Does anyone else have any issues with anxiety

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Anxiety has been causing me problems for about 10 years, probably more, and I'm finding life particularly difficult at the moment, so if anyone has any tips or support that would be great :smile:

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  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
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    Sorry to hear that. :(

    Yes I used to have terrible issues with it - debilitating panic attacks and agoraphobia. For many years. Life was hell, in short. It's a sign that your life needs an overhaul actually. The holistic approach is best, imo, ie hit it from all angles which can include; talking therapies, drug therapies, exercise, relaxation, cutting toxic people out of your life, assertiveness training, NLP training, massage, group support. There's a lot to go at.

    If it's really affecting how you're functioning then your first stop is your doctor. It's not nice - remember a lot of people suffer from this, more than you'd think, it's not just you.

    All the very best x
  • Jeneba
    Jeneba Posts: 699 Member
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    Meeee tooooooo! Not sure what to do about it - of course, we know all the usual remedies: meditation, exercise, etc. But sometimes, no matter what I do, I still can't sleep at night because of a feeling of basic insecurity in my life. I feel like I can never take anything for granted plus I already have PTSD, so all I can do is to try to keep to healthy habits. Hope you feel better soon! :heart:
  • beckyplummer
    beckyplummer Posts: 17 Member
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    The holidays always gets me in what I call a "Fluff"... I bounce between Depression and anxiety... I find if I try to not let myself get into eating too much of the bad food during either of the times I bounce back to "almost normal" a little quicker. Just take one day at a time ...thinking... "this is a new day... a new chance to do something that I want to do"...

    I have a favorite line from one of the the Kid's movie Kung Foo Panda

    "You are too concerned about what was and what will be... There is a saying: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the "Present" "

    I have that pinned to my wall at work so whenever I start getting frazzled... I try to just think that thought through.
  • AverageUkDude
    AverageUkDude Posts: 371 Member
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    Seek professional help, I cant stress this enough. Ive been seeing a cognitive behavioural therapist for my Social anxiety, Health anxiety, depression and my OCD and its helped me so much, I honestly laugh about the fact that I used to try and deal with these things alone.
  • BeccaBollons
    BeccaBollons Posts: 652 Member
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    Hi, sorry to hear you're really suffering.
    I too suffer with anxiety, and all the horrible things that go with it- disordered sleep, disordered eating, panic attacks. Not fun.

    This may or may not help, but this really does help me.
    I write a daily list of what needs to be done. I add things that I KNOW will get done, like getting dressed, and I feel good as I cross things off the list. I have to feel organised. Clutter and dirt are a major trigger for me, so keeping a clean house is essential.

    Regular mealtimes help me, with home cooked wholesome food, so I try to create a weekly menu, and buy and prepare the ingredients in advance so that I'm not tempted to just go to mcdonalds instead.

    Even if none of these things will help you, I hope it helps for you to know you are not alone.
  • AmelieMustLoseWeight
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    I was just going to start a new topic about my social anxiety... Instead I can just say to have to you that I do have anxiety. It keeps me from living my life. I feel like..if i take chances and go out and have fun that i will either become annoying to others or i will get sick or be hurt some how. im constantly sick and it keeps me in bed a lot my doctors never find why im sick. I think I spent thousands on blood work and other test and still nothing. Im Negative ALL THE TIME. Like.. i just cant be happy because i feel like my life is a cosmic joke where im being smited . My boyfriend of 5 years partially hates me because i never change and I stay the same.. I fear taking chances and even though i have reached out before for help the fear of rejection kept me from trying more and more... instead i watch tv and eat and sleep .Im about 40 lbs over weight and even though i try hard for 2 weeks at a time i always end up staying home now. Ive had a pain in the back of my head and neck for 2 months now and my docs said i hurt myself some how so im all anxious about that. Its horrible. I want to have a life.. I feel like everyone is zooming past me and im just sitting here. I look at girls my age and realized im nothing like them. I feel like I look like a middle aged woman. I dont feel 22. on top of that when i try to befriend people they say they like me but never make time for me so i instantly become hurt.. I have women bully me my whole life and try to alienate me because im different. A lot of people think im a creative bad *kitten* who is unique but in reality my art helps me not think about all the things i fear. My parents never protected me and i was exposed to horrible things growing up and no matter how honest i was with people about the pain and sadness i felt no one ever knew how to help me and they singled me out for being sad.. instead of helping me they called me a gothic freak and accused me of wanting to kill people but all i ever wanted was to be loved and treated like i mattered. Every best friend i ever had ended up ditching me as soon as they found better friends. Im ashamed of myself. People say nice things about me now and they want to love me and be around me but i dont know what to do. I find myself making excuses and sleeping all the time. The only person i spend time with is my Boyfriend and i complain to him about everything so he sort of hates me lately... So..sorry for this rant but.. yes i have issues with anxiety and im not medicated because i dont believe in it. I want to fix my own problems the natural way.
  • lettinganago
    lettinganago Posts: 14 Member
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    I have panic disorder, OCD, and depression, I do take medication, but i still struggle daily with issues stemming from the anxiety I hope through exercise and eating right I can find myself feeling better. My best advice would definently be to not linger on what is stressing you, as well as having someone to talk to
  • stt43
    stt43 Posts: 487
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    Thanks for all the comments of help and support everyone, I wasn't expecting so many replies. I am sorry to hear so many of you are also having troubles, but I'm glad some of you have been able to feel better, and hopefully the rest of us can too.

    I exercise 4-6 times per week, for around two hours, and I think it helps a bit, though it hasn't been enough lately. I have been on medication for about seven years, and I've tried maybe four different types. The doctor increased what I'm on now up to the maximum dosage, but it just makes me sleep more rather than less anxious. She said she would change it to something else after I see how I get on for a month, but I don't know if I want to go through the stress of changing to something else.
    I don't really have anyone left in my life to cut out, and I can't afford massage or any other classes or therapies. I need to work on my relaxation, but I have so much reading to do for my university course that I never get done because depression makes it such a struggle, and trying to fit in exercise too, so I never seem to have any time left to try to meditate or anything.
    I have tried cognitive behavioural therapy a few times over the years, and have found that I only ever made a small amount of progress with it. I can't afford to pay for a therapist (I'm a student, but I'd struggle to find a job even if I wasn't studying due to anxiety. I need a job now really, as I'm running out of money), and the free NHS therapists are limited in what they can offer and the amount of sessions I can have with them. I started seeing a counsellor at my university a couple of weeks ago - she isn't doing CBT in my sessions with her (perhaps because I said it's never really worked for me before) but it just feels like a waste of time and I just seem to be getting worse.
    Plus the counsellor, along with my doctor and all of the university stuff I am supposed to go to, is at the university, and the main problem I'm having at the moment is that I get too anxious to use any transport to get to the university, so I'm missing everything. I go to the train station, buy a ticket, spend an hour trying to get on the train, fail, and come back home and go to bed. I don't really go out anywhere else, I find shops quite hard unless I can get what I want and leave quickly, and social places have too many people. I just go to the gym and sit at home, which is good in a way as it saves me money and helps me concentrate on my work a bit more.
    Anyway, I've rambled on and wrote way too much, don't worry if it's too much to read. I know that no-one else can help me and I have to help myself, but the supportive words and suggestions are great, and I will try to put some of them into practice.
  • melsal9902
    melsal9902 Posts: 11 Member
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    There are lot more people than you think that struggle with some form of anxiety or panic disorder. I have been struggling for many years. Sometimes it may only last a few weeks, or a month or two; and then will feel great for awhile. I usually have triggers that set it off. Being a 46 year old female, I believe a lot may have to do with hormones. I chose not to use medication but do see a psychologist when times are really tough. I have been given the cognitive tools to talk myself down from major panic attacks. The past year has really been rough with me due to health issues in my family so recovery has been pretty slow. I believe in prayer and exercise and diet. I wish you all the luck.
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
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    I have an anxiety disorder and PTSD. I have a prescription for anti-anxiety meds that I only take on an as-needed basis. I can go weeks without needing any, but when I do need some, I'm so very glad it's there. I've done therapy in the past and that was helpful on a situational basis.