Do you suffer from anxiety?

[Stagsong]

I have medium anxiety, down from very high thanks to weoght loss and a new exercise program - aka I just do something 5 days a week. Finally admitted I needed a bit more help and pills have given me back a very happy life.

[Whippet]

suffered from anxiety since I was maybe 6, it started with some horrid school experiences, but I guess I've always been sort of high strung. my doctor has me on 3mg of klonipin a day. I'm afraid of becoming dependent on benzos, but I think taking it over dealing with anxiety and borderline anxiety attacks over things is healthier in the long run.
always nice (well not nice nice) to see I'm not alone, anxiety and depression are things that you can really network with other people through and confide in. keep on keepin' on guys, you can knock anxiety to the ground!

[Vanguard]

As @(you need an account to see links) mentioned, have you considered taking benzodiazapines?

In high concentrations they're used as a sleep aid, low concentrations as anti-anxiety medication. You've already taken a ginormous leap in beginning an excercise regimen and undertaking other holistic measures to help manage anxiety, so good job!

Benzos can be addictive, but you can circumvent that if your anxiety is situational. Do you have waves of panic before a big exam? Afraid of being in big crowds? Nervous about meeting new people? The benzos will take the edge off and even help habituate you to the situation so that future encounters are not as intimidating. Moderation is key though.

Goodluck!

[Aska]

Yep.

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[Banararama]

I'm not an overly anxious person and deal with stress well, but I do have a pretty stressful life in general I too smoke a lot of weed. I gave up cigs about 2 years ago so that's gone. I also an a consistent gym frequenter to alleviate pent up aggression C:

[FWD]

Used to. A combination of a pretty awful childhood combined with a lot of stress triggered severe generalised anxiety and panic attacks in my early twenties.

It started when I was sat on a bus and suddenly thought I couldn't breathe with the windows closed, totally random, and from then on I went downhill fast. I've never been great with people but suddenly I couldn't even hold a conversation without all these thoughts racing around- "oh my God, they think I'm weird" or "I feel so terrible! Something awful is going to happen to me". Going out to the pub was an absolute no-go; if I even had a sip of alcohol I'd feel like throwing up. Eating became extremely difficult as I developed a major fear of vomiting. Just being in my home was enough to stress me out as I was around people constantly. Buying stuff from shops was terrifying- I remember I once had to sit outside a shop for a couple of hours to gather the courage to venture in to buy a pair of jeans. Constantly worrying about everything was exhausting. Any minor ailment was life-threatening. Constantly questioned and probed my feelings. Couldn't sleep at all despite the tiredness. Honestly thought I was finally going crazy.

There were three things that helped me to overcome it:

1) Going to my doctor. Oh man, was this visit overdue! Finally just admitting that I was struggling like hell. Some people find unleashing all their crap a relief; I didn't. It was gutting- like accepting defeat. It took me five minutes to quit bawling my eyes out and tell him what was up. Luckily my doctor is incredible with mental health and was very understanding. Put me forward for counselling and prescribed sleeping tablets. He even made an appointment for a psychiatrist as I was completely convinced I was losing my mind. Aside from my doctor's support (I can never convey just how grateful I am he didn't fob me off) the sleeping tablets helped immensely; at the start it was the only way I could take a break from myself, from all the thoughts that wouldn't stop.

2) Support from friends, especially those who had previously experienced anxiety. They didn't pressure me to socialise and didn't get angry with me when I skipped out of events early. They sat down with me when I couldn't stand to deal with it anymore. Gently encouraged me to eat. Didn't mind my tears. Shared their experiences and tips. They were just there and considering how lonely anxiety can make you feel, it was nice to be reminded sometimes that I wasn't an awful, weak human being.

3) (you need an account to see links) At risk of sounding like some goddamn advert, this site is AMAZING. I didn't buy the book (or app) behind the site; the pages themselves helped so much. I saved them to my mobile and read them whenever I felt awful. It explained in layman's terms why I felt so terrible- the reasoning behind the racing heart, the troubled breathing etc. It made me realise that I needed to quit being so hard on myself and give myself a break. It was okay to not feel 100%. I recommend this site to anyone who suffers from anxiety or panic attacks. Knowledge gives you so much power over it.


The combination of the three things above gradually eased me out of anxiety. Definitely wasn't easy or immediate- took about a year. There is no easy or immediate way to deal with anxiety. I forced myself to do things I absolutely didn't want to do- I honestly think that's the only way to fully overcome it. Drugs are just a cover up, they don't deal with the underlying issues. Facing fears is the key. If I felt hugely uncomfortable when I was outside with my friends, I'd wander off for a walk but then return when I'd calmed down a bit. I carried around a packet of biscuits everywhere and focused on nibbling them if I felt terrible. I focused on other people instead of myself when talking to others. I stopped asking myself how I felt all the time. I started eating semi-normally again; never underestimate how much a decent diet helps. I basically had to relearn how to relax.


So, yeah, that's my story in a nutshell. If you haven't come across it already, please give the site I linked a browse- it helped me immensely and hopefully it will aid some of you as well.

[Lazuli]

I have a very bad case of social anxiety... and the fact that I stutter probably plays a huge role in that :/ cuz i think that for the most part if I didn't have a goddamn speech impediment I'd be at least 89% more confident.

but like lol I'm about to be 22 this year and I only just recently started being able to leave the house by myself and go shopping alone without freaking out. So, baby steps!
though there are some days where I can own any place I go to regardless of the situation and who's there, but that's not terribly often

I've had medication recommendations but I've never gotten around to actually getting them, and honestly i probably never will.

[Lenars]

i suffer from mild social anxiety, but i'm not sure if i'm just awkward, or i give off a really bad vibe??

[oscar75]

has anyone ever done CBT?

(cognitive behavioral therapy that is, not cock and ball torture)

im starting it next week. i have generalized anxiety disorder rather than social anxiety. which basically just means that fuckin' everything gives me anxiety. yay me!!!

[Mindfang]

has anyone ever done CBT?

(cognitive behavioral therapy that is, not cock and ball torture)

im starting it next week. i have generalized anxiety disorder rather than social anxiety. which basically just means that fuckin' everything gives me anxiety. yay me!!!

I've been put forward for it actually. The therapy I mean not the torture. I just haven't received my actual referral letter to wherever it was I'm meant to go, they said it might take a while. I haven't been panicking as much now I'm on medication but I'm pretty unable to function normally still since I'm so used to existing on an extreme level of stress and shutting myself away as a result u_u

I've heard good things about it though so I'm hopeful that it'll help, especially because the meds only curbed the majority of my panic attacks. I'm still fuckin scared of everything and everyone lmfao.