Welcome all newcomers. Here you will find understanding, reassurance and a road map to recovery.

[Jeff1943]

We are not doctors, psychiatrists or therapists. We are people from all walks of life who have experience of anxiety and the depletion or depression that often accompanies it. Here we will share with you those things we have learnt.

We are not professionals so if you haven't already you should always talk to your doctor who is the right person to oversee your recovery.

You are not alone, everybody experiences anxiety: we all have a different threshold to anxiety overload. This is the point where normal anxiety becomes anxiety disorder. The causes are many: stress, worry, overwork, loss, grief, toxic relationships, shame and disappointment are among the usual culprits.

When that point is reached our nervous system becomes over-sensitised and we experience distressing symptoms and intrusive thoughts. For too long we have been pumping out fear hormone and our nerves can take no more. We experience panic attacks, agoraphobia, social anxiety, health anxiety,feelings of doom and low self-esteem. Not all on the same day hopefully.

We become bewildered, what the hell is happening to me? and look for some quick-fix solution that will bring an instant return to normality.

Anxiety can affect every organ in our bodies where it imitates genuine illness. Such is the state of our nerves that we always fear the worst. Thus stomach ache must be a stomach tumour, muscular tension in the chest must be heart failure and visual shimmers mean we're going blind. Even when our doctor refers us for tests and the results are benign we think the doctors have missed something.

Symptoms generate fear which causes further nervous sensitisation which causes more symptoms causing more fear causing more sensitisaton. In this way we become caught in a vicious circle that rolls endlessly on.

First we need to distance ourselves from those things that have caused our high anxiety: be ruthless if necessary. Your future happiness is at stake!

Medications can bring respite but not cure. Talking cures can bring recovery if you find a good therapist. And there are many good self-help books written by people who know what they're talking about.

You will learn that anxiety has limitations. On its own it cannot kill you, disable you or make you lose your mind. And no matter how long or how deeply you have suffered you CAN recover: though it will take practice and persistence and the willingness to let time pass. Search the archive of posts on this forum for the things that trouble you.

You will find many people here who will give you support and encouragement on your journey to reclaim your quiet mind. You can speak without inhibitions since we are all anonymous and will never meet. So join us as we travel with high hope and great expectations along the Yellow Brick Road to recovery.

[Babyboomer1960]

Thanks for your post Jeff. It’s what I needed to hear today.

Friday night I finally reached “anxiety overload” and took myself to the emergency room with what turned out to be a panic attack. I have been suffering with anxiety that’s been building up over about the past 6 months. A lot of people would have gone to a doctor a long time ago, but I have the kind of health anxiety that makes me fear doctors. My general state of anxiety is such that I don’t feel like I could handle a bad diagnosis along with all my other stress. I now live alone (separated), and children are grown. Initially, I thought I was doing fine, but over the last 6 months it’s really spiraled out of control. It seems like one stress on top of another.

I agree with your description of depression as depletion. I have zero motivation and can barely make it to my part time job.I have no more interest in anything and it all seems hopeless. I am almost 60 and have no desire to have to “start over” again in life. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I never expected this would be my life at almost 60.

I have listened to the Claire Weekes talks on YouTube. She is wonderful. My problem is, I don’t usually have panic attacks. I just have a rising level of fear that keeps building over time. I think it is somehow related to the depletion that occurs over time. It has gotten to the point that my heart rate and blood pressure are just staying elevated.

I’ve been prescribed Zoloft, a few Ativan (though no continuing prescription), plus a beta blocker for the blood pressure/heart rate issue.

I am just so discouraged. Right now my normal generalized anxiety/health anxiety would seem like a big improvement. I am afraid I won’t come back from this episode. I usually have a good appetite and sleep pretty well, but not anymore. I’m just can’t get myself to relax anymore.

I have suffered some pretty bad anxiety/depression periodically, going back to childhood. For me, it seems like part of who I am. I have little built in tolerance for ongoing stress and uncertainty.

I am bewildered, and I am very much afraid of the way I feel.

[Jeff1943 in reply to Babyboomer1960]

O.K. Babyboomer, your threshold to anxiety is on the low side so maybe you'll never be completely free of it, it's genetic, but you can take control of it, decrease the frequency and duration of the episodes.

You've discovered Claire Weekes on YouTube but she's not just the answer to panic attacks, she's the answer to everything that anxiety disorder throws at us. Specially health anxiety. I do recommend her first book, I think she wrote it for you, but that's the feeling everybody reading that first book gets. Reading it you feel she knows you, so she should, although she was a psychiatrist she experienced anxiety disorder too, her method is what she devised to recover, her book was to share it with others.

Just for the record Claire Weekes' first book is titled "Self help for your nerves" in the U.K. and "Hope and help for your nerves" in the U.S. Both available from Amazon new or used for just a few dollars/pounds. You get your life back for just a few dollars/pounds, deals like that don't come along very often.

You don't have to be scared of doctors, Babyboomer, they're the people who keep telling you there's nothing wrong with you (physically), exactly what you want to hear. And in the unlikely event of a health issue that's for real: catch it now when it's simple to treat.

Babyboomer, you don't have to 'start over again in life', you are not half a couple, you are a complete person in your own right. Free to do what you like, when you like. Join a club or two, walking groups, green pressure groups, that kind of thing, make a few like minded friends, that's all you need. If something more than that comes along it's a 'maybe', for the time being at least you are still a complete human being.

Sorry about the trip to ER, you probably knew all along that was your nerves talking but good to get the reassurance of the medics never the less.

This present bad patch will surely pass, they always do, but maybe with a little help from Claire Weekes they may not come again.

You have gone through the stages of life of working hard, bringing up children, from now on it's 'you time', it's your reward. You've more than one-third of a life left, maybe more, you know what they say: creaking hinges last longest. You deserve to enjoy it and so you can. I wish you well.

[Babyboomer1960 in reply to Jeff1943]

Thank you, Jeff.

I was wondering about the Claire Weekes books. Which one is the first (best) one? Is there content in the books that is different than what is available as an audio recording on YouTube? I have listened to her audio which lasts about an hour and twenty minutes several times. If there is more information in the books, I will definitely get them on Amazon.

Actually, my trip to the ER and subsequent follow up appointment on Monday has inadvertently forced me to face my fear of medical intervention. I feel way less terrified now, because I actually did it....and it was a big deal. They gave me an EKG, did blood work, monitored my extremely high blood pressure. Yesterday, I actually went to a doctor’s office successfully too. My 200/125 blood pressure in the ER, was only 140/90 by the time I left the doctor’s office.....I have a prescription for a beta blocker.

Compare this to last summer....I nearly panicked at an Urgent Care when I needed to get a TB test for my job. I didn’t sleep at all that night, just waiting for my arm to erupt into a giant TB reaction. (It was fine....no latent TB).

I am definitely not a (half a couple) type of person. I just feel like my life of the last several decades is gone and I don’t have anything to replace it with yet.

I live in an small town, people are nice here, but even after 20 years I don’t really have much in common with them.

I like your perspective on the creaking hinges lasting the longest. Thanks!

[Jeff1943 in reply to Babyboomer1960]

Babyboomer, yes her first book which I mentioned in my reply to you above has much more in it than the YouTube video, you'll be wanting the U.S. version as described.

It's quite normal for blood pressure to rise significantly for a short time when we're anxious, and for many of us that includes doctor's offices. My bp is 130/75 (with a low dose calcium channel blocker) when taken at home but 179/95 if taken by a doctor or nurse. Your's probably went down further than 140/90 given a bit more time, that's the reading at which meds are prescribed in the U.K.

I was borderline and asked my doctor for his advice: he replied 'Even if your blood pressure is normal if you take a bp med you'll live longer'. What did I do? Have a wild guess.

[Hidden in reply to Babyboomer1960]

You and I we have much in common. I certainly know how a panic attack feels, an anxiety attack, fight or flight. Usually I fly my butt right on outta the problem area. For me my xanax helps tremendously in such a situation, makes it a bit more tolerable. I also have high BP so take amlodipine. For long term panic/anxiety I take Cymbalta, it seems to dull upper limit of my stress so it's less traumatic. Just letting you know my regimen and how it seems to be pretty good for me. Wish you the best my friend. Take care.

[mrpaul123 in reply to Babyboomer1960]

You are not alone. 57 and separated 4 years after 25 years of marriage. Still struggling to find my way and still working on lifelong anxiety but making good progress - keep the faith, we will find our way.

[Lovepink42]

I just recently have started seeking help, I knew it was getting worse when I could no longer pretend everything was fine. Panic attacks came more often along with severe migraines. My past bubbles up like oxygen bubbles rising to the surface of a fish tank. While I am at the bottom drowning. Thanks for your post. I just joined Saturday and find some comfort in knowing I am not alone.

[Jeff1943 in reply to Lovepink42]

Lovepink, maybe much of what I wrote to Babyboomer here applies to you. That book by Claire Weekes in particular. It will supplement any other course of treatment you and your doctor decide on. Don't go on pretending all is fine when it's not, anxiety has an entrance but there's also an exit.

There's an art to recovery you need to know about and it's not necessarily what you think: stop fighting anxiety, learn to live with anxiety and you'll be able to live without it, don't react to the flash of first fear with second fear, to gain respite and recovery accept your anxiety for the time being.

No, you are not alone here, many have come here, stayed awhile, recovered and got on with their lives. No reason why you shouldn't be next. No reason at all.

[Tinkynutbug]

Thank you as always Jeff !

[Hidden]

So very well put, succinct and to the point of the forums. Greatly appreciated since a lot of newbies come here nervous and not knowing what to expect. So we smother them with kindness and then they're our friend, one of us. That in itself lowers anxiety I have found, an outlet and response from others like me. Thank you my good sir.