Hi. :)

[noumenalist]

I'm new to this forum and new to anxiety. It's managed to completely take over my life over the course of three months. I hope it really does get better for everyone suffering from this debilitating condition.

[jessed03]

Hi What kind of anxiety are you suffering?

[Lin]

Yes anxiety is hoirrible . It stops me having any social life, going into shops or town and going to watch football which I enjoy. It gives me panic attacks, and i hate noise and meeting people outside. I still manage to work full time but really struggle to act normally so all my effort goes into work. Even colleagues I can easily speak to at work, I don't like seeing them outside of work.

[noumenalist]

I'm not really sure which kind. I had my first panic attack in December and I think I've developed severe health anxiety as a result. I'm constantly checking my pulse and blood pressure. I've seen more doctors than I care to admit. I just can't seem to accept that there's not something else wrong with me. It really is interfering with my academic and social life too. Occasionally I'm scared of losing my mind or like, really ridiculous superstitious things but mostly I'm scared of dying, heart attacks, strokes. I've taken Ativan, which helps, but it's so brief. I tried taking an ssri, but even half a dose was miserable so I'm starting therapy soon.

[shane bevan]

I have exactly what you describe. Its like a living hell. Ive seem more ers doctors and cardiologists than a 25 year old should. I also had an issue checking my pulse and blood pressure. I have been taking prozac and seeing a theropist for 2 months now and i think it is starting to help some. My theropist gave me a little advice that may help you. Your cought in an anxiety loop like i was by constantly checking your pulse and blood pressure you are fueling that loop. If you stop checking it may make you a little more anxious in the begining but it will help over all. Its been 2 weeks since i used a blood pressure checker. Just understand you are not alone.

[noumenalist]

I have exactly what you describe. Its like a living hell. Ive seem more ers doctors and cardiologists than a 25 year old should. I also had an issue checking my pulse and blood pressure. I have been taking prozac and seeing a theropist for 2 months now and i think it is starting to help some. My theropist gave me a little advice that may help you. Your cought in an anxiety loop like i was by constantly checking your pulse and blood pressure you are fueling that loop. If you stop checking it may make you a little more anxious in the begining but it will help over all. Its been 2 weeks since i used a blood pressure checker. Just understand you are not alone.

Thank you for the reply. I'm really anxious to start therapy, but I'm still so skeptical. I know that a huge part of this means I'll have to accept that anxiety really is causing all of this, but that's SO hard for me. I'm at the point where I've had so much elective testing done and I've completely lost my appetite in all of this mess, so I'm likely making myself sicker than I ever was. The whole thing is completely exhausting. I really want therapy to work because the thought of trying to take the SSRI again scares me to death - especially after googling the side effects and realizing that it's not safe for people with heart problems. I have no reason to think I have any heart problems, but my mind thinks I have a whole host of heart conditions. I'm really glad that it seems things are starting to look up for you. That makes me very optimistic about therapy.

[Amr]

Am sorry you developed anxiety and its affecting your life but dont worry I have had Anxiety from 1 year and a month full of panic attacks and numerous visits to doctors and nervous breakdowns but you see am here and still living i admit i lost many friends and failed many tests and skipped school but in the end am still fine. from two months i started running,exercising and body building and gaining my life back. its hard to fight but you gotta try
good luck and be careful

[jessed03]

Thank you for the reply. I'm really anxious to start therapy, but I'm still so skeptical. I know that a huge part of this means I'll have to accept that anxiety really is causing all of this, but that's SO hard for me. I'm at the point where I've had so much elective testing done and I've completely lost my appetite in all of this mess, so I'm likely making myself sicker than I ever was. The whole thing is completely exhausting. I really want therapy to work because the thought of trying to take the SSRI again scares me to death - especially after googling the side effects and realizing that it's not safe for people with heart problems. I have no reason to think I have any heart problems, but my mind thinks I have a whole host of heart conditions. I'm really glad that it seems things are starting to look up for you. That makes me very optimistic about therapy.

You're gonna have to put a $ in the swear box. Google is a forbidden word here

Don't google anymore. Seriously! My anxiety improved by about 25% in 3 months when I stopped all the googling. It's like cocaine for anxiety.

You need to look at healing your nervous system, and calming your mind. That's the secret to beating this illness. The first step, is obviously, stop making things worse, stop making things flare up. Anything that makes your anxiety peak a little in an unproductive way, stop doing. Stuff like watching the news, watching health shows, going online and reading about stuff. None that really helps! Google 'Progressive muscle relaxation' and try to do it once or twice a day. It's incredibly relaxing, it helps remove stress through tension and then release. It will also help prevent a lot of the nasty stuff that comes with anxiety, like aches and pains. Try and drink chamomile or peppermint tea a few times during the day. Just taking a few moments a day, to relax, and encourage relaxation is really helpful.

The second part, is calming your mind. Hypochondria's a bitch, huh? . That endless worry about the body and stuff. For a while, I didn't wanna be left alone, as I thought my 'brain injury' was gonna cause me to drop dead. Nobody really believes it's anxiety causing this insane stuff, at least, not for quite a long time. That's ok though. You're exhausted mentally, don't sweat this stuff. The greater understanding you have of anxiety, the more you'll find you begin to believe it's simply that. Anxiety isn't a random occurance. It doesn't just pick things at random even though it seems to. It has a formula. It follows patterns (One example, is it usually begins with some kind of 'What if' pre-fix. Once you begin to see these patterns, what you thought you were afraid of isn't as scary.

Remember a lot of stuff in your mind and your body is just an idea. Just because you think and feel it, it doesn't mean it has any truth, or any relevance. It's only an idea if you choose to engage in it. You can break this relationship off with time and understanding. Therapy will help a lot. I was walking through an alley way, and this really big guy, with a hood up, seemed like he was following me... I got pretty scared, and walked faster, but he was almost behind me. I thought he was gonna jump me, but he just said (and with great manners too) 'Excuse me sir, I'm in a rush' and walked speedily off. I was worked up into a real state of tension, and anxiety. In my mind I thought he was a bad guy. But that was only an idea. But it was incredibly powerful when I believed in it. The same applies for all anxiety problems. Most of it is just an idea you can choose to engage in.

You'll make a lot of progress, I'm sure of it. Are you working at the moment?

[shane bevan]

Its a step at a time and a day at a time. If a certain medication make you uncomfortable to take then discuss other types with your doctor. Gotta find whats best for you. I was also skyptical about theropy but after i started im glad i did. Its good to have extra ears to.listen to you.

[abartlett331]

I found that exercising, meditating, doing yoga, hiking, and biking really helps me with my anxiety. Before I started these activities I was just miserable. I didn't want to leave my house for anything. This was really starting to affect my marriage and relationship with my kids. I knew I had to make a change, but didn't want to take any drugs. So I decided to take the natural approach and it's working great so far. Whenever I feel any type of anxiety, I simply go for a long bike ride or hike... You should try this if you're not already. I'm sure it will help you as well. Take care..