First post, and a little nervous.

Hey,

I was diagnosed with GAD about 4 years ago, but I haven't ever discussed it with people who suffer with it too.

I was diagnosed in my second year of University, although I had been on antidepressants to deal with the anxiety for closer to 7 years (not all of them agreed with me so I've been on about 6 different ones now).

I always close myself off from other people because I don't feel I fit in, and I often feel people are out to get me. So generally I don't go outside, unless I need to - mostly for work, and the other odd occasion.
But about a year and a half ago I started to have hallucinatory experiences. Hearing negative voices in my head, and seeing things, like shadows of people, bugs, and things move when they weren't. Also I have a lot of paranoia, like that people are watching me, and are out to undermine me. As such I was put on Rispirodone to handle these, but lately I've had these experiences happen more often again, and it's starting to worry me. Especially because these experiences don't seem to be related to GAD.

When I graduated university I changed psychiatrists as the one I was seeing was a campus psychiatrist, and I'm not comfortable with my new one, so I have a hard time bringing things up with him.

I'm just wondering if anyone has had similar experiences, or if these are typical with people with GAD, or should I be talking to my psychiatrist about it more than I am.

Dear Alan Reynolds:

What you are describing, I believe, is a result of anxiety. The diagnoses are really artificial separations of groups of symptoms but the core issue is often the same: anxiety. And often, symptoms (of the same core issue) change. Reads to me like you are experiencing new symptoms. The negative voices you've been hearing are probably the same thoughts you had before, about people trying to hurt you. They are just louder.

Reads to me like the meds you are taking are not helping, unfortunately. Some other med perhaps that is more effective with anxiety, more powerful (while I hope, attending competent psychotherapy so to start healing from the anxiety).

atina

Hello Alan,
I had some similar experiences to what you said. I also feel that people are out to get me and that they are constantly judging me and stuff. I worry a lot with school since I am in college and even with work, being a cashier in retail. Since I am currently on Wellbutrin to combat my co-existing depression, my anxiety has been coming back lately because before, I was on Paxil. Paxil had seemed to put my anxiety and depression symptoms at bay and felt pretty good, but had to go off of it for the reason of too much weight gain. So... I am feeling symptoms of having general anxiety again where I am constantly worrying a lot and just don't feel quite at peace with anything... I hope you will get better though as it seems to be pretty tough for you... It is tough for me I have to say...