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 everybody. I'm new here. I have pretty serious anxiety and binge eating problems. Due to my problems I was placed on academic probation at my college and I can't return for another year. I am 26 years old and I don't even have a college degree. I was recently fired from my part time telemarketing job because I missed too many days. When I'm extremely anxious I typically go home and sleep. Sleep is my only refuge.
My binge eating is out of control. I recently got a credit card and within one week I spent my $200 credit line on fast food. Last night I ate most of a medium pizza. I typically eat an entire large pizza and wash it down with a liter of soda. I weigh nearly 300 lbs and I'm now diabetic.
I honestly believe that my problems are insurmountable and I would be better off dead. My only concern is that my parents would be very depressed if I killed myself. My dad, in particular, would be devastated. I don't know what to do. A part of me wants to live, but I don't see how I'd ever stop binge eating and daydreaming that people are out to get me. I spend most of my waking hours inside my head daydreaming about the most horrific scenarios. I am on Lexapro and Abilify (paid for by my parents), but I honestly don't think they work that well. Oh yeah and I'm on Vyanse for the binge eating, but I haven't seen an changes in my eating so far.
The only thing that helps is practicing mindfulness, but for some reason I am unable to do it all the time. I bought a self-help workbook some years ago and it's been very effective. I highly recommend Acceptance & Commitment Therapy to anyone suffering from anxiety. However, like I said, it's hard to be mindful and observe your mind all the time. All it takes is one minute (or less) of daydreaming and I am back to feeling depressed, hopeless, and suicidal. I've tried breath focused meditation for both the anxiety and the binge eating, but I suck at it.
I have no health insurance anymore since I'm 26. My most recent therapist charges me only $35 per session, but even that is a lot when you spend all your money on food.
I'm sorry for this long post, but I don't know who else to turn to. I hope that there's someone out there who can advise me.
Some of our problems, in my opinion, center around Control. Anxiety leaves us feeling out of control, doesn't it? And things like being fired from a job, or put on college probation - those things feel "out of our control", too.
Binge eating, even sleep, can be our attempt to Control Something about us, when everything seems to be controlling Us.
Isn't that weird? It seems the eating is Out of control, yet our hidden self is using all that food to try to be IN control. (Its the darndest thing). I mean, what else Can we control, without knowledge and the proper tools to do so?
If you have the info on mindfulness, keep it up. Even when you think you aren't Getting anywhere. Ask your therapist if there are any free or really cheap programs in town that help overweight folks.
Where I am, the local YMCA does a health-and-wellness program. That's not the same as mindfulness, but you get to be around other people who are overweight and trying to lose.
Sometimes, I have Literally watched the clock, pushing the time limits on "I get to eat now!" out by 15 minutes at a stretch. I can go This long...I can go This much longer....until, finally, its been a Long while :)
Gee, my answer didn't focus much on anxiety, did it? I'm on an antipsychotic now, which helps a lot. I went for nearly 10 years with the anxiety "reasonably" under control and then my sleep routine got messed up. Pretty soon I was back to being anxious again, but that's for a separate post. This is long Enough, lol
:)
Sleeping thru anxiety is good, initially I used to do same but later on anxiety creeped into my dreams too. and that was the worst.
But I have overcome that anxiety a long time ago , and a bit of anxiety here and there doesnt effect me a lot
.so may be I can help u a bit
I will try , but u have to help yourself too
Seek help,look for therapy and counselling, anxiety is curable.
Writing your anxiety journals.this really help. Write everything in detail.whatever u felt thru anxiety and what happened after when anxiety was gone. U were fine after an anxiety attack. U r still living and not dead.so anxiety don't kill people
Eat healthy.keep fruits and veggeies in ur fridge.make a healthy diet plan for yourself Or take help.when u know u are eating good things ,u are mind will be less anxious about u getting any disease
Tell someone about your anxiety. Some one your friend or your parent who loves u and can understand u.
Pray, ya it really help. Meditate.go to so form of yoga clases. Make friends, go out.join some hobby class.
Do not try to control anxiety , just let it pass ,
There are lot of other things too but at least start with one , don't sit and just think about anxiety and dying and all that .....
Don't get too down on yourself about where you are in life...most people do not have to deal with what we have to. I found taking college courses online to be very beneficial.