Anxiety is a lonely affliction

[CatIsMyCopilot]

When I'm having and anxiety attack, I usually feel very worried about my anxiety itself ("What if the lack of confidence it causes means that I'll never do good things in my life, or be happy?") My mind feels completely full of these thoughts.

So I really feel lonely on two fronts:

1) I am preoccupied, and not connecting with others. Even people I just pass on the street, I feel so different from them.

2) Because the anxiety is the thing on my mind, I could talk about that, but I often don't because I know it's not really productive. It's too tempting for me to ask for reassurance, which usually doesn't help, and sometimes leaves me feeling worse. The people I do talk to about it (e.g. my husband) have already heard all about it, so there's not much left to say.

I'm wondering if others share these feelings of loneliness, and whether you have any advice for coping with it.

[Hidden]

Hi.

Sorry to hear of your struggles.

I know for me social anxiety is a constant battle.

I research about it and how to help myself and I’ve done quite a few therapies. It has somewhat improved but I’m still working on it.

Like you I don’t mention it much to those closest to me as I just feel they won’t understand..

Have you tried therapy? Or speaking to your dr around it.

Best wishes. X

[CatIsMyCopilot in reply to Hidden]

I am in therapy now, and am finding it useful!

I just wish I didn't get so disconnected and stuck-in-my-head while I'm anxious in my everyday life. I guess it's just the nature of the beast though :/

[Hidden in reply to CatIsMyCopilot]

Unfortunately it is the nature of the beast, I can relate to the doubts it brings, I’m always fearing for the future what if I never fully recover or to get better enough to leave a normal life

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

🌹🌹🌹⭐️

[CatIsMyCopilot in reply to Hidden]

Yes! My worries always seem to spiral to that place i.e. "What if I never recover enough to be normal?" It's terrible, heh.

[Hidden in reply to CatIsMyCopilot]

Hi

Yes it is the nature of the beast but I do think we can learn to better manage it the more we learn....I still struggle with the same...ruminating worries..sometimes I do manage to distract myself now..

🌹🌺🌹🌺

[CatIsMyCopilot in reply to Hidden]

I think you have a good way of looking at it: to focus on progress made, rather than progress not made.

[Hidden in reply to CatIsMyCopilot]

Yes think I’ve kinda learnt to be that way it helps...not always so easy but I try and I’m grateful I achieve it at times 😁🌹🌺🌹🌺

[Crimson913]

I can relate. I will go a few days with mostly no anxiety other than normal money worries or worries about my 6 year old. Then out of nowhere or because of a curve ball life threw I get fast heart beating, bp rise racing thoughts and dread butterflies in my stomach. In those situations I take a benzo but even that only partially helps. I know this will probably last a lifetime and it makes it worse...endless cycle.

[CatIsMyCopilot in reply to Crimson913]

Yes, I agree about the endless cycle. A day of anxiety then brings me days of worrying about the anxiety again.