Fighting anxiety

[Dylan94]

I want to no what everyone else has done and felt works when suffering an anxiety attack. My life with anxiety is a living hell. All the things I use to do day in day out I can't do now. I'm 18 I want to go out with friends meet new people live my life not hide away everyday. Any replies would be helpful. Thanks.

[Byron]

Hi Dylan

You have just taken the first step to helping yourself. I am very passionate about this as I have a very close family member with the same problem. I was very proud of him when we went to see our family doctor as this was the hardest thing to do for him. 12 months down the track he has had some down times but the up times by far out way the bad. It is hard to start this I know (with experience) but be proud as you have already started here. Well done. I am proud of you keep looking up to the future

[Dean07]

Hi Dylann94

My advise would be to get some professional help. See your GP and discuss the anxiety with them. There are physical problems that can make you feel anxious and you need to have these dealt with or ruled out before you can start to tackle the mental side. If you are physically well the next step would be to be referred to a phycologist who deals in anxiety.

Anxiety takes many different forms such as , Social, Generalised, Situational, Panic disorder and many more. Knowing what you are dealing with and how to tackle the problem is essential.  

From my own experience with generalised anxiety disorder getting help was the starting point to learning how to deal with anxiety. From then on you learn new strategies and trial them to see what works for you. It is possible to manage anxiety so it becomes something in the background. I have never really managed to get rid of it entirely but it become nothing more than the average person would have. 

Over time you learn your symptoms and triggers that alert you of a rise in your anxiety levels. This means you can tackle an episode before it become a problem. One of my symptoms is retreating from people around me ( Family, friend etc). A trigger for me is a lack of sleep. Getting up in the middle of the night and watching Tv. Being tired is like a drug and allows me not to interact with people or to deal with decisions I need to make. I find it really difficult to start taking control at these times as I don’t feel like it. Taking control of my sleep and making the most urgent decision I’ve been avoiding work but is really a struggle.  If I find I cant do this on my own I book in to my Phycologist and get help. I’ve in my 50’s now and have dealt with this all my life. I go for years where I’m fine. Occasionally I slip up and need to get help but recovery times now are very short and find I’m back on top of things in a couple of weeks. It takes longer to realise I’ve slipped than it takes to recover.

Get some help to start with. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t sort things out on your first attempt. It’s a learning process and you build on your previous attempts. In the long run you will get there.

[The_Real_David_Charles]

Hey Dylan,

If you're 18 now do you mind me asking when the anxiety appeared ?

Adios, David.

[Dylan94]

Yeah mate I was 16 and now it seems unstoppable I'm lucky to leave the house I'm so over it

[Dylan94]

I started smoking marijuana at 17 stopped 3 months short of of my 18th birthday. And I sit there and regret it all because that could be an answer as to why I suffer so heavily from anxiety but I was being a teenager living my life why should I have to pay so severely. What I did was wrong yes, but I can't seem to get a grip on the anxiety which then leads to depression because I no I have severe anxiety and it riddles me.

[geoff]

dear Dylan, smoking marijuana is a catch 22, meaning that people smoke it when they feel sad, anxious or depressed, so it does the same as what alcohol does to someone, but it does lead to problems down the road either medically and/or mentally.

Can I give you an example, if someone has a fear of spiders and they become anxious when they see one, the psych. may use desentization, meaning that gradually they learn to accept spiders and even hold them, so you could try this with your anxiety, that is if you know what courses you to feel this way. Geoff.

[Anicca]

Hi Dylan,

The other posts above offer the advice I would give you. Get as much help as you can from the medical field, relaxation techniques and yoga or meditation. These really helped me at your age. I still have anxiety but it is part of my life and I just keep looking around to see what therapies can help me. Being aware of your thoughts and knowing you can change them, helps also. This is where I've found Cognitive Behaviour Therapy a lifesaver. We often believe all our negative thoughts as if they were written in stone. When we can examine our thoughts we find out they are not even true and this can reduce the power they have over us. 

Good luck with your journey.

[sarah]

Dylan,

Congratulations on recognising that you need some help and advise. I went through Anxiety and depression and it was the hardest thing I have ever had to experience. The best thing, although it was difficult at the time, was getting help from my GP and being referred to a psychologist. It was scary to begin with but as time went on I began to feel better and better. It was a long process and it took a number of psychologists before I found the right one for me, but it is all worth it in the long run. 

Keep your head held high and be proud of how far you have come. Everything takes time and all requires small baby steps. Take everything as a learning experience and try to focus on the positives rather than the negatives. It is extremely hard when you're feeling like you do, however it is achievable 🙂 

All the absolute best on your journey.