Glad I have a place to get and give support

[grcboy77]

Hello,

Where were you all my life?

I am a 37 year old male who has suffered from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), panic attacks, and hypochondrasis (formally diagnosed) for 23 years.
I am currently taking 30mg of Cipralex (or Lexapro) daily and sometimes take 1mg of Ativan when my anxiety is out of control.

I currently am seeing a psychologist and practicing cognitive-behavourial therapy (CBT). I really appreciate him and he is helpful since he is close to me in age.

I suffer greatly from hypochondrasis and have a history of induced symptoms, travelling from doctor-to-doctor and large portion of my anxiety revolves around health issues, but also more rarely relationships, job, family, future, etc.

I am happy to be here and thank you for your help.

grcboy

[Dahila]

Hi welcome to the forum, I am an oldie, and suffering with it for ever, for decades, you will find people who can relate to your situation and get some support:))

[grcboy77]

Thanks Dahila!

[tkw70]

I'm so happy to have a place to pour my life on..no one gets how I feel and say just get over it.but they don't understand I can't get over it its always with me

[grcboy77]

I understand exactly tkw70. Sometimes people (like my mom will be patient and talk me through it) but when its really ongoing they have to have a life too.

[tkw70]

I wish I could talk to my mom. But she makes it worse...always negative.

[grcboy77]

My father is like that. He never ever talks about it. Yet he's been diagnosed with anxiety as well.

[Kixxi]

Well, I had a really good support system... Until this years holiday where someone of my family, who I looked up to, called me a prat, that I let everyone down and to fuck off. Now I don't talk so much about it with my family. Sometimes I still talk to my boyfriend about it... Here is my main place to vent and to find understanding. I am still proud of myself though. Cuz I did go out on holiday even though I was shaking from top to bottom (in public), hyperventilating and so on. Just to prove a point I suppose. I didn't do myself any good but well... Sometimes I do stupid stuff to please others...

[JohnC]

For grcboy77, Welcome to the forum. Long time sufferer here and until i found this site only my family knew about it so i did not talk about it. I want to STRONGLY suggest that you go into the general discussion part of this forum and take a look through the thread called Health Anxiety Exposed. It is a very good thread for people like you and i. Watch the videos and read the whole thread. Please pop back and let me know if it helped you. Peace

[tkw70]

My dad don't talk about it either but not because of having anxiety problems.. I'm the only one in my family that has depression and anxiety problems.

[Single_Dad]

It is too bad that some families see mental illness still as a black sheep of sorts. Part of it is ignorance and another is that when someone sees a family member identifying personal issues it makes him or her take a hard look inside too. Many don't like what they see or are too afraid to face facts. One more reason to be grateful for these forums and people!