side effects.
Often after attending therapy sessions for 3-6 months I start to feel anxious about the therapy as I worry about what am I going to say at the next session. Then I knee-jerk and stop therapy by saying I feel "so much better".
Whatever the reason, stopping medication or therapy too early reduces its effectiveness and increases the chances of a recurrence. Ask beforehand how long your treatment will last. If you experience unpleasant side effects, tell your doctor at once. He or she can often minimize the side effects by prescribing a different medication or offering other advice.
I know how it feels to believe you are at that time in your life when you just know you cannot take one more minute of high anxiety and feeling so sick is keeping you from doing anything that feels remotely normal - then something we have absolutely no control over happens and our anxiety goes higher.
Keep using all the skills you have learned here in the forum as well as through your Dr. and believe that you never walk alone.
Remind yourself what a stunningly beautiful person you are - full of wisdom and strength and soon you will be slaying dragons to gain back control of your feelings.
Gentle Hugs,
Kitt