Here to help.

[Chris]

Summers which medication do you recommend? I have GAD and basically anxious 27/7.

 

[PeggyJoan]

Thank you Peggy. I do agree about the insecurity as a child. I suppose in my case, it was the divorce of my parents and the insecure circumstances that followed. I so think that experiences of uncertainty, lose of control and insecure circumstances lead to forms of anxiety in later life.

Rinka, I couldn't agree more! A divorce is often life-shattering for a child. In my case my father drank and my mother was completely distant. I felt alone and scared as a child. I remember it vividly. But, we can help each other on our journey to managing our anxiety and living good peaceful lives.

 

[triceps]

I have anxiety on a daily basis. I feel dread from the moment I wake up. I am stressed over the fact I need to eat each day, shower, I'm bored by life and the only time I'm really calm is when I'm reading self help books. I'm unable to work because my anxiety is so bad. I struggle to be around people and get very scared to leave the house.

I have my good moments but for the most part I have to fight hard to not stress about the past and be fearful of the future.

I feel extremely needy and struggle to take care of myself. Terrified of how I'm going to support myself. For now I have somewhere to live but if I can't work what am I going to do with my life?

*sigh* I try so hard to focus on the positive and just get through each day

I'm right there with you. Minor things, just the typical daily tasks, (poop, shower, eating etc.) become a big thing and are hard to push myself to take care of. I was able to get on disability which provides $1400/month and after a year was provided with medicare. Thankfully, my wife is very understanding, particularly with my generally being unable to leave the house.

 

[Hurt&Hopeful]

Thank you Peggy. I do agree about the insecurity as a child. I suppose in my case, it was the divorce of my parents and the insecure circumstances that followed. I so think that experiences of uncertainty, lose of control and insecure circumstances lead to forms of anxiety in later life.

I absolutely agree, Rinka! I know that I had a lot of good things growing up, but there was mental illness and instability in my house, and my environment was very unpredictable. I didn't feel 'safe.' And I think it's directly related to not feeling safe as an adult...the GOOD news is that trauma-based anxiety is treatable, right? I was told for many years that I was just born with an anxiety disorder, and there was nothing I could do except learn to cope. I don't believe that anymore .

 

[PeggyJoan]

I absolutely agree, Rinka! I know that I had a lot of good things growing up, but there was mental illness and instability in my house, and my environment was very unpredictable. I didn't feel 'safe.' And I think it's directly related to not feeling safe as an adult...the GOOD news is that trauma-based anxiety is treatable, right? I was told for many years that I was just born with an anxiety disorder, and there was nothing I could do except learn to cope. I don't believe that anymore .

Adrienne, I cringed when I read you were 'born with an anxiety disorder'. That's just a hopeless dead-end diagnosis and totally false. And yes, trauma-based anxiety can be treated! Maybe, probably, we will always have bouts of anxiety, but the difference is we can learn ways to control it and not let it control us. Yeah, that feeling safe thing is huge. I thought by age 70 I would no longer have these issues. Wrong. But that's okay. Again, I believe by not having that perfect charmed life we learned non-judgment and compassion.
Peggy

 

[Hurt&Hopeful]

Adrienne, I cringed when I read you were 'born with an anxiety disorder'. That's just a hopeless dead-end diagnosis and totally false. And yes, trauma-based anxiety can be treated! Maybe, probably, we will always have bouts of anxiety, but the difference is we can learn ways to control it and not let it control us. Yeah, that feeling safe thing is huge. I thought by age 70 I would no longer have these issues. Wrong. But that's okay. Again, I believe by not having that perfect charmed life we learned non-judgment and compassion.
Peggy

Yes yes yes!!! My father struggles with anxiety, and so did his mother. I watched my grandmother suffer so much - when she was a young woman (1950's), they treated it as 'female hysteria' and gave her a hysterectomy. She did electroshock treatments. She was heavily medicated (read:drugged). So she lost hope and became very bitter - she developed a horrible Ativan addiction and died miserable. I have spent so many years terrified of that future...But I KNOW that's not my life. We know so much more now about anxiety, panic, trauma, all of it. We have options. And we have choices. I look at you, Peggy, and see that it is possible to still deal with anxiety but live a full life, helping and serving others at any age. Thank you for showing me that! The cycle can be broken...

 

[MasterRoshi]

Hey guys/girls,

I'm new here, and I'm sort of an "anxiety survivor". After a lot of work and long suffering, I was able to overcome crippling anxiety to the point where...I don't feel anxiety very much at all anymore.

I remember thinking when I was going through all of it,"If I just had someone that truly understood what I was going through to talk to, this might be a lot easier. If I just knew someone that beat this that could help me".

I feel like I could provide a few really good tips (depending on your situation) that really helped me overcome this. I hate the fact that there are so many people out there struggling with this.

So let's start with, what kind of an anxiety are you all feeling? Mine was health and then it turned into anxiety about getting anxiety.

Please read my first post, and help me.

Reading your post I am now sobbing cuz I can’t believe someone can no longer have anxiety... I feel so stuck and completely lost and hopeless...

https://www.anxietycommunity.com/in...y-is-so-complicated-can’t-figure-it-out.3010/

 

[PeggyJoan]

Yes yes yes!!! My father struggles with anxiety, and so did his mother. I watched my grandmother suffer so much - when she was a young woman (1950's), they treated it as 'female hysteria' and gave her a hysterectomy. She did electroshock treatments. She was heavily medicated (read:drugged). So she lost hope and became very bitter - she developed a horrible Ativan addiction and died miserable. I have spent so many years terrified of that future...But I KNOW that's not my life. We know so much more now about anxiety, panic, trauma, all of it. We have options. And we have choices. I look at you, Peggy, and see that it is possible to still deal with anxiety but live a full life, helping and serving others at any age. Thank you for showing me that! The cycle can be broken...

Adrienne, thank *you*! Your story about your grandmother resonates big time. Oh dear, shock treatments, female hysteria, addiction to tranquilizers, etc. were all in my family as well. (Something funny and awful: there was a time when it was thought the uterus {wandering womb} moved around in the woman, creating insantiy) And a huge amen that anxiety is viewed completely differently now. I am so happy we 'met'!

 

[Rinka]

Hi Rinka! I used to care about that a lot as well. Well, I still do, but not to the extent of fear or anxiety. My honest answer is, as I became closer to God and really tried to actually practice Christianity, I learned and accepted that only His opinion matters. I know that answer is not for everyone, but that's my first thought.

My second thought is exactly what Peggy said, make sure you aren't a gossiper as well (which you aren't). That was (is) my problem, I talk about other people sometimes and it makes me insecure that they are talking about me.

Third, its probably just a phase. How long have you dealt with this issue? Is this the first time this kind of thing has happened?

Thank you

 

[Summers]

Summers which medication do you recommend? I have GAD and basically anxious 27/7.

Chris, anxiety medications do tend to vary based on the person. That being said, Viibryd really worked for me. As I've said before, I would have been okay with just dealing with minor anxiety. However, with the steps I've taken, I don't even have minor anxiety anymore.

 

[Summers]

I absolutely agree, Rinka! I know that I had a lot of good things growing up, but there was mental illness and instability in my house, and my environment was very unpredictable. I didn't feel 'safe.' And I think it's directly related to not feeling safe as an adult...the GOOD news is that trauma-based anxiety is treatable, right? I was told for many years that I was just born with an anxiety disorder, and there was nothing I could do except learn to cope. I don't believe that anymore .

This sounds like my life story! I was also told by some very smart people that you are born with anxiety disorder, and you will have to deal with it your whole life. But I'm proof that it just isn't true.

 

[Hurt&Hopeful]

Adrienne, thank *you*! Your story about your grandmother resonates big time. Oh dear, shock treatments, female hysteria, addiction to tranquilizers, etc. were all in my family as well. (Something funny and awful: there was a time when it was thought the uterus {wandering womb} moved around in the woman, creating insantiy) And a huge amen that anxiety is viewed completely differently now. I am so happy we 'met'!

Me too, Peggy. What an encouragement this forum has been...and yes, the 'wanderinf womb' business is just mind-boggling. What?!

 

[AbejaReina]

I'm right there with you. Minor things, just the typical daily tasks, (poop, shower, eating etc.) become a big thing and are hard to push myself to take care of. I was able to get on disability which provides $1400/month and after a year was provided with medicare. Thankfully, my wife is very understanding, particularly with my generally being unable to leave the house.

I'm glad you were able to get the help you need! That's wonderful and gives me hope

 

[Chris]

Chris, anxiety medications do tend to vary based on the person. That being said, Viibryd really worked for me. As I've said before, I would have been okay with just dealing with minor anxiety. However, with the steps I've taken, I don't even have minor anxiety anymore.

Thanks for the reply, my doctor has offered my zoloft. I’ll see how that goes.

So you don’t need any medication now? You’re completely anxiety free without needing to take anything?

Man I wish I was in your position...

 

[Summers]

Thanks for the reply, my doctor has offered my zoloft. I’ll see how that goes.

So you don’t need any medication now? You’re completely anxiety free without needing to take anything?

Man I wish I was in your position...

Chris, I still take Viibryd. I have a long family history of depression. Frankly, I don't want to risk getting off of it. Everyone is different. We'll see if this works for you. But I promise you one of them will be the right one for you.

 

[Chris]

Thanks I feel quite uplifted by that. How long did it take to find the right med for you? (Apologies if you’ve already answered this to someone else)

 

[Summers]

Thanks I feel quite uplifted by that. How long did it take to find the right med for you? (Apologies if you’ve already answered this to someone else)

Luckily, it was first try for me. If Zoloft doesn't seem to be working for you, ask your doctor about Viibryd (ha, I sound like a commercial!).

 

[Chris]

Luckily, it was first try for me. If Zoloft doesn't seem to be working for you, ask your doctor about Viibryd (ha, I sound like a commercial!).

Yes you do lol. Just googled Viibryd, unfortunately it doesn’t look like it’s available in the UK.

 

[brtmdo]

Hey guys/girls,

I'm new here, and I'm sort of an "anxiety survivor". After a lot of work and long suffering, I was able to overcome crippling anxiety to the point where...I don't feel anxiety very much at all anymore.

I remember thinking when I was going through all of it,"If I just had someone that truly understood what I was going through to talk to, this might be a lot easier. If I just knew someone that beat this that could help me".

I feel like I could provide a few really good tips (depending on your situation) that really helped me overcome this. I hate the fact that there are so many people out there struggling with this.

So let's start with, what kind of an anxiety are you all feeling? Mine was health and then it turned into anxiety about getting anxiety.

yes. anxiety about getting anxiety. how did you get off that merry go round

 

[Summers]

yes. anxiety about getting anxiety. how did you get off that merry go round

Hey there, welcome to the board. Read my post on the first page of this thread. I detailed what helped me get past it.

Let me know if you have any questions after reading that.