nicky91
04-12-2013, 04:04 PM
Hi guys!
I'm still kind of new to this and just wanted to post my story. I've had anxiety since I was little, I can remember being 10 years old and not wanting to go to school or leave my parents for the fear that something bad would happen to them. Along with the anxiety came depression. My first time being diagnosed was when I was 13 and seeing a psychologist. The anxiety and depression came and went, like really came and went. Was bad for a few months then would subside for years. I'm 22 now and this past fall the anxiety came back full force. I'm talking panic attacks and irrational fears almost to the point of being house bound. It got to the point where I almost didn't want to live anymore. I couldn't picture a future with me feeling like this. If it wasn't for a ridiculously supportive group of friends and family, I don't know where I would have been.
After a few months, I decided I needed a change. That was the biggest thing for me; admitting there was something going on with me, and being honest with myself that I couldn't handle it anymore. I'm now in counselling and working hard towards recovery. After fiddling with some anti-anxiety meds and not liking how they made me feel, I've started taking the more natural approach. I'm taking magnesium and amino acid supplements, as well as eating healthy and exercising daily.
But the biggest thing for me was actually TRYING to make a change. This meant being aware of my feelings and thoughts, and having the ability to say to myself "Okay, you're not crazy, this is just anxiety and you're not going to die". I compare it to working out. You don't get physically stronger in one day, it takes weeks, even months. The same thing happens with your thoughts. It's not going to get better overnight, but keep working on it and you will regain control over your thoughts.
I'm now in a routine of eating and sleeping well, along with regular mental and physical exercise (I'm big into meditation before I go to bed at night) and I feel like a different person than I did a few months ago.
Just today, I went to write a final exam in university. This meant driving an hour away from home and sitting in a room for 2 hours with 300 people that I didn't know.. The mere thought of doing this would have given me panic attacks in the past. But today I told myself that I could do it. Although I was a bit anxious, I told myself that I wasn't going to let anxiety control my life, and that I was stronger than anxiety. I was able to finish the exam without a problem, and I even think I did quite well on it!
I know it's not this easy for everyone, and you might be reading this and thinking "This is bullshit, she probably didn't even have it as bad as me". Hell, I would have had these thoughts before. But I can promise you that with hard work and determination, it WILL get better.
You're not alone in this, all of us are working towards the same goals! :)
I'm still kind of new to this and just wanted to post my story. I've had anxiety since I was little, I can remember being 10 years old and not wanting to go to school or leave my parents for the fear that something bad would happen to them. Along with the anxiety came depression. My first time being diagnosed was when I was 13 and seeing a psychologist. The anxiety and depression came and went, like really came and went. Was bad for a few months then would subside for years. I'm 22 now and this past fall the anxiety came back full force. I'm talking panic attacks and irrational fears almost to the point of being house bound. It got to the point where I almost didn't want to live anymore. I couldn't picture a future with me feeling like this. If it wasn't for a ridiculously supportive group of friends and family, I don't know where I would have been.
After a few months, I decided I needed a change. That was the biggest thing for me; admitting there was something going on with me, and being honest with myself that I couldn't handle it anymore. I'm now in counselling and working hard towards recovery. After fiddling with some anti-anxiety meds and not liking how they made me feel, I've started taking the more natural approach. I'm taking magnesium and amino acid supplements, as well as eating healthy and exercising daily.
But the biggest thing for me was actually TRYING to make a change. This meant being aware of my feelings and thoughts, and having the ability to say to myself "Okay, you're not crazy, this is just anxiety and you're not going to die". I compare it to working out. You don't get physically stronger in one day, it takes weeks, even months. The same thing happens with your thoughts. It's not going to get better overnight, but keep working on it and you will regain control over your thoughts.
I'm now in a routine of eating and sleeping well, along with regular mental and physical exercise (I'm big into meditation before I go to bed at night) and I feel like a different person than I did a few months ago.
Just today, I went to write a final exam in university. This meant driving an hour away from home and sitting in a room for 2 hours with 300 people that I didn't know.. The mere thought of doing this would have given me panic attacks in the past. But today I told myself that I could do it. Although I was a bit anxious, I told myself that I wasn't going to let anxiety control my life, and that I was stronger than anxiety. I was able to finish the exam without a problem, and I even think I did quite well on it!
I know it's not this easy for everyone, and you might be reading this and thinking "This is bullshit, she probably didn't even have it as bad as me". Hell, I would have had these thoughts before. But I can promise you that with hard work and determination, it WILL get better.
You're not alone in this, all of us are working towards the same goals! :)