GAD

[Viktrona]

I believe I have GAD and I guess that's not too surprising since I am quite sure I have had it all my life but was taught to push past it and for the most part succeeded. Now however the older I get with work and other such things it has become worse after a recent argument with my BF that we both agree was an issue with communication on both of our parts have decided to reach out for help. However I am nervous I don't want anxiety to become who I am however if feel like I seek to help it will be more of a part of me then it already is. Yes I know it should help me and do the opposite I just am nervous to be talking to any specialist of such

[Kobojunkie]

please find a psychiatrist / neuropsychiatrist who is willing to work with you to put together a treatment plan that is best for your situation.

And try to get a real diagnosis so you know what you really have there. you really have to get what I call an official diagnosis in order that you not waste time on treatment that does nothing meaningful for you in the end.

[Viktrona in reply to Kobojunkie]

I would like to and there are descriptions in this website that make it feel so simple but then I want to see how much it would cost with health insurance. I woke up this morning feeling anxious about a situation that happened yesterday even though it never became an issue but I was anxious about it yesterday now I am again today. I don't mean to self diagnosed myself but just don't think my level of anxiety is healthy... I know people have it worse then I do and I know I am not the most severe case or at I least I dont believe...I think I had a point to this post and have since such started rambling I apologise

[Kobojunkie in reply to Viktrona]

If you live in the USA and have insurance, there are community mental health programs that may work with you and sometimes with no copay.

Getting an.expert take a look at you is just one essential step in getting the right treatment to help you on your way to beating the illness. Trying to fight it on your own hasn't worked this far, so why not decide now to take a step in the right?

Anxiety can get so severe as to cause a person to have tremors all the time, keeping the persons fight-or-flight system firing 24hours of the day, rendering the person completely incapable of living a life near normal. So it behooves one to run to get treatment no matter what it may cost.

Not to be insensitive but you only need to look through the many posts on here to see that there are so many people out there that there quality of life has been decided for them.by their condition - there illness plays a central role in their life - their perception of self, their relationships, thoughts, career choices, most every interaction with the outside world, is all built around their mental illness - and it shouldn't be so at all. Mental illness shouldn't control our lives. We should be able to live our lives and control our own destiny.

That is why it is essential to engage an expert that listens to you, and is willing to work with you through each step of the process of your treatment.

Mental illness may be a life long sentence. And YOU, and not some chemical imbalance in your head, should be in charge of your destiny!

[BonnieSue]

You might be nervous about talking to someone about anxiety but that's because you don't know him/her yet. It's all new right now. After the newness wears off, you'll be comfortable and start relaxing more. That 1st stage will be over for as long as you stay with this doctor. You may be right about having GAD but you do need to know so you need a psychiatrist for this job of diagnosing. Especially because you may also have some depression either now or someday down the road because the 2 usually are found together (depression and anxiety) and they often need meds. It's best not to have to change doctors because you didn't start out with 1 who can help you later on when you need it.

If your anxiety is too powerful in your life and you seek treatment for it, it will become a much smaller issue in your life and then become much less significant. When I 1st went to a psychiatrist for treatment, I was so anxious that's all anybody could see in me. My doctor treated my anxiety and when it was under control, he continued to see me and observed me for any depression. I didn't know this. After awhile he could see depression emerging and treated me for that. I could see it too, because it was huge. But my anxiety was so bad it had covered the depression up while it remained untreated. This doesn't mean you are exactly like me, just that the possibility exists that you could be depressed also if your anxiety is very strong. And I hope you would want to get well if you had 1 or both problems.

[narahman2]

I know exactly what you mean when you say you are afraid to seek help because then it will become more prominent in your life and maybe make you feel even worse realizing it. That's what happened to me. I see a counselor every couple of weeks for the past few months and it definitely makes me more aware that something is wrong with me. I'm not on any medication for my anxiety and depression and am scared to do so for the same above reasons as well as side effects. It's hard accepting that our mental health isn't normal. I really struggle with that too and didnt want a doctor's confirmation that my brain is messed up. So not to deter you from getting checked out, but just agreeing that it is scary.

[Hidden]

I feel sometimes talking about it to who ever helps as well i dont see a specialist or professional but i do talk to other people and try to use some of what they say and work there advice into my life i dont know what it will take to cure me or even learn how to control it but everyday is a battle amd damit i wanna fight to win