Severe anxiety

[Socrates12358]

I've been working as a RN for almost 5 years. I've always been plagued with anxiety and depression but it has multiplied with this profession. Last year I tested positive for THC and lost my job. I've been put on a one year probation which makes it hard to find jobs and restricted from hospice and home health. I ended up getting another job in LTC on night shift. The job isn't bad or nearly as stressful as others I've had, especially on days. However, my anxiety is still awful. I'm on two antidepressants and take Ativan and it doesn't seem to help. I am constantly anxious in my days off worrying and dreading about going back to work. One night at work my heart rate went up to 146 and felt light headed. After an Ativan I got my heart rate down to 105. I am the sole provider for my family. If not I swear I would just get an easy minimum wage job. I feel close to tears at all times anymore. My only anxiety is mostly due to work. I pray beg and plead with god before I go in for a shift. If there's an admission I panic. My dementia and behavioral patients cause my anxiety to

sky rocket. My new insurance hasn't kicked in yet but when it does I'm going to schedule something with a therapist. Does anyone else deal with this? How do you manage and continue on? Will it ever get better? I was diagnosed with bipolar and GAD.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I would not wait for your insurance to kick in. See if you can see someone at the community/county mental health clinic to get stabilized. Or see if you can find a provider (psychiatrist or therapist) who works on a sliding fee scale. You could also call your employee assistance program if they have it.

You can go to the ED, but--speaking as someone who does ED psych consults--what will happen is that you'll be waiting in the ED for hours. If you don't meet criteria for admission, you're going to get referrals to those community/county mental health services I mentioned. That's it.

The ED won't set you up with a psychiatrist or therapist. They won't make the appointments for you, they'll just provide the addresses of where to go. Nor will they do medication adjustments unless the plan is to admit you medically or psychiatrically, and even then, they won't do that until after you are admitted. All the ED will do is stabilize you and ensure you are safe to discharge, or if you're not safe to leave, hold you until a psych bed or other placement can be found.

Nor will the ED necessarily provide you with a script for enough medications--especially benzodiazepines--to last until you your insurance kicks in. The trend I see is to NOT send patients home with scripts, or if they do, to send them home with a few days' worth. And many providers are very stingy about the benzos...if you do get the meds, you're likely to only receive a week's worth of your two antidepressants and no Ativan.

And if you haven't already, give up the self-medicating with THC, even if it's legal in your state. As you found the hard way, it did you more harm than good.

Best of luck.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Symptomatic tachycardia Is a HUGE concern. You cannot just attribute this to anxiety. You need to be evaluated by a cardiologist.

Have you tried other other strategies to handle your anxiety ? Meditation, breathing exercises,etc.

Best of luck, let us know how it's going.

[Loracs72]

Socrates12358; Is it possible to ask your mother or another relative to help you pay for a Psychiatric visit and pay for medications ? You can pay them back after you get a paycheck. That might get you through until your insurance kicks in. Good Luck !

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Symptomatic tachycardia Is a HUGE concern. You cannot just attribute this to anxiety. You need to be evaluated by a cardiologist.

Have you tried other other strategies to handle your anxiety ? Meditation, breathing exercises,etc.

Best of luck, let us know how it's going.

I concur.

Not really medical advice but personal experience - I suffer from PTSD from childhood abuse and for almost 5 years crippling anxiety with symptomatic galloping heart rate. I was without insurance in those days so I medicated with alcohol. If you have read my story here you know how that turned out. When I finally got insurance and had a real physical It was discovered that I had hyperthyroidism which when properly treated did wonders for my anxiety and heartrate. I still have my issues but anxiety is not such a problem anymore. It didn't hurt that I quit drinking as well though.

Hppy

[foggnm]

You work in healthcare so you know the answer to your problem: seek help. The only solution to your illness is regular on-going medical/psychiatric help. I hope you get the support and help you need.