Any other worriers out there?

Bers840 · June 2015

I mentioned in my intro that I have a diagnosed anxiety disorder. It is something I've lived with most of my life, but it typically manifests as just being a worry wart. At other times, it flares up and turns my life into an unmanageable nightmare and requires meds and therapy. I stopped taking my meds as quickly as possible when I found out I was pregnant. So far, I have been maintaining pretty well, by my own standards. I worry about all the same things that everyone else worries about, but maybe to a greater degree. So my question is, how do ladies deal with worries? I try to stay busy when I'm feeling particularly stressed, and I've started doing some mindfulness breathing exercises. So speak up, ladies. Where's my worriers? How are you coping?

KateLouise · June 2015

My anxiety hinges around health and dying. I don't tend to worry about other things more than the average person (at least I don't think so)

I've learnt to avoid googling things, and to trust my own instincts (I thank my excellent doctor for telling me to trust myself) so rather than going into a panic about dying because I have a pain in my side, and rushing off to the ER, I pause and think about how likely this is to be death, and to come up with a game plan eg. I'll see how the pain goes, if it gets worse I'll make an appointment to see my Dr. If it stays the same, I'll give it x number of days to see if it goes away. and ask myself other sensible questions, Do I have a fever? Does this pain get worse if I do anything? etc etc.

I find distracting myself with other activties also helps, and then just activities like walking or gardening where I get fresh air and exercise really help me just to keep on an even keel.

ETA: my anxiety has been really bad this pregnancy and I recently went on anti-anxiety medication which has really helped me back to my normal levels of anxiety which are much more manageable.

Bers840 · June 2015

When my anxiety flares up it also tends to focus on health and dying. It's a really oppressive feeling to walk around feeling like you're doomed when really you are as healthy as can be. When it's not flaring I just worry, mostly about my dogs and my mom and sometimes finances. As soon as I learned I was pregnant, of course I started reading to find out what I needed to do to be healthy for me and the baby, and immediately I was hit by all the scary stuff related to AMA. Down syndrome I knew about, but much of it was new to me and overwhelming. I try to remind myself that odds are greatly in my favor, that I'm doing what I can to mitigate my risks, and also just forcing myself to take things one day at a time. Being a worrier means living in the future or the past, when I need to stay right here in the present, dealing with whatever is right in front of me. Good for you for changing your thought processes! That's cognitive training in action! Do you mind sharing the medication you've been prescribed? If you're not comfortable, that's fine. But I'm curious about what meds seem to be safest during pregnancy. I was taking Celexa which is an anti depressant that also treats anxiety, and I've read that it's considered to be safe if necessary, but of course they can't say for sure. And it takes weeks to get back into your system and start helping, so here's hoping I won't need it! What about other ladies, not necessarily us anxiety sufferers, but anyone. I know we all worry. How do you deal with the stats and all the warnings out there? P.S. I type these posts on my iPad and when I hit post it always removes my paragraph breaks, making my posts harder to read. As a perfectionist, this really bothers me! Lol Anyone know a fix?

PlainJane8350 · June 2015

The only thing I've found that works is getting my mind completely focused on something else. Sudoku. Baby registry. I'm a first time mom, so researching things for the registry...not Googling bad things, that just makes it worse! It sounds morbid, but I also getting into those true crime shows on I.D. I have a friend from college that I email back and forth with, too. Having someone to talk to helps tremendously. I'm currently on couch potato rest, so feel free to email me any time and I'll try to help:

PlainJane19792001@gmail.com

Bers840 · June 2015

I like true crime too, but I can only take it in spurts. Sometimes I need to fill my spirit with only positive energy, and other times it seems I can handle taking a look at the uglier truths about humanity.

KateLouise · June 2015

Hi there, I'm on citalopram hydrobromide at 10mg.

My Dr. and I discussed the risks, and he said that because baby is past developing organs (I was 24 weeks when I went on it), the risks are of things that are reversible eg. jaundice for the baby. Plus it's a very low dose.

My Dr. threatened to come to my house and cut the cable to my internet. So I have not googled anything since I went on the medication. I decided to follow his advice of trusting myself, and the fact that as an educated, informed adult, who has done a whole heaps of googling in the past, and who pays attention to PSA about health, I actually know the key health stuff and warning signs, so I don't need to worry about every other little thing.

I also avoid medical dramas on TV, which is a shame because I really enjoy Grey's Anatomy. I watch it sometimes, but if I feel like something medical is happening that will trigger some anxiety, then I switch channels.

Also knitting has been good for me. It's hard to worry when you're counting stitches and rows.

Best wishes to you. I was exhausted managing myself, and talking it all through with my Dr. was such a huge help and relief. He was really wise and kind, although firm as well. Which is good because sometimes I need a stern talking to :-)

mindaa · June 2015

Like pp I also think that avoiding tv dramas, and the nightly news is a good start. Exercise where possible, for the endorphins.

Pregnancy specific, the hypnobabies program helped me a lot in the 3rd trimester - it includes a 1/2 hour of positive affirmations to listen to every day.

For me though, mostly, is prayer and belief in God.

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