Why is getting anxiety medication so anxiety inducing?

When you live with anxiety, certain tasks can feel overwhelming – none more so than booking an appointment with your doctor for support

Writing | Kat Nicholls

Standing in front of my wardrobe, looking at what clothes I should pack for a weekend away, I started to cry. My anxiety was at its worst; the simplest of tasks felt impossible.

When you have anxiety, your thinking gets very fast and your brain works overtime. Your body reacts accordingly – cue symptoms like chest pain, nausea and dizziness – putting you in a constant state of fight or flight. This can leave very little headspace for decision-making and carrying out simple tasks. It’s no wonder that, for many of us living with anxiety, life admin often falls to the bottom of our to-do list. This can be even more pertinent when it comes to tasks involving our anxiety, such as booking a doctor’s appointment, or getting repeat prescriptions.

Before we can get the help we need, we often need to overcome obstacles. Some of these are in our mind, and some are very much in the real world. But whatever obstacles you are facing, there are ways to leapfrog them, and get the support you need.

“With mental health conditions that aren’t always visible, like anxiety, people can worry that others – including their doctor – won’t believe them,” counsellor Sarah Lane explains. “Sometimes clients are socially anxious, and seeing an authority figure, such as their GP, might be challenging for them, as they fear being judged.”

Sadly the fear of not being believed can, in some cases, come from experience. Jessica Pardoe tells me how she was affected when the first doctor she visited about panic attacks dismissed her.

“It caused me to totally resent the idea of talking to a medical professional about the way I was feeling again for some time. Every time I went to the GP I considered bringing it up, but had that usual twang of anxiety that stopped me from doing so.”

With encouragement from her boyfriend, Jessica was able to go to a different doctor and received the support and medication she needed. The experience does still come up in her mind, however, when she goes for check-ups.

“I’d love it if initiatives could be introduced to help curb the anxiousness that doctor’s surgeries and pharmacies bring about. Perhaps less intimidating decor, or finding a new way to book in patients for appointments without them having to state what they're visiting for – which, if you live with anxiety, is awful.”

First of all, remember that you deserve to be heard. If you have a bad experience, or aren’t comfortable speaking to a certain doctor, you can request to talk to another. If you’re worried about leaving the house, or being at the doctor’s surgery itself, ask your doctor if they offer telephone assessments, or home visits. If they can’t, they may be able to recommend a quieter time for you to book an appointment.

It can help to have someone attend your appointment with you for support, and some GP practices also allow other people to book appointments for you.

If talking about your mental health worries you, Sarah encourages you to remember the facts: “Anxiety is very common; a high percentage of your doctor’s patients will also have anxiety, so they are likely to understand what you’re experiencing and how it might be affecting you.”

According to GPonline, nearly three quarters of GPs in the UK reported a rise in appointments over the past year in their practice. With more appointments and not enough doctors to help, delays in getting appointments and medication are sometimes inevitable. “The biggest problem with getting medication for anxiety is actually booking to see a doctor,” Ben Taylor tells me.

“Both myself and my sister got knocked back because the nurses at our practice can’t talk about mental health issues. So you build yourself up to go, and end up leaving empty handed and told to book again with someone else... which you don’t.”

In 2019, changes in legislation allowed advanced paramedics to prescribe medication, and Ben says this has made a real difference in his area. Having said this, it’s clear that availability and waiting times for appointments are ongoing issues.

The best approach here is to get familiar with your doctor’s surgery, and do your homework. Find out the best ways to book an appointment and ask about typical waiting times.

Apps like Patient Access and MyGP may also be able to help. These allow you to book appointments, pharmacy services, and access medical content easily. Speak to your doctors about the booking services that they’re supported by.

When you first start taking a new medication, you’ll need to have regular appointments with your doctor to ensure it’s helping you. While this can feel stressful, we all react differently to medication and it’s important to be monitored initially. You may need adjustments to ensure what you’re taking is working as well as possible.

For Dan Francis, getting past this point to a place where he could order repeat prescriptions made things easier. However, he found it tricky to remember to order medication before he ran out.

“The main way to get medication when this happens is to contact the doctor’s practice and request an emergency prescription, but this can take up to five days to be ready.

“For a few months I was limited to a two-week supply as I was forced to see a doctor for a check-up... even though the next appointment I could book was in a month’s time. This meant I had to keep putting in emergency prescriptions to the doctor’s practice just so I could have enough to keep me going.”

For Dan, help came in the form of technical assistance. He was able to use the Patient Access app to order repeat prescriptions to be delivered to his local pharmacy and used calendar reminders to prompt him.

“Setting reminders in my calendar in advance so I knew when to order my next prescription really helped take the pressure off worrying about forgetting it.”

There are several services available to help you order repeat prescriptions easily, including Healthera, Well, and Echo Pharmacy. Speak to your doctor and find out which services are available in your area.

Finally, when it comes to both booking appointments and getting prescriptions, Sarah advises us to not put them off.

“When we avoid things, although it makes us feel better in the short term, in the longer term it tends to increase our anxiety. Try to put aside worries about what other people – GPs, receptionists, pharmacists, assistants – think of you. What really matters is that you are able to access any healthcare treatment that you need.”

Keeping up with appointments and taking any prescribed medication is, ultimately, a form of self-care. Try to see it in this way, and lean on the support of loved ones, and even apps, when you need to.