Anxiety, lack of sleep and medication

Hi 

I'm so sorry to hear how terrible you're feeling at the moment. 

I looked at your previous post and saw that you were diagnosed with melanoma earlier this year and you have since had a WLE and SLNB with the good news that there's no further evidence of disease.

There are several others in this group who have had to learn how to cope with anxiety and hopefully they'll be along to tell you how they've learn to cope.

When you feel up to it, it would be really useful if could pop something about your journey so far into your profile as it helps others when answering or looking for someone with a similar diagnosis. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Edit Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.

Sending a supportive ((hug))

Hi #kinc1 so sorry to hear of your current situation. As someone that has suffered with anxiety and panic attacks for many years I can really emphasise with you. I have learnt to accept it is part of my make-up but have found the following very helpful:

I take CBD capsules now and so no other medication required.

I take regular exercise like walking and swimming.

I got into baking and cooking.

I do relaxation and meditation classses

I see a Counsellor on a weekly basis

Confiding in family and friends can also help.

This site is also great and I have had lots of good advice when I have needed it.

I do hope you find some peace.

Regards

Hello , I’m sorry to hear of your panic attacks and high anxiety, it’s a terrible feeling. I had panic attacks and a period where I knew I wasn’t thinking rationally and everything made me feel anxious and I’d worry about everything, for me this period was work related but was combined with a family bereavement. I went for counselling and had medication it took a few months to feel more normal again and come off the medication. 

My first counselling was arranged by work and I didn’t find it very helpful but I changed to Cognitive behavioural therapy organised by my doctor which I found a lot more helpful and useful. I was given a workbook to print out from the internet to read and go through some exercises and then discuss how I’d got on with a counsellor, that was a lot more helpful for me. It started by going through why we worry and that some of us worry because we think it’s helpful to prepare for bad things happening. It worked through seeing worrying as not being helpful and working on just acknowledging the worry and working on reducing how much time we spend on worrying. It felt at the time like everything was so overwhelming and I can only describe it as a bit like knowing that a car has spark plugs that must all fire in the right sequence and timing for the car to work well and my brain just wasn’t doing that it was just firing all the time and too frequently. I still occasionally look through my work book as it was so helpful. 

I found when I was diagnosed a few years later with cancer, a few months after my mother passed away, I went for counselling again organised by my dr, but I could tell that “misfiring” was no where near as bad, and that I was more able to accept that it was natural to worry and I was able to make a list of my worries, get that list down to bullet points and to set aside just a 10 minute period each day for Looking at those worries, and the rest of the time just acknowledging them and putting them aside for that time. I know it can be a few weeks to get from a waiting list to getting to see someone. 

I can only tell you my experience and not advise on what to do so much. I am assuming that your doctor has made a prescription because he thinks you have a chemical imbalance at the moment and need that medication to get on track. You haven’t said that a referral for any therapy has been made if you think it would help you you could approach your dr again, you might find that a chat to your keyworker nurse might help, as if your anxiety is mainly based around your diagnosis they might be able to help with a referral as well or help with talking through some of your anxieties. 

Last year the melanoma patient conference had a talk on anxiety, it made most of the audience of patients and carers shed a tear as we recognised some of the same feelings in that talk. I’m wondering if that video might help you feel a bit more normal in your thoughts. Our keyworkers have a duty of care for our psychology wellbeing as well which is why they can help referrals to support groups, and much more. 

Sometimes we cope during the worst times and it’s when we start to relax a bit later that the panic and anxiety can sometimes creep up on us. It still happens occasionally to me not a full blown panic attack but just a hesitation that is difficult to get through. 

The macmillan support line is open everyday 0800 808 0000 everyday 8am to 8pm, why don’t you give that number a ring to speak to macmillan trained people who might be able to help you decide what might be your best way forward for you.

Im going to put a link in to the video and it might not be to late to apply for a place at this year’s conference in June you can contact them through their website.

https://youtu.be/n-cYnYDWuZc This is prevention and management of anxiety given by Rebecca Healy at the 2018 melanoma patient conference.

I feel for you and wish you the best.