Is your anxiety lifelong, or something new?

[NormaD]

My anxiety started when I got divorced and I was depressed for a while. I was 34 at the time. I had had one or two episodes or panic attacks before when some really serious tragedies had taken place in my life, but now it seems like it's here to stay...

 

[Tshaka]

I'am starting to think that anxiety is lifelong. I was around 12 when I started being anxious for no apparent reason and it has only increased over the years. One of the most disturbing feelings in the world is extreme anxiety and panic attacks. I do believe amid the social and racial climate in America, anxiety has only increased over the years due to the advent of social media. I think anxiety is mostly psychological rather than emotional.

 

[fuzyon]

I haven't always suffered from anxiety, it's something relatively recent that started in my first year of high school. I think it's probably due to the fact that I got more aware of the world and how it works and that lead to my mind going a thousand thoughts per minute over every possible scenario, it's a tiring feeling. DDNL is right, after a while anxiety becomes a habit, something you don't even think about anymore but it's a part of you. That's really scary.

 

[It'sJaz]

I've always had it but didn't know until about 14. It went undiagnosed and I never told anyone how I was feeling, until I stumbled on an online quiz for mental disorders and it scored me with a few problems. I know I shouldn't believe the internet but I was curious so read up on it, and found the descriptions fit exactly how I'm feeling, so I went to check up on it. I have stopped seeing anyone about my anxiety but know I still have it.

 

[Corzhens]

I can't say I am a happy go lucky person because I am serious with my schooling and now with my career as a bank employee. And my only health issue is hypertension which was discovered some 10 years ago when I felt so dizzy. I didn't know that during that time when I was prescribed maintenance medication, I was already starting to develop anxiety problems. I have to admit that it is my job which is giving me the apprehension (real or imagined) that I am edgy at times. It's a good thing that I can still handle myself without the help of medication although the doctor had already prescribed me something to ease my mind before anxiety could really attack me. Maybe I am fortunate because my sister is a nurse and her husband is a physician so at least I get free consultations and referrals as well.


By the way, my husband had experienced his first anxiety attack when he lost his job in 1992. But that's another story.

 

[JGunterman]

My anxiety has definitely been lifelong. My whole family has had experiences with anxiety, and they started seeing it affect me when I was really young (maybe around 7). My biological father died when I was around that age and that definitely triggered it and made it much more noticeable among family members. I've definitely found ways to cope with it since I was diagnosed. Medication helps, along with just doing things that I enjoy. Getting diagnosed at such a young age helped me learn to cope with it as I grew older. I've learned about various things that help me as a result of having it for such a large chunk of my life.

 

[mauricioq]

Nop, not always. I think I first started to feel anxiety at 16 years old. I wasn't very confident in myself so that always hold me back a lot and started to make feel anxious in a lot of occasions. Nowadays I'm better, I trust way more in myself, but it was very hard.

 

[bangtanboys]

i really don't want to confuse my anxiety with my introvertness or self consciousness. I mean, my whole life I've always been one to worry too much, but I wouldn't really consider that as anxiety either. I think my anxiety only really started when I entered college, when making new friends started becoming more difficult. I don't party, nor do I dorm, so making new friends was near impossible because of the whole college culture here. It was a new experience.... being alone all the time. I started thinking "wow, is this going to be the rest of my life?"


I'm still in university now, but I've grown accustomed to my lack of friends in real life because I've made many friends online. Additionally, I'm still working on beating my social anxiety,

 

[NormaD]

My anxiety started when I got divorced and I was depressed for a while. I was 34 at the time. I had had one or two episodes or panic attacks before when some really serious tragedies had taken place in my life, but now it seems like it's here to stay...

 

[rz3300]

Well it is actually kind of hard to say, and I am always asking myself or wondering to myself if I was like this as a kid. I want to assume that I was just a normal kid who was out playing with everyone getting all dirty, but I cannot help but think that even back then I was a little reserved. That being said, I am pretty sure that I have had issues my entire life, but they really started to become noticeable in school. When I started constantly being around people my own age, it was pretty apparent that I needed some help.

 

[Sue]

I have always had anxiety even from a very young age but it got worse once I got married. I was in a verbally/mentally abusive marriage for a very long time and I was constantly walking on eggshells not wanting to upset him because I knew what would follow. Whenever he was in one of those moods I would get that anxious feeling. I would ever get physically sick from it. After my marriage ended the anxiety continued though. I believe the damage was already done. I am always expecting the worse.

 

[Deeishere111]

I have not always had anxiety. I think with mine it has to be something that triggers it, with the exception of water. I am not sure why I was so terrified of the big ocean but I did get over it. I just never learn how to swim and my fear has kept me from learning. I mean I tried and failed. It has been awhile since I tried to swim so maybe at my age, it will be different. I know one thing that has helped me is something I heard this guy say in a book. He stated that people are people no matter who they are. So like you said since we all have issues and fears it is not as bad as we think. When I had to give presentations in front of people, I had to remember, they are just like me.