Hi everyone - I’m new. Struggling with Anxiety and Depression

Hi everyone. This is my first day here. I struggle with severe anxiety, panic attacks and depression. The last few months have been really hard for me. I have learned so many new coping mechanisms. Sometimes they work and sometimes nothing helps. Today I had one of the worst panic attacks I’ve ever had in my life. I feel really discouraged because it seems like I am doing all of the right things with no relief. I am really looking forward to connecting with all of you so we can hopefully help each other through our struggles together. 💜💜💜

[Kat63]

You are not alone. There’s a lot of us who have anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. We can make suggestions, or we can just listen.

[Hidden in reply to Kat63]

Thank you!!! It’s nice to meet you! 💜

[BeachBumBabe]

Good to have you. What are some of your coping mechanisms? I'm glad you got through it. Just because you had a bad time time getting over it doesn't mean your doing wrong. That's what anxiety does, no matter what you do there a times when it will come back. Do you have mental illness such as Panic Disorder or Generalized anxiety or just an anxious person in general? Or did some event trigger your anxiety, PTSD?

[Hidden]

I have generalized anxiety, social anxiety, OCD, depression and panic disorder. Never a dull moment with me :-). I don’t recall any event in particular triggering this in the first place - it gradually appeared while I was in college and I have struggled ever since. I am now in my 30’s. I have a binder where I keep all of my coping mechanisms so I can reference them in a pinch! Some of the things I try are working out, meditation, taking a hot bath, FaceTiming with my nephews, quiet devotional time, and comforting movies (I love old westerns and musicals). My doctor also prescribed me alprazolam to take as needed when the panic and anxiety are really bad and that really helps to calm me down. Some days I try all of these things and it still doesn’t help the anxiety. I know it sounds extreme but I am applying for jobs where I can work from home because the social anxiety has been so severe lately. Thanks for your response - it’s nice to meet you!

[BeachBumBabe in reply to Hidden]

Alot on your plate. I can take some tips from you. Well I have dysthymia depression, Maladaptive daydreaming disorder, paranoia disorder and panic disorder. Some things that help me are not staying in bed, getting out if the house, complimenting myself, cooking, looking nice, and writing. Whatever helps if you need to stay at home good. Watch out for the work from home scams!

[Pearl67 in reply to BeachBumBabe]

Once, in a very bad place, I got very good advice from a Dr. He said, get up and into the shower or working out ASAP, fuel your body and get OUT of the HOUSE! If it is work, okay, a coffee shop, okay, a library, okay, a mall, just get out.

It is wise advise.

I am not saying one should never work from home!!! But we must be mindful if what we are doing. Often times it is cementing avoidance behaviors.

[Hidden in reply to Pearl67]

Awesome advice! I hadn’t looked at it like that before! Maybe I need to make more of a conscious effort to leave my house more often! Even if it’s taking my dogs for a walk! I love the idea of showering and working out ASAP. Working out really helps me so doing that right away before I spiral is such a good idea. Thank you!

[BeachBumBabe in reply to Pearl67]

Thanks it really helps. Doing the same things over a get will get you in a rut. It gets boring because you know the outcome so therefore you don't look forward to it. Perhaps changing your walking routine, making a new different recipe, try a different coffee shop or nail salon. As long as it helps , even the smallest,

[Hidden in reply to BeachBumBabe]

Love these ideas! Thank you! Sounds like you have a lot on your plate as well. Message me anytime if you ever want to talk!

[BeachBumBabe in reply to Hidden]

I meant GAD, panic disorder, dysthymia depression and Maladaptive daydreaming, not paranoia. Thanks and Same goes fir you. I hope it doesn't bother you right now, I hate it went it cones back.

[Sankissjuice in reply to Hidden]

I haven't been able to work since relapse into Depression and not working actually makes me feel worse. What types of jobs have you found that are manageable for people like us? I need so much sleep...

[Jovm1 in reply to Sankissjuice]

This so true. A easy job will keep you distracted too . Maybe in stores , supermarket, drugstore. Anything that will help you along your journey

[Hidden]

You are not alone with that I am the exact same so if you want to talk to me I am here.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much and same here. Message me anytime!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

You’re welcome and I know it’s hard I struggle with it every single day but message me if you ever want or need to and thanks xxxx

[Hidden]

Such an amazing group of people. I’m so encouraged by your stories and your willingness to share.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

This seems like an awesome group already. I want to share as much as I can about what I have learned with my anxiety and depression. As weird as this sounds, If something I have learned can even help at least one other person then I feel like what I am going through means something and makes it more bearable.

[Sankissjuice in reply to Hidden]

I feel the same way too. Instead of seeing this illness as a punishment, I see it as a gift. It allows me to relate to millions of people worldwide who had or still live with the conditions. Feel free to reach out.

[Nom-D-Ploom]

I have only had 1 panic attack, but it was stunning to see myself so terrified. My best idea to cope with the fears is to re-write the event. I replay the dream or flashback, but I think -in a way to escape. I hope you heal well.

[Angry101]

Hello Rose, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Mary Jo, but I go by Jo. I too have severe depression and anxiety. I’ve had this disease for most of my life. My first memory of it was when I was 8 or 9. My anxiety usually triggers my depression and anger. I have manic episodes, where I pull my hair out, talk constantly, chew on my inner cheek. I chewed it so bad it was about the size of a half dollar coin. Right now I’m in a good place. I have been for a while now. Has something happened in the last few months to make your depression and anxiety worse? I would love to try to help you figure this out! We sound like two peas in a pod! 😆I sincerely hope you get better and I hope I can help. God bless you my friend.

[Hidden in reply to Angry101]

Hi Jo, nice to meet you! I am so glad to hear that things have been going so well for you lately! About a year ago I got pulled into a very stressful situation at work and ever since I haven’t been able to “come down” from the high anxiety. I have severe social anxiety - sometimes I can’t even sit at my desk at work. I also have crippling panic attacks. Today I had one so bad that I had to keep pinching myself so hard so the pain would distract me from the dread and panic I was feeling. It felt like such an unhealthy thing to do but it was the only thing that helped. Lately the panic is worse right after I wake up and in the middle of the night so I am terrified to go to sleep now! I feel like such a mess but have to act like I have it all together for my job and so my family doesn’t worry. Even my husband has started checking out and not wanting to help me through my panic attacks because they are so frequent. It’s scary to feel so alone during them. I am so thankful I found this place today. And thank you for your comment and concern for my health!!!! 💜💜💜

[mrmonk]

Hello and welcome, Rose6682! I'm sorry the past few months have been particularly bad for you. I hope you will find as much support here as I did when I joined last year while in the throes of some of the worst anxiety I had experienced since I was a kid. Finding this place and the special people in it has made such a difference in helping me feel less alone during those rough times, and I wish the same for you.

I was reading in the thread about some of your coping strategies and saw you mentioned the comfort of movies; this has also been helpful to me, as I enjoy films of all kinds, but especially older ("classic") films -- I've watched certain movies so many times, I know pieces of dialogue by heart and the familiarity always brings me some peace. If you don't mind sharing, what are some of your favorite westerns and musicals?

Feel free to message me anytime. Take care and be well.

[CallMeByYourSquid in reply to mrmonk]

Thank you for sharing.

I’ve always connected to movies.

Book later on.

[mrmonk in reply to CallMeByYourSquid]

Always happy to share.

Heh, I gleaned from your username that you might be into films. (My guess is it's an amalgam of Call Me By Your Name and The Squid and the Whale, the latter I've seen; the former, I have not.)

[CallMeByYourSquid in reply to mrmonk]

Ah correct.

Both are gorgeous and bittersweet.

I have a thing for young people and books/movies that take place at private schools or in places I’ve never been. Other options included ScentOfADeadPoet, HeathersEdge, DazedAndDonnieDarkoed, etc....

You a cinefile?

[mrmonk in reply to CallMeByYourSquid]

Not a cinephile, but I do connect deeply to certain movies on an emotional level.

As a poet, however, I have found Alfred Hitchcock's approach to the craft of filmmaking both instructive and influential to the making of a poem.

ScentOfADeadPoet is a good one. How about TheBrowningChips?

I have this nagging fear of something random and catastrophic happening. When I've told doctors about this fear, I would describe it thus: "like a car careening through the bedroom wall or something falling out of the sky, Donnie Darko-style" -- maybe, I should just say being "DonnieDarkoed" for the sake of brevity -- ha!

[CallMeByYourSquid in reply to mrmonk]

Such a mad world for all of us eh?

See what I did there?

Sorry - not sleeping causes not so clever posts.

[mrmonk in reply to CallMeByYourSquid]

One of the saddest-sounding covers of a song I've heard. Right up there next to Tori Amos's cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

Not sleeping either, but I was never clever even well-rested.

[CallMeByYourSquid in reply to mrmonk]

Sia’s cover of Paranoid Android is quite good. I don’t really sleep just nap for a few hours.

[mrmonk in reply to CallMeByYourSquid]

That's some bewitching stuff. A string arrangement works well for that song.

[Hidden in reply to mrmonk]

Thank you for your kind words! Your message brought tears to my eyes just knowing that there are people I can talk to that understand what I’m going through.

I could go on all day about my favorite musicals and westerns! Some of my favorites are White Christmas, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Singing in the Rain, Holiday Inn, High Society, Calamity Jane, Bye Bye Birdie, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Brigadoon. Westerns I love Rio Bravo, McLintock, Fort Apache and basically anything with John Wayne in it

This is going to sound odd because they shouldn’t be so comforting but I also really enjoy a lot of Alfred Hitchcock movies!

What are some of your favorites?

[mrmonk in reply to Hidden]

Aw, you're quite welcome, and, oh boy, could we have a time talking movies!

Though I haven't seen as many of these westerns and musicals, I do enjoy certain films in both genres. I love Danny Kaye, so, of course, White Christmas and any film where he does some singing, like The Five Pennies and Hans Christian Andersen are favorites. Though I love the classic film versions of musicals like The Music Man, for instance, most of the musical films I enjoy are just movies with musical numbers, like the Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland series of films and those of Deanna Durbin (had the biggest crush on her for the longest time).

But when you mentioned Alfred Hitchcock, I just got absolutely giddy because he is, hands down, my favorite director! In fact, Psycho is my favorite film of all time, tied only with It's A Wonderful Life -- oh, I could talk all day and then some about just those two films! What are some of your favorite Hitchcock films?

I'm sorry if I come across as overexcited, but I don't often get to talk to others about my love for these films and how they've been such a source of comfort for me through the years.

I'd love to hear more about your favorites, the films that bring you the most comfort and the like. Please feel free to chat me up about movies anytime -- I find sometimes having friends to talk to about things we enjoy can be a welcome distraction from the things that can bring us down.

[Hidden in reply to mrmonk]

You have amazing taste in movies!!

I love the Music Man as well!! I love Danny Kaye as well since I was introduced to him in White Christmas. That’s also where I gained my love for Bing Crosby!

I also love basically any movie with Cary Grant 😀💜

It’s so hard to pick a favorite Hitchcock movie but I would say my favorites are North by Northwest, Psycho, Dial M for Murder, The Birds, Strangers on a Train, To Catch a Thief and Vertigo.

I could go on and on talking about classic movies. The TCM channel basically plays all day long at my house!

[mrmonk in reply to Hidden]

It's so exciting to meet someone who shares this love of classic film! Since this is your thread about grappling with mental health issues, and I don't want to detract from that discussion, please let me know if you'd rather continue our conversation about all things classic Hollywood in private message. It can sometimes take me a while to respond to messages because I have OCD and one of the ways it manifests for me is that I compulsively revise what I write to the point that it can take me ages to produce even a simple email, comment, or chat message. But I will always respond.

I do need to say, though, that I am a huge Cary Grant fan, too! I have a Suspicion we have lots of favorites amongst his films, as well!

[Heart17]

Hi Rose, I’m new here too. Just in the last few days I’ve found it really nice talking to other people. Just knowing there are other people that understand our struggles is comfort in itself. Message me anytime if you want a chat. I hope you have a panic free, lovely day 🙂💖

[Hidden in reply to Heart17]

Thank you, nice to meet you! And please feel free to message me anytime as well! 💜

[Hidden]

Hi Rose so glad you joined it’s very nice to meet you and I hope you know that everyone is here for you no matter what and we’re really happy to have you here💕

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much! This seems like such an amazing place already!!

[1OshunDreamer in reply to Hidden]

Good to meet you!

I was doing it daily for a long time then I felt better and didn't feel the need. If, I start getting "that feeling" something is coming then I start journaling again. It has held off anxiety attacks and keeps depression in check.

The first journal I went to the bookstore, they had prompt journals and I used that. Later I found tons of prompts on Pinterest. Eventually, I just write about my day.

In the end I discovered more about myself that way. I hope it works

[Megsamoo]

Hello rose! Nice to meet you! I also suffer from horrible anxiety, GAD, and sever health anxiety! It all started with a bad episode and work and has spiraled since November! It’s so hard to overcome!! Thank you for any advice and someone to talk to! Bless you!

[Hidden in reply to Megsamoo]

Nice to meet you as well! We will get through our rough patches together! Please feel free to message me anytime if you need to talk!

[1OshunDreamer]

I'm pretty much on your boat. I've been diagnosed with the same things you have minus the social anxiety. I've been off and on meds for years, same with counseling. Last year was the worst in my life. I finally found the right dr and got the right meds.

Then I started journaling and WOW did I find things out about myself. The more I wrote the more I found triggers and what started all of this. Now I'm working on what to avoid or cut out of my life. I feel great. This doesn't mean I don't have my moments, days, or weeks where I'm back where I was.

[Hidden in reply to 1OshunDreamer]

I LOVE your idea of journaling!!! Do you journal every day? What types of things do you write in the journal? I would really like to start doing this!!

[Rgatcia77]

Welcome Rose! I read the advice that you received earlier and I think it hits the nail on the head! Excercise and getting out is so very important! I love taking my dogs for walks and it clears my mind! I currently do not work out regularly but when I do I feel much better! I am on a very low dosage of generic Prozac and that seems to help a bunch! Also, because I live in a very desolate area, I have not kept a consistent therapist as I have to travel 120 miles to meet. I have made a conscious effort to meet with him every week! It has done wonders even though I stress about missing work! Like my beautiful children say, “ if you don’t take care of yourself, you cannot take care of snyone else.” It’s been hard but I’m going to do it! You can too! You are a good person and deserve to be happy!

Much love!

Rod

[Hidden in reply to Rgatcia77]

Nice to meet you! I am so glad you are able to still make time to see your counselor! I found such a wonderful one and she is truly amazing!!

[sjof]

I agree with the comments about getting out, but sometimes there is no good place to go if you are isolated. At first when I started dealing with my anxiety and depression I went out and got what I thought was an easy job, just to get out and earn some extra cash. Unfortunately, I was not and am still not ready for a real job, as I tend to get all wrapped up in my bad thoughts. So what I did was start volunteering at a place where I am skilled and experienced and where my expertise is valued. Win win for everyone. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.

As several posters have mentioned, try looking into Claire Weekes’ writing. You can find her books on Amazon and her recordings on you tube.

And thank you to everyone who takes the time to respond. I have gained many insights on this list and am getting to a place where I feel a little light coming through understanding and practice. Especially thanks for the leads on Claire Weeks!!

[Sinatra123]

Feel for you I've been struggling for 26 years it's debilitating

[Jovm1]

Hi dear. I hope things will workout. One day at a time.