Feeling extremepy anxious - do I have a chance?

Hi, I suffer with anxiety and depression. I have lived increasingly reclusive over the past 5 years. I haven't been able to hold a job, I worked for family friend's businesses but wasn't able to last longer than a week at two jobs I tried due to feeling depressed. I get very anxious pretty much daily and have become more anxious and stressed ever since earlier this year I gained the courage to begin seeking financial help from UC and mental health from my GP. I have now been given an assessment for disability form which I need to complete as soon as possible.

In 2019 I did briefly work as a freelancer online, however it would bring me a lot of anxiety and stress which caused me to stop doing it. I didn't earn more than a few thousand and couldn't continue doing it as I became depressed.

I started receiving medication earlier this year however it has not helped me yet and I am now on my second increase in dosage over the last few months. I am not doing well mentally and have periods, usually when a phone appointment with my work coach or a doctor's appointment is coming up, where I feel extremely anxious and can't stop thinking about it and pacing around. My adrenaline gets pumping which causes me to have high blood pressure in moments when I'm expecting a phone call for example which I didn't realise until recently is temporary high blood pressure which is damaging.

I have been given a few fit notes over the last months. I dropped out of college and have been more and more reclusive as time has gone on and my anxiety has increased big time which makes interacting with people very hard. However, I do not have any medical evidence since I only began receiving help this year. I have not seen a therapist yet as I can't bring myself to do it. I was hoping medication would help relieve me and help to proceed with talking to a therapist but it hasn't yet. There are no contacts that I could provide as I haven't told anyone I know except for my work coach and doctors that I suffer so bad mentally. I haven't spoken to friends in years and I have a strained relationship with my family who provide for me.

I have an assessment for disability form that need to fill in. I have put it off for weeks because ot brings me a ton of anxiety, however I received another letter today stating that they haven't received it yet and that I need to send it off within around 1 week. So I have to push through this and get it done as soon as possible.

Since I have no medical evidence, how should I proceed? Should I go into great detail about how I feel and how it prevents me from being able to work currently? I want to be able to work once I feel better, I hope this year or next year once I've gotten enough mental help. If I'm denied I'm afraid that I'll quit claiming and will fall back into not getting any help and delay my recovery.

Appreciate any advice coming my way. Thanks.

Dear PotterO, just want to add my encouragement to all that BIS has said. I deal with our daughter's claim as it makes her upset filling in the forms herself. I have found that offering to pay for the GP's letter when I request one is helpful. You might be looking at around £40. If this is the key step to getting a benefit worth many times that, it is a good investment. Hopefully if you have to ask your family for the cost of a letter, despite the strained relationship, you can get them to understand that if you get PIP you will not need nearly so much cash from them. Also, if having a telephone assessment would really make you unwell as you suggest with your blood pressure, ask if the GP will include in their letter, that having a telephone or face to face assessment would cause you "Overwhelming Psychological Distress" and the dangerous blood pressure issue too. Overwhelming Psychological Distress is a kind of standard phrase which is most likely though nothing is guaranteed, to make the DWP agree to doing a paper-based Assessment. This means they work on what you have put in the form and what your GP says in their letter instead of phoning/seeing you.
It's also worth knowing, as you are struggling with yourself to fill in the form in the time, that you can write in it a note saying that you may/will send further evidence. So you can send the GP letter on after. Just be sure every single thing has your name and National Insurance number written on the top, keep a copy of everything, and anything you post, use a signed-for service.
It's all in the Guide on here, just wanted to remind you of key things.
Very best wishes, Denby