Glad I just read this post. It's weird because when I got ill, which was literally owvernight, having been to the dentist two days before, I was convinced I had a virus which i had picked up from school, Although it did seem very exteme and the two things that I was concerned about straight away was the very slurred speech and the fact that I couldn't move my neck at all. I didn't realise how badly my nervous system had been affected until I noticed I was startle so easily and weird, but from that night, couldn't watch anything on TV which was even slightly disturbing. Felt a bit better after about 6 weeks and tried to back to work. Felt so ill, could only manage one day. Eventually I had to resign. It was I suppose about 2 months after the onset of the illness that things really took aturn for the worst and the anxiety and depression hit me like nothing I have felt before. I can even recall the exact time it came like a bolt from the blue. Linda, I too was put on the anti-depressant road, they made me feel so ill. The doc insisted that I try others. Well I tried about 5 different ones and sometimes literally thought I was going to die. Thats when I started to look for other causes. Like some other people on the forum I was eventually diagnosed with ME, but for me things still didn't seem to fit. I must admit I only knew 2 people with this illness but all they seemed to do was sleep all the time, where as I was and still am suffering from dreadful insommnia. Its such a guessing game and thats what make it so hard. I too tried St, Johns Wart and had a very bad reaction. I have also noticed that if I take anything with valerian in I get a bad reaction too. You would think that the more natural, the less likely you are to get a reaction. My anxiety and insommnia got so bad, I'm afraid I succumbed to the medical alternatives. I'm still on sleeping meds now and I take a sedative if my anxiety is really bad. I'm sorry I went off a bit about the counselling I just feel so frustrated because I've never had to take tablets of any kind in my life before. I did actually go for a short period of counselling, hypnotherapy and acupuncture. Unfortunately none of these worked for me. I could be wrong, there seem to be quite a few teachers and professionals on the forum. And before I get any Anons blasting me, it's just something I've noticed. I'm not saying there's any connection, but it would be interesting to know. Well I think so, but that's just my thoughts. LUV TRACY PS I don't think I've ever asked anyone on the forum this, but I could have and forgotten. The worst feeling I think I get is, it's quite to explain, it's like a kind of agitation, but it's almost as if your body and mind are crying out for something and you just can' t settle on matter what. I've wondered if this could be an effect of dugs or just another Mercury symptom. I am going for the ETDA challenge test on Wenesday, I'll probably a nervous wreck.