Anxiety Sufferers?

Frith

Me! I have Generalised Anxiety Disorder. I have seen various psychologists over the years for "talking therapies" and was on antidepressants - first for about 2 years and the second time for 18 months.

Nothing made the slightest bit of difference. I also tried healthy diets, not having a healthy diet to see if I deteriorated (I didn't!), exercise, pushing myself to go out, staying in.... gave up alcohol, swapped tea for rooibos tea - everything you can think of.

This year I phoned the Dr again but the funding had been cut to see a psychologist and I was offered group therapy with a psych nurse. I refused to do group therapy and I would have been too nervous to go into the room with everyone else and luckily was offered some one to one sessions.

I really thought these would do nothing to help as well. After one meeting, the nurse put me down for 20 sessions of CBT (!) and she is a marvel. :-) No more pacing the floors and insomnia, no more elaborate list writing where I panic that I'm not going to get everything done.

The only downside is that with the anxiety receeding, I felt quite depressed for a couple of weeks. Apparently, this is because the anxiety (and all the tricks I had used to try and ignore it) had taken up so much of my time, I had barely noticed the bit of depression underneath it and this came to the fore.

But that too is going in the right direction now.

The service here is called IAPTS - not sure if it is nationwide.

Bestthingsinlifearefree

thelittlestranger wrote: »

Hope this is the right place to post.

I was just wondering if anyone else here suffers with anxiety? I'm 21, and have severe anxiety.I'd love to hear from some people who are experiencing or have experience anxiety. It would just be nice to have a chat with people who understand and perhaps share any helpful hints and tips.

Hi,

Just wanted to wish you well. Mental health can get better, much better, be it anxiety or anything else and a full recovery can be achievable or at least a much bigger improvement.

As mentioned by another poster anxiety / depression can be 2 sides of the same coin and are very common. Don't be to hard on youself. Take small positive steps and celebrate your victories and don't focus on any set backs. Small steps forward one day at a time and you may surprise yourself how far you can go.

Best wishes and you are right finding tips and approaches that work for you and talking about it can be a big help.

Best,

FatVonD

I've had a few of what I *think* are panic attacks lately (since my workload has been doubled :mad: ), my heart races and I feel a bit breathless, is that a panic attack? I just make a conscious effort to breathe slowly and deeply and it subsides. In the worst case I took myself out to the nearest st*rbucks for a cup of hot chocolate for 20 minutes.

Racheldevon

Consider Mindfulness based stress reduction course, which is 8 weeks and available on the NHS - I've found it really helpful. You can also get books and audio cds on mindfulness, and the work of Jon Kabat Zinn is very good, but there's certainly something very benefifical about being in a small group with others and the support and guidance from tutors. There's also two very good books - the mindful way through depression - which in my view is excellant even if you don't have depression - this comes with a cd of guided practice sessions narrated by Jon Kabat Zinn (I believe the book is written by Mark Williams - one of the key founders of mindfulness), and another one called The Mindful way through anxiety - both available on amazon, though i'd start with the first one first. There's lots of sites on mindfulness, let me know if you're interest/want more info - it has a really strong evidence base, and is NICE guidelinbe recommended

universalady_2

Frith, I think IAPTS is nationwide, as I have used this service, and it was good

thelittlestranger

Thanks so much to everyone who replied, I really appreciate you taking the time to do so.

I have tried IAPT and have recently done a Stress Control class, and while I think it was beneficial, it wasn't completely what I was looking for.

One of the classes they do offer though is Mindfulness and considering a couple o you have suggested this I might enrol!

I've also been given the option to go on a Mind First Aid course, which sounds really interesting, has anyone else done this?

YORKSHIRELASS

universalady wrote: »

I have suffered anxiety since having an inner ear problem, so about 18 months now. However it's been getting worse in the last several weeks. I am determined to not let it incapacitate me, I refuse to be scared of going out incase I have a panic attack. Fighting it constantly leaves me very tired and also on edge so a bit of a cycle really.

Hi - I have never come across anyone else who has been through this but this was me a few years ago. I got an inner ear infection which made me dizzy. I could be fine one minute and feel like I was going to fall over the next. I lost all confidence. The doctor told me that my anxiety was making my physical symptoms worse but his only answer was medication which I was reluctant to take. In the end another doctor gently said to me that I could get better but I needed to try and find the strength to fight it and this was what I needed to hear.

I have to say though that another really stressful period brought the anxiety back and since then I have never 100% got over it - the anxiety is always there in the background but I can control it now and I am not as scared of being anxious as I used to be.

ska_lover

HI OP. I too was stunned at how many people are walking around suffering from anxiety and mental health issues, which is something i was not aware of until I began to suffer anxiety and panic attacks myself. I would be totally honest and open with people, including work, and people I had known for years would tell me their experiences

It is amazing that I had known these people for so long and they had kept it quiet, almost as if theres a stigma attached to panic attacks and anxiety - i.e seen as weak. I have never kept quiet about mine, and openly talk to anyone whoever they may be about my experience

OP after suffering from anxiety, panic attacks- I found almost by accident something which worked for me, when I am having a panic attack, I feel like I cannot breathe and everything is closing in on me - there is a peice of opera music (I Hate opera as well!!?) which I found calms me totally, and very quickly. If for example I am at work, and an attack begins, i get up from my desk, go outside, and walk well away from the office block so they cannot hear me, and sing this peice of music loudly.

I must actually look like a crazy person doing it, but honestly it does work for me.

kez_s

ska_lover wrote: »

HI OP. I too was stunned at how many people are walking around suffering from anxiety and mental health issues, which is something i was not aware of until I began to suffer anxiety and panic attacks myself. I would be totally honest and open with people, including work, and people I had known for years would tell me their experiences

It is amazing that I had known these people for so long and they had kept it quiet, almost as if theres a stigma attached to panic attacks and anxiety - i.e seen as weak. I have never kept quiet about mine, and openly talk to anyone whoever they may be about my experience

This is so true, only this weekend I was talking to my friend about what had been going on over the last couple of months and she opened up about how she had been going through something very similar, both of us hasn't really wanted to say anything but once I came out with it she was so relieved to know someone else was having the same experiences that she opened up too, she also said that like you once she mentioned it to others she was shocked how open they had become and how many of us suffer with it.

rita-rabbit

http://www.thehappinesstrap.com/

On this website you’ll also find a variety of free resources to use not only with The Happiness Trap but also with Russ's other self-help books: The Confidence Gap, The Reality Slap and ACT With Love. And if you wish, you can also buy books, MP3s and CDs. Plus there’s also a section for therapists and coaches, which provides support materials for use with your clients.


I am studying counselling & this was a recommended book. Note: I have suffered from depression in the past as well as anxiety.

Racheldevon wrote: »

Consider Mindfulness based stress reduction course, which is 8 weeks and available on the NHS - I've found it really helpful. You can also get books and audio cds on mindfulness, and the work of Jon Kabat Zinn is very good, but there's certainly something very benefifical about being in a small group with others and the support and guidance from tutors. There's also two very good books - the mindful way through depression - which in my view is excellant even if you don't have depression - this comes with a cd of guided practice sessions narrated by Jon Kabat Zinn (I believe the book is written by Mark Williams - one of the key founders of mindfulness), and another one called The Mindful way through anxiety - both available on amazon, though i'd start with the first one first. There's lots of sites on mindfulness, let me know if you're interest/want more info - it has a really strong evidence base, and is NICE guidelinbe recommended