The anxiety club

[Derivative]

Its hard for people who don't have anxiety to understand anxiety, it's one of those things where you sort of have to be "in the club" to understand it. Well that's one of my strategies anyway, when dealing with people who just don't get it. For example, one time I was trying to tell my dad about how I was so anxious in the mall and he just said "that's totally normal, I felt self conscious all the time when I was your age".

It's like, people who don't have anxiety just don't get it. Anxiety is beyond self consciousness, it's like a huge clamp
that's over my head and I'm trapped in a fog. I can't look around at anything or look at another persons eyes. When I do, it feels like I'm looking through my eyes with my own eyes. I can't stop thinking about what I am thinking, I can not get out of my head. I dont get panic attacks, more a chronic foggy state of mind whenever I'm in public and I can not think straight. I'm just so scared in public.

I've had anxiety for three years and have visited doctors

Can anyone relate?

[Kellie]

Its hard for people who don't have anxiety to understand anxiety, it's one of those things where you sort of have to be "in the club" to understand it. Well that's one of my strategies anyway, when dealing with people who just don't get it. For example, one time I was trying to tell my dad about how I was so anxious in the mall and he just said "that's totally normal, I felt self conscious all the time when I was your age".

It's like, people who don't have anxiety just don't get it. Anxiety is beyond self consciousness, it's like a huge clamp
that's over my head and I'm trapped in a fog. I can't look around at anything or look at another persons eyes. When I do, it feels like I'm looking through my eyes with my own eyes. I can't stop thinking about what I am thinking, I can not get out of my head. I dont get panic attacks, more a chronic foggy state of mind whenever I'm in public and I can not think straight. I'm just so scared in public.

I've had anxiety for three years and have visited doctors

Can anyone relate?

Anxiety is one of the hardest things to try to explain let alone people trying to understand it, like you said it is kind of a club that some people can get into.. People don't think its serious when really its horrible.. I can relate to you in some ways because i can never be comfortable in public, if i don't have to go, i wont and your brain has all these thoughts which makes you feel like you can't escape and making you on edge. No matter how much you try to stop thinking, you cant -.- you're definitely not alone!

[Samantha34]

I don't know about the not going in public because I don't have that problem. I can relate to people not understanding you and not being able to focus on anything else and not being able to get out of your head. I don't like telling my family and boyfriend about my anxiety because they just don't have the best responses. My mom just looks at me and doesn't say anything. My boyfriend just tells me to stop washing my hands or to stop worrying. My dad just thinks "it's all in my head" and that I need to stop it and that I like being this way.

[M.C]

I agree with you! U have to go through it to no exactly what it is?
My in laws each time they see me miserable they would say something like get out of it other wise you gonna go mental
My husband keeps on reminding me that if I don't do anything about it they r going to put me in a psychiatric ward fill me with pills and of course give my children for fostering
My employers r dismissing it completely
The thing is people think it s so easy only a couple of thoughts in ur mind and all it takes switch them all overnight and u r normal again
I wish that was the case!
I think this explains why I feel so lonely
I m on my own trapped in this dark creepy labyrinth and I ve to find my way out my self

[Samantha34]

Yeah I know what you mean. It's hard to explain to people that its not as easy as they think. I always just want to be my old sled again before this happened. I sometimes don't even want to get out of bed because I know what I'm going to have to go through and they don't understand that I can't just ignore it or not do it. I feel stupid around them sometimes like something is wrong with me. My boyfriend called me crazy the other day and that didn't help. I feel broken sometimes. I can't explain to them what it feels like because they won't understand because they do see it the way I do.

[M.C]

I think it s an absolute waste of ur time sitting there and explaining wot it is
Bcoz they simply won't get it

[Samantha34]

Yeah I know that's why I don't any more

[Kellie]

Its not their fault they don't understand but it is their fault if they choose not to be supportive and not say things you get you down.. Thats what my main problem is..

[Mohawk65]

I totally relate Derivative. I once had a coworker who has anxiety to the same extent as me. We use to call it the "anxiety club." (LOL). We were able to support each other at work. After she left, that support was gone. Thats what motivated me to come here. I have found that people who don't have anxiety make assumptions about you that are not true. I think that is what frustrates me a lot. People can really be mean. I have experienced it. This has lead me to not really having any close friends and a great deal of loneliness. I don't really want to bother with other people at this point in my life. Its been so long since I have had any friends. Wow, Im just realizing that this is really the first time I started to think about this.....Hopefully, I'll overcome this...... Thanks all for listening to this

[jbevis]

I'm one of the lucky(?) ones. My husband is a former member of the anxiety club so at least he gets it. Other than him I don't really talk to any one about it. The worst is when people pretend to understand when you know they don't.

[Derivative]

It is awkward when people think anxiety is no big deal, they think it's nouthing to worry about because its a mood disorder. People seem to be starting to warm up to depression a little bit, taking it seriously; but they still act like anxiety isn't a problem. It's cause they're not in the club and can't relate, haha.

People totally can be so mean, it's one of the things that drove me into anxiety.

I've never had anyone pretend to understand it, maybe one of my therapists who tried to help me but failed.

Lolz, my family is so avoident of me when I'm at my worst. They worry that anything they say might set me off.

[louanne]

People think am being stupid when I start with a panic attack and tell me to get over it but I don't find it as easy as that

[locksey]

People think am being stupid when I start with a panic attack and tell me to get over it but I don't find it as easy as that

Yeah ...pple wil never understand even if they try to ... I've had the sarcastic comments , the hurtful comments , the looks .... Etc .... Think now tho I got to the stage whe I dnt care , I was sick ov trying to hide it frm pple so now if sumone asks why I cnt go sumwhere or do sumink I tell them .. And if they get it " great " and if they don't " still great " ... :-)

[Derivative]

Ya, I'm thinking I better start telling people soon...or else I'll drive them insane

[jpxj86]

It is hard to cope with at times personally as it can be crippling when you cannot even do the simplest of things and I believe that others who do not have severe GAD or have never dealt with anxiety issues do not know how to respond to someone they care about and act if it is a ploy for attention.

[Samantha34]

Yeah my dad thinks I like being this way. And says that I just need to suck it up. He asks questions but doesn't understand when I respond. He just doesn't get it. He thinks that I can just push it aside but I can't it's not that easy. Wish it was though.

[princesskj]

I don't have any friends with anxiety disorder but i wish I did. (Other than you guys) it might help a little. I feel alone on this when nobody understands. I will be good for years then it always comes back. I'm not sure why. I can't think of anything that triggered it maybe my job (which I've now quit) . My mom is very supportive tho I'm glad I have her ;) I've been experienceing a lot of morning anxiety for some reason. Glad there are people who do understand. I'm trying to cope with no meds. I just hate the side effects.

[jbevis]

I have really bad morning anxiety too. It sucks

[princesskj]

Yes it does! I so hope I can get over it soon

[Lin]

The worst thing I hate is when you get anxious and someone you know well stops you swinging your leg etc because it bothers them! Instead of letting you release some of your anxiety they are worried that they don't like seeing it!

[Derivative]

Sometimes I laugh to release anxiety, I get so tense because I find it hard to move (thats how bad my anxiety is) that I start laughing to release tension, sometimes other people get annoyed because Im laughing when nouthing funny happened.