Anxiety

[Sky_x]

I’m new here, so I don’t know how this works but I’m gonna try to share with you my story about anxiety.

I think I have always suffered from anxiety. Since I was a child, I used to have a bad feeling in my stomach if I missed something at school. Or when someone calls my name a bit louder than usual I felt terrified.

When I make plans with my friends to go out I feel excited sure but I also feel butterflies ( not the good kind-if that makes sense) in my stomach.

I just thought that because I’m a perfectionist I felt that way.

Then I gave birth to my baby boy, three years ago. I would have horrible images flashing in my mind happening to him. I was scared. I had terrible night sleep and felt very exhausted all the time. At first I thought well all new parents feel the same. But then it got worst, I’d woke up from sleep and go check on the oven because I thought the house would go on fire and we will die.

Then the obsessive thinking about my health, my husband’s health and my baby’s health ..

I’d obsess about my blood pressure or that I might have heart condition or something on my brain or that my baby is going to die during sleep or that my husband would have something unknown to me and something bad would happen .. the obsessive thinking got worse .. I couldn’t stop thinking .. I feel like my body is sweating and my breathe is shortening and I feel very weak ..

I went to therapy for a while

It helped a little.. but I couldn’t keep it up ..

I read about ways to control it.. I know I’m suppose to keep a journal .. I try as much as I can ..

I guess I’m here to find people who goes through the same thing .. because people around me don’t understand ..

I hope I feel better and control this

[Hidden]

I understand. And we welcome you to the community

[Sky_x]

Thank you. I’m glad I found people who understand what I’m going through. I hope we all get better.

I stopped therapy mostly because it was expensive and I was overwhelmed

I saw some progress but not very significant, I know it should only make me control it but I was at a point where everything did not make sense anymore

[Sky_x]

Thank you. I actually called another clinic today, I’ll see how it goes with this one.

[Pugglesworth]

Welcome.

Health anxiety sucks bad. Every new pain or tremor is a cause for concern. My mind spins out stories with no basis in reality. I tried doctors, ER, acupuncture, massage, therapy all with varying degrees of success.

What helps me the most is acceptance of where I'm at right now no matter how bad it is. That doesn't mean I enjoy my anxiety: it just means I'm not fighting with it. It also means I'm not digging a bigger hole by buying into it's stories.

Recommended reading: Dr. Claire Weeks 'Hope and Help for your Nerves'. It's an older book. Dr. Weeks talks directly to you in the book and discusses many things I've never read someone else discuss such as 'mornings' and how challenging they can be (they certainly are for me at times).

[Jeff1943 in reply to Pugglesworth]

Brilliant reply, Pugglesworth. That Claire Weekes self help book has brought respite and recovery to millions with her 6 word protocol: Face, Accept, Float, Let time pass. In the u.k. the same book is titled 'Self help for your nerves'. Both titles available new or used from Amazon and Ebay. Claire Weekes - the woman who cracked the anxiety code.

[XoxoFaith]

I also worry about everything of my health if I feel anything different I think right away it’s something bad iam always thinking there is something wrong with me which then later makes me feel depressed I understand yiu