Anxiety is ruining my life

[Foreveranxiousme]

Anxiety is literally ruining my life. I would fit the description of someone with generalised anxiety disorder, but I never tried to seek professional help.
I’m like an electric wire, my brain exaggerates every danger or issue. I feel like my mind is calculating the tiniest possibilities of something going terribly wrong. I ruminate, overthink, and always think of the worst. During the last 3 years, thanks to the pandemic, I had some more things to worry about and started to drink wine after being tee total for many years (funnily enough, due to the health anxiety). It made me even more anxious, even though I drink moderately.

The issue is, I always worry about the real life issues, not about aliens or asteroids falling on earth. I do solve problems quickly and efficiently due to my inability to cope with the unknown, but in the process I die inside every day. Sometimes I adopt the opposite technique for the “lower key problems”, I procrastinate and deny to see the issue. I’m now at a point where simple life admin brings me to the edge.
I function, I have a full time job, husband and 2 children. It’s just I wish this feeling of over sensitivity to everything would go away.
Anyone relates?

If you know all this why have you not got it treated?

Time to seek professional help.

Totally relate. The only way I can manage it (and I am only just able to) has been to eat as healthily as possible (I never drank). I have no cake, caffeine, junk food. And I walk a fair bit. I've just started counselling. I am having fewer panic attacks but am no where near normal.

Please see your GP, OP. Medication will help you enormously and once you’re on a more even keel then maybe some counselling

Do see your GP about whether meds would be suitable for you.

I went on Sertraline about 18 months ago following a bereavement. However its also been fantastic for reducing my day-to-day anxiety.

Takes a few weeks to start working - there are support threads on here.

Please go and seek treatment. My mother has been anxious all her life and it’s got worse as she’s aged. She just avoids everything now, it’s wrecking her final years. And when you’re old, doctors just put you on increasing doses of medication which in her case isn’t helping.

Why on earth haven't you seen your GP?

Cut down the alcohol again, it brings more problems than it solves, and take some responsibility for your condition and speak to your GP, they won’t come to you offering help on a plate

You need to stop drinking, see your GP, and actually take the antidepressants you are prescribed.
I had a DH with anxiety and living with it is a nightmare. You need to do this for yourself, your husband, and your kids.

Your flight or fight response is on overdrive. Turn off the lights and keep the curtains or blinds close and ask a friend to gently shine a torch in your eyes - your pupils should dilate in response to the light but for people whose flight or fight response is on overdrive they don't due to the adrenaline levels constantly going through their bodies. Google infant reflexes or primitive reflexes not going dormant. There are things that can be done to help.
Also google inattentive ADHD and see if this relates to you. People think the H stands for hyperactive behaviour but it also stands for hyperactive minds which is more common in people born as females who often have undiagnosed inattentive ADHD.

Sorry your pupils should not dilate in the light but the opposite - shrink! But I bet your pupils stay dilated.

Yes, I can be very similar. I take an anti anxiety medication. It doesn’t stop the initial thought but stops it becoming overwhelming.

I’ve been medicated for anxiety for years. It was the best thing I ever did.

I feel exactly the same. I wish I could switch it off. Sometimes I’m fine and sometimes it just takes over. I feel like I’m stuck in fight or flight.

I tried therapy and I used to get so anxious on the day of it. The whole day was a write off and the day after I felt exhausted, completely wiped.

I’ve tried meds. They made me sleepy and numb. I don’t want to feel nothing at all. I just want the amount of anxiety I feel to be manageable.

Get yourself onto sertraline. It saved me from everything you've described.