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...
Hey guys, I've been on this site for some time detailing my struggles. I thank all of you for listening and reaching out. It's important to me that I can write out how I feel and receive words of encouragement. I would like to ask if anyone has suffered a long period of just utter despair and no "peaceful" state. I've been struggling for a year now with not feeling myself and having anxiety with the occasional major panic attack. I have intrusive thoughts sometimes and react with fear at the simplest things! I just feel like I'll always be like this and it makes me depressed. Is there a chance for me? I just feel like sleeping forever would be sweet relief. I don't have suicidal thoughts or anything but I just don't have hope since this is the longest I've felt not better. I meditate, do yoga once a week, started reiki, take vitamins, and I'm even on cymbalta plus seeing a therapist. What more can I do? Any one who can share their story or give advice would be so appreciated!
Without knowing your full story, I’ll share mine. In 2010, I had a series of major changing events: I started a new career in a new position, I got married, my father passed away, and I went back to school part time while working full time. All of these major life changes
(according) to my therapist, sent my emotions into overdrive. To this day, I still have the occasional panic attacks. I have been to this site on and off, posting every so often but mostly just reading other people’s struggles, because I’m still trying to education myself to help better deal.
My panic attacks were no joke. Disabling is the best word fo describe them. I’d tremble visably, uncontrollably, I’d get very emotional. Oddly enough, Iif my husband asked what was wrong, I’d get worse. The only way I could make myself feel better was to lock myself in the bathroom and wait for it to pass. Sometimes it took minutes, other times it took hours. Each time though, I felt as though the end of the world was right around the corner.
What helped me get through it was a combination of therapy and medication. At first, I thought I doctor was a cure all. Took me a very long time to figure out that treating mental illness isn’t like treating the flu. There’s no one size fits all treatment for everyone. Sometimes you have to find the right combo/dosage and the right therapist before you start to feel any relief.
Zoloft ended up helping me the most. I also take Xanax as needed. After “firing” several therapist I finally found one I was comfortable with, and we meet biweekly..
My story in a nutshell, was that a series of major life transitions was too much for me to take. It has actually forced me to put off starting a family because I didn’t think mentally I could handle the fear and anxiety that came along with it. This is a topic my therapist and I are working on now.
Wanting to “sleep for long periods of time” is a tell tale sign for depression (aka not wanting to get out of bed). Talk to your therapist about possibly switching meds or upping the dosage of your current medication. You have to find the right combo that works for you.
It does get better. I’ve been living with this for 7 years. I’m not “cured” by any means. I struggle every day. Sometimes just to get out of bed in the morning myself- just overcoming ghetto sense of “dread” that comes from no where. But it has gotten better. And my quality of life has drastically improved.
Anxiety is both a blessing and a curse. It builds you up by at first making you weak. You can get through this, and you are by no means alone.
I hope this helps. Hang in there! And know that better days are ahead