Catastrophic anxiety?
Posted , 7 users are following.
Anyone ever dealt with this? I have not been formally diagnosed with any anxiety disorder but I start counseling next week and I was worried it wouldn't help very much because I don't think I have GAD. Sounds silly, but the counseling I'll be getting is through my university's program and while they really do want to help, they see so many people that it's kind of a here's-what's-going-on and here's-how-to-deal-with-it situation and I was worried that I would get the same how-to-deal-with-it part as the hundreds of students they see for generalized anxiety.
I really had my doubts about generalized anxiety because while I do worry almost constantly, it's not over things like all of the work I have to do or how many people I'll end up seeing that day. I thought maybe I had health anxiety, but I have also worried incessantly about my own sudden death (I am only 20 and in near-perfect health) as well as a horrible disease or accident hurting one of my family members. Before anxiety took over my life, I also used to have panic attacks in situations where I thought gun violence could easily occur (at that time it'd been in the news frequently and I live in the US). One Saturday I was studying in the library with a few friends and in that library there is a staircase, and if you stand at the bottom of the staircase you can kind of see about the whole floor. I noticed there was a guy standing there with his hands in his pockets, headphones in, not saying anything. Just watching. I let it go for a while thinking he could've just been listening to a podcast or something. However he must have remained there for 30 minutes or so and somewhere in there, the unbelievably irrational thought that he may have been scoping out a proper time to commit and act of violence popped into my head, and then I could not get it out. I started imaging every scenario, which way I would leave, how far away I would get before I felt safe enough, etc. I actually had to get up and go for a 20 minute walk out of that room before I could come back and focus again. Later I felt really bad because I saw him working really hard on a project with other students.
That was not the only incidence of an event like that with my anxiety, and now it's only gotten worse. It surrounds mostly the idea of something awful very suddenly happening to me or one of my family members. If I have a headache, well it's probably a tumor and not a million other things. I know that's pretty common place, but I've been doing a lot of reading and a defining feature of catastrophic anxiety is that one often reacts to their thoughts like these things have actually happened to him or her, and I can say without doubt that I do that. Has anyone had experience with catostrophic anxiety? I think this is something I have experienced my entire life, but now it is catching up to me and has taken over my everyday life..
1 like, 24 replies
jmcg2014 amelia43385
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jmcg2014 amelia43385
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amelia43385 jmcg2014
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Thanks! I'm not really certain whether it is counseling or therapy, I kind of thought the two terms were interchangeable. However, I have found a lot of articles about catostrphic anxiety? It is the first time I have read something about anxiety and thought, wow, I fit that bill perfectly. I'll see how things go next week, but I think it's definitely something I want to address, as I just don't think I have GAD
antonio34719 amelia43385
Posted
Hey there, I experience the exact same thing with regards to my health. I believe it's called catastrophic thinking as opposed to catastrophic anxiety. It's really hard to be productive when every little sharp pain or headache makes you think it's something more sinister. I have been recently having terrible sleeps because I'm worried I won't wake up when I go to sleep. I've also been having these weird moments where if something good is happening I'm worried that it will have to be countered by something bad, so I try to just be pretty monotone. Therapy is definitely a good option and from what I understand CBT can be very helpful for people like us. Keep your chin up for now, utilize the resources you have and the people you have.
amelia43385 antonio34719
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Thanks! I'm wondering if the articles I have read just use the term anxiety in place of worry. But I have been going through exactly that, especially with the sleeping part! That's got to be the worst of it! I hate that feeling more than anything and I think about it all day. I am hoping the sessions I go to help and that this goes away quickly because I am just miserable
antonio34719 amelia43385
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Well, anxiety is basically the term used when worry gets out of hand. Everyone worries from time to time, but not everyone has anxiety. It's become normal for people to say they have anxiety, when in reality they just worry. When worrying impacts your daily life is when it becomes anxiety, from what I understand. The sleeping part is the worst honestly, I basically only sleep because. Too exhausted from the anxiety all day. It's a vicious cycle.
amelia43385 antonio34719
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Yeah, I mean this is just about all I can think about and I have had to pull out of a spring break trip and drop a class because of it. I would definitely say it has impacted my daily life, if not taken it over completely. So I just don't know where I'm at in terms of having an illness/needing to learn how to combat this worry. Sometimes I fear that no matter what anyone says to me, the thoughts will still control me. It's crazy.
I sleep because my doctor told me I need to aim for 8 hours a night if I ever wanted a chance at combating anxiety/headaches. I got 6 last night and I think I'm having a worse day this week because of it. I absolutely cannot fall asleep without saying a prayer and leaving a TV show on. I tried once to skip the TV but nearly had a panic attack before I fell asleep. Nothing I have ever experienced has been as horrible as that.
jmcg2014 antonio34719
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When anxiety starts being targeted towards health, it really is unpleasant, common for sure but really distressing. CBT is having a resurgence in popularity, mainly because it's quick and cheap to deliver, it can be successful for less complex forms of problems, but it doesn't work for many, but it's worth trying first before other forms of therapy
amelia43385 jmcg2014
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Yeah, I don't know if CBT is something that the place I'm going to employs or not. I would be happy to try it however! I really want to avoid medicine if I can, but I'd rather take medicine every day then feel like this every day.
john47751 amelia43385
Posted
What you're going through is one of the hardest parts of anxiety, the beginning. About 7 months ago I came to this forum broken, confused and damn near conviced that I was begining to go completely mental. The people here gave me allot of great advice and kindness. It made it allot easier to understand what I was going through.
Seeing a councelor is a good start BUT it would also be a good idea too check in with your doctor and maybe a physiatrist. Medication should be a last resort but if things get out of hand, its a great tool to help you as you go through counceling.
For me, I tried to do it without meds and for awhile I was doing ok but do to a progressively worsening home situation my anxiety got worse to the point were I developed horrible intrusive thoughts amoung other things.
My best advice to you friend is be open minded. If the doctors think you need meds then consider it and take them. The counceling you're about to take is NOT going to be a quick fix. It may take a long time to start feeling better but it'll be worth the hard work and wait. You'll have days were you'll feel good and days were you'll feel like absolute sh*t but you need to be tough and push through those hard times, Recovery from anxiety is possible but its a long hard road to recovery and many have recovered from it while others are still on that road.
Just know you're not alone friend..... recovery is possible and the people of this forum are willing to help as best they can.
amelia43385 john47751
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Yeah I have discussed it with my GP! I am doing counseling and I think they'll decide after a few sessions if I need to seek further treatment from a psychiatrist, which I also thankfully have quick access to. I am really hoping to avoid medicine, but if that's what it takes then I absolutely will do it. I hopefully won't need it - I think my anxiety is greatly fueled by the fact that I am away from home. I went home for spring break just last week after nearly a month of this, and I have never felt better. I was still anxious, but it was not constantly at the front of my mind. I move home for four months in just 7 weeks, so I am hoping that counseling will give me coping methods and a little bit of healing, and then hopefully, I will be able to take those and utilize them while I am home with my family.
If not, I don't think I am afraid of taking the medicine, but I am afraid of becoming dependent on it. I hope I can find a path to recovery that is relatively quick and easy. I have always been catastrophic thinker, but it has only been within the past month that I have really had this anxiety from it take over. I am hoping that because I recognized it quickly and got right into counseling, the road to recovery will be quicker. I really appreciate the encouraging words and I will be thinking of you and wishing you all the best in your recovery as well!
jmcg2014 amelia43385
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The problem is psychiatrists are essentially brain chemistry experts,, medication is their expertise. It's quite rare to find one who will want to be involved in therapy. A psychotherapist is the one you want for a non medicated approach, which in many cases work better than meds
amelia43385 jmcg2014
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Good to know, thanks! I think the university psychiatry clinic is called such but actually has both. If not, it is a large city and I'm sure I can find a good therapist around here somewhere. I appreciate your advice!window.post_1489089201272_12 = function(win,msg){
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borderriever amelia43385
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If your Anxiety is catching up on you it needs treatment. The type of Anxiety you have can have its own unanticipated problems and they in certain ways could have far reaching concerns for you and others.
Therefore discuss this with your Doctor and see if He can arrange some form of help to control your fears.
In the UK we do not have the fear of gun culture as America has, so you may need Specialist Treatment
BOB
amelia43385 borderriever
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Thank you! I am not seeing anyone until Wednesday but it is lined up! I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for your help!
borderriever amelia43385
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Remember you can always come back on this Forum if needed.
Good Luck
Keep a hold
BOB
amelia43385 borderriever
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borderriever amelia43385
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Please stop Googling
BOB
amelia43385 borderriever
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Haha oh yeah, I am definitely trying to kick that habit! It's most certainly gotten better in the last few weeks. Thanks!