Not sure what is wrong with me

by Ira
(New Jersey)

Retired about 7 months ago after 30 years in tax department at CPA firm... 20 at last one. Retired because of anxiety disorder, depression I couldn't overcome. Performance dropped seriously.

I turned 63 this past November. I still have trouble sleeping and toss around either anxiety. My routine is taking a martial arts class twice a week for an hour, rest, go to gym for another hour or so those days, spend maybe hour or so re-learning Word. Will start on Excel after that. Other two days I volunteer at a Nature Center doing data input for about 4 -5 hours twice a week.

I continuously wake up with extreme anxiety that lasts for a couple of hours in morning. Afternoons seem to be better and evenings are fine.

What the hell is wrong with me. I take depression medication once a day and Xanax as needed.

Comments for Not sure what is wrong with me

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Anxiety
by: Jim

I thought I was losing my mind too from anxiety/depression in the first 6 months of retirement.

A friend asked me if I was drinking a lot of coffee/tea and I was. Eliminated all but a little caffeine in the morning and since then my symptoms have been reduced by I'd say 75%.
Magnesium Helped me
by: Anonymous

Magnesium supplements helped my anxiety and I get better sleep now too. You might give it a try!
Great work so far
by: Anonymous

Only my opinion! Check with your prescribed about the medication regimen. Is it a psychiatrist? If you find a good fit, all that education they have can really be put to work helping you. Please be very careful with the Xanax! It's a benzodiazepine and those are very addictive. Also, is it a short acting one?

Do you have a good psychotherapist whom you like? Try looking on Psychology Today website for one. There are many varieties of them, some kinds are even fun like art or music therapy! (Those can help you express things you weren't aware of, too)

Last,nothing is wrong with You! You are a fine person who is bearing some difficulties and nobody deserves to feel that miserable anxiety. It is hard to know how awful it is until you feel it yourself. I have had it my whole life, it has affected and limited all I have done and kept me from achieving much of anything.

You are a CPA! Congratulations! Now, we would like to see you become comfortable and happy!

It is possible! You have made a great start!
Not sure what is wrong with me
by: Elna Nugent, /MassachusettsL

Dear Ira, Do you realize that the symptoms you mentioned -anxiety, worry, and trouble sleeping are the main reasons people see ( run to)a psychologist who can listen to you on so many levels and find relief for you.

You can ask your doctor to recommend a well respected psychologist who can help you change your life on so many levels. What can you lose. You need help right now.

Many blessings to you and keep us all updated on your life . and how you are doing. We care.



Evenings seem to be fine
by: Ira -new jersey

No the evenings are fine. It is almost as if as the day moves later and later I relax more or perhaps doing things occupy me more.

This was a carryover it seems from last two years of work. Started not wanting to do Public Accounting anymore, continued to push myself to work every day anyway until it became unbearable. Was always stop performer, well respected within the department. Meanwhile it just got worse. Performance dropped. Finally decided for health reasons to retire Tried various meds.

Retirement has been up and down because I still feel it to be a " forced retirement" for mental health reasons.

by: Wendy, www.retirement-online.com

I googled "extreme anxiety in mornings" and there were pages of info -- meaning you are not alone in this.

I wonder if you took meds at night if you'd wake up better? Maybe just maybe they wore off by morning? Try taking before Bed, and see if mornings are better, but your evenings aren't so great -- meaning the meds don't work long enough?

My nephew tried 3-4 different meds before the finally have him on the right one... the others never worked for him.

Sounds like you are busy enough in the day and simply need the right meds to balance your life?

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