Anxee
06-15-2012, 07:18 PM
Hello,
I am new to the forum and joined to learn more about anxiety and anxiety disorders. I am 26 years old and I've lived with some degree of anxiety for my entire life. For the most part, I have tried to cope on my own without medical help or therapy. Like I said- I believe I have struggled with anxiety since childhood, so I don't know what it's like to not have at least some degree of anxiety, and I am not sure what is considered "normal." Recently I have entered a particularly unstable and chaotic period in my life and I have started to see a counselor to deal with these and past issues. I am just wondering whether a formal diagnosis is important, and whether or when you all were formally diagnosed?
For the most part I am functional, I think, as I've gone to college, obtained a master's degree, and gotten through my first job (although I recently quit due to the enormous amount of stress that I felt during this period) without any professional help. Although I feel I have managed to accomplish a lot, I feel that I have had to work extra hard to compensate for my anxiety. I guess when I see that a diagnosis of "clinical anxiety" needs to cause "significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning"--I start to think, eh, maybe that's not me? But when I read a list of the symptoms...it sounds exactly like what I have been going through for as long as I can remember. I guess I am just wondering, how can I know whether I am "normal" or whether I have an "anxiety disorder?" And what is considered a "significant impairment" anyway?
I'd appreciate anyone's input at all really. I have been thinking about getting help for this for a few years now, and it's only just now gotten to the point that I feel I really can't go any longer without dealing with this problem, so in a way I am just starting on this journey.
I am new to the forum and joined to learn more about anxiety and anxiety disorders. I am 26 years old and I've lived with some degree of anxiety for my entire life. For the most part, I have tried to cope on my own without medical help or therapy. Like I said- I believe I have struggled with anxiety since childhood, so I don't know what it's like to not have at least some degree of anxiety, and I am not sure what is considered "normal." Recently I have entered a particularly unstable and chaotic period in my life and I have started to see a counselor to deal with these and past issues. I am just wondering whether a formal diagnosis is important, and whether or when you all were formally diagnosed?
For the most part I am functional, I think, as I've gone to college, obtained a master's degree, and gotten through my first job (although I recently quit due to the enormous amount of stress that I felt during this period) without any professional help. Although I feel I have managed to accomplish a lot, I feel that I have had to work extra hard to compensate for my anxiety. I guess when I see that a diagnosis of "clinical anxiety" needs to cause "significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning"--I start to think, eh, maybe that's not me? But when I read a list of the symptoms...it sounds exactly like what I have been going through for as long as I can remember. I guess I am just wondering, how can I know whether I am "normal" or whether I have an "anxiety disorder?" And what is considered a "significant impairment" anyway?
I'd appreciate anyone's input at all really. I have been thinking about getting help for this for a few years now, and it's only just now gotten to the point that I feel I really can't go any longer without dealing with this problem, so in a way I am just starting on this journey.