Hello all. Wondering if you might have any thoughts for me.
After living a life free of noticeable mental health problems, about 7 months ago certain events occurred that caused me extreme, all-consuming anxiety. For the first time in my life, I saw a psychiatrist. Since then, I have been in therapy and on medications. I began on 10mg Lexapro but could not deal with the side effects (the worst being an extreme jittery feeling the morning), so I reduced to 5mg Lexapro. I am also on 25 mg Atenolol (a beta blocker, which is supposed to help with the "fight or flight" reaction -- reducing anxiety). At the beginning, I took small doses of xanax, to help me sleep, but have not had any in 6 months.
I have a very demanding, high-stress professional job. The pay is good but the expectations are, understandably, high, and the hours are long. My father lived his whole life with undiagnosed (as far as I know) and untreated depression.
Generally, I have been doing much better recently. My anxiety levels are much lower. I sometimes think about the issues that caused me extreme anxiety, and then have some less-than-terrific days. But mostly that does not happen and I am living my normal life.
However, in the past week or two I have felt in the morning some anxiety and, in particular, the same sort of "edgy" or "jittery" feeling that I felt when I first started on Lexapro. I wake up before I am fully rested and these feelings make it impossible for me to go back to sleep. It has been a stressful time at work, so maybe that has something to do with it. But I have dealt with work stress for 25 years, so should be used to that. I wonder whether the events of 7 months ago (my crisis, so to speak) has made me more succeptible to anxiety and to this uncomfortable jittery feeling? Or could this be from the meds?
I would appreciate any thoughts you might have. I wish you all well.