Anxiety with Claustrophobia

[HealthAnxed]

I was always a nervous and worried child. I experienced true anxiety and depression for the 1st time in my early twenties. It eventually morphed into just anxiety. After a car accident in 1996, I slowly developed driving anxiety. After developing multiple sclerosis and having my 1st brain MRI, I developed full-blown claustrophobia. My world seems to be getting smaller and smaller as I recently began experiencing panic attacks in public. Standing in lines makes me feel light-headed. I'm so afraid that this will lead to agoraphobia. I'm here to share with others and hopefully find guidance through these shared experiences.

[fauxartist]

I'm sorry your having a worry about getting an anxiety....but you may want to concentrate on not having an anxiety... the old be careful what you wish for thing.... and get some help dealing with your existing condition with therapy and mindfulness techniques to keep you in the here and now. I don't know of anyone who likes standing in lines or be in crowded places just because it's normally an annoyance...and it sounds like you have some un-resolved possible PTSD from the accident that may help if you focused on this in therapy. I'm glad your here sharing about this...

[HealthAnxed in reply to fauxartist]

Thank you. I believe you're exactly right about the trauma. Great advice. I'm actively looking for a therapist. I really need that in my life again.

[LaPetiteGen]

I'm so sorry to hear you are struggling with anxiety. Sounds like this is something that you've been dealing with for a very long time. As we get older it seems our world does shrink, we become more aware of our surroundings and focus on the negative in life. I used to be fearless in my youth & now find myself more cautious and always leaning towards the worst case scenarios. Life experiences unfortunately can leave some nasty lingering scars. Please don't give up hope & believe that you can manage these issues. Counseling would definitely be a great start. I would also encourage you to explore techniques for developing "mindfulness." I have found that yoga really helps me focus on the positive & calms my mind with having to be more focused on my present state. Our brain is a muscle & can be trained to default to calm or default to anxiety. Developing techniques in your life that help you when you become panicked can make all the difference. Praying that you will find deliverance.