Anxiety

[RevealingIfYouMightBeStalked]

Do you have to be diagnosed by a doctor in order to be able to say that you suffer from anxiety?

Depends for what purpose - do you mean in terms of telling your place employment, etc. or just in general?

Overall, I think if you feel you have anxiety, you can self-label yourself. Even GPs just use a generic self score survey type thing to diagnose it 0 you can probably find a copy of the questions online somewhere and complete it yourself. There's no official blood test or anything for anxiety.

It would seem not.

I know a lot of people who have started saying "I suffer from anxiety" when what they really mean is they're just anxious about certain things, which is perfectly natural.

I think it's a bit misunderstood and quite overused tbh.

A bit like the word 'bullying' is sometimes misunderstood.

I don't think you do have to be diagnosed - I know I definitely suffer from it without anyone telling me I do.
Picking up the phone
Over thinking
What if's
Heart racing around people if they start to say something I know might set me off worrying or feeling taken over/undermined
Jelly legs
Easily emotional
In other words you know if you suffer from it.

Well, revisited this, and just read a 'Active' thread about 'anxiety in pregnancy'.

I couldn't see much in it that wasn't panicky 'What if? What if?' They all think they're supporting each other- a number might be- but I feel so many are enabling anxiety.

How many can rationalise their concerns? They're not encouraged to do so. Loss in pregnancy is ubiquitous. 20-25% of pregnancies end in MC. Usually pretty early. Inc me.

But here's this 'supportive' thread all about the catastrophisation of a very common event. Because you're 'worried' - nah, you have medicalisable anxiety.

I don't think it's helpful.

And think 4 responses to my thread sort of supports what I think: Any 'worry response' to anything is now 'anxiety'.