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...
Hello, I've just joined this support group because I'm getting a bit desperate. I'm a first year uni student and this year, although I have met some great people and had some fun experiences, has absolutely broken me. I had a really traumatic break up with an emotionally abusive boyfriend, and a flat mate that makes my life a living hell. I have 2 people I could call good friends here, but my constant anxiety and over thinking always convinces me that they don't like me and that they find me annoying - or just that they will never like me as much as I like them. I have talked to them about my anxiety and obviously they have been very receptive and understanding but at the same time I can't help feeling like a depressing burden to them. I am so hyper sensitive right now, I will take every little thing they do and find some hidden meaning in it to confirm that they hate me. Sometimes I won't talk to them when I'm anxious or depressed because I'm scared they'll tell me what I already think about myself. Which I know is ridiculous, because they have proven to me that they're there for me before, but I think I'm so undeserving of happiness and friendship that I forget all about that. It's really hard to convince yourself you're being ridiculous when u actually believe what your anxiety is telling you. I have had a friend in the past who emotionally manipulated me and was always hot or cold, would tell me she loved me one minute, then hated me the next - I think it's messed up my idea of friendship. I do have friends back in my home town who I love and trust, I'm very thankful for that, but I don't like to call all the time to talk because they have their own problems and feel like a burden. I don't want them to absorb my feelings and I don't want to be a source of sadness for them. I'm just really struggling at the moment, obviously the pandemic makes this whole thing even lonelier. I'm on anti depressants/ anti anxiety meds which were helping but now it doesn't feel as if they are. I'm also waiting for CBT but I'm not feeling overly positive because sometimes it feels way easier to sit and wallow then to try and make myself feel better. So I know that this journey of recovery is going to be a daily battle. Thanks for reading of you made it this far
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I haven't written in my diary on my computer since May because I thought that my computer was dying. I got away from writing but my computer is hanging in there. I think that I will start writing in it again. It's so therapeutic.
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Years ago, I won a mirrored armoire from my job. It's in my bedroom but I rarely stand in front of it. Yesterday, I had to have a dexascan done so I had to change into a gown. There was a full length mirror in the changing room. I'm aware that I gained 5 to 7 pounds over the last year from cheating on Keto but I didn't know what it looked like. It was a reality check.
There is zero doubt in my mind that it is easier to sit and wallow in misery than to try and make yourself feel better. Hence the infamous Thoreau quote, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." There are even folks who live very long lives wallowing in that quiet desperation. Personally, I'd rather take a nap on a busy railroad track.
There are a million kajillion ways to manage anxiety to live a full, rich life. The ways which will work for any given person depend entirely upon the individual using the tools. The easiest way I know to find the tools which work for me is by sharing specific symptoms with folks who have actually used those tools within their own anxiety management program.
Keep sharing and sorting, Pepa. Your answers are in there.
Welcome aboard. You are not alone. Listening. . .
You've taken the important first step in writing it out.
Keep writing it out, separating the sentences, and taking one at a time to sort out the feelings, emotions, words, and thoughts.
Practice stop, pause, breathe, choices, until you are at stop, pause, breathe, choices, calm so you can 'do thinking' rather than just 'thinking'.
Best wishes as you find your better balance.
Those relationships back home took awhile to build. They evolved over hundreds of plans, phone calls, and events together. With time, you built that trust and that brings you security.
The same will need to happen now. Just make some plans and take it for what it is. If you had a great time, make some more plans. If something eventually happens, where you start getting toxic vibes - then you can start to reevaluate whether you want to continue being friends.
Not all friendships even great ones - last forever. It's a constant rotating list of people who rotate with you as life progresses forward.
Friends for a reason, friends for a season, or friends for a lifetime.
If things feel overwhelming for you - just spend some time with yourself for awhile and let your medication, and self care help calm you until you are feeling up to socializing.
Don't force yourself if you're not ready.
Sending you light and love!
I know exactly how you are feeling, especially when it comes to burdening your friends. I have just recently graduated from college, and I’ve been experiencing a crazy amount of anxiety lately.
What I’ve found helps is to have several people you can turn to, so that you don’t always feel like you’re burdening the same person. It also really helps to have a friend or two who understands anxiety symptoms and will know the right things to say (i.e. NOT “just relax”).
I also think it helps to sometimes put yourself in the position of a friend who is being reached out to. How would you react to having an anxious friend talk to you? Certainly with compassion and understanding, even if you can’t exactly relate on a personal level.
Good luck with everything!
Please check with your doctor first before adding any new supplements.
Magnesium is commonly found in laxatives, so you need to be careful not to take too much of it. Here is a list I found of what could happen if you take too much magnesium -
diarrhea
nausea and vomiting
lethargy
muscle weakness
abnormal electrical conduction in the heart
low blood pressure
urine retention
respiratory distress
cardiac arrest
I've taken a very small dose of magnesium every day for decades, but it does not help my anxiety at all. But I don't take it for anxiety.
Ginseng is a very strong herb that can react very badly if you are on any prescription medications. Ginseng commonly causes insomnia, dizziness and nervousness. I've never heard of it being taken for anxiety. I have read it is for high performance athletes.
I strongly suggest consulting with your doctor first, as certain herbs can be dangerous if a person isn't knowledgeable on what mixes with what. Just looking out for you.
If you want to take something for anxiety, consult with a psychiatrist for anti-anxiety medication. The ones called benzos gets rid of the anxiety in 20 minutes and lasts for 4 hours. The SSRI's are once a day medications, that give a milder, longer lasting effect.
Writing things in a journal can be very helpful in sorting out feelings, thoughts. Writing when you feel anxious can be very beneficial.