Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

Just wondering how many of us suffer from some type of anxiety, diagnosed or not. The death thread and another recent thread about hypochondria got me thinking.

I have never been diagnosed with anything (because I’ve never sought treatment) but I’m pretty sure I have some sort of anxiety issues. In some circumstances I can be a really bad hypochondriac. Googling and googling a condition obsessively. Other times I’ll just generally be in an anxious fog, not even sure what I’m anxious about (usually there is nothing specific). The crazy part, for me, is how real the physical effects can be. Which sucks when you already are anxious about your health! lol

For me it’s not a daily thing that interferes with my life, it just pops up sometimes. I will probably seek treatment if it starts to negatively impact my life more.

Anyway just wanted to see who else is out there. Sorry for another darkish thread

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

I deal with anxiety, but when I ate squeaky clean [not even coffee or alcohol] my anxiety was practically non-existent. And when I would drink a coffee or a glass of wine [those days] it would hit me quick & hard.

I eat [not-so] clean these days and the anxiety is back. I take a supplement and cbd. I exercise to keep it at bay too.

Hormonal disruptions also affect me big time. And these days there are a lot of things that easily disrupt my hormonal balance.

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

For the past year I have been having random anxiety issues. I guess similar to panic attacks in that they come from out of nowhere but they are not as severe as panic attacks. I used to have panic attacks when I was younger but I haven't had a severe one in close to 20 years. But knowing that I am trying to keep that at bay, I did start exercising regularly which has definitely helped. I definitely think my hormones have a lot to do with it (TMI warning...I posted about the hypochondria. 3 days later I got my period again, for the second time this month, really bad so I'm thinking that's what was causing my crazy last week). I'm VERY resistant to any meds because, knowing myself, I could see myself becoming dependent on it. I just bought a CBD stick that I thought I would try out when needed.

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

I was diagnosed with panic disorder almost 20 years ago. Started a few months after a major car accident and didn’t stop, well, ever. I was on Paxil and Ativan 4x a day for years. I warned myself off of the Paxil after a few years of behavioral therapy. The attacks still come on but not nearly as much and I just take Xanax when It gets too bad to get through it.

There are so many of us who suffer. More so those who are undiagnosed and go to drugs and alcohol to help. I know of a handful of people who are in AA and NA and it winds up they had anxiety issues. Once on meds and the right therapy, they are sober. It’s really something

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

Never diagnosed, but I definitely suffer from anxiety. I had panic attacks starting when I was a teenager until my late 20's.
It has gotten so much better because I think with age, I have learned to say fukk it to a lot of things/situations. But, I am still a very anxious person. I was raised by the queen of anxiety, so that is prob where it comes from.

Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

I have anxiety but it’s more with situational experiences. I’m claustrophobic so going on planes and small elevators makes me anxious. Just thinking about being stuck on a plane for hours makes me anxious. Driving on the side of mountains with no railings freaks me out (I didn’t drive to the top of a 14,000 ft mountain in Colorado with my family because I was too scared. I stayed at one of the rest stops and waited for them).

Message edited 10/23/2019 6:45:42 PM.

Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

My panic attacks began during a winter where myself and my daughter continually became sick. Very sick. Now any sicknesses trigger my attacks so I dread the winter especially. I can’t even enjoy the holidays anymore. Ive since learned to cope with my attacks but every once in a while it overcomes me. It’s the most horrible feeling in the world.

And I agree with a previous poster. Coffee/alcohol will only make anxiety worse. So I’ve cut that out for the most part and ive definitely seen an improvement.

Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

My panic attacks began during a winter where myself and my daughter continually became sick. Very sick. Now any sicknesses trigger my attacks so I dread the winter especially. I can’t even enjoy the holidays anymore. Ive since learned to cope with my attacks but every once in a while it overcomes me. It’s the most horrible feeling in the world.

And I agree with a previous poster. Coffee/alcohol will only make anxiety worse. So I’ve cut that out for the most part and ive definitely seen an improvement.

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

I definitely have anxiety that comes and goes.
Sometimes I wake up feeling anxious for no reason, other times I know the reason but I'm overly anxious about things that aren't that bad.
I do take CBD when it's bad- it seems to help a bit

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

I have diagnosed anxiety disorder. It started when I was younger, but it came on strong a few years ago. I was on Effexor about 20 years ago and it worked well. I even lost weight on it. A lot. I didn’t have to wean myself off of it that time.

Been on and off Xanax for years now.

Fast forward to about 2017 and it came on really strong from a major life event. I went to the doctor and she asked what medication I had used in the past. I said Effexor and I was put back on it. That time is didn’t work well at all. I lost a ton of weight (about 30 pounds from it) and the side effects were so strong. I had shaking, heart palpitations and restlessness from it. It was so bad that I couldn’t stand correctly, use stairs, see properly, or even write.

It got so bad that I passed out on public transport and I had to go to the hospital. I told the doctor that I didn’t want to be on it anymore. He suggested that I could wean off of it in 2 weeks. That was a bad idea. I went through severe withdrawals from it. They are still there 2 years later. I had a seizure a few months ago pretty bad and I had had a few mini seizures as well. I’m now under care of a neurologist. I’m convinced it was Effexor and serotonin syndrome.

Alcohol would make me feel better, but then it was worse after a while. I have since really cut down on alcohol.

I’m now on Opipram and that works well for me. I use Xanax when needed.

The physical symptoms are too much at times, but I have figured out my triggers. I try to work around them, but it is really difficult. It’s definitely not as bad as it used to be.

Message edited 10/23/2019 5:13:00 PM.

Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

I don't suffer from anxiety but my husband does and won't seek any treatment. It infuriates me to no end. My older daughter also has severe anxiety and OCD and it consumes her. It is really sad and it breaks my heart daily but she is in treatment and takes meds.

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

I have a lot of anxiety - social, situational, etc. The ones that affect my life the most are the fear of flying and the fear of driving on the highway. I used to do both with no issues, but now I do it (after not at all for 8 years) but only if I have to. I'd really love to travel more but the crippling anxiety makes me rethink it.

I also have social anxiety - super easy for me to want to cancel plans the day of b/c I'm just not up to being social b/c of anxiety.

I've not tried any medication for it. I'm not a fan of taking medication, in general, (not even OTC stuff for headaches) so I'm trying to manage it through therapy alone.

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

I’m not “diagnosed” but my dr prescribes diazepam. However I rarely take it because I have anxiety about the effects lol

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

have had it for years. i won't try meds bc of anxiety about side effects. i don't drink coffee because it makes me have palpitations and can trigger panic. i try to not eat chocolate but its nearly impossible for me.

i have had panic attacks in the night sometimes and kept dh up for hours, crying, what if'ing, just bad bad stuff. those haven't happened in a while.

the "what if" thinking can be a killer.

dh is the opposite (i guess opposites attract) he never has anxiety. i'm jealous and try to be like him

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

I never had any anxiety until a few years ago (in my 40s) and suddenly it was overwhelming. For me it is in the form of constantly worrying about everything and being terrified the worst will happen. Like, my heart beats fast and my stomach is nauseous and I cannot concentrate on anything else. We went through a year of a lot of bad stuff and I think it started after that. I haven't sought treatment because I won't take meds. However, I found what helps me is when I feel panicked, I tell myself (out loud) to just take ONE day at a time or depending on the situation ONE hour at a time. Like, focusing only on the next hour at a time and if I can get through that I will feel a little better. I also always try to have something "good" to look forward to, whether it be a night on the couch watching my favorite show, or dinner out with friends, or something like that, and then I just focus on that.

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

I'm SEVERELY claustrophobic and it affects my llfe greatly. I was stuck underground for nearly 3 hours when the NJ Path train flooded (this happened in my late twenties). Since then, I haven't flown or taken an elevator. I would REALLY like to travel more with my family and I don't want to pass on my fears to my kids, but I'm not sure how to get over it.

Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

I've always been an anxious person. It didn't come to a head until I was a freshman in college. I'm currently struggling with emetophobia (fear of vomiting) to the point where the anticipation or the possibility of anyone getting sick immediately sends me into a full-blown panic. It is on my mind constantly, I struggle with eating with my hands, and I wash my hands so often that this year the skin on my fingers has started to split, which has never happened before. I am also the queen of worst case scenarios. I am seeing a therapist to work through it. It's a daily, constant struggle. I am starting to see DS struggle with anxiety and it kills me that I may have passed this on to him.

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?

Re: Spinoff to a few recent threads. Anxiety?