my own anxiety has even more roots than sprouts and those new sprouts are continually sprouting, growing new roots as they germinate. there is always something else to learn. be gentle with yourself and patient with the process, asuncion.

remember that anxiety is an all-natural part of the survival instinct. i expect to experience anxiety for as long as i have the will to survive. i focus on managing more than curing. do i really want to cure my survival instinct?

I feel like I’ve had anxiety since as long as I can remember, back to like pre school, always fretting, always nervous, always uncomfortable in my own skin. The root of that? Sheesh who knows. Genetics? Nurture? Nature? Habit? All of the above?

I feel like there is often not one catalyst or cause. In that case looking for the root seems more like looking for a needle in a hay stack.

I think management is a more attainable goal in my opinion.

For me, the root of my eyebrow (visible anxiety symptom), came from a serious toxic work environment issue. I have been able to manage it to better balance, but it remains 'in progress'. It no longer overwhelms me.

That turning point of the eyebrow resulted in many anxiety situations that blew out of control quickly.

I agree with arfie and rmb that managing is the better method to work with.

I have grown up with anxiety and so the physical impact I learned early to work with to keep them to a minimum. The brain work, though, I am able to work with through writing it out, and sorting it out, and through sharing with people in this group, all of who understand the differences in anxiety.

I hear what everyone is saying. I guess it was just wishful thinking on my part. I’m just trying to give myself some hope that things are going to get better.

My therapist reminded me that the root of my anxiety is the feeling of inadequacy/not feeling like a man. She suggested I do the opposite of what my ocd is telling me. I guess I knew that but still got hooked.

Your therapist is right, it’s our own self doubt about ourselves in my humble opinion. It’s all cause and effect. I am positive about this being true for myself. I’ve been fortunate to have gained insight into my own misery and can “see” where my anxiety started, as a small child. A mother who had anxiety herself and much self doubt, withdrawn into her own misery, not able to rear five small children effectively as they needed. She was just not able. So the legacy passed to the children to bear. Without positive nurturing, I followed in my mother’s footsteps in many ways. Without the proper nurturing, we fail to thrive, to be confident, we just don’t learn how, and this keeps us down, buried under the weight of it. You aren’t missing something per say, it’s more what you are lacking, self confidence.

nothing escalates my anxiety like feelings of inadequacy. there are times i feel like my ocd can be a therapy tool, but it is more often like a highly addictive drug. when my feelings of inadequacy are talking, it typically is best to do the opposite of what it is telling me to do.

beating myself up for the setbacks doesn't seem to do any more than feed my feelings of inadequacy. often, what i feel as setbacks turn out to be nothing more, nor less, than part of the healing process.

Hi Asuncion. I understand exactly where you coming from because I had the same mindset---if I only knew and could pinpoint the root of my diagnosis then I would be cured!

I read the book F*ck Feelings, a self help book recommended by another DS member (shout out to Yoss). It is one of the best books that has helped me tremendously.
One point the author makes is we often spend all this time attempting to pinpoint the root or determine the exact even that caused our issues. He believes it is time consuming and ultimately doesnt matter in the long run. Discovering the root wont change the current condition. Healing and working towards balance is the only way.
Anyways, check out the book. It is Hilarious! You deserve to be happy and things that make you smile.

Asuncion,

Speaking of your sister, do you know if any other family members have anxiety? I read that it can be 25% genetic. My Mom and one of my brothers has/had bad anxiety, and I have it, too. But my Dad and my other brother never had anxiety (I asked them!)

As others have said, getting to the root might not be the "cure" for anxiety, and it is focusing on the past, and I just don't think it's helpful in dealing with the present.

You are going on the right path. I'll encourage you again, to just live your life every day, and try to minimize ruminating about the Why, Where, How.... etc. Because I know from my own experience, that the more I think about it, it just wastes more time that I could be out doing something. We can spend a lot of time thinking and wondering. Just make sure you're also spending a lot of time going out and doing things. Real life experience will help conquer those fears. You're doing great!

Are you going to counseling or therapy? They'll be able to help you get to the root of the problem, and help you to find ways of dealing with that.

Some of my family have anxiety but none as bad as me. As far as counseling I have been going for many years. But new symptoms pop up and some don’t go away.

If you have anxiety no drugs no extra SUGAR I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT

I don’t do drugs but I do eat sugar