I Get By With A Little Help From My Supporters

Today is Day 4 of my full dose of Lexapro.  It didn't start as well as I would have liked. At midnight, after a trip to the bathroom, I had trouble falling asleep again. One of the main side effects I'm experiencing is tense muscles, and that tenseness hampered my ability to settle back down into sleep. For reasons I've never fully understood, many of my anxiety attacks occur in the middle of the night, when I'm trying to go back to sleep. And that's what happened when I couldn't get my body to relax last night. I felt it first creep up in the back of my neck, then my chest had that cold explosion that spread to my limbs. I got up and took more Lorazepam to stop it. 

While I was waiting for the Lorazepam to take effect and allow me to feel drowsy again, I picked up my phone and opened my Google browser. I searched Lexapro side effects again and began looking at the list of questions other users have posed. I don't remember precisely which question I clicked on, but it brought up a Reddit thread by Lexapro patients. I spent over an hour reading all the comments. Each commenter had something unique to add about their experience with Lexapro. Reading all the comments eased many of my concerns, and I didn't feel so alone. It allowed me to relax a little more and eventually go back to sleep.

Unfortunately, I had to adjust my alarm for my remaining hours of sleep. I knew I would have to be a little late for work if I wanted to get an adequate amount of sleep for the largest part of my day. My supervisor encouraged me to file for FMLA to cover any future anxiety-related episodes. After work, I took the form to my doctor's office and was lucky enough to get worked in. Because I had had FMLA for this very issue when the original attack happened, he was able to quickly fill the form out again. He was very supportive and encouraging about getting me "over the hump" this time. 

From the Reddit users, to my supervisor, to my doctor, it stuck out how very important it is to have a support system for anxiety and other mental health issues. To be able to talk to someone and not be judged, but listened to and encouraged makes a difference in the struggle. I think it would be worth it for me to explore support communities that may be out there somewhere. I'm still new to this different life I have, while others have been dealing with issues far longer. I know there's more for me to learn...but also to give.

Namaste