Would any one like to join in an anxiety support thread?

[Heatherandmoss]

I’ve seen lots of posts recently about people having a bad time with their anxiety and I thought an on going thread might be good do people can bob on and offer and receive support, share tips and just generally empathise with some one going through the same thing.

I’ve had anxiety since I was about ten ( I realised after my psychiatrist was able to help me pin point my earliest memory of it)

I think there is a bit of misconception of anxiety as some people think it’s just general worry - but it’s not.

When my anxiety rears her head it’s so physical. I sweat, my face can go numb, pains in my chest. I have a feeling like some one is kicking my front door in and I’m scared for my life and I could just be hoovering. Anxiety jolts me awake when I’m asleep and it rolls down my body like thunder. It makes me catastrophize at 3am and my feet start rubbing against each other ( weird) My anxiety makes me walk in to the kitchen with my kids empty dinner plates and suddenly feel so so over whelmed I struggle for breath and tears leak out in a gasp of raw emotion - all done silently so my kids can’t hear me.

I’ve had to give up drinking alcohol because Jesus the anxiety the next day was shocking and lasted days until I suddenly stepped out the anxiety room.

My anxiety has been bad since November as I’ve got some things going and I’m worried my heart is going to pack in because of the extra ‘thud thud thud’ overtime it’s being doing!

Exercise does help me take the edge of sometimes. I nearly went to the GP the other day as it was rotten but at this moment of time I need to be switched on.

Today has not been to bad. I’m considering it a win.

So I’ve you’d like to join in or have some where to say ‘holy fuck it’s bad today’ hopefully more people will be here and you will know some one knows how bad your feeling.

@teaandcustardcreamsx it's a senior management position. Knowing decisions 'rest on my head' is not a good thing for my anxiety!

Work is fine - I’m pretty good at what I do, mostly enjoy it and the position I have now is a lot lower level than at the height of my career. I used the thrive on solving problems and ball-squeezing suppliers and agencies. I have always been highly strung but I guess I’m too old for the drama now.

I’d like to join in.
I’ve had anxiety for most of my life just about 6yrs ago it got to the point where I couldn’t manage without help & I saw my GP.
My main trigger is work. And I am in a bad patch right now, to the extent that there’s been a slump in my performance at work which has been noticed. I’m just constantly on edge, ruminating things over and over, and I’ve be one very forgetful. I don’t remember doing things or think I’ve done things and I haven’t.. They don’t know my diagnosis and I am afraid to tell them, I don’t think it would help if they knew and knowing my manager likely it would cause me more problems.
I finally called my GP on Friday, after months of needing help, and have been prescribed Sertaline. All ok until I read that if you have had heart problems (I do) you can’t take them without discussing with your Dr so I’ve been afraid to start taking them
I laugh a little at this as it’s just classic anxiety really. More than likely it has fine, but I will speak to the GP today & hopefully will be starting taking them tonight. I’m a little worried about side effects but do keep thinking that a few weeks from now I might be feeling a bit better which is a good thought. I’d like to just not be forgetful, and to start getting my energy back & start doing the things I enjoy again..

I agree that it is hugely lonely and isolating. Most people just don’t understand how horrible it is to live with.

I often wonder if it’s possible to change your personality - evoke someone who is more ‘reasonable’ and calmer. Maybe...

Got woken up to a call (forgot to switch off my phone’ from ‘hmrc’ threatening me with arrest if I didn’t pay a tax bill. Yeah, that really helped my chi... may there be a special pit in hell for scammers...

My anxiety makes me feel I have ants in my pants!!!

I'm currently going through a bad anxiety episode. I have a counsellor who I see when I need to & thankfully have an appointment with her tomorrow but I'm on day 5 of battling it & im exhausted from it. I can't stop crying, my mind won't settle, I can't sleep, no appetite. I took medication years ago for anxiety for a short while, considering it again.

I miss my job so much :( i wish I was well enough to do it again.

Wish I could change my personality. I find WFH better than going in cause at least that way I don’t have to deal with that one horrible person

I wonder if it’s a gene...

Currently on week 4 of being off work with stress. Anxiety crashed down on me like a ton of bricks and I’ve really been struggling. Fluoxetine is giving me horrible side effects so I’m considering stopping. Just don’t know what to do to make myself feel better. I’m certain this bloody pandemic has a lot to answer for!

💐

@Phyllis321 Do you know what your trigger was? Are you managing to find any enjoyment or relief in your days?

The more anxious I am getting the less I'm finding I am looking after myself - whether it be eating, personal appearance, sleep (I dread waking up and having to think so delay sleeping as much as possible)... Exercise is the only thing that helps me when I am feeling the worst, even though it is the last thing I often want to do. If I walk and think it through it almost feels like I am moving it on more

Hello. Long term anxious here. I only actually realised when I was in my mid twenties - my baseline is worrying about everything and I’d not even noticed it was abnormal 😳

I am autistic and was diagnosed with ADHD in 2019. Meds helped with the focus but being stimulants the anxiety got really awful over time and I needed beta blockers daily. I totally get what you mean with the physical symptoms. I’m now waiting for a different type of meds and desperately hoping they help without the crippling anxiety.

It’s worse at the moment because of lockdown and uncertainty. Sometimes I get really angry because the anxiety has me so on edge. Other times it’s just completely paralysing. My panic attacks are often barely visible to others because of this, it’s weird. I’m so bad at asking for help from DH when it’s flaring up.

hi everyone,

thank you for this thread OP. I am extremely anxious, never comfortable or peaceful. I am always worried, thinking about things that I cannot control. It is draining. I am physically tired of being on edge all the time. Sometimes it gets so bad i cant even do the simple things like go out to the supermarket. It sucks

Swimming, I think the trigger was the last-minute uncertainty about schools going back at the end of the Xmas hols. I’m a teacher and last term was hard enough; the last minute dithering by the powers that be seemed to trip a switch in my head. I actually vomited at work, I was so stressed.
That was only the trigger though; we’ve had months of cumulative stress and it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
On a positive note: I’ve booked my first counselling session for tomorrow and my lovely GP convinced me to keep on the fluoxetine as I’m probably past the worst side effects. We shall see...
Hugs to everyone on this thread xx

Well done for getting counselling lined up! Good therapy makes a huge difference. I’m much better now at accepting my anxiety rather than fighting against it all the time - anxiety especially in this bloody weird situation is understandable and not something to beat ourselves up over!

I’m trying to plan a slightly more productive month. My house is an absolute tip ATM - it had got a fair bit better in the first lockdown as I managed to declutter but motivation has seriously waned!

Yes, my house looks dingy and grubby because it’s constantly occupied! Trying to find the motivation to dust ..

@SingToTheSky

Hello. Long term anxious here. I only actually realised when I was in my mid twenties - my baseline is worrying about everything and I’d not even noticed it was abnormal 😳

I am autistic and was diagnosed with ADHD in 2019. Meds helped with the focus but being stimulants the anxiety got really awful over time and I needed beta blockers daily. I totally get what you mean with the physical symptoms. I’m now waiting for a different type of meds and desperately hoping they help without the crippling anxiety.

It’s worse at the moment because of lockdown and uncertainty. Sometimes I get really angry because the anxiety has me so on edge. Other times it’s just completely paralysing. My panic attacks are often barely visible to others because of this, it’s weird. I’m so bad at asking for help from DH when it’s flaring up.

Ah sing what a shit time for you. What happens when you don’t take your meds? Have you ever gone a period with out them?

I was given medication years ago after speaking to my GP, I had really bad anxiety and intrusive thoughts. I didn’t know what intrusive thoughts were back. I told the GP that I was arguing with myself in my head a lot to the point a voice was telling me to shut up. I took what he gave me and it wiped me out. I was like a zombie. I shown my cousin who is a pharmacist and she said they were anti psychotic drugs and to stop taking them and go back. But I never did. It’s put me off ever having something again.

I’m just so damn sleepy all of the time.

@ThatIsNotMyUsername

I wonder if it’s a gene...

My mum and her mum both struggle with it, so I do think there has to be at least a genetic predisposition to it.

Waving.

New to this. I've been through some fairly epic curve balls unscathed but work has just triggered huge anxiety.

I'm ringing the GP for an appointment. Today I felt hungover (I drink herbal tea in evening!) Sick, light-headed, headache. Chest hurts. Real "fight or flight" jitters.

It's all work based.....another teacher.

I can't go on like this.

My grandma was madder than a box of frogs, the other was very eccentric, and mum was definitely manic depressive. My brother is a terrible (or should that be bloody brilliant?) depressive with OCD.

Yup, Christmas as Username house was always a blast...

I'm not really sure how bad my anxiety has been as I'm so used to some level of it, but this last year I've had bouts of it just come out the blue and it's been much more severe.
Traditionally the worst things have been work and anxiety about my health conditions.

I also find it very hard to relax since having kids, used to meditate before that which put me in a much better place

I’m sure I’ve sais it before but i’ve started so i’ll finish... I’m so scarwd of the lithium. It means blood tests every week and I am PETRIFIED of needles. Like. Super scared. I need to learn to be brave quicker than Wednesday (first one). Any tips / advice for getting over anxiety of needles? I wish I was well enough to teach again, I moss my little (bigger than me haha) lovelies so vwry much. TIIA and no intention of hijacking a thread, I just nees a bit of help.