Sometimes it really feels we are all alone. I felt that way this morning. I picked some blackberries for pie. I tried to take my mind off the loneliness. Can you try calling your counselor and up your meds a bit?

I agree. It's an illness that sadly causes friends and family to give up on you (in my experience) despite best efforts. They think you're a "flake" and eventually give up. My mom also says the men I date and new friends I make who end up being jerks are taking advantage of my vulnerability. I didn't like it when she said this because I'm ironically a very outgoing and strong-willed, determined person despite being afflicted with anxiety so this was tough to accept but I think she's right. But the takeaway here is to remember that anxiety is NOT a reflection of our personalities; rather, it's an illness effecting how our brain thinks about certain things. We can still maintain the traits that make us who we are in the most positive way while trying to accept the illness we cannot necessarily fully eliminate. It's good you're in therapy; whenever I stop I find the meds aren't enough and of course just therapy and no meds doesn't work either. So give yourself credit for going to counseling. Try and take a walk or bike ride even though it can be hard to motivate to do so - I guarantee it will help. I just started cognitive behavioral therapy which although expensive is already helping. There's a workbook you can buy on Amazon called "Out of Your Mind, Into Your Life" that gives you all of the tools of accepting our anxiety and commuting to the (oftentimes very difficult) practice of doing so. Hope this helps. I am new here too and I've found it is a relief just to read and respond to and write about things we all seem to go through!

I understand about having anxiety and then feeling really lonely. You don't wan't to bother anyone with you problems, so you don't talk, which makes you more lonely. Which makes you feel like you're having to carry the entire weight of your anxiety. Although DS is face-to-face talking, it helps me to feel not so lonely. Feel free to write any time, it should help.

I am another person who cares and who fights anxiety every day. It helps me to not look at anxiety as my identity. I have a unique identity as a person who happens to have a problem dealing with anxiety. That doesn't make me or you a less important person. Healthy friends and family will be able to accept that if someone doesn't accept it and treats me in a toxic way, I'm not wasting my time with them anymore. It also helps me to go to therapy as a time to vent and focus deeply on my feelings and say whatever I want. Then it helps to shift gears when I leave and believe that I can wait to talk about things again later. Also this site helps to say whatever you want whenever you want. Hope you have a better day.

When it gets hard to be in the moment, I take a list to do the basic tasks, and mark those off. Simple ones. Take the first step. Reward your brain with a happy thought. Best wishes. You are not alone.