How has anxiety changed your personality?

[Thinkitso]

For me, I think the biggest thing is that I've become more impulse driven. I'm on auto-pilot, I don't think about what I should be doing or anything any more and I'm just like those mice in those rewards experiments, that keep pressing on the levers to get food and water and stuff. And that's basically being forced out of your head, so I'm more extroverted too.

[temperancebrennan]

Anxiety and panic attacks have definitely changed my personality for the worse.
I was never the most outgoing person & I'm not a social butterfly, but since having the anxiety, & especially through the bad patches, I have become extremely quiet, introverted & I tend to hide away more.

It makes me feel like people don't want to spend time with me because I will have to leave during a panic attack or my symptoms will make it so uncomfortable that I have to walk away & be on my own.

When I have time off work due to anxiety, my friends judge me & think I'm being overly dramatic by not turning in. When the truth is, I can't physically go to work in this state. This, in turn, makes me more reluctant to leave my room or see people, because if I do see my friends for a bit (& try hard to push through my symptoms) & then don't go to work the next day, they say "well how come you can see your friends but can't go to work. Surely work is easier than being around a lot of people".

It's so frustrating. I want to be the person that I was before all of this. I miss having fun, being able to do what I want & having a fun personality. It is ruining my life.

[tailspin]

My world has become much smaller since anxiety took hold. I'm not agoraphobic (I'm claustrophobic!) and I like to be outside, but I still operate within a pretty small "comfort zone". I say "no" to many more things now. I have a daily routine and I don't deviate much from that.

Yet the irony is that I don't really feel safe, even if I stay in my safe zone. In fact, some of the worst panic attacks I've ever had have been in the comfort of my own home. My thinking is definitely screwed up. But even though I can see that, it's still very hard to change some of my patterns.

[u4ea]

My world has become much smaller since anxiety took hold. I'm not agorabphobic (I'm claustrophobic!) and I like to be outside, but I still operate within a pretty small "comfort zone". I say "no" to many more things now. I have a daily routine and I don't deviate much from that.

Yet the irony is that I don't really feel safe, even if I stay in my safe zone. In fact, some of the worst panic attacks I've ever had have been in the comfort of my own home. My thinking is definitely screwed up. But even though I can see that, it's still very hard to change some of my patterns.

This is exactly how I've been! Sounds like I'm reading something I wrote myself : \

[NeverToo...Fear]

Anxiety has changed me to where I feel less independent and fun, and more like a dependent recluse..before my anxiety became severe, I could be by myself, exercise, walk, drive and just live life in general with a smile.....now lately all I seem to do is try to get by from day to day without freaking out, like I'm tiptoeing around the anxiety, babying it so I don't have a massive attack--it's all I seem to think about! I basically don't feel like myself anymore..

[Olive Yew]

Anxiety has changed me to where I feel less independent and fun, and more like a dependent recluse..before my anxiety became severe, I could be by myself, exercise, walk, drive and just live life in general with a smile.....now lately all I seem to do is try to get by from day to day without freaking out, like I'm tiptoeing around the anxiety, babying it so I don't have a massive attack--it's all I seem to think about! I basically don't feel like myself anymore..

Me. Every day. You aren't alone. However I've found that If you shove through it and keep on with your life, your brain is forced to deal with it and work through it. And then with every panic attack i have now a days, it seems to actually make me BETTER afterwards. Like... Someone's
taking a seam ripper to the anxiety part of my brain that was stitched together wrong. With every seem, I get just a little bit better. So maybe font dread it so much as tell it "bring it on MoFo. I'm ready for you!"

[NeverToo...Fear]

Me. Every day. You aren't alone. However I've found that If you shove through it and keep on with your life, your brain is forced to deal with it and work through it. And then with every panic attack i have now a days, it seems to actually make me BETTER afterwards. Like... Someone's
taking a seam ripper to the anxiety part of my brain that was stitched together wrong. With every seem, I get just a little bit better. So maybe font dread it so much as tell it "bring it on MoFo. I'm ready for you!"

^ I like that advice! ..Basically don't be afraid of the anxiety, causing feeding it fear tends to make it stronger.

[Olive Yew]

^ I like that advice! ..Basically don't be afraid of the anxiety, causing feeding it fear tends to make it stronger.

:) exactly!! And talking to people helps a TON