Ruining my life

[Miranda-e]

I’ve had problems with anxiety since I was about 8 years old, I’m now 24. In the last few years or so I’ve definitely felt like I’ve had things more under control, but then in the last 12 months it’s become clear to me that what I thought was me being in control was actually just me avoiding the situations that cause my anxiety.

I have a fear or being ill, specifically being sick and as a way of avoiding the horrible anxious feelings that come alongside that I’ve gradually begun avoiding certain situations, which I’ve recently learnt is an aspect of Agoraphobia. I’m at a point now where I’m finding it nearly impossible to go to university and sit through my lectures, I’ve had to give up my job, I have lost contact with a lot of my old friends and I’m finding it very difficult to make new ones (mainly because I’m hardly around people)

I’m so fed up of my anxiety ruining my life, I find escape in TV shows and books but it’s nothing like living a real full life. I’m even more aware of this now as friends and people I went to school with are graduating, moving away, travelling, getting jobs, getting married, having families. I want all these things and more and it frustrates me that I don’t know where to start in getting myself better.

Any help, advice or just messages of support would be appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

[Schatmeisje]

I knwo exactly how you feel, I have lost my career, ever single one of my friends, and have agoraphobia and panic disorder as well. It is awful and very very hard, but it can change for you, it will just take time and hard work. Some thing that have helped me start to get out of the house again is to see a psychologist, and i also did mindfulness training, which really worked wonders for me, but i had to stop due to finances. meditation helps a lot too. I have a weird way of distracting myself when i am out also, i take photos every single time i go out, and when i have a bad day and i cant go out, i can look at all my photos and see hwat i have done, and just allow myself to have a bad day, but i still know that i will get out again.
If you need any support or anyone to chat too, i know how you feel and pretty much live in my bedroom when i am not out, and i am always here to lend an ear xxx