Coming out about my anxiety.

[Amity__affliction]

Hi all. I have had anxiety for some time now although it has become something that's really affecting me over the last few years.

I never told anyone about my anxiety, because I'm just so embarrassed about it.

And I didn't want people to think that I'm just werido or a lazy guy who hates going out in a social setting where it's loud and there are people everywhere.

I have sensory overload in these's kind of environments, and you just feel so strange.

I overthink things in my mind constantly such as a work project that's coming up or an event that I need to do good at. They make me anxious the moment they arrive.

But I do try my best to believe in myself although sometimes if things are not going to plan, well here come the overwhelming feelings of the demon itself anxiety.

Times when I feel like life is not going the way I wanted, I start to question myself, and regrets off opportunities and mistakes where I could have made it or done it better flood in.

All theses feelings build up till the point I just completely lose it and break down.

I finally spoke to my family about it and I'm glad that they somewhat understand my situation and I'm grateful for that it means heaps to me.

And I'll be considering getting more help as I'm only just accepting that this is happening to me.

Thank you...

[Doolhof]

Hi Amity Affliction,

Welcome to the Beyond Blue community. If you have a look in the Anxiety section here, you will see there are many posts written by people who suffer from anxiety. It may be a condition that is familiar to many more people than you could have imagined.

It is great you have been able to chat to your family about it. Seeing A Dr. would be a great step as well. He or she will be able to offer you advice and suggestions on how to deal with your issues.

There is a lot of information here on the forum as well in the Information section. Have a look at that and see what resources are available.

I find the more I understand about a condition, the more I can help myself and deal with things better.

In your circle of friends, do you have one or two whom you may be able to chat with about how you are feeling? If they are aware of how you react in certain situations they may be able to help you make some situations seem less daunting and frightening to you.

Are there any support people within your work who could help?

You can also use the phone help line here on 1300 22 4636. I have used phone help lines when I have felt really overwhelmed. The people answering the phones are able to help put me back on track.

Thanks for sharing your story with us. Hopefully you will receive answers and find solutions and ways to make your life less anxious.

Cheers for now from Mrs. Dools

[geoff]

hello Amity affliction, anxiety is an illness that is very common for people who don't have any confidence, reassurance, trust and the list goes on, but you certainly shouldn't feel as though you are an embarrassment in any situation, although that's how you would feel, and I doubt that anyone has not felt nervous in different situations, however when it controls your life , it's then painful.
There is one way which may help you and that's by looking at desensitisation which you can try by yourself or with a psychologist who deals with this treatment.
So google this web site 'desensitization and anxiety' and let us know how you feel about trying it. Geoff.

[BballJ]

Hi Amity Affliction,

Welcome to the forums, i too have only recently come to terms with my anxiety and am now seeking the proper help to start overcoming this issue. Good news is you are starting to seek out the help and one of the best things i did was tell my wife and family about it, they are a great support network and along with this forum and them i am finally dealing with my anxiety in a positive way instead of doing the "manly" thing and just pushing it to the side. Anxiety has many symptoms and yours are apart of it.

Have you or are you considering going to see a GP to get a referral to a psychologist to help talk through your anxiety, i did this and it has helped me immensely so that may be an option for you to really start fighting back against your anxiety. The good news is you can overcome this and you have taken the perfect first steps to achieve this.

My best for you.

Jay

[DN129]

Good luck.

From my experience, I find when talking about anxiety to people its best not to be 'results orientated'. You will have an idea of what you want the reaction to be in your head, but their response may not always mirror that and its important to be prepared for that and not to let it affect you.

People who have never experienced/don't understand anxiety will often see it as a minor quibble that you need to quickly brush to the aside, unaware of the real health issues and problems it can cause. I find if they are family and care about you, they will come around over time when explaining it and the impact it has on your life, but like anything give them time to digest it, because many people are extremely ignorant of this subject matter. I know I was before experiencing it myself, I had a friend not working due to anxiety and couldn't understand. Often we're not forced to really understand things until confronted with it ourselves.

Good luck.

[Quiettall]

Hello

I suffer from this at odd times when I least expect it. I try to overcome it by focussing on someone else...I ask them questions or seek them out to do something with them that they like, so it takes my mind off myself. I find looking outwards is good therapy and helps me develop a more realistic framework of thinking about myself and my place in the world. This is particularly important as I am retired and when things are quiet, the mind turns to yourself, your problems, health problems (often imaginery or overblown) and down playing your own achievements in life.

I hope these comments help. It is not as unusual as you think. Take care and chin up