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- Anxiety My Mental Prison
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Anxiety My Mental Prison
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dear Annie, yuk anxiety, it hovers around with everything, no matter how big or small it is, we are always predicating the worst.
You mention the word 'routine' which is associated with OCD and I am wondering whether you have been suffering from this, and if so google it and try to find on ways to cope with it. There is also medication that is supposed to relieve some anxiety and is used to for people who have OCD, and I take it as I have had OCD for 50 odd years, as far back as I can remember. I maybe jumping the gun here.
Maybe go and see your doctor who should be able to help you. Anxiety reminds me so much of the saying 'scaredy cat', well that's what it is like in general terms and yes our hearts does beat fast, it's terrible. Please get back to us. L Geoff. x
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I hear you AnxtyAnnie. I suffer from an Anxiety Disorder myself (have had various forms of it rear its ugly head PTSD, PND, Panic Attacks, GAD you name it) and am presently in relapse. I just wanted to write back so that you know that you are not alone. Myself, just knowing that there is somebody out there to talk to who also understands is comforting. Big Hugs.
I just found this forum today and joined up.
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Dear Annie,
It's discomforting that one anxious day can lead you to question whether the next 20 years (or 7,040 days) will be your future life. Come back to ground. Work it out day by day or week by week - something manageable. Otherwise you're just feeding the anxiety with yet more stuff to worry about.
Did you ever look at Gestalt therapy - being in the moment ?
Adios, David.
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Annie,
You mention how the anxiety makes you feel. Can I ask, do you have people close to you that know about how you are feeling?
My personal exposure to anxiety has been as someone in the close support network around the sufferer. I don't know how to help, other than be there and be supportive, and help talk through things, one topic at a time. It is the reason I am on these forums.
Although I am patently logical (occupational hazard) the complexity and lack of logic in anxiety is hard for me to comprehend. All I can offer is that people around you who care about you will help, and there are people here that are willing to share their experiences as well.
Bob
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Dear Annie, Geoff, Lizardman's Mum and Bob,
In my experience the stress of anxiety reaches a level where no physical position is comfortable, no counselling will reach me, no amount of logic will talk me down, no quantity of crashed out sleep will put me back to normal and no trigger awareness has prevented the episode. It's like having a grand mal.
I am always organised so maybe it's a loss of control that does my head in. Simple things seem awkward and I will just leave the area or people in a dramatic fashion. But somehow I need to get away. People that know me have to support this behaviour by giving me space and not crowding me.
It's like paronoia is only a thought away. A twisted thought. Luckily, as a composer, I can sometimes chill with playing the piano or using the moment to write something swirly and turgid. It's not the music that is comforting it's the simple routine of doing something I know. One time I just cut the grass to be normal. It was great. Very carthatic. My wife enjoyed my anxiety !
Adios, David.
PS Welcome Annie, Lizardman's Mum (? Paul Keating's mum) and Bob. It's great to have so many new users. Bob, you lurk no more.
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I would never wish the claustrophobic, all encompassing, feeling of anxiety on my worst enemy. I agree it is a total prison, one that sometimes you feel like you create yourself when your mind/thoughts take over.
I suffer from anxiety, OCD and have had depressive episodes over the years (I'm 24). When I was 13 my dad died suddenly and as a teenager I didn't know/want to talk to anyone about how I felt, many times I felt like I was going crazy. I suffered for years, snapping at everyone around me but never reaching out for help. When I did seek help I remember sitting in my doctors office and sobbing. There have been times when I have been completely overwhelmed, or hated myself for how my condition impacted those who I care about. But every day I find I learn how to cope with everything.
There have been times when I've been told by people to "get over it" or "stop over thinking things", it makes me so angry. No one, more than myself wishes it was that easy. For my mum (the most logical person I know) its been hard for her to understand. I'm sure watching me suffer has never been easy for those around me either, and in a lot of ways I learned to put on a smile and pretend to feel good out of my own guilt.
Even if you cant empathise, make sure those you love know that you accept and will always try to understand. That said, it's a hard thing to understand if you have never experienced it.
