Anxiety

I’m having to take Doxycycline for a severe chronic sinus infection and it puts me through the roof. Last night was the fist dose and I was out of my mind. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t focus on anything and all I could do was get up and pace around every 10 minutes or so.

Also, I have to have some of my back teeth removed and my ENT wants to do a procedure called Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery. This is all too much for me to handle. I know that it’s all necessary and if I don’t do it, the infection could kill me- but any surgeries scare the shit out of me on a good day- and the meds are making it worse.

Apologies if I’m all over the place, but I’m out of my mind with all of this and I can’t calm down. I don’t know what to do. I can’t find a safe place in my mind to take a break from this and just be okay. Nothing feels okay.

I was on #nortriptyline for a couple years for nerve pain. It wasn't helping but side effects got worse so I quit in about a week. Felt pretty good for a few months but #anxiety got bad causing me to lose weight. Have a list of non-habit forming anti anxiety meds and started drinking protein drinks(2x30g) and exercise. Weight is slowly coming back and I can go about 4 days before anxiety gets bad again. anti-anxiety list from best first; hydroxyzine(25mg)/4 days, buspirone(2.5mg/day), tryptophan at night, #CBD oil/THC(as needed), meditation, ashwagandha. Had an #aneurysm in 2017 and was put on various #antidepressants for neuropathy. It's been about 6 months since quitting nortriptyline and I'm hoping to get to where I don't need anything. meditation/relaxation helps most with pain. Any experience with #tricyclic antidepressant withdrawal?

hypno/meditation vids from a psych counselor: https://yourbrainisalwayslistening.com/book-order/bonus/audio-meditation/ Thanks, Mike

What are you favorite skills or tricks for dealing with your anxiety?

I'll start. I've discovered that earplugs (I use loops) make dealing with loud places like restaurants so much easier! I used to eat and run from family meals. Now I can at least hang out after I finish eating, if not easily participate in the conversation.

To preface, i do have some trauma, regarding two separate incidents that happened years ago and years apart, but since the last i have found it difficult to be outside sober without getting very anxious about my safety.

Walking past anyone, the potential of locking eyes or the potential of random people talking to me are things i worry about or become almost fixated on regardless of who they are and who im with. I cant just walk down a street, even busy ones without being hyper vigilant.

Has anyone ever gotten over this kind of anxiety? If so, how?

(Ive been to therapy and I've already processed a lot of what happened, but i still get this anxiety when leaving the house or just being outside in the streets)

Enjoy your stay, feel free to leave suggestions under this post.