anxiety related questions

[festiveface]

i keep describing my problem as suffering from anxiety but i'm not sure it is. maybe irrational worry.

obviously i know that awful adrenaline, butterflies and feeling of dread feeling but is suffering anxiety when you feel this without an obvious worry to cause it?

i am a born worrier but i really dwell on illness related stuff.

i am often really really frightened of my kids becoming ill. If they do show signs of illness i am really scared that it's going to be something awful.
i feel sometimes that i can't cope with how worried i feel and subsequently can't deal effectively with illness/accidents etc
because my heads already in bits.

i often don't want to be left alone but then also find it terribly hard to go for a night out without my kids because i don't trust someone elses judgement.

i don't think i'm explaining this very well but it's really impacting on my life. I want a magic cure!

and i wish i had changed my name now

Lustral and counselling can help. Well, it helped me at least.

I felt as you do, with periods of feeling extreme hopelessness that I couldn't shake.

I have PND. Again.

Have you seen anyone about this?

festive face - have you seen my thread about my dh? Not much help but really interesting that you relate your anxiety to illness. When dh had his first it started with nightmares about birdflu. He says he's always had quite a deep-seated fear of illness. He hasn't mentioned illness this time round. But you are not alone!

I am a worrier, but I think your problem sounds more complex than that. I think you need to see your GP as expat has already suggested. These feelings are not normal. The great thing is you seem to recognise that they are not, and hopefully that means you can get some help in the forms of counselling, medication or both. I really hope you are feeling better soon. Please go and see your doctor and say exactly as you have said here.

Hi Festive
It might feel like the end of the world.
And that you are one suffering with this.
But their is a lot of people out their with the same problem as you have.
I hope this might make you feel better know you not suffering a lone.
I suffer from anxiety my shelf and suffering for 7 year now. At the time i thought I was loss my marbles.
I use to stay in THE house never go out or doctor or go up stair staff room in school.
I had fear of passing out and when poor i though something awlful Happen too me.
I dew have a smear test and it took my mum take me their and when got surgery my gave smelling salt this help me not feel i was not pass out
My gp did the smear test and he took a blood test and also#
He sent counselling I HAD FOR six MORTH
But i had Panick attack.
BUT AFTER that i went back to the doctors and ask him to sent me ash grove for anxiety group .
THIS WHERE YOU SIT GROUP AND TALK TO PEOPLE LIKE SHELF WHO SUFFER SAME AS YOU.
and you have relaxtion as make relax more.
AND ALSO THEIR TWO Councellors IN ROOM TOO help you. I went their for twelves weeks.
This gave me comfidents in your shelf by talking to group help you to relaxes and feel if weight of your mind .
I ALSO TAKE ANT DEPRESSION tables this help me feel more relaxs a cope with my anxiety.
I am how feel more Confident about shelf.
BUT Still slip into. back old ways.
But i remind my shelf what thy told me at my anxiety class.
YOU YOUR Shelf could go gp ask sent to counselling session and may gave some tablet carm you shelf dowN so can cope better.
IT is not easy at frist but time it only get better. You may get over it all togther but you will be able cope with it better.

I hope this has been useful.

hi festiveface. first, don't worry about your name!

what you describe is definitely anxiety, and there are loads of things that can help.

GP sometimes treat anxiety with AD's or as others have suggeted, counselling, but there are other things that also help - things you can do yourself that can put the brakes on and help you get back in control of your thoughts and worries.

when you are feeling bad, make a list. On the left put your worries - on the right put what you can do about it. This really helps at night, or before an event, (like a night out or family occasion).

Go back to your list, (but only when you're feeling good) and you will find that you can start to recognise legitimate concerns from exagerated ones caused by your anxiety. As soon as you can start to tell them apart, you are on your way to feeling better. I know this from experience. Its hard and it takes a lot of self examination but it works and its worth it. And don't blame yourself for your anxieites because this is a very real illness and is not your fault. but like everything else, your attitude towards it makes all the difference and if you "take the bull by the horns" you will instantly start to feel better because you will start to remember that you are a very capable person who is just having a bad time at the moment! you CAN do this! good luck

You're not alone Festiveface. I am currently having Cogniative behavioural therapy for the same type of anxiety , I've only had 3 sessions so far but find it is really helping. Your HV or GP can refer you. Please do somethign about getting help, don't let it get any worse because it really can take over your life.

Festiveface......ive got social anxiety(or HAD as id like to think!!) and the hardest part for me,and also the big turning point was making the first step to getting help! I think admitting to someone else other than my family is what brought it home,and made me deal with it! I was EXHAUSTED when i came out of the doctors too,its amazing how much it drains you!
i got put on citalopram(the lowest dose) and had to see a confidence building therapist. She was FANTASTIC! Dont ever for one minute think that these ppl will ridicule you or anything like that!! All theyre interested in,is making you feel better and helping you!
I shocked my therapist cos i got over my issues faster than she imagined,and im MUCH much better now!
I still over think about things and think the worst possible outcomes, BUT the difference is that now i have power over the thoughts and i dont let them spiral!! The therapist showed me ways of dealing with them and not letting them be the big issue!
I really hope you can get yourself some help with this,it honestly will make you feel a LOT better when u notice that those thoughts/worries dont take priority!
GOOD LUCK and keep smilin

thanx very much for the advice, i really appreciate it.
one of the things that makes me feel worse is that dh cannot understand and gets on at me about it so i don't feel like i have anyone to fall back on, so, replies and advice on here is reassuring

katyrocks, writing it down sounds a good idea. I'll be like that one from the mr men, Mr Worry, with a massive long list!