Anxiety - do you have it?

JupiterKid

I suffer from pretty bad anxiety. A lot of the time I get "the fear" and a feeling of absolute dread ensues. It's not a good place to be in.:( I am trying ways to deal with the anxiety but to be honest it's very difficult.

Any AHers get anxiety? Has it held you back in life? How to you cope with your anxieties?

Polynesian Starmap

JupiterKid wrote: »

I suffer from pretty bad anxiety. A lot of the time I get "the fear" and a feeling of absolute dread ensues. It's not a good place to be in.:( I am trying ways to deal with the anxiety but to be honest it's very difficult.

Any AHers get anxiety? Has it held you back in life? How to you cope with your anxieties?

Meditation and confronting your fears. Identify what scares you, and amplify 10 times and do it anyway.

Teyla Emmagan

Have had it for years, am on medication for it. But my heart is still racing non stop lately and DRIVING ME MAD. When it's really bad I just can't function - skin burning, head all over the place, no concentration, nothing but the sound of my heart in my ears. It's a frickin curse.

josealdo

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

Have had it for years, am on medication for it. But my heart is still racing non stop lately and DRIVING ME MAD. When it's really bad I just can't function - skin burning, head all over the place, no concentration, nothing but the sound of my heart in my ears. It's a frickin curse.

meditation not medication .

meditation works wonders on anxiety

smurgen

Exercise.running and cycling are better than any medication. Also never go a long length of time without dipping out of your comfort zone. I think avoiding stress is what's making people so susceptible to anxiety.

eviltwin

Meditation, exercise, a good diet can all help but some people need more. Don't be afraid to try medication if you need it.

Teyla Emmagan

figs666 wrote: »

meditation not medication .

meditation works wonders on anxiety

Does jack sh(t for me. Good diet and lots of exercise does help though.

pauliebdub

I suffer a bit from it too, though I'm not as bad as I used to be. Stuff like meeting people, job interviews, crowded places would set me off. Meditation and practicing mindfulness really helped. There's also a few books that helped, like Susan Jeffers feel the fear and do it anyway was notably good.

guitarzero

I have it and for me it stems hugely from awful thought patterns and fears. Awful awful...

DarkyHughes

Well I'm prescribed Xanax, Valium and Zimmovane (sometime Zolpidem) for sleep.

So I guess so.

Polynesian Starmap

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

Does jack sh(t for me. Good diet and lots of exercise does help though.

How do you meditate?

SeanJ09

I have it. Happens when I am in a crowd of people mostly or when I am under pressure at work. Could anyone recommend any meditation classes in Dublin for it?

Vincent Vega

Polynesian Starmap wrote: »

Meditation and confronting your fears. Identify what scares you, and amplify 10 times and do it anyway.

smurgen wrote: »

Exercise.running and cycling are better than any medication. Also never go a long length of time without dipping out of your comfort zone. I think avoiding stress is what's making people so susceptible to anxiety.

“If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

― Lao Tzu

Fully engaging in any action that completely puts your thought process in the here and now is essentially a form of meditation.

To get the most out of it, you have to disregard anything outside of it and just focus on it and it alone and let go with it at the pace it flows best at.

Of course it's normal to get anxious and stressed out and I agree with smurgen that you should engage with that side of things willingly at times, but being able to centre yourself if and when you need to is an wonderful skill to master.

Tried practicing some mindfullness exercises?

eviltwin

SeanJ09 wrote: »

I have it. Happens when I am in a crowd of people mostly or when I am under pressure at work. Could anyone recommend any meditation classes in Dublin for it?

You can do it yourself at home, a good book to try is Mindfullness by Mark Williams, it comes with a cd for meditation or you can download podcasts of the exercises.

Cupcake_Crisis

Don't suffer from it myself, but a family memberhas it eextremely bad . Could barely leave the house for the guts of 10 years. It absolutely destroyed his life. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy

Penny Tration

Recommending meditation and exercise is great, but saying they're better than medication is dangerous.

Mediation and a good diet + exercise are NOT enough for people with severe anxiety.

I have severe anxiety, and exercise, meditation, mindfulness and a clean diet never helped.

What helps is the medication I'm on. I actually feel normal now.

In ADDITION to medication, meditation and exercise can be great. For people actually diagnosed and medicated for anxiety, suggesting all they need is the latter, is horribly irresponsible and shows a huge lack of understanding

KomradeBishop

Ya, have had anxiety in social situations for a long time - not nearly as bad now as in the past, but has affected me quite a lot, leaving some leftover affects/problems; mindfulness is indeed a very simple and useful/effective way for helping with anxiety.

Areyouwell

JupiterKid wrote: »

Anxiety - do you have it?

Only when one particular miserly bástard mate of mine is due to buy a round. And the clock is ticking ever closer to closing time.

Have been popping happy pills for a good few years now. I used to suffer from depression but I think it's manifested itself more into anxiety in recent times. I'm better than I was a few years ago but still get moments of absolute dread and find myself extremely self-conscious at times.

When it comes to social anxiety I usually end up relying on alcohol and cigarettes to help get me through - not exactly the healthiest solution but as a quick fix it works (sometimes).

the evasion_kid

Camomile tea helps, I found reading up a lot about anxiety and what causes\triggers it also helped.sometimes you can stop it dead in its tracks when you tell yourself its only anxiety it will pass.

PucaMama

dont know what id do without my medication for it in combination with keeping yourself busy its great

Mister Vain

I used to get it a lot. I'm not as bad now. I heard a nice saying recently, "Fear is temporary, regret is permanent."

RayM

I've had anxiety problems since I was a teenager - especially in social situations. Thanks to my propensity for avoidance, I allowed it to dictate (and ruin) pretty much every aspect of my life. I tried various medications over the years, but only sporadically. Xanax and Valium always worked, but they aren't a long-term solution. I've been on Sertraline (Lustral) for almost a year and finally feel that I'm making progress.

Turning 30 was a big "shit or get off the pan" moment for me. I wish I'd sought proper help sooner, but better late than never.

looking_around

Many people who suffer with depression also have anxiety and vice versa. Not saying this is the case for you OP, but read through the "lets all laugh at people with depression thread", and you will read of MANY people who suffer with anxiety. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056481009&page=323

___
I have pretty bad anxiety but controllable nowadays. (well sometimes )

For those saying meditation, what do you suggest when that intensifies the anxiety? increasing the heart rate and overall tense/fearfulness?

Exercise can be good as it burns off the adrenaline and energy, but I often ended quite depressed afterwards, drained I suppose.

For me, therapy has been a real help, medication also(when needed), and learning to give the anxiety it's fair time and then saying "you've had your time, now I have things to do." And many times I just mull til whatever I was anxious about passes >.<
________
And OP, yes it has held me back. Made me afraid of going back to college, afraid to apply for work, afraid to leave the house, afraid to talk to people. One thing about anxiety the more you give in to your fears, the more you avoid because of it, the worse it gets, like a parasite feeding off your energy. Also more tired you'll feel,

I'm now in college, I managed to secure a work placement as part of the course, and although EVERY day I think about not going to college, I think about just saying "fuk it". I haven't quit yet.

Therapy is fantastic and I'd advise it for anyone.

Tar.Aldarion

I really find exercise helps so much, more mitigating than a solution. But definitely not something that you can just say "do this and do that" and expect it to be solved. Talking to a professional is something a lot of people need to get more comfortable with.

RobertKK

JupiterKid wrote: »

I suffer from pretty bad anxiety. A lot of the time I get "the fear" and a feeling of absolute dread ensues. It's not a good place to be in.:( I am trying ways to deal with the anxiety but to be honest it's very difficult.

Any AHers get anxiety? Has it held you back in life? How to you cope with your anxieties?

Thankfully no.
I lean on my faith when things get rough.

I have a friend who does suffer from bad anxiety to the point of panic attacks. So I do feel for you as I have seen how it can bring down a person.

Others have given good advice, see a doctor if you feel you can't cope with it.

Polynesian Starmap

When you feel anxiety it is important to notice and accept it. Don't resist it, resistance makes it stronger. Notice where in your body you feel the anxiety, notice your how your breathing feels, notice all the subtle sensations in your body. If a thought pops up, notice it. Allow it to fade.

Duff

Is there a wide range of medication out there? I'm starting to suffer from it really badly as in it really affects my day to day living sometimes. Might make a doctors appointment. Probably more of a PI question..

looking_around

Duff wrote: »

Is there a wide range of medication out there? I'm starting to suffer from it really badly as in it really affects my day to day living sometimes. Might make a doctors appointment. Probably more of a PI question..

There are many many many types of medication out there.

Chances are, depending on the severity of the anxiety, a doctor will suggest an anti-depressant at the dose for anxiety. Don't get put off if they suggest this. Some of them are top notch for dealing with the general anxiety.

For more specific situations they may suggest meds that you use on an "as needed" basis, however, many of the younger doctors do not give these meds as easily because they are highly addictive.

Lastly, the real treatment is not medication, but therapy. Actually dealing with the anxiety, why it's there, what's causing it and how can you change it. That is really important.

boobar

I suffer from it when it comes to public speaking, I have to speak publicly a lot in my job. I've had a few meltdowns, not pleasant. It's very common.

I have found exercise helps. Also, I've come to the conclusion that one can't be good at everything. I'm open with people that public speaking causes me anxiety.

I try not to be too hard on myself. I've improved greatly, I don't shy away from my fears and just go for it now. I put a good bit of time into preparation as well.

So it's like this everyone has their own style and I'll never present like Steve Jobs but that's no reason for me not to be able to put my point across.

Macavity.

I don't know what it's like not to have a constant feeling of adrenaline, dread, nausea etc.. Anxiety is just life for me. Medication/Therapy ineffective. Exercise helps for people dealing with mild anxiety/depression but its benefits are overstated for chronic sufferers.

Scannal

CBT, exercise, meditation, medication, hypnosis, face your fears, alcohol, cigarettes, illegal drugs, running away, are all things that people suggest or try in an attempt to alleviate anxiety. I've tried some of them and it hasn't really worked for me. So I can't tell anyone what to do that would 100% work. Even people who have gotten over anxiety to a large degree can't tell you.
That's because different things work for different people in different ways. It's mostly trial and error, you have to attempt these things to see if they help. Eventually you'll find the solution. This solution might be one thing but more than likely it'll be a combination of things. The good news is that everyone has something that will work for them, the bad news is that it might take years to find. I'm still searching and obviously others in this thread are also but let's never give up.

FullblownRose

Sometimes people are afraid medication will alter their personality. I think effective medication is only going to relieve the anxiety, leaving you free to get back to being yourself. Anxiety itself must alter your perssonality more than anything!

If the first medication doesn't work, there's always another kind.

They're not all addictive, either.

Macavity.

FullblownRose wrote: »

Sometimes people are afraid medication will alter their personality. I think effective medication is only going to relieve the anxiety, leaving you free to get back to being yourself. Anxiety itself must alter your perssonality more than anything!

If the first medication doesn't work, there's always another kind.

They're not all addictive, either.

I can't think of one anxiety med that is not addictive, unless you are counting any of that herbal stuff as meds.

FullblownRose

Macavity. wrote: »

I can't think of one anxiety med that is not addictive, unless you are counting any of that herbal stuff as meds.

Certain anti depressants with strong anxiolytic (anti anxiety) effects are not addictive.

Macavity.

FullblownRose wrote: »

Certain anti depressants with strong anxiolytic (anti anxiety) effects are not addictive.

What are their names? I am not familiar with any SSRI/SSNI that does not eventually lead to chemical dependency.

FullblownRose

Macavity. wrote: »

What are their names? I am not familiar with any SSRI/SSNI that does not eventually lead to chemical dependency.

They would be Trycyclics.

--LOS--

Decrease in cognitive function is the single biggest issue with anxiety for me. That feeling of becoming less intelligent, you know your mind is not working as it once was, memory, concentration, focus, vocabulary all fade away. It feels permanent but I know that your brain can regain its elasticity once the anxiety goes, its just a symptom of anxiety. Its very hard to actually feel this though especially when it does of course impact your life and you can no longer do the things you know you're capable of, its heartbreaking. Right now I have to accept that I can't do what I want to do or this problem isn't going to get better. So some tough decisions but I have to try something different for a while. I still remember a brief moment where it lifted this year and I was able to think clearly again, wasn't more than a day or 2 but it felt like me again and I just want that back.

bodice ripper

People suggesting that I meditate really helps with my anxiety.















As it is temporarily overwhelmed by the desire the pick the hippy up by the ankles and crack them like a skinny whip.

Wompa1

Yip, only just about to turn 30 in a few months and my blood pressure is all over the map. It spikes up to a crazy high, quite often.

I chalk it down to working for too long without any lengthy breaks. Been working since I was 12 years old. Jumping from one job to the next with either little or not time off between each.

Green Giant

All the time. I worry over whether the consequences of my actions, no matter how well intentioned, will pi$$ off friends and family. I worry about how I appear in social settings and whether I make a good impression on people. I worry about not being good enough at my job or making a total fool of myself when I play 5-a-side soccer, etc.

I've lost count of the number of times people have told me to just go with it and that these type of things don't matter a flip. I know deep down that they don't, but invariably I return to the same mindset of fretting over the most trivial of things and it wrecks my head :mad: