Anxiety / Stress

PeacefulWaters

I suffer from periods of time when I'm excessively anxious. My back tenses up to the point of being in physical pain.

I become tunnel visioned for a time where I can only focus on one thing. Interruptions to my train of thought are difficult to handle and planning things like a holiday etc is something I'd defer. I become a person who is capable of doing what he's told but I'm useless at broader planning during these periods.

I tend to work through it and within a few days return to "normal".

When one of these anxiety events combined with pressure in my job a couple of years ago it caused me to have four weeks off work. I paid for numerous counselling sessions which helped to a degree and I've adopted a number of healthier behaviours which appear to have helped.

While root cause was never identified, we did touch on the anniversaries of significant events in my life. It is extraordinary how these spells of anxiety do coincide with things like being on the wrong end of armed robberies, family deaths and discovering my ex-wife's infidelity. I'm pretty sure many others have had much worse to deal with, but these are the nasties I recall.

When I've approached my GP she's prescribed beta-blockers. Tic-tacs would have had a similar benefit!

I'm pretty much resigned to managing these periods of anxiety for the rest of my life. While they're unpleasant and uncomfortable I don't anticipate them leading to any sort of breakdown or self-harm. I'm not dangerous to anybody else.

While I'm not expecting a solution to magically appear on these pages, I am interested to know if anybody else feels like they have "anniversary stress" episodes and if so what they do to manage it.

Or am I just odd?!

Artytarty

Oh yes, I do. I'm dreading the one year anniversary in a week of when we found our darling cat dead on the steps. I've had other similar things and I tend to deal with by acknowledging in advance that it's going to be a crappy DAY. I will let it happen, tears will fall and hopefully afterwards it gets easier each time. Well, I know it does.
All the best.

BrassicWoman

Yes. Don't be too hard on your GP; they don't have cures for everything. BBs do help mine. They don't make the hurt and anxiety stop, but they do get me through the day.

QuackQuackOops

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

I suffer from periods of time when I'm excessively anxious. My back tenses up to the point of being in physical pain.

I become tunnel visioned for a time where I can only focus on one thing. Interruptions to my train of thought are difficult to handle and planning things like a holiday etc is something I'd defer. I become a person who is capable of doing what he's told but I'm useless at broader planning during these periods.

I tend to work through it and within a few days return to "normal".

When one of these anxiety events combined with pressure in my job a couple of years ago it caused me to have four weeks off work. I paid for numerous counselling sessions which helped to a degree and I've adopted a number of healthier behaviours which appear to have helped.

While root cause was never identified, we did touch on the anniversaries of significant events in my life. It is extraordinary how these spells of anxiety do coincide with things like being on the wrong end of armed robberies, family deaths and discovering my ex-wife's infidelity. I'm pretty sure many others have had much worse to deal with, but these are the nasties I recall.

When I've approached my GP she's prescribed beta-blockers. Tic-tacs would have had a similar benefit!

I'm pretty much resigned to managing these periods of anxiety for the rest of my life. While they're unpleasant and uncomfortable I don't anticipate them leading to any sort of breakdown or self-harm. I'm not dangerous to anybody else.

While I'm not expecting a solution to magically appear on these pages, I am interested to know if anybody else feels like they have "anniversary stress" episodes and if so what they do to manage it.

Or am I just odd?!

Well, why not forget what day it is and go do something you enjoy rather than sitting and remembering why this particular day is so awful/traumatic/sad etc.

The only person who is trapping you in this stressed lifestyle is you and only you can get yourself out of it.
Go swimming, take a massage on bad days, blow some steam in the gym/cycling/power walk/climbing the peaks. Exercise does wonders for the body and soul especially if you do it regularly.

Then ask your GP to refer you to get some cognitive behaviour therapy to help change your outlook and stop the vicious circles you create for yourself.

You're not odd. You are normal as many people go through similar problems, however, be assured, there is a way forward to a stress and anxiety (for the most part) free life but you have to work at it.
There are no magic pills or someone to come along and place a nicer life in your hands.
It's all down to you and your own hard work.

Oh, and the food you eat can have a massive impact on hormones and the way your body works too.

marisco_2

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

While I'm not expecting a solution to magically appear on these pages, I am interested to know if anybody else feels like they have "anniversary stress" episodes and if so what they do to manage it.

Or am I just odd?!

You are not odd at all. There are certain dates that cause me stress and upset, even now years down the line from the events having taken place. I was advised to create new memories on these days. To take some time out and do something nice and meaningful. So as when the dates approached the following year, my sole focus wasn't on the negative associated to them, but also on the positive too. It helped me a lot and I hope it may ease things for you too.

PeacefulWaters

QuackQuackOops wrote: »

Well, why not forget what day it is and go do something you enjoy rather than sitting and remembering why this particular day is so awful/traumatic/sad etc.

I don't sit there waiting for the date to come. The specific dates had long since been forgotten. It was only when I reconciled the stress timings that I realised that they sat either side of previous happenings.

The only person who is trapping you in this stressed lifestyle is you and only you can get yourself out of it.

In my defence, I outlined the medical action I'd taken above and while I didn't go into detail about certain behavioural changes I've made I did reference the point.

Go swimming, take a massage on bad days, blow some steam in the gym/cycling/power walk/climbing the peaks. Exercise does wonders for the body and soul especially if you do it regularly.

Yes, I have a far better and far more effective exercise routine now.

Then ask your GP to refer you to get some cognitive behaviour therapy to help change your outlook and stop the vicious circles you create for yourself.

My GP won't refer me anyway unless I show signs of becoming a homicidal maniac.

There's little doubt I'm in a far better place than I was. For the main I'm in a good place, decent bloke who's good to be around. Some of these past events are 20+ years behind me and it just frustrates me that they still seem to get me even when I'm not counting down the days to their anniversary.

Transformers

QuackQuackOops wrote: »

Well, why not forget what day it is and go do something you enjoy rather than sitting and remembering why this particular day is so awful/traumatic/sad etc.

Thanks for that 'easier said than done' advice. You've cured me!

squirrelchops

OP - do you drink much alcohol? The only reason I ask is that my anxiety goes sky high following a night of even having a small amount of booze. Many people dont realise the links.

BrassicWoman

In my area, you can self refer for CBT. Took about 6 weeks to get an appointment. Worth checking it out.

PeacefulWaters

squirrelchops wrote: »

OP - do you drink much alcohol? The only reason I ask is that my anxiety goes sky high following a night of even having a small amount of booze. Many people dont realise the links.

I drink very little. Perhaps a bottle of cider a week. Don't smoke. Diet has improved.

danih

I went to my gp a few months ago when my anxiety got to the point where i had constant tension headaches, couldn't sleep, couldn't truly focus on anything, and was becoming frightened for myself.


GP prescribed me citalapram - this is an SSRI prescribed for anxiety and / or depression. I have also councelling - free on NHS, and referred by the GP. Its not CBT, its a more general approach. My plan is to make use of the counselling to understand and sort my head enough to come off the drug, hopefully within a few months.

Its early days for me - the drug is working very well after 8 weeks. I am comfortable with my counseller after 4 weeks. So far so good - this combination is working well for me.

Might be worth a trip to your gp to explore further options for yourself?