Life is forever taking the rough with the smooth but for Emma, the struggle was not only real, but overwhelming. Emma’s GP put her on antidepressants to help her manage but the negative side effects were unsustainable. Here’s how she tried and failed and tried once more to come off medication and onto something that could help her mind and body thrive.

“First off, let me just say that to anyone who knows me, I’m buoyant, happy and can usually find the funny side of anything. Like everyone though, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes. I've been an insomniac since I was 24 years old and it got to the point where I would dread going to bed knowing I wouldn’t sleep and then dread the tiredness I would inevitably feel all the next day. I believe that inability to rest was the trigger for my anxiety. I was impossible to get out of the house; just the idea of travelling to London for meetings would give me nosebleeds, I’d bow out of social plans at the last minute due to panic attacks and I even left my own wedding three hours early.”

Then after a messy divorce, struggling as a single parent and a host of money issues, Emma simply couldn’t continue. “I went to my family doctor, a crumbled mess. We’ve known each other for years, so I was so relieved when he said he’d been waiting for me to walk through his door. I told him I wasn’t coping, never sleeping, was incredibly anxious and felt I’d hit a brick wall. I assured him that I’d wasted enough time with all the rescue remedies, lavender mists, evening primrose oils and all that health store nonsense - none of them helped one jot when the wrecking ball came in. He listened intently and immediately prescribed me a course of the SSRI antidepressant, Citalopram.”

Like so many people, Emma’s first few weeks on antidepressants seemed promising until slowly the side-effects kicked in. “For the first few weeks, I definitely felt more on an even keel and found life easier to cope with but they had their downsides. I was permanently hungry which meant that I ate a lot more and gained weight, which brought its own kind of low mood and depression.”

Deciding she didn’t want to put synthetic chemicals into her body any longer, Emma stopped taking them. “Very soon my life plummeted again. My earlier trauma came straight back and I took a downward spiral with more anxiety and even less sleep, so I knew I had no choice but to go back on them again.”

A close friend told Emma what a difference the LYMA Supplement was making for her own mental state and that direct experience really sparked her interest. She delved into all the reviews about LYMA’s amazingly potent and proven ingredients which convinced her to give them a try. “It was the sweet relief of sleep that I clocked first. Within two weeks, I was sleeping soundly and this is from a lifelong insomniac! Then because I was finally getting that deeply restorative rest, my anxiety dissipated, the mood swings petered out and my energy levels soared. I was still taking my prescribed SSRI’s but increasingly I wondered if this could be the right time to attempt coming off them again. So sensibly, slowly and under the supervision of my GP, I started weaning myself off my SSRI antidepressant medication. I waited with dread for the crash, for all that paranoia and the crippling feelings of worry to return, only much to my delight, they never came.”

Emma saw that although life didn’t change, LYMA created a seismic shift in her mindset. “Life still hits hard, there’s no stopping that but now I’m not being dragged down by every single small thing that trips me up. Now I know that my anxiety is lying to me and I can manage it - I believe that’s down to sleep because I’m waking feeling level-headed and balanced. I feel more motivated, I don’t experience such dramatic menopausal mood swings and my outlook on the future is clearer and less troublesome. I’ve become mentally resilient.”

So, how does Emma feel about antidepressants now she’s free of them? “GP’s do have a tendency to dish out these pills rather quickly, perhaps unnecessarily, but they have them at their disposal and often they do improve people’s mental health and wellbeing.”

In contrast, LYMA contains an entirely non-toxic Ashwagandha Root Extract used for centuries to ease feelings of worry and anxiety. The active compound in LYMA stimulates your body and mind’s natural chemicals to give you a better quality of sleep, enhances your mental state and heightens your mood, naturally. What’s more, the full-spectrum adaptogen Sensoril® Ashwagandha in the LYMA Supplement has been peer-reviewed in medical papers to prove its efficiency at exactly the dose in the LYMA Supplement.

Emma has also experienced the additional benefits of MenaQ7® Matrix; all-trans Vitamin K2 that assists bone density, and Levagen®+ that eases pain by creating a healthy inflammation response in muscles and joints.

“LYMA doesn’t just support mental stability, it helps with aches and pains so I can power walk the dog every morning to boost my body’s own serotonin levels. My bone density is higher and my muscles are not as inflamed, so I can do physical exercise which in turn is good for the soul and sets me up for the day.”

How would she pay it forward and explain what LYMA does for those also needing help? “LYMA uses potent ingredients, not placebos and all the medical claims are proven and right there for you to see. I have found the old Emma again so essentially, LYMA has given me my life back. SSRI’s have now left my world and I can’t see them returning as long as I can take this amazing product. LYMA is the starting point for a positive life.”

Emma Skeates is now the author of the social media pages The Menopausal Mayhem Mothers and the bestselling author of Confessions of the Menopausal Mayhem Mother – a lighter look at the joys of the menopause and getting a bit older.

Always consult your medical professional if you have a medical condition, or existing health protocol, before beginning any new supplementation regime.