Posted 10/14/2022 3:13 PM (GMT -5)
Hi, Sarlyme, and welcome to the forum. Anxiety is extremely common with tick-borne disease, both because the diseases themselves can cause issues with neurotransmitters, the adrenal system, and the nervous system, and because being chronically ill is stressful! Some people play the chicken-or-egg game about anxiety (am I anxious because I'm sick or sick because I'm anxious?) and it doesn't really matter. Both need to be addressed. It's very difficult (and I would argue also unlikely) that you will heal from chronic illness if your nervous system is dysregulated and your immune system is depressed by anxiety. Addressing it is a good idea, and you absolutely should try whatever appeals to you.
You're asking about an antidepressant, and some have luck with those, and others don't. Some find them helpful short-term while they try other things. SSRIs have side effects many don't tolerate, and are far from being silver bullets in terms of symptom relief, but they are easy to get, and do help some people.
Benzodiazepines (which probably aren't what you mean by "antidepressants" but are powerful anxiolytics) are more surefire in terms of symptom relief, but it can be hard to function while taking them. They also can have side effects, and they're very addictive, so most would not use them for more than a day here and there, for emergencies.
I took two SSRIs. One I was allergic to, so only took it for one day (panicked all day while my face was numb). The other I took for a few months. My anxiety went down a bit (maybe 20%) but I gained a ton of weight and lost by libido, and it didn't help with my other symptoms (chiefly migraines, which was why I was taking it). It also altered my gut bacteria greatly, which took me years to correct.
Other options:
Cannabis (either non-psychoactive CBD forms or one of the many psychoactive preparations)
Tapping (EFT)
Acupuncture
Acupressure
Craniosacral therapy
Limbic system retraining (DNRS, Gupta)
Counseling (CBT, Internal Family Systems, EMDR, Somatic, etc.)
Curable (chronic pain app)
Yoga
Microdosing psychedelics
Adaptogenic herbs (ashwagandha, rhodiola, holy basil, eleuthero, etc. - these can take a lot of trial and error so get liquid forms and start with very low doses)
Calming herbs (lemon balm, chamomile)
Essential oils (melissa, lavender, orange)
Healthy sleep-wake cycles
Exercise (if tolerated)
Earthing and avoiding electromagnetic radiation
Full-spectrum lights (marketed for seasonal affective disorder)
Vagus nerve toning exercises
Guided visualizations
Diet (no caffeine, sugar, foods you might be sensitive or allergic to)
Managing mast cell activation (if you have MCAS)
Nutrients (magnesium, B vitamins, calcium)
I've tried pretty much all of those, and I'm sure there are many more I'm forgetting. As I'm sure you know, anxiety isn't a switch we can turn off, unfortunately, so we have to persist in trying things for a while sometimes, while our bodies unlearn these habits. The habits won't be unlearned, however, until our minds also unlearn their anxious habits, and that can be the most difficult part! It's very wise of you to want to address anxiety as part of your strategy for getting better. It's important!