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...
After what seemed like a pretty good stretch of time feeling fairly healthy and happy, I have been suffering quite a bit over the past few weeks. As I type this I feel like the pressure of a house on my chest as well as pain on my left side of my chest. Ive had the usual check up and EKG's done and it still all points towards anxiety. My Dr has even added medication to what I take already, and they have either not made a difference, or I have not taken as I am afraid of the side affects. Really need help.
How frustrating to feel that way. I have also felt anxiety come in waves - at times I feel completely fine and in control, while other times I feel so lost, alone, and hopeless. I don't know if this is specifically how you feel, but I can relate to the feeling of having it all together and thinking you're fine, only to discover a few weeks or months later that you're drowning again. It's awful.
I wonder what was helping you feel healthy and happy as you described feeling up until a few weeks ago? Did something change? Sometimes for me the trigger can be something as simple as forgetting to intentionally focus on positive things, or not having the time to exercise, or crummy weather that prevents me from spending time outdoors. Sometimes it's more complicated than that - feeling the weight of societal expectations, not wanting to disappoint others, feeling an internal conflict between what I think I should be and how I actually am. A counselor in the past encouraged me to pay attention to when I'm feeling bad and identify the thoughts/feelings/situations that trigger those feelings. Sometimes simply identifying those triggers can be enough to discover there's really nothing to feel anxious about. Even if they're not that simple, though, recognizing the triggers can be extremely helpful in learning how to manage and cope with our anxiety.
Please be encouraged in knowing you're not alone. Our biggest enemy is often ourselves and we should be proactive in taking steps toward loving ourselves well. Maybe that means carving time into our day to do something that is life-giving, reminding ourselves of our positive attributes, taking care of our bodies, creating something new, or accomplishing something we're proud of.
On a side note, have you ever heard of tapping? Your physical ailments associated with your anxiety remind me of something I once learned about tap therapy, where you tap certain points on your body to relieve stress and pain. There are lots of resources out there in books, videos, and the internet if you're interested.
Hope you find even the smallest piece of this helpful. If anything, know you're not alone in how you feel.