There's a reason for everything that happens to people with anxiety disorder.
Our mind senses that we can't cope with all the worries so it makes us withdraw from the fight. Take a break from it all. And so we experience some degree of nervous breakdown complete with panic attacks and maybe social anxiety (we can't face people) and agoraphobia (we don't want to leave the perceived safety of home).
Trouble is, the problems don't go away. And once our nerves are sensitised every worry and problem seems to be magnified by a factor of ten.
Tasks that are well within our capability to solve seem impossible to overcome. And if we have more than two problems to sort at the same time we hit the panic button.
It's important to understand things like that so we really know what's happening to us. It's just our mind trying to be helpful and protect us: but it's help we can do without thank you very much.
To recover we must neutralise the things causing so much stress. We must accept for the time being all the strange feelings and fake physical symptoms that our zapped nervous system sends our way. Accept for the moment and forsake the search for magic wand cures. And let time pass.
Written by
Jeff1943
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Well spoken. As time has passed, my anxiety has evolved into depression. Not really sure where to go from here. I don’t think depression is something that you can wait out. I’m on a small dosage (pediatric) of Prozac but I have severe reactions to antidepressants such as Tinnitus, hearing loss and pressure in my head and ears. Doesn’t seem to be an answer for me. I can’t afford counseling.
Miamilo, I think most people with anxiety disorder experience depression: we get depressed about the symptoms of our anxiety. That's one kind of depression. I think sometimes it's difficult to distinguish anxiety from depression.
With depression born of anxiety the depression usually lifts when the anxiety is successfully dealt with.
Claire Weekes, the psychiatrist who wrote the ever popular 'Self help for your nerves' 50 years ago, often referred to depression as 'depletion' as it best describes our condition when reserves of nervous energy become low and we are emotionally exhausted.
Under the heading 'Depression is you, not the world' she wrote: "As you stop flogging yourself with fear, fight and flight from fear, you become less tired and depression gradually lifts. Your body is like a car with a flat battery. If you keep thrashing the self starter the battery has no chance to become recharged...Depression is an illness, nature us waiting to cure you."
When I wrote of acceptance for the time being I was referring to Claire Weekes' acceptance method which is not the same as endless waiting.
Acceptance is a way in which we can gradually lose our fears through understanding and reassurance and so cease to flood our over sensitised nervous system with the fear hormone it thrives on thereby allowing our nerves to lose their sensitivity.
In the U.S. the same book is titled 'Hope and help for your nerves' and it is available from Amazon new or used. Her teachings have been life changing for many people experiencing the handicaps of anxiety and depression.
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