Merry Christmas

Hi everyone,
I suffer from anxiety which is brought on by many things in my life. I have gone to many drs and given many meds. Between covid, chronic pain, fox and cnn news and just my day to day life-- I am struggling to function.

I want to say thank you first to anyone who answers and also say I really care and agonize when I know others are in pain or suffering with anxiety. I was not prepared for how my life would turn out. I wish my parents and grandparents would have prepared me for life as a senior. I now talk with my own daughter to try to prepare her for what life will be like when she is my age.

I feel as if I am so easily hurt by others now. People who are terse, rude or uncaring literally just break my heart. I just recently had someone close to me suffer a severe heart attack. Things such as this just cause me so much mental anguish.

I go to my many drs appointments and honestly they push you in and out so quick I cannot express how I feel as I am rushed so the dr can move to the next patient. It seems the dollar is king in this world at times. Please don't misunderstand me I love my drs for the most part. I really appreciate any help they can give me.

I used to be such a carefree type of person when younger. Now everything upsets me. The news is always negative. I suffer chronic pain which also makes my days anxious and difficult. I practice mindfulness and other relaxing techniques but with little help.

I would like to ask if others here just get to the point where they are ready to just move on from this life? Please know I am not suicidal and have no thoughts of ending my life. I cant help but think there has got to be more to life than anxiety and pain. We live in a world of pain, fear, disease and a host of other problems our society suffers daily. I volunteered at our soup kitchen before covid but now I cant even do this. I try to help others financially when I can but not having much money myself makes it hard to help others. I know life is not all terrible yet the end of our lives just bring their own special troubles.

I know this is a long message and I thank anyone and everyone who reads through it all. Please people-- just love one another because that is really what is important in life. All the rest is smoke and mirrors.

Thanks and Merry Christmas

Thank you so much Tim G. So far my drs have given me Amitriptyline and duloxetine to help combat the anxiety. My anxiety causes stomach and intestinal pain. Amitriptyline was given for this. I have degenerative disc disease which causes most of my daily pain. I get to chose either the amitriptyline or duloxetine for my anxiety but not both to be taken daily. Honestly neither has helped with my anxiety. I am looking for a psychiatrist to try to get help with all this. My primary dr and pain management dr mean well but I just don't feel anxiety is something they can treat well. I just feel a specialist would be better for this.

I had a two level fusion about four years ago but would not recommend this treatment as I have more pain now than before. Because of the degenerative disc disease I need further fusions as more discs are degrading.

I can deal with the pain somewhat but my anxiety is sucking the life out of me. I need to get this under control. As we age we lose serotonin levels so maybe this is whats going on. I just don't enjoy things I have always loved to do in the past. I am always rushing to finish anything I start. I move from one thing to another quickly. I seem to have lost patience especially when reading. I am not mean or vocal in any way. I don't lose my temper I just feel unsettled most of the time.

Tim, I see you are taking Citalopram with good results. Did you try many meds before settling on this one? Any advice would be appreciated. Did you go to a psychiatrist? I just don't feel my normal self any longer. I stay away from the news as almost everything upsets me. My wife says I am going to have a heart attack or stroke.

I would love to hear about any meds anyone is taking and any advice for helping with anxiety. I want to say thank you for any help. I am a giving person myself but now I just need some understanding and wisdom to get me headed in the right direction.

Thank you all for your support.
Bless you all.

Thank you so much for your insight into anxiety and what works for you Tim. There are so many meds for depression and anxiety it just seems trial and error in finding one that works. I hated amitriptyline as it just made me so sleepy. I know its an older med which my GI dr said was best for IBS symptoms. The Cymbalta was ordered by pain management team. It does work well for nerve damage pain but has not helped my anxiety much. I will keep searching for something to help me.

As you said having your parents moving near you and your job made things so stressful for you. I know all about that as my strong willed father in law now lives with us and he is not sensitive to any other position than his own. My wife even wishes this had not happened. Honor thy mother and father thing going on here.

I hate the aging process. I used to be so carefree. I miss those days.