Anxiety just not seeming to get better...

[FuxkRiley]

Hi my name is Riley, Ive had anxiety and ARFID for the past 2-3 years now. Recently Ive started seeking help and getting appointments set up to go talk to people, but I can only think of that. I only want to try and get better. I don't look forward to anything else so I wake up and jus think about trying to go and just do things that they tell me. I have really bad independence issues so I can't stand being alone but at the same time I feel like I almost never can talk to my parents because they get upset with me and say "you're being too much sometimes, I need some alone time". My patience is really low so I just don't feel like I can wait another week even to just get started with stuff. I'm a lost mess and just want to get some help with my anxiety and eating problems.

[Agora1]

Hi FuxkRiley...I can understand your frustration and lack of independence issues.

I have a daughter who at age 2y.o. came to me as a foster child who suffered from

separation anxiety. I remember at that young age having the child psychiatrist tell

me to watch her over the years as she was prone to develop an eating disorder.

Her Anxiety at a young age presented with stomach aches and then as she got

into her preteens it turned into headaches. Never did I know that Anxiety could

transfer her emotional problems into physical ones.

Once a teenager, she then controlled her life through her decisions to not eat and

became Anorexic. The different between you and her is that she has always refused

getting help. She was offered an away from home in patient facility paid by DCFS and

yet she refused.

You are on the right track in beginning to turn your life around. I'm proud of you for

that. Don't give up. Believe in yourself as I believe in you. I see someone who wants to

get better and that is half the battle. I'm glad you are here with us. Welcome new

friend xx

[FuxkRiley in reply to Agora1]

thank you so much.. i really do appreciate the words of confidence, im sure to feel a little better tonight after reading this.

[Agora1 in reply to FuxkRiley]

We're here for each other. Just reach out. Someone is always here 24/7 xx

[CL3V3R-G1RL]

Hi newbie! I understand where you're coming from. I get that frustration. Hell I still get it now. I have been battling anxiety for a good majority of my life. I have conquered it at one point in life and had a good decade where I was anxiety-free. And then 3 years ago I had a major setback. Now I'm working my way back to where I used to be. However I am learning that we can't go back in time. All I can do now is work on being a better me. A 2.0 me version. Anxiety is one of those things where it takes time to get to where you want to be. And the process is not linear. You can take two steps forward and a step back. And then go forward again. It's not always like that but sometimes it is. And it's about also learning to be patient with yourself. And I myself am not the most patient person. I want to be better now. Unfortunately that's not how it works. I have to keep pushing myself and my boundaries to break out of my comfort zone. And get use to the world around me. And not shut myself off from the world. It takes time but eventually you'll will see that you are making progress. And it usually comes from little things. Like you say you don't like being alone. You'll find yourself that hey you sat for 15 minutes alone in the house by yourself with no complaints. No anxiety no anxious thoughts. And you were totally fine. It's those little accomplishments that eventually lead to bigger successes. But you'll get there. And I'll see you when you get there. ❤️🫂

[FuxkRiley in reply to CL3V3R-G1RL]

thank you so much. i will try to bookmark this and try to come to whenever i really feel worried and cant get anywhere else. I appreciate it so much again. I may have never met u, but i love u.

[CL3V3R-G1RL in reply to FuxkRiley]

Oh you're too kind. I am serious though You can get through this. Sometimes having sense of humor about anxiety at least for me helps me out a lot. It helps take the edge off. When anxiety threatens you like okay if you do this I'm going to make you have an anxiety attack where you faint. You need to shoot back at anxiety, you need to say to anxiety that's fine at least I'll get a nap out of it 😂

Anxiety is part of life It's meant as a warning system against danger. The problem is though is that we live in a modern world where we don't face the same dangers as our ancestors once did. It's more behavioral than mental. But it does affect your mental when yeah you're stuck in your room all day and you're not enjoying life fully. And I get where you're coming from where you feel like you're a bird into your family because you don't have anybody else to talk to about this. And it's hard to make someone understand anxiety when they never really had it. I mean most people yeah get anxiety and depression some point in their lives. The difference is it's just a short period. Like they lose their job so they go through a little bit of depression about that but then they find a job and they snap out of it. Same thing with anxiety they're worried about what if their job is on the chopping block or being the new parent. But then the kid comes along or their job is safe the anxiety goes away. And they're back to living a full happy life. People with constant anxiety like us it's a bit different. We constantly battle with our own minds. And the funny thing is anxiety is different for everybody. So I'm not going to tell you I understand you fully because I really don't. My anxiety is different from your anxiety. The only thing I do know is that with the right team and the right motivation, you can get back out there and you can improve. I didn't think I would ever leave my house again. And enjoy the sunshine on my face. But here I am going out every weekend and getting to feel the sunshine on my face. And it is the best feeling in the world. And I wish that for you. 🌞

[FuxkRiley in reply to CL3V3R-G1RL]

again thank you so much. im sure i will come back to this and try to remind myself when im trying to overcome. thanks again so much this advice and feedback. literally means the world

[CL3V3R-G1RL in reply to FuxkRiley]

You're welcome 🤗❤️

[designguy]

I can sympathize with your frustration but it sounds like you are making a courageous decision and taking steps to get the help you need, good for you. Keep in mind that if you think a therapist is not helping you after working with them for a while don't be afraid to fire them and find one that will. They may also recommend medication at least temporarily, which may help you.

In the mean time you could check out youtube for anxiety and ARFID, i've been amazed at the amount of information on there now. The more you can learn about your disorder and how to manage and cope with it, the better off you will be.

[FuxkRiley in reply to designguy]

thank you a lot for your time, I have looked into ARFID but its kinda new it seems, so finding stuff is kinda hard I think, but theres definitely some out there. and yes i started taking medication going into 4 days, i havent really noticed it yet, but today did seem different than the others which is good.

[designguy in reply to FuxkRiley]

You're welcome, glad to hear the medication might be working for you. It can take some medications 2 to 3 weeks or more to take affect and start to make a difference so give it time. I did a check on youtube and there does seem to be quit a few videos on ARFID, here's a link to what I found: youtube.com/results?search_...

[FuxkRiley in reply to designguy]

thanks again, ill look into the link and give it a shot. thanks again for your time and words. it means a lot to me

[designguy in reply to FuxkRiley]

You're welcome and I hope you find your upcoming therapy helpful for you.