Hi, I am in my early thirties and have had anxiety for as long as I can remember. I also have a speech impediment (which is linked to my anxiety). While my speech is now under control thanks to twenty years of speech therapy and plenty of support, I now find my anxiety - which I'd previously ignored - is cropping up. I really started to feel it back in September. I had a few personal incidents which made my anxiety worse and made me realise I needed to do something about it. I have talked to my local GP and started taking stress and omega multi-vitamins, started taking sleeping tablets (always been a restless sleeper) as well as eating more tuna. I find my anxiety increases when I'm tired or stressed, so if I don't get a good night's sleep, I feel anxious the next day. The problem I have is I worry about things beyond my control and worry about relatively minor things. If it was something I could control, then I could understand, but when I can't control it I get frustrated and run myself around in circles. The sleeping tablets have been helping (I'm no longer such a restless sleeper) but I still have nights where I can't get to sleep and struggle the next day. At times I feel like I'm just going from day-to-day and on weekends I try to keep myself busy. I also have a bit of OCD (mainly counting things, checking things are closed/locked multiple times and having irrational thoughts), which also flares up when tired or stressed.
I've also been doing this great CBT course for stutterers which is helping. However, I've been feeling this way for about two months. I have my calm, happy days but I also have days when I get anxious about silly things which I can't control and I tend to immerse myself in the problems of friends and family and I can feel guility if I'm in a good mood and they're not. Silly I know but there you go.
I was wondering what the next step could be: I haven't really looked at anti-depressants or anxiety drugs, but I'm open to this in future. What I'd love to do is find an anxiety support group where I could talk about my anxiety in a safe environment, not only to get it off my chest but also to support others. A big part of my recovery as a stutterer has been the support of my fellow stuttering friends, both in formalised speech therapy/support groups and in a social setting. I feel if I can find a similar thing for my anxiety, it would be a massive help.
