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[SarahT]

Hi
Some of you kindly wished me well for my assessment for talking therapy so I thought I would let you know how it went.

I have been struggling with a range of things, mostly a heightened anxiety and in short simply overwhelmed with so much going on, so  I have kind of lost control in several aspects in my life.  And it is worsening.

So many peri symptoms to work with, like many of you, and a couple of weeks ago it reached the stage where I was just begging my husband to just make it stop, make it all to away. My pms which I have had for all my adult life had worsened with peri. So my anxiety at these times were horrific.

So I saw my g.p who has increased my patch dose to 100, to try to stabilise my natural cycle, with an option of anti anxiety meds to be used as and when rather than every day. And I referred myself for talking therapy.

Upshot I was told my answers showed a medium to severe depression, and severe anxiety. On talking with the assessor, she has referred me for talking
one on one with a therapist as a support,  and I want  to try to find ways to work through the anxiety attacks, and to better accept all that peri does, and how much it has changed me.

I just want to say thanks for all the support, and for anyone else who suffers so badly with anxiety maybe it may be worth looking at self referral talking therapy on the NHS? 

Whilst today I feel a bit down as talking to a professional makes it all so real, how bad anxiety can get, but I am relieved I can get to speak further about this and find ways to help myself get out of these horrible mood swings.

I'll never be the old me, and that's really ok, but I want to be a better new me than I am, right now with all this.

Wish you all well
Xx

[Kathleen]

Hello Sarah T.

Thank you so much for the update, I am sure that many ladies will find it helpful.

I assume that the therapy you have been offered is CBT? The NHS are very keen on this treatment and it is well resourced.

Wishing you well and take care.

K.

[SarahT]

Hi Kathleen,

I think it will be less CBT and more (I hope) talking  one on one. I have had CBT before and it certainly helped at the time.
 Now my anxiety has taken a turn for the worse, and I recognise the cyclical pms\pmdd nature, the assessor feels something a bit more in depth would be more appropriate. They should call in next few days to set up an appt.

She did send me some grounding exercises straight away to try when I feel the anxiety rising. But too mixed up today to try! I hope this therapy, along with  my dose increase and the back up plan of anti anxiety tablets will pull me up. It's not all the time, and for me, the instability of having a few good days, only to be knocked back down again is hard to take..you know, the feeling of dread it's going to happen again and again. Feels relentless sometimes.

But, it's a new step, so that's a good thing.

Thanks.

[Emma74]

Good for you, hardest thing to do is ask for help. Talking and cbt therapy can be really helpful. There is an Australian lady m, passed now by Dr Claire weekes. You can vet her on audible or youtube. I listened to her a lot when I'm anxious. I think she has a voice you will either like or not but after years of anxiety o found her no nonsense talks very helpful.

Be really kind to yourself and take hour by hour if you need to x

[Flossieteacake]

Thank you for the update sarahT. I think you are brave to tell your GP how you are feeling and to have been honest in the assessment. I am so pleased they have offered you an in-depth therapy as this sounds ideal for you.

It is natural to feel emotionally drained after being assessed or even after having a therapy session. Thoughts we try to supress are brought to the surface and it can be difficult to have to address them. This will be healthier for you in the long run as it will get to the root of the anxiety and this will help to really tackle it.

You are doing so well in reaching out for support. That is a huge step and something to be proud of.

[CapriCapri]

Thank you Sarah T.

I am so glad that you have had a positive outcome. 

You also inspire me to ask for more from my GP; I think know what to say.

Best wishes to all in this horrid and challenging stage................... sigh!!!

[Losingtheplot]

Ahh hunni this is such a great update to read xx
I am pleased your getting the help you asked for. I too am now inspired to ask my GP for therapy for coping strategies and grounding techniques for the anxiety surges. Please continue to share with us all and to get support xxxxxx

[SarahT]

Thanks ladies,your posts really do mean a lot to me.

Yes, it is difficult having to speak about everything going on, as we all tend to bury a lot of stuff inside us just so we can function each day! So to go through it all at once did seem quite sad and shocking really. But I needed to do it, and whilst it's not going to be good  at first,  as you say, in the long run it will help.

Emma, thanks, I did check out Claire Weekes, and as I go further down things I will listen more in depth. I just don't want to try too anything all at once.

Definitely worth you ladies speaking with your drs to look into help.

I hope anyone else  who feels some form of counselling would help them, do speak with a g.p, or indeed check online, for a self referral to see what may be available in your own areas. I am Herts\Cambs so went via CPFT IAPT.  ( it's nhs run, not private)

Thanks all, and Take care

[CLKD]

I was disappointed in Claire Weekes, she never wrote as though she had suffered from acute anxiety  .

Do practice the grounding technique so that it becomes automatic when required.   

[SarahT]

Strange, one of the grounding exercises was one I found in this forum from quite a while back, found it useful and I posted it back on here (with the help of a member far more tech knowledgeable than me!😂)  is a 3-2-1 exercise using 3 senses to gently acknowledge and absorb  what is around us.

As you say best to keep trying it so I can quickly use it when most needed to calm things down. Everyday anxiety is mostly bearable as I have sorted some techniques and coping methods myself.... But those mad scary  crashes I need help to pull myself out of those.

In fact the assessor uses he 3 2 1 herself every day...
  As Emma said, Claire Weekes can take some getting used to, but is obviously a help for many. We  all see things in our own way and use different methods as to what suits us best at the time I  guess.

Wish everyone well

[Penguin]

Oh Sarah I remember your original post and I'm so glad you have been assessed so quickly. I agreed to consider online appoints by video call and I think mine came through quicker in part because of that, I am not sure if that is an option for you.
As an aside, I was wondering if you have tried EFT, aka tapping? You can learn how to do this online and I have found it very good tapping through my extreme anxiety.

[SarahT]

Hi Penguin,
Nice to hear from you. How are things to yourself? Are things a bit stable for you atm?

I Think it was you who suggested to be very honest at the assessment just to ensure I would be taking seriously.. I think my answers to the general questionnaire gave them an idea before even talking with me. I know CBT has helped me in the past, but being referred to
have more one to one talking seems ideal for me, as things have worsened. Am totally ok for video or phone appts.

Since upping the patch to 100, I have seen physical symptoms improve a bit, but anxiety and moods still the same. But early days, need to give the hrt increase a chance to kick in properly, and feel good to know I have options to increase if need be.

Am looking into EFT, am interested in coping methods  for when anxiety really hits - am sure others will be checking this too.

Take care Penguin. Thanks xx

[Penguin]

Hi Sarah
Yes it was me who suggested that, am glad it helped.
I'm okay, bit up and down tbh, can't seem to get my estrogel dose right - too much and I get gastro stuff and churning anxiety, too little and my fingers ache and I'm constipated and dry everywhere. Seems to chamge throughout tje month! I think my own cycle is still really strong underneath,  which doesn't help with the anxiety as it fluctuates with the cycle. So I'm a work in progress 

[SarahT]

Hah! Yes. my own natural cycle just won't give in either, hence after a few improved days, this morning, as per this week every month, the pms \pmdd has risen up remind now in no uncertain terms it's not giving up... So low moods begin again, I can only just hope they won't be as severe as last month. Really scared me. But I know I have options, just gotta ride it and see how much better or  worse it gets on this regime.

As you are finding with the gel doses, it's hard to find a stable dose when our own hormones are still so unstable. Just hope once meno
does happen, we may have a better time of it.😍 think we deserve a bit of respite!

Deep breaths, and I just know its bad now but it will get better.

Take care Penguin, chin up girl. Xx

[CLKD]

Oh Girls  - life shouldn't be so hard 

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