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...
I saw these two replies when I was searching GAD in the discussions and can definitely relate! ::
-"It's tough to have a "fake face" on all day at work where no one has a clue and your answer is always "I'm doing good today thanks for asking!", but inside you just want to scream and say "I am hurting and just want to get better." But of course that can't happen because mental health issues are taboo and no one should ever have them and if they do, then they should never be trusted (sarcasm fully intended there)."
-'I totally understand, but the funny thing is everyone at work will say to me "you don't seem like you are ever stressed out, you are so calm."'
It's ironic...I'm a teacher and we gave out funny awards at our last staff meeting recently. I was given the "If You Were Any More Patient, You'd Be Mother Teresa" Award- for surviving another year with grace and dignity- your patience and kindness is a lesson to us all. My co-workers compliment me on how calm I am, how I am so easy-going and just take things in stride, etc, etc. I think to myself..."If they only knew what was going on inside!" :)
However, for me putting on a "fake face" kind of works...fake it til you make it...fake it until you believe it. I read an article/letter that was a turning point for me during a period high level of anxiety. It was all about pretending to be ok, doing what we would normally do if we weren't feeling so incredibly anxious and panicky. And to just keep doing it and saying it and believing and acting that way until we actually feel that way. And it worked! Kind of. I definitely still have bad days, and I still feel a low-level of anxiety pretty much constantly [although it is easier to distract myself now and I let thoughts pass through my mind more often than not]. BUT I don't experience the extreme physical symptoms anymore! Now I just obsess and have that feeling of dread and it's a lot of times it's hard to feel happy because every time I do, and intrusive thought comes and convinces me that I need to feel scared. But I'm able to function, I can go to work, I can have normal conversations, I eat, I do fun things and enjoy them for the most part, etc.
[And now I'm scared that someone at work will read this post...or google my award title and see it here and know it's me on this site...oh well, I guess. That will make people aware of who I really am!]
Anyone else 'fake it'? And just want to scream sometimes that "NO I AM NOT OK, I'M NOT FINE, I'M NOT GOOD!!! I OBSESS CONSTANTLY AND FEEL ANXIOUS ALL THE TIME AND HAVE PANIC ATTACKS AND I HATE MY BRAIN SOMETIMES AND WISH IT WOULD GO AWAY!!" when people ask how we are? ;)
-"It's tough to have a "fake face" on all day at work where no one has a clue and your answer is always "I'm doing good today thanks for asking!", but inside you just want to scream and say "I am hurting and just want to get better." But of course that can't happen because mental health issues are taboo and no one should ever have them and if they do, then they should never be trusted (sarcasm fully intended there)."
-'I totally understand, but the funny thing is everyone at work will say to me "you don't seem like you are ever stressed out, you are so calm."'
It's ironic...I'm a teacher and we gave out funny awards at our last staff meeting recently. I was given the "If You Were Any More Patient, You'd Be Mother Teresa" Award- for surviving another year with grace and dignity- your patience and kindness is a lesson to us all. My co-workers compliment me on how calm I am, how I am so easy-going and just take things in stride, etc, etc. I think to myself..."If they only knew what was going on inside!" :)
However, for me putting on a "fake face" kind of works...fake it til you make it...fake it until you believe it. I read an article/letter that was a turning point for me during a period high level of anxiety. It was all about pretending to be ok, doing what we would normally do if we weren't feeling so incredibly anxious and panicky. And to just keep doing it and saying it and believing and acting that way until we actually feel that way. And it worked! Kind of. I definitely still have bad days, and I still feel a low-level of anxiety pretty much constantly [although it is easier to distract myself now and I let thoughts pass through my mind more often than not]. BUT I don't experience the extreme physical symptoms anymore! Now I just obsess and have that feeling of dread and it's a lot of times it's hard to feel happy because every time I do, and intrusive thought comes and convinces me that I need to feel scared. But I'm able to function, I can go to work, I can have normal conversations, I eat, I do fun things and enjoy them for the most part, etc.
[And now I'm scared that someone at work will read this post...or google my award title and see it here and know it's me on this site...oh well, I guess. That will make people aware of who I really am!]
Anyone else 'fake it'? And just want to scream sometimes that "NO I AM NOT OK, I'M NOT FINE, I'M NOT GOOD!!! I OBSESS CONSTANTLY AND FEEL ANXIOUS ALL THE TIME AND HAVE PANIC ATTACKS AND I HATE MY BRAIN SOMETIMES AND WISH IT WOULD GO AWAY!!" when people ask how we are? ;)
I have GAD. I started having really bad anxiety a few months ago and did not know what was wrong with me. I'd panic every day thinking I was "going crazy" or losing my mind. It drove me nuts! Meanwhile I'd try to talk to my friends and family about it and all they would say is "there's nothing wrong with you," or "it's hormones. It's a part of growing up," but I knew it was much deeper than that. I fought to get myself help, meanwhile everyone just thought I was doing it for attention, but on the inside I was lonely, depressed, full of anxiety, etc. But I felt like I had to put on a happy face and pretend like everything was fine because I was sick of people telling me that I was fine and to "get over it".
I was on medication for a while, but I'm not really one to take meds. I know sometimes they're for the best, but I grew up with a mother who had a bad dependence on prescription medication, so that kind of altered my views on prescription medication use. Anyway, I stopped taking my anxiety and depression medication and I was fine afterwards for the first couple of months, but I feel my anxiety starting to take over again.
But, like you, I put on the fake face and carry on. I try to do the same at home, but I'm able to drop my defenses a little here and the fake face doesn't last as long.
It is definitely tiring to have to "fake it till we make it", but I agree that if you fake it long enough then the hope is your mind and body follows suit and eventually turns over.
And I say all of this after having a rough weekend so far (including being so anxious over nothing that I have thrown up twice).
God Bless us all.