chronic anxiety

almoststew1990 said:
What do you get anxious about?

I will tell you my experience rather than provide medical advice. Please don't ban my ass mods :(


Now however I don't consider myself to have any anxiety. Like you, I also didn't find CBT helpful. I guess it is because of my cynicism and my general "miserable sod-ness".
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Yea same, I went and sat there for 2hrs feeling like a right knob, didnt go to the last session, found it a waste of time.

As said, Join a gym, definitely helped me a little bit.
 
-Mike- said:
This thread is great, so I hope it stays put!

I suffer with anxiety, whether it be the tingling down the arms, dizziness, palpitations that I am very aware of or anything else that I can fixate on it seems. I've been to the doctor and was offered CBT but the thought of sitting in a room talking to someone one to one when it involves thoughts and feelings really puts a brick wall up to me.

Supermarkets are a massive issue for me, I don't know why but they make me feel really ill - usually within a minute of stepping inside one... makes the weekly shopping impossible for me so I just let her go around on her own (major disadvantage of this is we appear to buy lots of what we don't need each week!)

My main thing currently is fear of death, and primarily now cancer since the passing of my nan who was/is my favourite and most loved relative. I'm not sure whether this is related or not, but I fixate on any lumps bumps or anything else I can feel.

Phate that book looks interesting, so I'll be buying that when I have the chance - thanks for the suggestion. If anyone can offer any advice other than the CBT I'd appreciate it also :)
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That sounds like me to a t. I'm on citalopram which has helped a lot. I used to have really bad attacks driving in to work, now I don't, and I can get my hair cut without having an insane freak out halfway through. It does only mask the problem I think, but it made life livable for me. I still can't really deal with the palpitations though. They just feel like a really bad thing no matter how much I know they are fine! Like someone else said, I just try to lean into it and get all amped up with some metal rather than letting it get me. Doesn't always work but hey!
 
i ended up in hospital in spain on a family holiday,had huge panic attack think mainly due to the heat and the fact i started new meds the day before leaving home :rolleyes: i had tachycardia and sweating buckets the dr who came out thought i was having a heart attack called a ambulance,took me to a private hospital,they checked me over said i was ok but my sodium levels were low so they put me on a drip for a hour or two bloods came back fine :) the real bummer was because i had changed meds the day before and forgot to change the travel insurance it cost me 2500 euros :mad:
 
Reflecting on the posts here, CBT changed, and actually saved my life. I can see how it wouldn't work for some people. CBT does involve sitting in a room and talking with someone but that was only a very small part for me. That person enabled me to look at myself and challenge virtually everything I know/do/believe. I had anxiety and depression, mostly intertwined with the depression coming as a result of despair from my anxiety and how I was dealing with it (drinking heavily). I bought a book recommended by the CBT therapist and 90% of the CBT therapy I did myself with regular meetings with the therapist to keep my on track and in the right direction.

I can honestly say I am a totally different person now, totally different outlook on life and still have anxiety but I can control it 99% of the time and often get a smile when I do, after suffering it for 20+ years it is very rewarding to 'beat it down' . The skills CBT taught me are tools I used back then (4yrs ago), now and will always use.

So I guess what I'm saying is everyone is different, what works for one might not for another but I firmly believe there is something that will work for each and every one of us.
 
baldmonk said:
thanks for the responses guys, both cbt and counselling and neither worked and for the poster who posted about citralapram yeah that was the first drug i was on and its the mildest they prescribe for anxciety I'm way beyond those :( anyone had hypnotherapy ? as i feel that is the last thing left to try ?
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There's many forms of counselling, don't rule it out because you have had one course. Also please try the mindfulness book & techniques mentioned above.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/books/dp/07...F8&qid=1439546974&sr=1-1&keywords=mindfulness

Stick with that and you'll learn to recognise the signs that drive your body into an anxiety attack and take steps to stop the vicious cycle.
 
For as long as I can remember, even as a kid I had anxiety around going to school. Would stay up for hours running every possible situation through my head that of course would never happen.

This year I've had really bad anxiety caused by an issue with my heart beating dodgy during exercise and at rest. Some tests have come back clear and others they've said something isn't right but they can't quite pinpoint what the actual issue is which just creates more anxiety.

The worst thing about it is nobody can really relate, my friends or family just think I'm fine but you know yourself when something isn't quite right. I'm avoiding any medication for now until all the tests have been done and looked at and then depending on the results they'll probably offer me some form of medication for the issue or for the anxiety.

I still try and stay positive about things though, there's people in far worse situations who can't do really basic things day in day out but at 24yr old I didn't expect issues with my ticker that have stopped me doing things I love like playing 5 a side football and mountain biking. This in turn gives me anxiety about what the future holds.

I'll try that book linked above I think :)
 
I suffer with what I consider to be severe anxiety, all of this is brought on by my IBS. The whole thing goes round in a horrendous circle these days. I can't go anywhere without feeling on edge and panicking, this is turn sets off my IBS or at times is even brought on by my IBS.

My close friends know to an extent how I feel inside, but will never truly understand. I'm rather good at hiding how I'm feeling, as I've spent many years covering it up at school.

Life sucks unfortunately, I have my good days and my bad days. My life seems to be ruled by my head and the ability to find a toilet.

I don't enjoy going out anywhere, it makes me feel horrendous at times, I can't switch off and relax anymore. I've tried medication, CBT and counselling. It might be time to try out that book that Phate recommends.
 
I have never been sure if it is anxiety or something else that makes up the largest part of my problems.

I work as an IT consultant and spend most of my time, trying my hardest to avoid having to visit customers, speak with people or even speak with my co-workers - the thought of it terrifies me, in the same way i got scared about exams at school and Uni. The net result of which is I usually jumble my words, make a bad impression then "run away".

It also chases me around in every day life, i get nervous of answering the phone, speaking to cashiers in shops - and often makes me freeze up or change my plans to avoid the situation. I laid last night, unable to sleep worrying about a presentation i have to give in a month !

Might have to give some of these books a go...
 
Nomisf said:
I have never been sure if it is anxiety or something else that makes up the largest part of my problems.

I work as an IT consultant and spend most of my time, trying my hardest to avoid having to visit customers, speak with people or even speak with my co-workers - the thought of it terrifies me, in the same way i got scared about exams at school and Uni. The net result of which is I usually jumble my words, make a bad impression then "run away".

It also chases me around in every day life, i get nervous of answering the phone, speaking to cashiers in shops - and often makes me freeze up or change my plans to avoid the situation. I laid last night, unable to sleep worrying about a presentation i have to give in a month !

Might have to give some of these books a go...
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This is exactly me. Same job. Same issues.
 
Nomisf said:
I have never been sure if it is anxiety or something else that makes up the largest part of my problems.

I work as an IT consultant and spend most of my time, trying my hardest to avoid having to visit customers, speak with people or even speak with my co-workers - the thought of it terrifies me, in the same way i got scared about exams at school and Uni. The net result of which is I usually jumble my words, make a bad impression then "run away".

It also chases me around in every day life, i get nervous of answering the phone, speaking to cashiers in shops - and often makes me freeze up or change my plans to avoid the situation. I laid last night, unable to sleep worrying about a presentation i have to give in a month !

Might have to give some of these books a go...
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Sounds like me and I too am not sure if I am affected with anxiety.

I had to answer a call at work yesterday and while I managed it fine, I felt myself getting hotter. I get nervous and scared to answer my mobile if I get a number not recognised in my phone, so always ends up going to voice mail. Even the landline, I answer this but sometimes my heart rate can start to increase when I do but I do generally avoid people where I can.

I'm fine with other things though, I answer the door at work and can talk / ask for help in a shop.

My girlfriend on the other hand is much worse. She suffers anxiety bad and sometimes we cant even go anywhere. We once was going to go town, we walked there (we both aren't keen on being around others on a buss). When we got to the outskirts of town and about to start walking into the town centre, she started getting really hot and nervous and sweating like mad so we ended up calling it a day and going home.

We've had times when on a train she just loses conciseness also, we're still trying to fight this but it's taking a while.
 
Anxiety sufferer here from way back in my school days. As an introvert I was always wary of the social animals that I had to share my spaces with. You would always find me hidden away somewhere with a book or writing my next short story masterpiece. During my teens it just got worse, I found it difficult to be in public around other people and even family gatherings were a source of great stress and anxiety. I constantly felt like a kitten who's been let out of the house for the first time, jumpy and wary.

However as I approached my twenties, college and the prospect of university started to allow me to let go a little. I discovered that alcohol was a great catalyst for social interaction and I gained a reputation for being the quiet one by day and the crazy life and soul of the party by night. For all the hangovers, dubious nights and mornings that I couldn't even remember, I managed to gain a veneer of confidence and social assertiveness that I could polish and refine in everyday interactions. This remains, as does the horrible anxiety that rears its ugly head still more frequently than I'd like.

What does my anxiety feel like? It's inevitably social anxiety, mostly in public places or in large groups of people. I live in a city, which has it's advantages for being able to just blend in but when things go wrong it's not the best environment to be in. I can be absolutely fine, then all of a sudden I feel like I can't breathe, I get palpitations and feel very lightheaded and shaky. Every little noise is amplified to the point where just a passing conversation is like having someone screaming in your ears. A passing car is unbearably loud and the scraping of a chair outside a coffee shop makes my teeth itch. I'm suddenly aware that everyone is staring at me. Everyone. Why? Why are those people over there looking at me like that? That group of kids across the road are all staring and laughing me. The old lady waiting at the bus stop, that wasn't just a casual glance it was a look of contempt and suspicion. It's like the whole world is leaning right into my personal space and raging at me from a few inches away. It's unbearable, and hugely debilitating. It's acute and very distressing for a time, then gradually tapers off after fifteen to thirty minutes. Afterwards I feel washed out, drained and exhausted and that's me usually done for the day. I have to get back to my comfort zone ASAP and once I'm there I will stay there for anything from a few hours to a day or so before I'm ready to face the world again.
 
Rilot said:
This is exactly me. Same job. Same issues.
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As you said before, its oddly comforting to know I am not the only one! Particularly when it seems so many of my colleagues find it so easy. I am wondering if its about time I spoke to some kind of professional type, as I am getting to the point where working through and controlling it is becoming too much.

Spacedeck said:
Sounds like me and I too am not sure if I am affected with anxiety.

I had to answer a call at work yesterday and while I managed it fine, I felt myself getting hotter. I get nervous and scared to answer my mobile if I get a number not recognised in my phone, so always ends up going to voice mail. Even the landline, I answer this but sometimes my heart rate can start to increase when I do but I do generally avoid people where I can.

I'm fine with other things though, I answer the door at work and can talk / ask for help in a shop.
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This can come and go for me, but in the opposite - I sometimes have moments of levity where I have no trouble answering to door, the phone or being normal. Usually lasts half a day at best though :p :(

I find myself sitting here overthinking and worrying about peoples responses to my posts too... eugh.
 
I still suffer from anxiety occasionally these days, but basically I forced myself into situations I fear years ago, and as a result, I actually love speaking to people most of the time, bantering about nothing, (well, except to girls my age, I have a few girl friends but new women, I'm generally very anxious, I think a lot of guys are though :p). I work in IT too and pretty much everyone says I'm probably the most social guy in the office and how I apparently make people happy when I come in because I ( apparently, I feel like a zombie and wanna go back to bed usually haha) always look happy and smile and greet people.

Howver, I regularly suffer from anxiety attacks in bed, usually before ''anything'' new I have to do (next day) but also completely at random sometimes, I just feel stressed, I'm concious that I'm anxious but can't calm myself. I've resorted to sleeping pills in these situations as usually I feel better after a good nights sleep.

I often also wake up sad-ish, and by that I mean, I never feel very positive when I wake up and don't want to get out of bed, when I don't go to work I will easily sleep all day and push my sleep cycle forward by 1-2 hrs every day.

I also suffer from slight anxiety before a night out or before birthdays with loads of new people. Basically I am not very comfortable with ''social'' situations, at work I don't have that problem at all, because with customers, I know my goal, what I want, and what has to be done, but it's different in social situations.

Basically in work environment I don't suffer from anxiety at all, perhaps because I've worked in more than one sector ( retail too) and dealt with loads of people on daily basis ( it's easy if you have a goal, eg. IT support (not phone support, but on location mind) you ask about the problems and move on to chitchat to make customer feel comfortable/establish rapport, or in business meetings, or in sales, or anywhere in business, we all have a goal, but in my personal life, I still get panicky/scared in various social situations and suffer from anxiety when lying in bed at night and can't sleep.
 
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I listened to a study once which spoke about an interesting perspective.

Everyone always says "stay positive" etc - when you're already in an anxious state of midn it is EXHAUSTING trying to stay positive, and it can actually have a detrimental affect.

So rather than trying to stay happy all the time, just be yourself, as the anxiousness passes, you'll naturally, cheer up a bit.

I tried this, found it worked for me. The book I linked also describes that you treat anxiety like a common cold. Instead of trying to fight it, just go about your daily life, it'll pass and get better.

He speaks about how it didn't click until a Dr said to him "you won't get better until you stop trying to get better"
 
^That is very good advise, you are very well aware you have to stay positive, but you just cant/it doesn't work.

Best is just to continue with ordinary business while in the meantime try not to give in to the fear or anger, and it'll pass...
 
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Nomisf said:
I have never been sure if it is anxiety or something else that makes up the largest part of my problems.

I work as an IT consultant and spend most of my time, trying my hardest to avoid having to visit customers, speak with people or even speak with my co-workers - the thought of it terrifies me, in the same way i got scared about exams at school and Uni. The net result of which is I usually jumble my words, make a bad impression then "run away".

It also chases me around in every day life, i get nervous of answering the phone, speaking to cashiers in shops - and often makes me freeze up or change my plans to avoid the situation. I laid last night, unable to sleep worrying about a presentation i have to give in a month !

Might have to give some of these books a go...
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This is also like me ... and it has got to much for me a couple of times (work were very supportive and arranged for seeing a therapist through our private medical cover). The second time I changed jobs (within the company) which has helped a lot and I don't have to deal with external Customers any more.

A friend of mine has had chronic anxiety in the past. Knocked him completely for six ... he was off work for ~18 months a lot of which he couldn't even leave the house. He did get various medications and various therapy through his GP and he is back to (relatively) normal now. He has said what helped him a lot that people were supportive to him during that period without being pushy about it.
 
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