Anxiety hope!!!!
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi all.. i have been diagnosed with GAD and severe health anxiety. As any of you know that suffer from this awful life dibalitating mental illness, you will be aware that everyday is a struggle just to make it out of bed daily. Over a year and a half ago, after a run in with my boss, i started having panic attacks. As my company wernt very helpful with mental illness they tried all ways to push me out and eventaully suceeded as the pressure they were putting me under lead to GAD (eventually i quit losing my 20k salary).. i started experiencing daily health issues such as; headaches, chestpain,faceflushes, nausia,dizziness, brainfog, pins and needles, loss of feeling in limbs, strange sensations in my arms, ibs, neck and back pain, and the list goes on.. i went to the doctors and they gave me a full bill of health.. prescribed medication on numerous times that made my.blood pressure drop or make me feel really sick for weeks..so i decided to do CBT therapy and go cold turkey on no meds for my anxiety! CBT was good and telling someone how you feel is paramount as you do feel like your going or are crazy most days... so heres what i did when that didnt work.. i started eating(sounds simple), i found mostly i was feeling sick and weak as i wasnt eating enough.. everything that put the fear of god in me like dealing with bills etc i did when i got up each morning, out the way straight away! I started walking my dog more often( tough at first but three weeks and you can break the cycle of feeling fear when your out, i kept note each day of all my.physical symptoms and moods so when i got a month in, i would wake up with the symptoms and be able to reference that i had had them before.. i explained to all my freinds and family exactly where i was at, so if there was a meal or family venue not to exclude me, but i more than likely not be there and i started to laugh more! Yep, laugh... its the best medicine for anything!!!! I will also tell you the things i had to STOP doing... GOOGLE...do not ever google your symptoms(go to the doctors)... have a heart rate monitor on my phone..stayed off facebook and other political, highly motivated subjects... AVOIDANCE(anything that seemed tough) im still no where near over anxiety, but i am much better..i can now tell when im genuinly feeling ill or anxious.. i can leave the house and not feel like im gonna colapse.. reading this you might think easier said than done, but stay calm have faith in yourself no matter how bad it gets and you will also feel this way.. if you have at least one better day than the one before, pat yourself on the back as one good day will lead to another... hope all you guys out there who read this can take something frome it ❤ peace x
4 likes, 22 replies
simoneg kelly13282
Posted
I understand where you are coming from. I've been dealing with symptoms daily. Heart palps, rapid heart rate with minimal exertion, heart races when standing, feeling faint, headaches & head pressure, chest pains, all kinds of stuff you name it. I downloaded an app on my phone & I check my heart rate constantly... I have so for the past 6 months & I can't seem to break it. I've had multiple test done and both my PCP and cardiologist say I'm healthy but I can't seem to accept it. Can anxiety alone really cause you to feel this way?
rafael95204 simoneg
Posted
Hey simon. I suffer from anxiety and I'm experiencing the same symptoms you and Kelly have been to ER numerous times and all come back normal I'm 34 years old. so I'm assuming it is just anxiety.. today I'm seeing my primary hopefully he can shed some light. Hope we all feel better from this burden.
helen20833 kelly13282
Posted
One of the things I have learned from this forum, and one which I stand before you all humbled and deeply moved, is that no matter where you are, beginning, middle or ending, of your journey along the road to recovering from AD, you all reach out to help others
No matter how hard your suffering is at that moment you do not hesitate to offer advive and solace. .I myself have stumbled along the path many a time. Your words have lifted me up from my knees and back up on my feet.
Your unselfishness is a beautiful thing and one of which each and every one of you should stand tall and proud.
From the depths of my heart I thank you one and all.
helen20833
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kelly13282 helen20833
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Guest kelly13282
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Hi Kelly, thank you so much for sharing your experience. I've had lifelong anxiety issues and it has become much worse in the last few years. It sounds like you're taking a lot of important steps toward taking care of and looking out for yourself. That is something I need to do, too. CBT has been recommended to me and I hope it may help. Don't know if you are familiar with ACT, but it did not work for me. You have been through a lot and it means a lot that you are willing to share to help others. Thanks again.
kelly13282 Guest
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helen20833 kelly13282
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Didn't work for me either for exactly the same reason
Guest kelly13282
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My mom has terrible anxiety and has said she believes she has GAD. She also says that anxiety is "learned" and that I learned it from her. But beyond that, she has never pursued treatment and, to be frank, never will because that's not how she is. But I don't want to keep suffering; it is ruining my life. I had the same issue with ACT that you describe with CBT - it made me feel more anxious and under more pressure. The approach started out with making a list of every single thing I do to avoid bad feelings and just went downhill from there because it was too much to confront at once. In fact, I believe that list became a trigger to do those things more - once you get into habitual behavior, it's extremely difficult to break that habit, especially if it seems comforting, or at least gets your mind off things. For me, it's all affecting my self-care and health. I don't know if anyone I know has done CBT.
Guest helen20833
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helen20833 Guest
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CBT set goals for me and thus added the pressure to succeed. If I "failed" the disappointment crushed me and then it added the worry over failing yet again. And whilst wouldn't discourage anyone from any help out there, in my case it was a disaster.
We all heal in our own way and our own time..Knowledge is the power. Learning all you can, reading the experiences of others you learn from them. ( It's a far healthier option than googling symptoms and frightening yourself half to death.)Only then can you form a judgement about the wisest way for you to deal with your problems.
Because let's not forget we are all individual and lumping us together under the umbrella of one treatment is not necessarily the best way forward..but I hasten to add that is only my opinion.
Guest helen20833
Posted
Well said, Helen! I see where you are coming from here, and that sounds a lot like why ACT didn't work for me. We were writing goals and steps to reach them and that, coupled with my list of things that I do to avoid bad feelings, was too much. You and I have that in common - the "failure" would hurt and I would worry more - I know that all too well about myself. A gentler, more meaningful approach would be a great help. You are right about learning from others' experiences - it is much better than searching for things blankly online, feeling all alone out there! And I certainly agree with you about individuality - what works for one doesn't necessarily work for everyone. Thank you for this helpful post!
helen20833 Guest
Posted
Well I'm glad I'm not the only one bottom of the CBT class!
trying to "Make " people do things, in my opinion, is the worst way to deal with AD/depression. It merely enhances one's awareness of impending failure and makes them feel inadequate.
kelly13282 helen20833
Posted
Exactly why i stopped going... the pressure of expectation was too much and i used to get really anxious waiting to go!! Im much better at working it out my self rather than someone telling me. I think when my therapist said i was very "strong willed"... i thought,she knows im not doing what she is telling me ??...it does work for some though, just not me! My pal that i met through walking my dog also has anxiety and he has really helped me.. not because of advice... but more through when he has a bad day i seem to step up and vice versa.. then when we both have a bad day we totally understand each other... its good to have an anxiety buddy as you totally understand what they are going through..and we never really talk about anxiety neither, just at first... its all about believing in your self and cracking on!! Give everything a go tho x
Guest helen20833
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Bogmonster Guest
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CBT was a dud for me. Cognative Analytical Therapy did help. It was quite intense and went on for about 8 months. It is a one-to-one therapy. I had a big falling out with my therapist and we had to start over agin. It looks at why you behave and think the way you do, it explores your past, particularly your childhood. The therapist maps out your thought peocesses and helps you identify unhelpful patterns of thought. You then work on 'exits' which are ways of trying to get out of the rut of your unhelpful thoughts. It is a long slow process and not something you can change overnight. Success is measured in tiny improvements. 1st off is recognising your unhelpful thoughts. Next comes trying the exits. It can be quite intense and demanding. I don't think it is recommnded until you are stable enough to handle the therapy. For me that meant 8 months on elephant size doses of anti-depressants coupled with anti-psychotics.
CBT didn't work for me as it was all too obvious and seamed to patronise me. I think for those who can't cope with the pressure of CBT, maybe you are not mentally stable enough to deal with it? Unpleasant as it is, drugs can add that stabilization.
BW, BM.
Guest kelly13282
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I like the idea of having a buddy because I wouldn't feel threatened by expectations. The biggest reason why I didn't follow through w/ACT or start something else like CBT is that I'd like to have a more laid-back approach. With the ACT group, we met in a classroom in an office building. It would definitely be better for me to talk one-on-one with someone and not necessarily a therapist. The ACT class was taught by a psychologist who was friendly but intimidating, too, and she had kind of a forceful personality.
Guest Bogmonster
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