Hello Andy, I'm Damien and whilst I certainly do not claim to be any sort of expert (save for experience), in terms of self-identity I am the bloke in the "Chest Tightening" clip on the Anxiety page above.
Thank you so much for posting. It is terrifying to "come out" and to put yourself on a forum, so well done for doing it and thank you for trusting me/us. It's actually really helpful for me as someone with GAD to think that my opinion might be worth seeking.
I too am on medication for GAD, and I'm also on puffers for asthma and I have sleep apnoea so I sleep in a mask beside an air pump. (Talk about chest tightening I wake up at 3:00am most mornings inflated like a blimp!)
Your symptoms sound really harsh, I hope the medication is helping you with that. Do you have someone to talk to too? Obviously (is it?) a GP or a psychologist is a good idea, but I hope you have the sort of mates/family you can talk to about how you feel and why you feel like that. Many people don't understand what Anxiety is like, but in my experience the people I can trust have come to understand that there is "something" and that they can help by just being there and nodding and smiling at me. Please find someone to talk to if possible.
Routine is a great idea. GAD is not necessarily about having something to be anxious about, having genuine fears is normal. But if you can get a routine going where there aren't any actual real worries or uncertainties so it's just the GAD you're dealing with then that's very healthy and smart. Don't go getting Obsessive Compulsive about it, but sleeping, eating and "doing the basics" is always helpful.
Keep going Andy, and post again if you want to. 🙂
