It makes sense. You expend a terrific amount of energy with anxiety. After running a marathon, people don't feel like running errands and cleaning the house. They need time to rest.

Anxiety can completely sap you. It's okay to rest and take care of yourself.

My anxiety completely robs me of who I am and all the things I want to accomplish long and short term. Sometimes I have to just lie still for long periods of time until I can function again. I have found a counselor who plans to get me on a better anxiety medicine and teach me coping mechanisms. Do you have someone you can talk to about all this? It sounds like you need some professional help. Hang in there.

I just saw your status that you're afraid your life is going nowhere. I feel the same. And even if it seems that my life may have a fresh start, the anxiety and worry takes that feeling away. I'm so sorry your are struggling. Medication is the only thing that helps me right now.

Reed31, you're right, that's how I feel every day, exhausted. I like the analogy of anxiety and running a marathon, because that's how I feel most of the time!
I'm in the process of learning to be gentle with myself. It's very very hard, but I don't want to live like this anymore. I want my life back. I've also started doing mindfulness meditation, and when I have the energy (very seldom) I go out for walks.
I'm taking baby steps, but at least it's something.
Thank you for your encouragement :)

Dear Stratiff, I know what you mean when you say anxiety is a robber. I feel the same way you do and I also have to rest an awful lot before of after doing something. I sleep a lot too, which I hate. I used to be different before, I used to feel the anxiety but still went out to work. At one point I was working and attending university full time. Nowadays talking an hour walk leaves me exhausted for the rest of the day. Oh well...

I see a counsellor once a week, but progress is very slow. We're working towards changing my outlook in life and I can notice already some changes in me, but because no antidepressant has worked for me I go through a great deal of anxiety every day. This slows me down and prevents me from looking for and staying in a job. I'm very bitter at the moment, but I'm slowly learning the importance of acceptance. It is what it is, tomorrow it might or might not be different, but for now this is my reality.
Thank you so much for your advice and support :)

There will very likely be a time when the anxiety affects your life far less. It's a combination of learning to work with it and also having less of it. You'll get there.

My anxiety was so debilitating that I have had to take time away from school when I was younger. I was home schooled much of 4th grade. I missed half of 9th grade and was able to do the work from home. And I had to leave college for a semester.

I was taught to power through it and deal. So I got a lot accomplished but always felt like hell. I never enjoyed life - I was always just fighting to survive.

Now that I'm older (nearly 50) I can do life however I want. With help from people here as well as good friends, I've looked at "what do I WANT to do and how can I get there?"

When I do something challenging, I take a few days off. This past week I did several anxiety-provoking things so I took three days off from going out. I'm enjoying movies, books, friends who stop by, trying new recipes, a little time with my feline companions. Then tomorrow I will start back to life but everything I do will be in my comfort circle for the next month or so.

You will find a rhythm and a balance and discover what works for you. And once that happens you'll likely feel frustrated from time to time but you'll mostly feel a lot happier with life.

Sending hugs.

Reed31, thank you for your wonderful words. It's a good idea to learn how anxiety affects me and what I can do to help myself after a bad episode/day/situation. It wasn't until 3 years ago that I discovered I had several anxiety disorders. For me anxiety had been a constant in my life, but I always thought it was a personal weakness, so I forced myself to go to work, to go to college, to attend parties, just to do anything, really.

There have been times when my anxiety hasn't been so bad, like when I was working and studying at the same time, but like you say, I have never truly enjoyed myself.

My therapy sessions have been very painful, but very helpful this time around. It's going to be a very long process of discovery, but it's worth it.

Sending hugs back.

I would highly recommend checking out The Power of Now. It's an amazing book that really helps put our worries/fears into perspective:

All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry - all forms of fear - are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms
of nonforgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.

In regards to feeling drained of energy - I totally agree with the marathon running analogy. Our bodies are releasing adrenaline (surge of energy/anxiety/fight-or-flight mechanism). While our brains start looking for what is wrong (most of the time, nothing at all is wrong AT THAT MOMENT - it's usually just a perceived threat/issue that may or may not occur in the future), our body is raging with adrenaline which puts all our systems into high alert and overdrive....our anxiety lasts as long as the adrenaline is racing through our bodies. Once the adrenaline is depleted, so is ALL our energy and then some. I always fall asleep after an anxious episode - regardless of the time of day or where I'm at....my brain and body are so exhausted, I can't even keep my eyes open...but at least the sleep is sweet and sound. :o)

I will second what Reed31 said - "it's okay to rest and take care of yourself." :o)

Thanks for posting this. I'm just glad I'm not the only one. After I was diagnosed with GAD and got on meds, I had a lot of ups and downs and the downs were pretty debilitating. I would just want to lie there staring into space and then I started to wonder if I'd every be productive or inspired again.

Now I think I just was running on fumes for a long time before everything just fell apart. I am like you - my impulse and habit is to keep charging ahead and power through. I did this for years. However, it seemed strange to think I might need days or weeks of rest and recalibration, but I did and now I feel so much better.

It's hard but I'm learning that when I need rest, even if it is in the middle of the day on a weekday, I will take that. And if I feel energy to accomplish something on a Sunday evening, I will embrace that.

When I want to care for myself and also do something really good for my growth and progress, I do yoga nidra, also known as yogic sleep. You spend about an hour doing very deep relaxation followed by ten minutes of complete stillness. It is supposed to be as refreshing as four hours of real sleep. This is the CD I use, if you think it might be useful for you:

http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Nidra-Meditation-Relaxation-Conscious/dp/0972471901/

Dear Brilly and Judy, thank you for your replies :) I already own "The Power of Now." I bought it on the recommendation of my counsellor, but I haven't read it yet because there's a problem with Amazon Kindle (it won't let me download it). I don't want to buy the book because my husband has a problem with hoarding books He must own about 3,000 as well as hundreds of DVDs and CDs.
I love my books, but it's very stressful not to have room for anything :(

I found a video of Youtube for Yoga nidra. I'm going to give it a go :) I'm practicing mindfulness meditation at the moment, so I guess it's something similar?

My GAD is what leaves me exhausted, so yes, taking rests is now a must, not a choice.

Best wishes

MsVicky....

Would you please post the link for the specific one you use?
I just went to YouTube and there are so many to choose from, I have no idea where to start.

It seems to me another member here uses this practice as well.

Thank you....

Peace be with you all...

mc

Hi Immarcie, sorry for the late reply. Try this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvldC6mzLvA

It's only 16 min. long, but it's a good start.

Best wishes.

Thank you so much MsVicky...I didn't expect an immediate response, people have things to do besides be on here:):)

I'll give it a try:):)

Have a nice weekened....

Peace be with you...

mc