Psychiatrist Questions Psychiatrist

Anxiety over covid?

I lost my daughter in 2007 when she was 5 months old to SIDS. I've gone on to have two beautiful sons who are 11 and 8. My eldest son caught covid over Christmas, literally my worst nightmare as I've already lost a child, and covid terrifies me and him catching covid has sent me into a spiral of anxiety it's so bad I can't switch off. My son is fine now and covid free but my mind keeps telling me something really bad is going to happen. I can't sleep or eat as I'm constantly in overdrive. I booked an appointment to see a doctor but when I was there I couldn't say why I was struggling and just said I had a bad neck even though he could see I was terrified just being out. I just needed to tell someone my anxiety is so bad. I'm still obviously able to care for my children. I'd do anything for them and on the outside, I look fine but inside... inside...I'm fighting my mind and it's exhausting.

Female | 42 years old
Complaint duration: 2 weeks
Medications: Citalopram propranolol zapain
Conditions: Rhumatoid arthritis psoriasis anxiety depression cptsd

7 Answers

I am sorry for your loss. It seems that you have some unresolved issues going on on the inside because of your loss. When you feel mentally and emotionally exhausted, you might not always know it, but it will manifest in the form of a few warning signs. You will feel extremely tired and overwhelmed most of the time, but you will go on because isn’t that what life is? No matter what happens, you have to “power through”.
It’s not uncommon to feel physically fatigued from time to time, and the same holds true for mental fatigue. Still, lingering mental fatigue can affect your ability to think, solve problems, or process and regulate emotions. Eventually, it can even lead to challenges in your daily life and in relationships. You might notice emotional exhaustion when navigating difficult, painful, or unwanted feelings, such as:
grief
sadness
anger
loneliness
anxiety.
Both mental and emotional exhaustion can leave you feeling detached, unmotivated, apathetic, and trapped. The challenges you’re facing might seem impossible to overcome, and you might feel too drained to keep trying. I suggest you speak to your primary care about this and be honest with your PCP. See if your PCP can give you a referral.
You should understand that your loss of a child was an understandably traumatic event for you and your son's recent bout with COVID was especially difficult in view of your earlier loss. You should have the opportunity to have psychotherapy possibly with medication. You and your children will benefit by you doing this.
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Please make an appointment with a local psychologist to address your issues. If you're insured through your work, check the back of your medical card to see if you have an 800 number for mental health benefits. If uninsured, call your local county mental health hotline and ask for no cost counseling resources.
Best.
Hello, and thank you for reaching out,

What you are going through is absolutely normal given your past trauma. I see that you are on medication for your symptoms which is great. Please talk with your PCM and/or psychiatrist to see if there needs to be an adjustment during this period of increased anxiety. Much like you wrote this email, journaling about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences is a great coping strategy. Maybe even engaging in talk therapy for a while to help you through this difficult time is a good idea.
Wishing you improved mental health and decreased symptoms.

Thank you,

Patricia Harris | MA, MS, LPC
I am not sure what you mean by ZAPAIN. Propranolol and citalopram do not go well together because of cardiac side effects. You truly need to see a psychopharmacologist. You would greatly benefit from some therapy because of your continued pain.
Wishing you only the best!

Lance Steinberg MD, Inc.
I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I think you would benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) given your symptoms. I would look for a specialist who provides this type of therapy. Also, you could ask for another appointment with your physician, explain your recent symptoms, and explore whether there could be some short term medication options for
relief. Your symptoms are treatable with the proper approach.
Hang in there and best of luck.
See this link...
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/coronavirus-anxiety.htm