Anxiety and depression / what’s everyone’s story?!

[Ash_13]

Hi,

My names Ashton and I’ve only had anxiety for half a year but depression for 4 years. I never knew what anxiety was and I never had any connection with it. I knew my mum had depression but my dad never told me he had anxiety so I didn’t know I was connected or what it even was. I obviously heard about it in school and people talking about how they have it but I never in my head thought I had it. My first panic attack was when I was out eating dinner at a food court with my partner and I started to freak out. Some disclosure I use to freak out all the time but I didn’t think anything of it, I started to really panic and it didn’t go away and I nearly fainted in the middle of the food court. I felt my skin go all tingly and my legs go jelly. I started to black out but stood up and focused myself back to my partner as I was panicking badly by this point. I told him we had to leave and when I got home I couldn’t stop panicking I had no clue what was happening and I couldn’t stop thinking that I was dying...I finally fell asleep and went to my doctor the next day I got blood tests and I had low iron not extremely low but enough for me to go on supplements. I told her about my episode and she diagnosed me with anxiety. I do not take any medication as I feel I can naturally get over it but I can’t and to be honest it’s gotten worse. I’m just scared to be on medication because of the side effects that can come with them. My depression tablets made me overdose on them and I just am too anxious to go back onto anything around medication. i hope to hear stories that won’t make me feel alone. I know I’m not I just feel like it sometimes.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story I am really excited to hear from yours now. ☺️

[white knight]

Hi, welcome

I'm glad someone was with you that day. You did well by going home and taking precautions.

Anxiety is a serious illness. I had it. For years I was the "nervous type, on edge" then wham, following a workplace incident I had a huge panic attack. From then on I had therapy and meds for about 2 years, I then set about fixing my anxiety forever- it took a long time- 22 years but was worth the routine I had developed.

Medication is sometimes needed as we cannot overcome it without them and therapy. We also underestimate it until it's too late. Prevention is better than cure.

Side effects from meds is more a case of getting the right one for you. I tried 12 medications and all but the last one had side effects then once the last one came along I've been taking it ever since....9 years. I wont ever go off it because I know how it is when I am, terrible.

Read the first post in these threads-

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/anxiety-how-l-eliminated-it

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/worry-worry-worry

Recovery takes some commitment. Doing exercises every night prior to sleeping will help you sleep also and eventually your anxiety will go away. It's worth every effort to do these actions.

I hope you feel better soon.

TonyWK

[Idontevenknow]

Hey Ash,

I guess I have a kind of similar story that might help. Main difference is that mine were the other way around. I was always a shy and nervous kid but once I got into high school and developed traits of eating disorders, anxiety decided to come along to the party. I was able to manage it alright, the panic attacks were damn bloody scary but I could get through it. Then my depression came and I thought I could get through it, but yo I was so wrong.

My message of "hope" would be to figure how you manage your depression and see if you can use any of it for anxiety. Talk therapy or CBT would be a great starting point. Family and friends are usually fantastic with helping anxiety, it was great that you were able to get your partner to help you through your first panic attack. Maybe you could research some techniques and talk to your friends and family about helping you through anxiety 'in the moment', Medication shouldn't be shoved down your throat as soon as you begin having panic attacks, but it can help if pushing through it, talking about it and therapy don't help. There are so many types of medications you can try, maybe when or if you begin a new one have someone keep an eye on you or live with you as it settles in. I also had a bad first experience with medication (for my depression) so I understand your fears. Support from family ad friends here can also help.

Oh and about the iron, some people have found simply after taking iron supplements for a while its helped them significantly so keep checking up on that.

Best of luck with everything!

[Retrowave]

thxs for sharing Just curious you said you had low iron, are you vegetarion?