Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
Hello,
I think I need help with my anxiety.... I have suffered intermittent anxiety attacks for as long as I can remember (am 38 now) and I always just tried to push through them on my own but more recently, the last few years I think.. its got to the point where they are ruling my life... The choices I make... The places I go... The things I do with my family or socially with friends.. All around whether I'll be anxious or have a panic attack or not. My quality of life is at a point where I just think this is no way to live... This is not life.. Am just getting through one day at a time while being anxious about anything happening in the future I feel ill constantly.. . This year I have my brothers stag and wedding, am the best man I should be excited it's a fantastic occasion... Whenever I think of it I feel sick and on the edge of panic... We have a baby due in July again the thought of it scares me and I feel panicked... Its a joyous thing I should be excited and happy... Am not. I need help to turn this around I've realised I don't think I can control this any more on my own.. I can't afford expensive therapists am not sure what to do. Any advice would be much appreciated.
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I did the dumbest thing today. I charged my earbuds, unplugged the block and put the block in my little bag instead of the earbuds. I wasn't happy about that when I got to the gym. What a dummy!
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Ever since I stopped doing therapy because of insurance, I've been feeling that old tense and irritable sense of anxiety and stress. I hate that. I was making so many strides and changes during therapy, my therapist would acknowledge all of my progress and accomplishments, and I miss that reassurance. Today I thought about it, and I made those changes! She would always tell me that I chose to...
Well, if you have health insurance, you could go to your doctor and tell them how you feel. And/or a psychiatrist, which is covered under medical insurance as well, as they are a medical doctor, and they are more specialized in treating anxiety disorders than a regular family doctor. The psychiatrist may be able to point you to a therapist that is low cost.
It's good that you are reaching out. There is help out there. Typically, with moderate to severe anxiety, medication and therapy are the most useful and helpful. Generally speaking, of course. Everyone is different. I have had anxiety disorder over 20 years now, and I take medication and have therapy and that's what helps me. Therapy will teach you the skills you can use to help cope.
You're not alone! Help is out there.
I don't know how the UK/US competition is going, but finding an effective therapy program, at any price, is far from easy in the US, as well. One of my favorite shrinks reminded me often that The Science of Psychology is at what she called, "The Witch Doctor stages. We can't do much more than keep shaking books over your head until a diagnosis falls out."
My psych portfolio is hard core and I have been in therapy since 1972, but peer support has been the most enduring and consistent psychotherapy I have found. I still believe live support groups are better but the on-line support, such as this very forum, is gaining credibility. I love how easily it accommodates international support. I solidly believe there is strength in diversity. It gives us a much broader perspective.
My advice is for you to keep working this thread and see where it takes you. There are quite allot of active support forums on this site. It is worth a surf to see if there might be other flavors of peer support that might help you through. Additionally, journaling can also manage my anxiety while I sort through the chaos of life. Sounds like you are getting to the thick of that with old friends joining the domestic circle while a new baby clinches your life.
Welcome aboard. Hope you find stabilizing companionship here.
Welcome to Anxiety.
You're on the right track to help yourself.
Stay hydrated. Practice even breathing. Do grounding to help you focus in the moment. Write in a journal (private) every day.
Best wishes!
I know you said you can't afford a therapist, but if you could scrape together enough even for just a couple therapy sessions, this could point you in the right direction.
I was taking only medications at the beginning of my journey with anxiety and this helped marginally at best, I would say. I was too proud to seek out a therapist for a long time, as I believed that this would make me a "lesser person" because I couldn't handle my own problems.
I didn't end up sticking with a therapist long-term, but the few sessions that I went through gave me coping skills I wasn't aware of that really did help, and more importantly, pointed me in the right direction of doing my own research, which is abundant and freely available online and via youtube on a myriad of anxiety-related topics, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, paradoxical intention, and understanding how your thought process impacts your inner dialogue.
I agree with others who have posted that meds alone cannot hold a candle to the benefit and increased quality of life that can be had from meds and a therapist/techniques that are self-taught.
The good news is most of what I gained in therapy can be had by doing your own research online. I know some people benefit from the sounding board that a therapist provides, but the coping skills can definitely be learned by researching.
This is a great forum and the act of sharing in itself has been therapeutic for me.
Thanks so much for taking the time to post. I am really sorry that you are going through such horrible anxiety. I wish I couldn't say this, but I have been there. Eight years ago my wife and I were living in the Bay area and I had a really good job in Palo Alto. We also had three kids and life was grand. Unfortunately, I fell at work and severely injured myself. Due to the injury, I developed severe pain 24/7 that was not relieved by pain meds, severe depression, and PTSD. Two weeks after my accident, we found out we were pregnant with our 4th child...YIKES! I can remember my wife telling me that I had nine months to get well. Our daughter is now 7 years old. My anxiety got so bad that I didn't even want to be around my kids any more. In 2015, my wife took me to the ED due to suicide ideation. I was in the hospital for a week. They changed my meds up, added a lot of pain meds, and others. The pain was controlled, but the anxiety was not.
Through a lot of people, including my wife, I was brought back to the LORD Jesus and began reading His Word, the Bible. The combination of reading and praying over time eliminated my anxiety.
I don't know what you believe, but if you have not accepted Christ, that has to happen first. Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, nobody comes to the Father but by me" John 14:6 NIV and Paul reminds us "that if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Rom 10:9 NIV
I will be praying for you,
Kevin