Do you talk with people about your anxiety?

[seizetheday]

I don't talk to anyone about my anxiety.. i feel embarassed and ashamed by it i guess.. like i don't even tell my best friends who i've known for years, and little do they know that sometimes when i'm having a conversation with them i'm freaking out almost uncontrollably in my head.. anyway, do you talk about your anxiety with anyone?.. who do you talk to about it and what do you say?.. i think that if i had someone to talk to about it regularly i might be able to get over this thing.. i can't afford to talk to a psychologist and just can't bring myself to tell any of my friends

[bluebell07]

Sometimes I speak to my boyfriend about it, but a lot of the time I will hold back, simply because I feel like I'm just being whiny and that I'm annoying anybody who I speak to because it sounds like I'm complaining.

[niq]

At the moment there are only 2 people in the world that know that I have an anxiety disorder; my doctor & my psychologist. I was hopeful that I could nip this thing in the butt quickly and get back to normal life without anyone needing to know. However, I am starting to get the impression that it's going to take some time.

Psychologists are expensive. But for me, paying a psych once a week is far cheaper than losing my job. Unfortunately, once a week really doesn't seem like enough. It would be nice to have someone to talk to at the moments when I really need it.

I did actually make an attempt to tell one of my friends. This was before I had been diagnosed, and didn't really know what I was dealing with. I just told him about how I was in a constant state of depersonalization. He understood what I meant, but didn't really offer any empathy. It left me wondering if he even gave a shit. I guess he's just not the compassionate type and never has been.

I don't think you need to be ashamed about telling people you have anxiety disorder. There are lots of us suffering with this condition that are otherwise normal, intelligent and rational people. But if you do decide to tell someone, choose someone who is compassionate and will give you some support.

[amyjones]

I used to keep it all bottled up and found that really difficult because people could clearly see that i wasnt 'right' and that used ot make me really paranoid - making my anxiety worse, i therefore made the descion to tell a few close friends and be honest with them and talk to my husband more about it (he knew about the anxiety disorder obviously but i didnt really talk to him about it).

im really glad i did this as everyone was really supportive and understanding, which made me feel a bit better, they all said they knew something was wrong but didnt know what. its really helped talking to people and now when i dont go out or break plans at the last minute becaiue im feeling anxious they understand so i dont feel like i have this pressure of letting people down all the time.

i also told my boss as i was worried about my work performance and he was pretty supportive aswell.

i think its up to the individual if you tell anyone or not, but i found it took some of the pressure off me and im glad i did it.

if they are real friends/family then they will understand and be supportive - its good because they are also tough with me sometimes aswell! especially my husband! which helps me to rationalise things more and try and see that things arent as bad as i think

amy

[zortexian1]

ive been telling alot of people about whats going on. it helps. you should tell your best friend. you must be best friends for a reason. im sure he or she would be willing to listen

[niq]

I actually told my boss yesterday. He is a great guy, and was very understanding about it. It felt good to get it off my chest and has helped me to stress less about losing my job.