topic Urgent help in Anxiety

Urgent help

GiGie — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 06:03:08 GMT

hi I’m new. I just got the official diagnosis today of GAD and depression. It has basically confirmed my gut feeling. Already halfway along to the acceptance of the disorder. But breaking the news to my parents and in laws - Half of the anxiety over dealing with my family and there “advice”. No one understands my condition and background into the cause and the cause of GAD. How do I let them know gently? I’m not ready to tell them why. But they will ask.

thing is I have a rare interlectual disability. So everyone try’s to help, and they do need to know, to a point.

advice Needed

Urgent help

HappyHelper88 — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 10:43:35 GMT

Hi Thank you for sharing and welcome,
a diagnosis does not define you but is more to help you as it can explain why you feel a certain way and can help find the best treatment options

That must have been tough sharing with the family, some people don't understand how you feel but there support is enough 🙂

Let them know when you are ready in a way that feels comfortable
If you are continuing to see your psychologist you can ask him to help you with how to explain to family

I hope this helps and thanks for reaching out

Urgent help

Petal22 — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 15:14:16 GMT

Hi GiGie,

Wellcome to our forums!

Welldone for getting a diagnosis.

I understand that sometimes when we are diagnosed with something it takes a little bit for us to actually accept it……. But once you have accepted it you can learn to manage it…. It really can be managed with the correct help.

When you are ready you can tell who you want to tell…… you don’t have to tell them the cause if you don’t feel comfortable…

Are you having any therapy for your GAD ? Therapy is really useful because it can teach you how to manage your anxiety.

If you are seeing a psychologist for therapy you could tell the people you want to tell about your GAD and then let them know you will be receiving therapy so you can learn to manage it.

Urgent help

therising — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 21:25:16 GMT

Hi GiGie

You sound like a very intuitive person. You mention trusting your gut and you've followed what has led you here.

Based on my own experience, I've found intuitive people are typically highly sensitive people. They're very tuned in. Being tuned in has both an up side and a down side. The up side can involve the ability to easily sense the beginnings of a stressful situation or what is a potentially depressing situation. You can see things coming before other people do. The down side involves life being highly stressful and deeply depressing at times when there are few strategies in place for managing such an ability. Would I be right in saying you're a 'feeler'? What I mean is are you easily triggered to feeling/s? Most feelers would have felt the words 'You're way too sensitive. You need to toughen up'. Personally, this comment typically sends my nervous system straight in 'fight mode'. I can easily feel what this comment does to me. While I used to see my sensitivity as a fault that needs fixing, I've now come to see it as an ability. Seeing it as an ability flips perspective. Nowadays, I'm inclined to respond to this comment with 'Yes, I'm highly sensitive. Such heightened sensitivity gives me the ability to easily sense (feel) a ridiculous comment, such as the one you just made' 🙂

The reason for me mentioning all this comes down to the approach you take when speaking to people about your anxiety and depression. Instead of approaching them with 'I've been diagnosed with GAD and depression', maybe you could consider the following - 'I've been recently diagnosed as having the ability to easily sense what's stressful and what's deeply depressing. It's like while your volume level with these things is low or mid range, mine is high. I'm looking forward to finding ways to turn the volume down and understand myself better. Under the circumstances, I need people to be helpful in this process, as opposed to being critical and judgemental'. If you are a feeler, be prepared to feel their comments. Hopefully, everyone will lead you to feel inspiration. It can be in some people's nature to be naturally closed minded and depressing. Closed minded and depressing may sound a little like 'You've been seeing a shrink? They're just a bunch of money grabbing quacks'. Can you feel how depressing such a comment is? This feeling is telling you the person who gave you this 'advice' is full of poop. You can master getting a feel for poop and the people who speak it 🙂