Anxiety

I've had anxiety for 5 years and am now feeling worse. I am scared of the thoughts and the anxiety which is making it worse. Meds not working.

[Sprinkle1]

You have my empathy, my anxiety paralyzes me. I am going to ask my Dr. to raise my med's. Perhaps you should consider that or ask to be put on something else as you may have built up a tolerance to the one your on, I am on 3 (low dose) + antidepressant with anti anxiety tied in with it. Good thing I am retired I could not hold down a job in my state. I'd have to go on disability. Have you considered seeking the help of a Psychiatrist? Do whatever you can for yourself, share time with understanding, trusting friends. Come talk to us. Sending love and peace. Sprinkle 1

[Hidden in reply to Sprinkle1]

Thank you. I want to get off meds but I can't. When I take my meds I feel no better

[Shanedavey]

The anxiety is the hardest to fight. Not knowing what you are having anxiety about puts me at a disadvantage but what I do ( in general ) is to realize what the anxiety is it is my mind playing out the most negative outcomes the tasks that I have yet to do. Or in other words "working against me". Once you can separate the anxiety from your conscious you can put it in it"s place. I know the concept is hard to understand especially when you are and have been under it's duress.

So

when you are obsessing over something and see the outcome in your mind remember to tell yourself "this is not the reality of the situation because it hasn't happened yet"

Your mind is telling you about the worst possible outcome and you are believing in it as if was in the past and already happened when in reality it still needs to be done.

Our minds tell us lies about the present and future concentrate on the moment you are in, and try to understand that a part of your mind is telling you vicious lies and you will start to be able to live a little bit at a time.

I am fifty years old and I don't remember a time of ever having a great feeling about myself but I can say that I fight the big wars in my mind every day and every day my victories are faster and easier.

I wish you the best

[Hidden in reply to Shanedavey]

I'm afraid of the anxiety and the fear. But my fear is of anxiety. That's why I can't get better. I read a book that said if your scared of it it will get worse. Now I'm obsessed with that thought

[Agora1 in reply to Hidden]

I know what book you meant but Dr Weekes didn't mean it that way and I'm sorry you've got that thought stuck in your mind now. I wish you could delete that thought like we do on the computer. Back space, back space....

We fear anxiety because it is unpredictable and ever changing in symptoms. Anxious people do not like surprises and do not like change. In order to abort those symptoms from even taking hold, when we first feel fear, we need to embrace it, accept it and not fear it. It cannot harm us, it is a figment of our mind, lies, deceit.

As to your fear of it getting worse if you are scared of it, let me tell you it can't and it won't get any worse than it already is. The fear has reached it's peak. It only has one way to go now and that is down. If you use deep breathing when you get scared and tell yourself you will no longer accept being bullied by Anxiety, the fear will start backing off. I promise you. You are stronger than Anxiety. You just got caught up in it's web of deceit.

I promise the fear will not get worse. Others on the forum who have learned to accept anxiety as not harmful will attest to the fact that it will not worsen.

We will walk you through this one small step at a time. You will reach your goal.

I believe in you and want you to wipe your tears it's going to be okay. xxx

[Agora1]

Shanedavey, I enjoyed reading your response. If I may let me quote one of your sentences that I found so original in that anxiety was never explained that way. "Your mind is telling you about the worst possible outcome and you are believing in it as if it was in the past and already happened when in reality it still needs to be done." Brilliantly stated. My best to you