Has anyone successfully overcome anxiety?

[PlugInBeeBee]

Just that really. I've suffered for as long as I can remember, largely with health anxiety and fear of death. I've tried:

• CBT
• psychotherapy
• general counselling
• medication - anything you can think of, I have taken
• mindfulness and meditation
• yoga, running, the gym etc

I'll be OK for a bit then something sets me off again. Today in the shower, felt a tiny sore lymph node in my armpit, so obviously I immediately think I have breast cancer, lymphoma, etc. I cannot tell you how often I have been here before with other things. I just hate it. I am sitting here literally sobbing at the thought of dying and leaving my three year old son without a mum.

I know it's irrational, I know it's utterly insulting to those who actually are ill but I have tried everything and it won't go away. I am 31 now and every day I seem to read some story where someone my age has lung cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer, breast cancer.

I don't know why I'm like this. I've never even had a significant bereavement.

Anyone?

I overcame severe anxiety caused by abuse by attending psychotherapy once a week for about a year. It's not cheap but worth every penny if you can afford it. I found the key to be finding a counsellor / therapist that you 'click' with even if this means having initial sessions with 5 or 6 different people. This stage can be very difficult and frustrating - I just felt like I was saying the same thing over and over to different people (which in itself was traumatic) but it was so worth it as the lady I saw for a year was amazing and really did help me feel better. 5 years on and zero anxiety. I hope you feel better soon

I've had years of psychotherapy 😔

First of all and a big hug to you OP, I've been there.

I wouldn't say I've cured it but I do successfully manage it. After years of working on coping mechanisms, CBT etc I still get anxiety, but when it triggers I (generally) don't fall into the patterns that perpetuate it. That doesn't mean I never have a really, horribly bad spate but it does mean that my life isn't completely ruled by it.

Do you have a plan for when you're feeling really bad?

Yes. I talked myself out of it. Change the scene in your kind. Replace it with something lovely. Go into the situation excited not scared.
It honestly worked for me

Change the scene in your kind. Replace it with something lovely

I know it's batshit but I feel if I do that I'm tempting fate and making something bad more likely to happen

Yes. My anxiety was initially triggered by being diagnosed with extremely high blood pressure just before giving birth to dc2 and then dc having to have surgery at 5 days old. I became convinced I was about to drop dead of a stroke or a heart attack at any minute, became terrified of having my bp taken and started having regular panic attacks. It lasted a couple of years, but I never sought professional help. I'm not sure why really- I felt paralysed and unable to talk about it.

Anyway, what helped me was running, mindfulness and a book called The Compassionate Mind by Paul Gilbert. Also, time helped. Over time I had to admit that I hadn't actually shown any signs of dropping dead, and that my panic attacks though horrible didn't actually mean I was dying.

The book I mentioned was very good at explaining why the mind behaves in these crazy ways, and that fighting the panic, or trying to push it away in fear, is really unhelpful. I now haven't had a panic attack in about 6 years.

To clarify: I read something that said when you are panicking, instead of freezing or trying to escape from the panic, try accepting it, embracing it and seeing if you can increase it (I know that sounds mental). Say "Right, I'm going to let go release the panic in a huge rush - aaaaaarggghhh!". Give in to the panic and just let it run its course. By doing that, you kill its power over your mind. A few times when I did this, I actually ended up bursting out laughing!

I just feel I have tried everything. I have been anxious my entire life, from a tiny tiny child