Can I live with anxiety?

[Queen_E]

Hiya,

I guess you could say I've been dealing with anxiety since my first major episode in 2015. I seemed to be fine until Covid and lockdowns. I had my first major attack in 5 years following Melbourne's first major lockdown in 2020. It crippled me.

Fastword to now and I have been seeing a therapist since February as things were quite bad. Some days are better than others. I'm currently struggling with the physical effects of my anxiety and starting to feel that this will never go away.

Reaching out to say hello, hear your stories and hopefully gain some insight on management of anxiety.

Thanks and much love.

[Petal22]

Hi Queen E,

Wellcome to our forums!

Sorry to hear how you are feeling , I understand it must be difficult with the COVID lockdowns…….

I understand anxiety I had severe anxiety OCD…….. this condition was very debilitating I felt like I was living in an internal hell while I was in the grips of this condition, it was horrible. I wouldn’t have wished it upon anyone!

Fast forward ………. I’ve been recovered for 4 years going strong…..

My recovery started from seeing my gp we did a mental health plan together this then enabled me to see a clinical phycologist who gave me strategies, I saw a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with OCD ( obsessive compulsive disorder) it’s a anxiety disorder….. this then led me to a clinic that specialised in OCD this is we’re I learned to master my OCD……. It took a lot of hard work on my part to practice the skills I was taught, it also took perseverance but I am now free of the condition …….

My gp also put me on a antidepressant to help me to manage my anxiety..

I had many symptoms with my anxiety….. I also suffered panic attacks…..

That’s great you are seeing a therapist 😊 have you been taught any strategies for your anxiety?

Stay positive….. there is light at the end of the tunnel…. I’d always tell myself if I had a bad day tomorrow will be better…… it usually was…… I’d tell myself my condition is temporary I’m going to recover…. And I have… 😊

There is HOPE that you can recover aswell……if I can you can….

I’m here to chat

[blondguy]

Hi Queen_E

Thankyou for being a part of the Beyond Blue forum family!

I understand your pain having a crippling anxiety attack. These are horrible to experience yet very common, including the physical symptoms of anxiety which can be awful

My first mega anxiety attack was in 1983 when I was 23.....an they do reduce in severity. There hasnt been a pandemic since 1918....yet we are fortunate to have better knowledge and treatments than they did 103 years ago
Good on you for seeing your counsellor in this difficult time...I have learned the more frequent our visits to our GP/ Counsellor is the better our recovery will be

Just for own anxiety I did spend a lot of time (as you are) with my counsellor which was very helpful yet afterwards the bulk of my healing came from my GP who is proactive with anxiety issues

Despite these difficult times please be gentle to yourself....you deserve it 🙂

you are not alone

my kind thoughts

Paul

[geoff]

Hello Queen_E, and a warm welcome to the forums.

The lockdowns we all seem to be having at the present time are certainly not what anyone wants, but it's to stop the spread of this virus or curb it once and for all if that's at all possible.

It limits us to do what we were once able to do and limits our ability to achieve what we had hoped we could do and starts or increases our anxiety to an imaginable level, however, not all anxiety includes having OCD and hope we can help if you are able to get back to us and mention the physical effects it has on you.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

[Banksy92]

Hello Queen_E,

Thanks for reaching out in the community and sharing your story. It's really good to hear you have been able to seek professional help when you needed it and are on a journey towards managing your anxiety.

Like lots of things in life, recovery doesn't always feel linear - so I think it's normal to have good and bad days. I certainly have had that experience.

Although I've been living with anxiety my whole life, it really came to a head about 3 years ago when my body manifested a cocktail of physical conditions rooted from my anxiety. It really forced me to get out and get to the bottom of it. And now after what has been a huge journey, I understand how they are triggered by my mental state.

I still have bad days, like many of us, but I try to stay optimistic. My psychologist has worked with me to build a toolkit of strategies I can turn to to manage my symptoms and live with more ease.

When I notice my triggers or my body responding to anxiety, I add on more strategies to my daily routine. Helpful things I do are: journal my feelings, meditate and do yoga when I can. My lockdown hobby is teaching myself piano...

What things make you feel good? How can you make more space for them in your routine?

It sounds like you have someone positive you can trust and work with on this too.

Know that you can always reach out and find wonderful support within this community when you need.

All my best