New here (NOT new to anxiety, fortunately or unfortunately!)

[Joe]

Hello group,

I have suffered with anxiety and depression much of my life; I'm middle-aged. Currently I am having a lot of generalized anxiety and I am coping, but in a lot of discomfort. I re-started an SSRI 2 months ago and the depression I was experiencing has improved, but the anxiety can still be bad, especially in the morning, despite using clonazepam (though that helps some).

I haven't used a support forum since the 1990s! It's kind of nice to see they are more or less the same format they are then.

I think many people with anxiety are really good people, which is part of what makes us worry. I feel a lot of compassion for anyone who has to go through what I am going through. Really, I wouldn't wish anxiety on my worst enemy. The kind I have is sort of inescapable and tends to dominate everything, and while I tend to obsessively worry about one or two issues, I can end up worrying about most anything -- despite my best efforts.

Thanks for hosting a group like this. I am looking forward to getting to know people here.

I hope everyone can feel a little better talking together here.

Joe

 

[Cuchculan]

Hey Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand.

Enough about music for now. Welcome to the forum. Good to have you as a member. I think we are all strong people. We have been up, we have been down. We have been up again. That about sums up the anxiety cycle. But we keep on going. Keep getting back up.

Have also been around anxiety forums for many the long year. Any roads, make yourself at home.

 

[Jonathan123]

Yeah!!! Welcome. GAD can be a real curse. It is so because of its highs and lows. This is not a bi-polar problem but typical of anxiety. Just when we think we are improving, WHAM!!! it hits us again. But that is the nature of the beast. The need to accept ourselves as we are and to take the rough with the smooth is so important.
There is nothing whatsoever to be gained in fighting 'IT'. Never!!! Give up the struggle. (Not give in!! That's entirely different). By that I mean let it all happen with complete acceptance. Not easy? Of course it's not, but what is in anxiety. I do know, been there!

 

[Joe]

Hey Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand.

Enough about music for now. Welcome to the forum. Good to have you as a member. I think we are all strong people. We have been up, we have been down. We have been up again. That about sums up the anxiety cycle. But we keep on going. Keep getting back up.

Have also been around anxiety forums for many the long year. Any roads, make yourself at home.

'I get up... I get down...' (where's the Jon Anderson icon? )

Thanks much for the wecome, Cuchculan (or should I write Cú Chulainn?)

We get knocked down, but we get up again...
but I been down so very damn long, that it looks like up to me? ;-)

Yeah!!! Welcome. GAD can be a real curse. It is so because of its highs and lows. This is not a bi-polar problem but typical of anxiety. Just when we think we are improving, WHAM!!! it hits us again. But that is the nature of the beast. The need to accept ourselves as we are and to take the rough with the smooth is so important.
There is nothing whatsoever to be gained in fighting 'IT'. Never!!! Give up the struggle. (Not give in!! That's entirely different). By that I mean let it all happen with complete acceptance. Not easy? Of course it's not, but what is in anxiety. I do know, been there!

Jonathan, I couldn't agree more! It does seem to be all about acceptance. And boy is that difficult! I am struggling and I am never going to give up. It has seemed easy at times, and just like you describe.... here I am again, in disbelief at how hard I'm hit again. What can we do, except our best? It's good to connect with you and others here.

 

[Sweet T]

Welcome. You should be proud of yourself for getting treatment and reaching out. I, like you, am middle aged, diagnosed with GAD (bonus mild OCD as well) recently but have had anxiety my whole life. Started Zoloft a few weeks ago. Helped a bit but not as much as I had hoped.

Honestly meditation has helped. It’s tough to start and I kept wondering if I was doing it right but I finally found a few things that work for me. I also see a therapist and started CBT. It’s hard to challenge our thoughts in the moment but I’m determined to feel better.

I wish you luck in your journey!

 

[LotusTree]

Welcome, Joe.

 

[Cuchculan]

Somebody who knows the Gaelic spelling of the name. I wrote it out this way thinking people would be able to pronounce it easier. Didn't work. They still haven't a clue how to say the name.

 

[Joe]

Somebody who knows the Gaelic spelling of the name. I wrote it out this way thinking people would be able to pronounce it easier. Didn't work. They still haven't a clue how to say the name.

i am not surprised! Conas a tá tú? (i'm actually a lot better at Scottish than Irish Gaelic...)

Welcome, Joe.

Thanks!

Welcome. You should be proud of yourself for getting treatment and reaching out. I, like you, am middle aged, diagnosed with GAD (bonus mild OCD as well) recently but have had anxiety my whole life. Started Zoloft a few weeks ago. Helped a bit but not as much as I had hoped.

Honestly meditation has helped. It’s tough to start and I kept wondering if I was doing it right but I finally found a few things that work for me. I also see a therapist and started CBT. It’s hard to challenge our thoughts in the moment but I’m determined to feel better.

I wish you luck in your journey!

Thanks Sweet T! I am a longtime meditator. I have a couple of retreats coming up so I am hoping those will help. I did tons of CBT back in the 1990s and currently use an app called Wysa and pay to have a 'therapist' (more a CBT coach) text with me every few days. She is actually rather helpful. My odd situation is that I'm a therapist myself. I know how to treat people with GAD, but I can't treat myself. That's how it goes. My education about this stuff helps, but sometimes I'm surprised at how little.

 

[cheer_mom]

Welcome! You will get a lot of support here. This forum has been a Godsend for me.

 

[Jonathan123]

I

i am not surprised! Conas a tá tú? (i'm actually a lot better at Scottish than Irish Gaelic...)

Thanks!

Thanks Sweet T! I am a longtime meditator. I have a couple of retreats coming up so I am hoping those will help. I did tons of CBT back in the 1990s and currently use an app called Wysa and pay to have a 'therapist' (more a CBT coach) text with me every few days. She is actually rather helpful. My odd situation is that I'm a therapist myself. I know how to treat people with GAD, but I can't treat myself. That's how it goes. My education about this stuff helps, but sometimes I'm surprised at how little.

I do know what you mean. I spent many years counselling others, but when it comes to me all my training goes out of the window!! 'Physician heal thyself'. I do not suffer anywhere near as much as I did, but I am an anxious person, you know what I mean. But that mild anxiety did allow me to emphasis with others because I had been where they were.
It is far better to talk to someone who has been there because they know. The big problem today is that many doctors still come out with the old phrase 'it's all in the mind' Of course it is, where else would it be, but what to do about it is our problem. But how could a young doctor who has no anxiety know? It can't be seen and diagnosis is difficult because there are no tests that can determine it's existence.
It's why mental health issues are so easily dismissed by the medics, and very little money is spent on the welfare of sufferers. Rather build a new royal yacht than spend the money on mental health!!

 

[Joe]

I


I do know what you mean. I spent many years counselling others, but when it comes to me all my training goes out of the window!! 'Physician heal thyself'. I do not suffer anywhere near as much as I did, but I am an anxious person, you know what I mean. But that mild anxiety did allow me to emphasis with others because I had been where they were.
It is far better to talk to someone who has been there because they know. The big problem today is that many doctors still come out with the old phrase 'it's all in the mind' Of course it is, where else would it be, but what to do about it is our problem. But how could a young doctor who has no anxiety know? It can't be seen and diagnosis is difficult because there are no tests that can determine it's existence.
It's why mental health issues are so easily dismissed by the medics, and very little money is spent on the welfare of sufferers. Rather build a new royal yacht than spend the money on mental health!!

Totally agree. I do think therapists who have suffered depression and/or anxiety are better with patients. I can't imagine treating all these people with the same degree of empathy if I hadn't been there myself. Even now, in the middle of an anxiety episode, I think it helps more than it hinders (but it does both; I'd rather be asymptomatic and do my best work when I'm happy).

What kind of counseling did you do, what kind of training? Were you in private practice?

 

[Cuchculan]

Ta me go maith. Agus tu Fein?

Scottish Gaelic can be a lot harder for us. Are some words we don't use in Irish Gaelic. Plus other words for other things.

 

[Jonathan123]

Ta me go maith. Agus tu Fein?

Scottish Gaelic can be a lot harder for us. Are some words we don't use in Irish Gaelic. Plus other words for other things.

Now that is interesting! There are eight different native languages spoken in the UK and Ireland. ( Not including those from ethnic groups). I think I am right in saying that Welsh is one of the oldest. I have enough problems with English let alone any others.

 

[Cuchculan]

In Ireland there are 4 dialects of the Irish language. Further North you go the more words begin to change. Then you go towards Scotland and there is a big change in the words. Manx is from the Isle of Mann. I doubt many would speak it. Wales have their own language too. Great if you are playing scrabble. The words are bloody huge. Suppose we have to include English as another language too. Not sure if you ever heard a Pikey speaking? We call them travellers. Good luck understanding them. It is English though. More the accent and the pace at which they speak at. You also have Cumbric, Cornish and Pictish. Though some of those last 3 would be all but gone in the modern day. Cornish still exists.

 

[Otherside]

Welcome

On the languages, Erm, at a guess -

English
Welsh
Scots Gaelic
Scots
Cornish
Ulter Scots
Irish Gaelic
Shelta

If we're counting Isle of Man and the Channel Islands -

Manx
Jerrais
Gernesias
Quite probably some from Sark, Alderney, can't think of the names off the top of my head though

If we're going to include Gibraltar theres Llanito I suppose.

Couldnt speak a word of Scots Gaelic. Do understand some Scots. Wouldnt ever be able to write in it though. Recognize some Welsh words.

Was a bit of a controversy recently with the Scots Language Wikipedia. Ended up mostly being written by an American teenager with a bizarre obsession with Scots. Only he got a lot of it wrong, and it wasnt Scots. Was told a few times it was wrong by Scots speakers from Scotland. But wouldn't hear any of it. Was adamant his translation was right.

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[Cuchculan]

Knew a person from the US once who belonged to a group who claimed to speak Gaelic. I could not understand one word of it. It was explained to me that it was their own language. In other words they made new words up just for the group. They were into all things Celtic. Using the whole Celt thing as a guide they all changed their names as well. This is what you can come up against. Made up Gaelic. Do we even call it Gaelic? As they just made the words up.

When they talk about the real Gaelic language they can break it up into old a new Gaelic. To explain a little bit. I like in Dublin. Now Dublin was originally a Gaelic word. Meaning Black pool. Black pool used to sit on the river Liffey. It was like a large area of water. Dubh means Black. Linn can mean pool. People know Dublin as an English word. We also have a Gaelic word for Dublin. Baile Atha Cliath. So what started off as a Gaelic word became an English word and then got a new Gaelic word for it. Many other examples of this kind of thing. Old and new Gaelic.

 

[Jonathan123]

Well, I seem to have got that all wrong didn't I? There are far more than eight obviously. I went to Glasgow once and it was difficult to understand a word of what was said, although it was English. In my youth, (my family came from Essex), I used to visit an old great uncle who was a ploughman. His daughter used to translate for me as his regional accent was hardly determinable to me, a Londoner. Just as I suppose cockney English is difficult for somewhere else in the UK. I know these are not languages in the sense of the word, but some almost qualify as such. I have a book about Robbie Burns, that great Scots poet. So much is difficult to understand in the Scottish way of writing in those days. Medieval English as in the King James version of the Bible and John Bunyan's 'Pilgrims Progress' is also difficult. but once one gets used to it, as in Shakespeare's plays, it has a rhythm all it's own. English is now the universal language, and it is a must for airline pilots and ships captains.
The interpretations of some English words from another language are also of interest. In a Japanese hotel is a sign in English. 'Please take advantage of the chambermaid'. I know what they mean, but colloquial English was not their strong point.

 

[Otherside]

Well, I seem to have got that all wrong didn't I? There are far more than eight obviously. I went to Glasgow once and it was difficult to understand a word of what was said, although it was English. In my youth, (my family came from Essex), I used to visit an old great uncle who was a ploughman. His daughter used to translate for me as his regional accent was hardly determinable to me, a Londoner. Just as I suppose cockney English is difficult for somewhere else in the UK. I know these are not languages in the sense of the word, but some almost qualify as such. I have a book about Robbie Burns, that great Scots poet. So much is difficult to understand in the Scottish way of writing in those days. Medieval English as in the King James version of the Bible and John Bunyan's 'Pilgrims Progress' is also difficult. but once one gets used to it, as in Shakespeare's plays, it has a rhythm all it's own. English is now the universal language, and it is a must for airline pilots and ships captains.
The interpretations of some English words from another language are also of interest. In a Japanese hotel is a sign in English. 'Please take advantage of the chambermaid'. I know what they mean, but colloquial English was not their strong point.

If you just rely on Google translate you get God awful translations.

Did get some pretty bad translations at times in Wales. Welsh language act meant a lot of stuff had to be in both English and Welsh. Would make the news. A shop selling "Wines and Spirits" being translated to "Wines and Ghosts", a sign warning cyclists to be aware of "inflamed bladders", Tesco offering free parking to "Bake the disabled".

Favourite one though remains the time that a company did request a professional translation for a roadsign, and received an "I am out of office" email back. They put "I am out of office" on the road sign.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[Jonathan123]

If you just rely on Google translate you get God awful translations.

Did get some pretty bad translations at times in Wales. Welsh language act meant a lot of stuff had to be in both English and Welsh. Would make the news. A shop selling "Wines and Spirits" being translated to "Wines and Ghosts", a sign warning cyclists to be aware of "inflamed bladders", Tesco offering free parking to "Bake the disabled".

Favourite one though remains the time that a company did request a professional translation for a roadsign, and received an "I am out of office" email back. They put "I am out of office" on the road sign.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Well. you sure had me laughing at that one. The other one in the Japanese hotel was 'This lift is only for six people under five'. A kids lift??

 

[MakUSA]

Welcome Joe, this is perfect place to be. This forum helped me in so many ways. Its good to know that there are so many people that have the same or similar anxiety as myself, and people that actually care and listen.