Anxiety is a horrible thing to have to go through and when it gets out of control it can be so hard to gain control and very difficult to remember that you have the power to beat it. But the good news is there are so many things you can do to help you through it all.

You can consider seeing a counselor as well as a medical doctor just to check on your physical health in regards to hormones and thyroid to make sure they are working properly. I would also recommend you check out the anxiety group here on DS as there are many wonderful posts dealing with different methods on handling anxiety, family, society, work and just about everything else you can think of.

Some people find certain medications taken on a short basis help and there are also books, tapes, videos of different ways to get anxiety under control. The important thing is that you take some time to understand why and when your anxiety hits and then try a few things to see what will work best for you. And please realize that you are not alone in your fears because anxiety has a tendency to make you feel like you are all alone and nobody could possibly understand what you are going through.

Anyway you are not alone and there is help so I hope that you check some of the things out that I mentioned and much happier and more peaceful days find there way to you very very soon. Wishing you the very best:)

I can totally relate- I actually joined this group so that my family issues won't ruin my relationship with my boyfriend. For me, the best ways to deal with anxiety are exercise and yoga. Getting outside helps a lot. Even just a walk for 15 minutes can relieve stress. I know it doesn't take away anything horrible that happened in the past, but it makes it a bit easier to deal with in the present. Sometime though, when I get really anxious . . . . the memories just won't stop. Are you able to talk with your husband? Is he supportive?

katiebell68....I had developed bad anxiety and it was most definitely my thyroid. I am so relieved to have figured this out and I am so much better now. Unfortunately, my TSH levels were not showing how hypo I was; I had to test Free T3 and Free T4. T3 is the active hormone, which controls neurotransmitters such as GABA, norepinephrine, and serotonin. I do not take Synthroid, because my body cannot convert T4 to T3, I take natural dessicated thyroid which contains all of the necessary thyroid hormones as well as calcitonin. I am also treating my adrenals. So my quality of life is significantly improved in the past 5 weeks. For anyone dealing with thyroid-induced anxiety, I highly recommend the website ''Stop The Thyroid Madness".

My son has terrible anxiety, we discovered he has a metabolic condition called pyroluria. Not much is known about this condition, other than it significantly depletes the body of B6 and zinc. Anxiety is the main symptom of pyroluria. We are still trying to figure out how to reduce his symptoms.

I apologize if this has all been discussed already, I just joined this group yesterday. So happy to see you mention thyroid issues!

When I deal with anxiety I do a couple of things. I push it away, redirect my thoughts and plow through it getting rid of it. It's not easy. In your case I feel there is pain, hurt, and a lot of hidden anger inside you. This must be dealt with and gotten rid of.

I find a way to release the anger in a non harmful way and I am a lot calmer afterwards. Each person has to find their own release. Many go to the gym and work out. I was told to pitch rocks at the beach and mentally put a face of those I was angry at on those rocks. I did pitch rocks, but could not do the face thing, I could not direct my anger at a person. Pitching rocks helped me a lot.

Another thing I used to do was take a stick, go out in the woods (I live on a farm), find a big tree that can handle my anger without harming the tree, and beat the heck out of the tree ubtil my emotions were ex hosted.

I will keep you in prayer.

Thanks to all that responded I really appreciate it! It did make me a little happier knowing I am not alone.

@katiebell68 I never thought of checking my hormones you make a great point. Yes, you are absolutely right I do feel alone and feel that no-one cares how I feel. Thanks for clarifying that I am not alone. I will definitely check out the Anxiety group. Thank you.

@ Tamilnadu I stopped my pilates about 1 week ago and I think maybe this is my cause of panic and hardship. I need to get back to my schedule just can't seem to get my drive back. I can't talk to my husband because he seems to turn it on me that this was my decision to find my birth mom and that I have to pay the consequences. I love my birth mom and we have a great relationship I don't regret finding her. Just upset that my dad can't support me. Thank you and good luck with your struggles.

@shootings Thanks for bringing up Thyroid issues since I am 39 I will want to check this asap to rule it out. I am reluctant to use medication though. I wonder if there is something out there that is a natural remedy.

@ teamworks You are absolutely right I do have hurt, anger and pain. I thought I was tough and got rid of it. It seems to always come back. It is not a permanent thing to erase. I wish it was. The mind is a powerful thing. If anything I need to do research on how to handle mind thoughts. This is keeping me up all night and like I mentioned before I don't want my kids suffering because of my hurt and anger. Thank you and good luck with your pain.

Jeniq, sometimes when I am super bummed out, I just tell myself, "Go outside for 10 minutes!" and usually, by the time I've done ten minutes of whatever outdoor physical activity, I feel a little better and I feel motivated to do more. Try to get back to pilates!! Or do it at home! I actually also started boxing a few years ago . . . hitting a heavy bag is a great stress release. Ultimately, too, I find all this physical activity empowering . . . good luck . . . do it for you, you deserve peace of mind!

Thanks tamilnadu. I agree when I go walking to take my daughter to school and come home I feel energized. I do pilates at home but after doing it for a year I felt like it wasn't working maybe it was. I like the punching bag idea and the hitting a tree with a stick ofcourse not to hurt the tree. I wish there was a support group close to home to go out for coffee and talk

Yes, that would be nice if there was a support group to meet up and chat! if you've been doing pilates for a year, you may have hit a plateau- ie your body's gotten used to it, so it's not really a "workout". You might want to try something different . . . why not see if your gym has dance classes or perhaps you could get a bike or try rollerblading?

So true! That could be it I have lost the drive. As much as it is calming maybe I should find something new. Thanks again

If you find pilates is calming keep doing it-- and maybe try something new as well! In part, I think I like boxing because it was something totally new for me. Have you done any yoga at all? It's great for anxiety, I try my best to do 10-20 min every morning and evening.

Hi tamilnadu, No I haven't tried Yoga I just assumed it was like pilates. Taking my age I really want to do something that doesn't include extreme exhaustion and wear and tear on your body. If you know what I mean.

We are the same age! :) I don't think yoga would be more taxing on you than pilates.

Hi Tamilnadu,

I was referring to the workout at the gym. I tried TAEBO it was too much jumping for me. At the end of the day my knees suffered because of it.

I did take your advise though and went for a walk this morning. It was great to breath in fresh morning air.

Hope you had a great day.

i had my thyroid checked a couple years ago and it did get out of whack but not for anxiety. they were monitoring my thyroid and my current doc now still wants to do some testing this year to make sure it doesnt go over.

i have been seeing a therapist for now 2 months and loving it. we talked about anxiety i told her mine is so deep rooted because of my childhood issues. i used to be so outgoing that i never got anxiety when speaking to people.

as i was getting older, it became worse! ppl never understood on here or elsewhere if you have parents who are very very emotionally abusive it takes a huge toll on you. i told this to my therapist if you had to hear your mother tell you she should have smothered you as a baby, what do you think would happen to your communication? it would plummet.

i told her i go in and out of anxiety as it is not easy for it to be stable. i have issues of speaking for myself and have my bf or someone else speak for me because my mind races and dont know what to say or how to say it.

i had an interview a cpl weeks ago and did breathing exercises before the tour guide came to give me the tour of the call center b4 i had to see the manager. great interview, did very well, but no job.

i do grounding techniques which are just coping skills. when i speak, ppl look at me in shock not sure why. i still speak with fear in my voice u can hear it crack.

@ladytiger I'm so happy to see things are going well with you now. In due time it seem you will gain the strength and courage to speak infront of crowds. It will happen give it some time! I want to check my thyroid, but deathly afraid of taking meds for the rest of my life. This is why I keep putting it off and look for other ways to cope with my emotional troubles. Thanks for your response and good luck with the job hunt.