anxiety help!!!

[catcuddler2]

i started to suffer with depression again at the beginning of feb after 8 years of fair stability(i had a really bad period in 2001)
i was coping ok with this with support from friends and family and a councellor

for the last few days i have been suffering from anxiety very very badly
i am waking up during the night in a blind panic with racing heart sweats shivers mind racing and shortness of breathe

this wouldnt be so bad but i am a carer for my dad so i need to be ok for him

i am having a period currently and wondered if that could be making it worse
my question is would it be worth asking my gp for a short vourse of anti anxiety pills just to get through this awful period?

i feel like i am losing the ability to cope and breathing exercises dont help

i am scared i wont get through the weekend
ive tried the herbal remedy calms wehich helped me get out of bed and have tried busying myself with housework but the anxiety is still there and i cant switch it off

i know you are not doctors but any advice would be appreciated as i cant feel any worse

also i am losing all enjoyment of life

TIA sorry for whinging on

[sara3]

well I'm no expert but I think you should talk to your GP to try to head this off. you can't pretend it's not happening, and perhaps the fear of how it might pan out is making it even worse.

you've obviously got a lot on your plate and being a carer is no party, so don't be hard on yourself. go and have a chat, and I wish you all the best x

[karenmac60]

Try cutting out caffiene too - my friend has panic attacks and she can't touch the stuff.

[catcuddler2]

its not so much panic attacks i can handle those its a constant nagging feeling of dread,worry,tension,head spinning,heart racing,feeling like you cant cope,being convinced the future will only ever be bleak and nothing you do will ever make it better

at the minute i am using distaction techniques by keep busy de cluttering the house and blasting heavy base tunes on my ipod.its helping but its still so hard

any other advice greatly appreciated

[boxtops]

catcuddler, do go to your doc, they are there to help and although you might not believe, it symptoms like yours are not uncommon. You do have a lot on your plate as sara says, and these are difficult times. I'm sure the fact you say you've had depression isn't helping you but it's good that you acknowledge that you have it, that's half the battle, and the feelings you describe can be related to that. I wish you well - but do seek professional help so you can start to address your symptoms.

[catcuddler2]

thanks for everyones advice

i have been distracting myself all day and it seems to have eased the anxiety a lot
the worst time though is first thing when i have to face the day it seems like sudch a huge effort just to get up also its been keeping me awake at night too

i think i will see my doc just to get some advice as it cant hurt

thankyou all again you lovely AB-ers :-)