Hey everyone

[Raspberry]

I'm a little unsure about being on here, as I don't really know what's wrong with me. In having a look online it is seeming that I have a mix of GAD and Social anxiety disorder.

If I am wrong or you think something different then do please tell me, I am new to all of this.

I have never had an anxiety/panic attack and I don't have depression.
What I feel I do have is a ridiculous level of anxiety/stress/worry over so many things.

I also have asthma so any tightening of the chest or shortness of breath I put down to that.


I have recently moved into a new house, by myself (with the dog) away from my parents home, and so far I hate it and only managed three nights before moving back. The neighbours were yelling at each other one day (not at me) and it has put me on edge, but so badly that even with people in the house, the doors and windows locked and the tv on, I am still always cold, always on edge, and always listening out for the tiniest noises, which when I do hear, then makes my blood run cold and give me shivers and just amplifies the feelings that were already there.

That is my main stressor just now, but in looking into it a bit there are other things that pop up which I seem to have had since I was a child including completely irrational ones... I hate the thought of anyone laughing at me or making fun of me, and I am convinced that something bad will happen, for example being punished for a crime I was never involved in, or someone tying my long hair to the seat of the bus if I had it hanging down my back and not pulled forward... etc etc

I don't sleep well and never seem to shut off, always thinking, worrying, stressing... and it then makes me not eat and feeling sick and needing to pee all the time..

Sorry if that's too much information, I'm just new to it all
Thanks

[sharkybaits28]

well i hope this site can be of help to you. I just joined yesterday myself to try to use this place as a coping skill when my depression and anxiety really act up. I have to say though that its pretty awesome that you at least took that step to move out of your parents house. I mean im still yet to take that step.... kinda working on that right now. and even though ur back where u started i hope u can eventually get to the place u need to be where u can be independent and free

[gypsylee]

Hey there - Welcome to the forum :)

It certainly sounds like anxiety to me and I've had it for over twenty years.

Hope you find some comfort here. It's very helpful to read others' stories and know you aren't the only one who feels like that.

Bye for now,
Gypsy

[Raspberry]

Thanks for the replies.

Does it get better overtime?
At the moment it feels like I'm going to be miserable and unsettled forever :(

[Im-Suffering]

Thanks for the replies.

Does it get better overtime?
At the moment it feels like I'm going to be miserable and unsettled forever :(

I am not being flippant when I say get some help. Therapy. That's how it gets better over time.

[Raspberry]

Thanks.

I am going to see my GP in the next few days so hopefully they can help me.

Its nice finding this forum though, means I don't feel quite as crazy and alone as I first thought.

It's horrible knowing so many people feel like this though

[Ryker]

Hi,

No, you're not crazy.

Anxiety and stress are not only normal, they're necessary. The fight-or-flight reflexes that keep animals like us safe to live another day are somewhat misplaced in modern-day humans but they're part of what it is to be human.

I hope it goes well with the GP, but there's always Amazon and many really good books on CBT and modern psychology. Something like Dr. Steve Peters "The Chimp Paradox "i sEsential reading for all of us with GAD.

R.

[always_with_me]

Moving out can be a very stressful experience. When I think back, my first real experiences with anxiety/panic started shortly after moving out on my own at 20. I had to eat some humble pie and move back in with my parents at 27, mostly as a result of financial issues, but there were/are some underlying anxiety problems there too. I'm hoping to get back out soon--it's been about a year--and am looking forward to the independence that living in my own place provides. I'm not really in any place to give advice, but try to stick it out for a bit. The best thing you can try to do, in my experience, is to take on some hobbies that help to make your new place a "home." For instance, I got really into gardening, yard work, cooking, and generally decorating my apartment. I collected all kinds of weird furniture and paintings over the years. When I think back, these activities really helped me turn the place I was living at into a project. It made living on my own an adventure or something like that, and it was cool to see what came out of that. I miss it now thinking about it, even if I was anxious at times.

The second bit of advice I can give is to find a pattern or activities that relax you at night, which seems to be the most stressful time for many people. This is going to sound really goofy, but there's something to showering, putting on some comfortable clothes, getting in a made bed, and watching cheesy tv for a little bit to relax. I used to watch Everybody Loves Raymond, and that's totally out of character for me. I'm not exactly sure what it was about this show that did it for me. Maybe it was the predictable laugh track or characters? Whatever it was, I found that this helped me get out of my head and relax. I know all of the episodes and so I don't care if I fall asleep. I cue them up on netflix, set the tv sleep timer and work on getting comfortable.

Anyways, I hope you find what you are looking for!

[Raspberry]

So the first doctor told me that as I work full time I'm clearly functioning okay and its just something I'm going to have to deal with.....

Needless to say a week or so later I went to see a different doctor and he has given me 20mg citalopram to take. I'm about 6 days in now and to be honest I've felt horrible since I started them! Not eating, not sleeping, anxiety has been through the roof which feels horrendous.

Just have to stick with it and hope it works!