Low-level, constant anxiety?
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Anonymous
| For as far as I can remember, I have had this constant, lingering low-level anxiety. It has never resulted in a panic attack and generally does not affect my work or relationships. But it is always present and seems to peak like clockwork between 1pm and 3pm on most afternoons (and sometimes late at night). I have spoken to many other people about this and I'm pretty sure a constant, never ending level of anxiety with "peaks" during the day is not normal. It is very, very annoying and I have tried to dig deep to see what causes it and frankly it seems untied my daily circumstances or environment. I have felt this problem even when things are just fine with money, family and relationships. Many times I'm struck with one of these mid-afternoon "anxiety attacks" and frankly can see no reason for my anxiety as I'm caught up with work and finances and health are just fine so it's almost a physical thing that just pops up regardless of whether things are good in my life. I have not tried medication as I have been able to function with this problem but lately I've been getting annoyed at the problem and want to seek some solutions. The only thing that I could add is that while I have a good and stable career and family now in my adulthood, my childhood was quite rocky and unstable and full of change and I wonder if perhaps those experiences are giving me this unexplained, constant anxiety. Thoughts? |
Anonymous
| OP, have you ever had issues with depression? I found that treating my depression helped enormously with my unfounded anxiety. |
Anonymous
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Good point, PP. Surprisingly to many people, depression can sometimes manifest as anxiety.
OP, no, it's not normal, and you don't have to live like this. I think you know this already. You need to see a therapist. Medication may or may not be also appropriate. You might also look into mindfulness. It's a buzzword these days, but I have friends who say it has really helped with their anxiety and unhappiness. |
Anonymous
| (not OP) Starting Wellbutrin for this today. OP, I'll let you know if it works... |
Anonymous
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OP, I believe it runs in families. I had problems with anxiety for years and at some point I realized that every member of my immediate family suffered from anxiety (but had been hiding it most of the time). Dd has had difficulties with anxiety and she gets it from both my family and dh's family. I should have seen it coming given that it was part of her genetic heritage.
You should look into medication and/or cognitive behavioral therapy. I never took medication but I learned how to successfully manage my anxiety -- that is, not hiding it (which is NOT managing it) but learning to work through it. My daughter has used medication and found it very helpful. Whatever you decide to do, just remember that you don't have to live like this. Please get help! Good luck! |
Anonymous
| OP here, that is so interesting about depression, I have never thought about it. I once spoke casually to a therapist who thought maybe I did have depression but thought I didn't realize it because I tended to push through it (rather than complain, stay in bed, cry or let it affect work -- none of which I do) |
Anonymous
| NP here; I have had what I'm pretty sure were a few episodes of depression in my life, especially post-partum (x2). Depression runs in my family; both of my siblings are medicated for it. I have also always pushed through, as you say, and hey--it's worked OK. But I do have frequent, unpleasant episodes of baseless anxiety. I do think the two are linked. For me, at least, running almost always fixes it. Running and sleep and time alone, though with a FT job and two little kids, the latter is hard to come by. (I prioritize exercise and sleep.) |
Anonymous
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More later, but OP, I agree with depression and anxiety being linked. I was screened for PPD years ago and fell thorough the cracks because my depression manifested as constant anxiety, insomnia, being "keyed up" and having zero appetite. I also had sustained panic attacks. But because I wasn't flat on my back sleeping all day, I apparently didn't have PPD in the textbook (this was 1998) sense, so I suffered in silence for a long time.
Zoloft helped. So does daily cardio. I have to burn off this excess energy and my serotonin gets a boost this way too. |
Anonymous
| OP, this is not normal. It sounds like you have gotten used to this and can basically function despite this constant anxiety, but that is not a reason not to get treatment for it. It's like if one hand were broken and you never got it treated so it remains painful and useless, but you learned how to feed yourself and get dressed and type with just the other hand. Sort of an impressive feat, but it would be better to get the broken hand reset so you can use it again! In your case, see a good therapist about anxiety and possible depression and don't rule out medication. It is well worth it to try to achieve a life in which you are not suffering from irrational anxiety for hours a day! |
Anonymous
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With the help of a therapist, I've been able to control low-level, constant anxiety through regular exercise, sleep, and Xanax taken on an as-needed basis. The anxiety flared back up in my mid-thirties and no level of exercise could keep it in check, and I thought I'd have to move beyond Xanax to an SSRI. Turns out the mid-thirties hormonal shift was to blame--I started on low-estrogen BC pills and am now able to manage the anxiety again.
I mention all the not because my situation = your situation, but to point out that there are lots of factors involved with generalized anxiety, and many different management techniques. The trick is to find a therapist or doctor that will work with you to figure out the best combo of therapy, meds, and lifestyle changes to improve your quality of life, rather than go with a one-size-fits-all approach of just meds, just behavioral therapy, etc. |
Anonymous
OP, I'm the first poster who brought up depression. You sound a lot like me; I have always been the kind of person who "sucks it up" and can push through just about anything with my sanity supposedly intact. It wasn't until after the birth of my second child that I felt like I was unraveling. I have always been incredibly level-headed, reasonable, and reliable. My anxiety gets very bad in situations when I feel like I can't be those things because there's too much on my plate, circumstances I don't control or don't understand, etc. I've been on Wellbutrin for a few months now, and it's helped enormously. |
Anonymous
My psychiatrist switched me from Wellbutrin to Zoloft because it became clear my issues were more with anxiety and according to her, Wellbutrin really doesn't treat that effectively. Zoloft has worked well for me. |
Anonymous
I don't want to second-guess an MD on the Internet, but I have to agree. Wellbutrin is typically not great for anxiety. |
Anonymous
I think it depends a lot on the individual. Some people are depressed because they are anxious, others are anxious because they're depressed. I'm the latter, and Wellbutrin has been great. More energy, more focus, and an overall greater sense of control. |