Lived Experience Forum

[Former-Member]

I have had severe anxiety since I was a teenager, I have tried different medications and they have helped me in different stages I was taking one and it was great but now the anxiety seems to of come back which might be caused by my stopping of drinking alchool.

It took a long time for me to get help for my anxiety as originally I didn't quite know what it was and I had read mis-information about medications.

I officially have:

GAD

OCD

Things are great when my medication works and I am extremly glad that in Australia we have acess to affordable medical care and medications.

[utopia]

Welcome to the forum @Former-Member. Giving up alcohol will be great for your mental health. But it may take a while for your body & mind to adjust to the change. Keep with it. I'm glad you have an appointment with your gp today. Do you meditate? What do you normally do to help when anxiety hits?

[Ellu]

Dear Breezy84,

I hope you are being cared for by a good health professional. If not,start with your GP and get referrals as necessary. Medications can be a great help. There are lots of them out there, and you might have to try a few before you hit on the right one.

There are other things apart from medication which can be a great help with your conditions. For a start there is Cognitive Behavioural  Therapy (CBT) which is very helpful in dealing with OCD. You would need to see a psychologist and undergo a course of treatment, but your GP will be able to refer you to someone. I think it would be a good idea for you to see a psychologist anyway, to help you in putting your life in order and learning various techniques which can help.

I hope I am not being bossy, but in my experience "talk therapy" can be very useful and helpful.

Wishing you all the best for the festive season,

Ellu

[Shimmer]

Hi @Former-Member,

Thanks for sharing a little bit about your history with anxiety. I'm glad to hear that medication is helpful for you some of the time, although it sounds like at the moment you are wanting a bit of extra support, is that right?

I agree with @utopia, stopping drinking alcohol is a very positive step for your mental health, however it can take a little while to adjust.

Like @Ellu, I am interested to know if you are working with a psychologist, or what strategies you use to cope when you feel anxious?

Shimmer

[Former-Member]

Oh coffee is great, found that it really grows on you when you get older as well.