anxiety

Hi I am posting to see if anyone else has a similar story with anxiety and maybe see if anyone can give some guidance. I grew up in a very toxic (mentally and physically abusive) household. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety at 17 after a DUI arrest and was taking medication for about a year then stopped cold turkey. I did not do any additional therapy until about 4 years ago at 36 years old. I have been in therapy and couples counseling on and off since then and have been taking sertaline for about 1.5 years. The medication helps but I find when things start piling up I become very short fused and very nasty anger comes out. The techniques I learned in therapy help with the day to day small problems but when the explosion of anger is happening from the compiled stuff the techniques do not help. I was hoping someone else has experienced the anger and rage that comes with anxiety and may help with some input with tools that have helped them.

[Lavender2287]

Sorry you are going through this! I don't have any great insight..just wanted to let you know that you are not alone!

[designguy]

Your story sounds somewhat familiar to my own, I also grew up in an emotionally and physically abusive household and was bullied in school and consequently developed social anxiety and high functioning anxiety disorder. I did therapy and was on medication for the anxiety but continued to have it, then realized I had social anxiety and did a program for it but still continued to struggle. I then found out about c-ptsd/trauma and realized I was dealing with it and the shame and anger and rage from my childhood. I had been shamed and punished for showing any signs of being proud of myself or trying to stand up for myself and even expressing normal, healthy anger. I found a therapist that specialized in treating trauma/c-ptsd who used emdr as part of the therapy. It really helped me to get in touch with my repressed anger, shame and other emotions and process and heal them and my anxiety level really decreased. My therapist spent time initially getting to trust him and feel safe and comfortable opening up and getting in contact with my repressed emotions to be able to process them.

[Hidden in reply to designguy]

thank you so much!