Hello everybody

[Christory77]

Chris here. New to the site and the anxiety world. I seem to have gone all in. I'm here hoping to find support and encouragement mostly. I live in a state of constant fear mostly. I've become anxious, fearful, might have developed hypochondria. I seem to think there's always something wrong with me. The constant cancer and medication commercials on tv don't help much. Just trying to turn this around and take my life back. Any encouragement would be appreciated.

[gypsylee]

Hi Chris and welcome :)

[Christory77]

Thank you.

[gypsylee]

You're welcome.. I hope you find some support here.

Anxiety can be extremely debilitating, even for someone like me who's had it pretty much my whole life (I'm 43 now).

[Christory77]

I just turned 40 on the 15th. Been dealing with it since august. It's a struggle definitely.

[gypsylee]

At least there's more help available now than when I started seeing doctors about it in the early 90s, and MUCH less stigma. I had no idea what was wrong with me and it was absolutely terrifying!

For a start, take a listen to Claire Weekes. Don't be put off by her "old-fashioned" manner -- she's one of the best in my opinion and was quite ahead of her time. I wish I'd known about her years ago. Here's some free talks (scroll down to "How to Recover From Anxiety" by Claire Weekes):

http://www.junior-anxiety-depression-exchange.org.uk/relax.html

:cool:

[Christory77]

I listened to the 4 clips there. I tried applying her techniques. I'm hopeful in time they help. I won't lie, initially the thought of thinking do your worst to me when it comes to anxiety is not so pleasant. It's been pretty bad and I often feel like I'm at the end of my rope. I'm still holding on though.

[gypsylee]

I listened to the 4 clips there. I tried applying her techniques. I'm hopeful in time they help. I won't lie, initially the thought of thinking do your worst to me when it comes to anxiety is not so pleasant. It's been pretty bad and I often feel like I'm at the end of my rope. I'm still holding on though.

Yeah.. I've read and listened to a lot of stuff on accepting the feelings of anxiety and I still get it pretty badly at times. What I find the most helpful is the way Claire Weekes (and others) simplify anxiety disorder and treat it as if it were a physical condition. Even the language she uses ("nervous illness") de-mystifies it.

Another good author is Barry McDonagh, who wrote a book called The DARE Response. He's a lot like a modern-day Claire Weekes. Russ Harris and his book The Happiness Trap is another one.

I also find it very helpful to use a bit of a spiritual approach and have read quite a lot about mindfulness and Buddhism/Eastern religions. The most recent one I read was called Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach. The Power of Now and A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle are also very good.

Hang in there! :)

Also, this one has some interesting and useful ideas: https://www.amazon.com/Upward-Spiral-Neuroscience-Reverse-Depression/dp/1626251207

[Kirk]

Welcome to the forum. Sickness is big money, so the ads will continue to roll in, sorry to say.

[Kirk]

Their is a news radio station I listen to here in Baltimore and for a while ads kept coming on about hospice care. I have health anxiety already and don't like to hear these ads, especially on a daily basis. Like I said in my previous post, sickness and death are big money makers and hospitals, funeral homes, etc., are competing for your money and will do what they can do get it. They are like any other business, trying to make money and increase profit margins the best they can and I guess I really can't blame them for that.

[Christory77]

Yeah. Between cancer treatment centers, and pharmaceutical companies with worse side effects than the damn illness I can't win for losing lol. My favorite show is Greys Anatomy and it's even hard to watch that anymore.

[Kirk]

It does get very old after awhile.