What would you say is the biggest challeng... - Anxiety Support
What would you say is the biggest challenge facing you in terms of managing your anxiety?
Please select all that apply:
My family supports but does not understands this problem,
and because of my work I have to stay away from my family! that thing is increasing my anxiety!!!!
Its more my fear of peoples lack of understanding. Its more what im thinking other peoples thoughts of me. They may well have lack of understanding but i can make it worse that it actually is. So i guess my biggest challenge with Anxiety is myself. If anyone can understand that?
I think the problem may be that you worry too much about what other people think.
It doesn't matter what they think.
They have problems if their own.
Be KIND to yourself.
You are special.
Tell yourself this every day.
Treat everyone else as you would like to be treated and you are a GOOD person.
Good luck.
Believe in yourself.
I listen too much to what others think big time
I am 53 and because of my recent severe chronic anxiety I have lost a lot of weight and my hair is thinning. I do worry about what my family and friends think but I don't care anymore what a stranger thinks. I am not a mind reader and if you think about it most people who don't know you are in their own world anyway.
I struggle to understand how anxiety can cause all these hundreds of symptoms that it feels like you are going to die.. i just cant get my mind to it
I definitely feel your pain
Myself. I am the one causing it and fearing it, yet I cannot escape it.
I am my own worst enemy and am powerless to control my feelings.
Husband is very understanding with my hideous health anxiety but can never
understand the stress and worry it causes. Plus I feel guilty for being such a moaner and
needing constant reassurance.
Expect loads of you understand.
You have just said exactly how I feel. I don't want to be like this and it's a constant everyday battle fighting my thoughts! My husband and friends are extremely supportive but they must get tired and bored of my constant health anxieties and needing to reassure me!
I can totally relate to what you've put ,Heritage...I have always suffered with extreme nerves and crippling anxiety right from being at Primary school , which was like prison...and I'm now 48.
The thing is ...I probably come across to some people as quite confident and outgoing, and in certain situations where I feel fairly comfortable , I can appear that way... but that's because i'm feeling in a relatively non threatening environment or it's only a temporary thing ,so I can fake a bit of confidence in the short term(fake it til I make it) But when I I start the job, I feel really extreme panic and am really overwhelmed with nerves , feel sick and faint .
I barely eat or sleep and worry constantly about messing up, what people think of me and how many ways I can mess up and become consumed with worry about the amount of things I don't know. I'm not good when out of my comfort zone basically .
Like yours, my husband is very understanding and supportive, and suffers a little with nervousness too, he just handles it differently and so much better.. I just feel the need to run away and make excuses to leave and stay home where I'm in my safe zone where I know what I'm doing. (Having six children, I've had the chance to be a stay at home mum for the majority of my adult life on and off , doing the odd course or voluntary work,) which is great... But, This is now not practical as my hubby was informed that he was being made redundant after Christmas last year and has only just gained a part time job, so I really need to work to help support my family..
The pressure is immense as I cant let everyone else down and am trying to be brave and not moan and just get on with it.. Trying to psych myself up ,But It's literally on my mind all the time. I'm a wreck.. I don't know how others deal with this.. I want and need to work. I want workmates and a steady wage and to feel proud of myself for doing something other than just raising a family and keeping a tidy home... But I dont know how to get beyond every instinct telling me to run away ..
This might be late but I completely understand you. I feel the same way. I hope you have a job now and are doing well.
My biggest struggle is my thoughts, i find it really hard to dismiss or justify negitive thoughts, and symptons im always thinking but what if this time it isnt anxienty!??,
I'm the biggest challenge to my anxiety, I self destruct all by myself by negative self talk...I know what to do to stay GAD free, yeti still have episodes of which I cant explain...these days I would say im one of the lucky ones having had it for so long, I now say I'm a person living with GAD but getting through each day whether its at its minimum or maximum, I can still survive it and live my life how I want, its pretty tough, and at times I just want to sit down and say I've had enough, but no way, even at the gym/out shopping/on holiday/anywhere when I feel a bit weird I say to myself these days if I collapse then to bad I'm surrounded by people, I guess what I learnt many moons ago is to let go of the fear, I don't fear any of it any more, so although it still presents itself, I accept, don't add fear and it goes a bit quicker, sorry for waffling!
Understanding anxiety seem to be a major concern. You have to have it to fully understand it. It is a
crippling illness. Albert
I couldn't agree with you more !!! No one understands how horrendous anxiety is ((like you say you have to go through it yourself ) it's horrendous and I'v got it so bad today at times it's impossible to control as there's that many overwhelming feelings and thoughts I just can not control
Control is the paradox as anxiety is often linked to the fear of loss of control. Acceptance, which can be very hard, is crucial. God loves us exactly as we are but we are worse critics. Anxiety also lowers confidence that things will get better. Yet everything passes! This is hard to believe in the midst of severe anxiety yet is the ultimate truth. Having deeper and deeper compassion for ourselves is the real key. It takes practice as it goes against the grain we are so used to feeling. Yet compassion can be cultivated, like planting a seed that takes a long time to flower, it has a natural process.
Sandraan you need to speak to a professional. Anxiety if not treated can escalate out of control and cause untold problems. Can you speak to your doctor about this and he could prescribe something. Don't suffer alone. Therapy is also available. Your GP might refer you for furthet psychological treatment. Remember thete is no stigma attatched to this. This is a condition that needs attention just like a physical injury. Go, make an appointment now Sandraan.
Hi , yes thank you I see my doctor regular as an NHS team called the recovery team let me down terrible I had a breakdown in December last year, and after leaving hospital the recovery team were suppose to look after me, when I found the strengh to ask why I was beening do let down, the manager of the team was imterdating and bullying me "MENTAL HEALTH PATIENT " what do I know, I stood up to her calmly and as well as I could ( I was really ill and struggling ) she knew this, but I had to for myself and other Mental health patients, I left and never went back I had found a volunteer counsillor who also agreed for me not to have no more to do with them, the reason I write this to you, my GP has JUST referred my for CBT and I was suppose to see this manager before starting, so upset a meeting was arranged for me to see her ( nobody had told me, ) i missed the appointment as I never received the appointment date, I got on to her manager and explained everything to her, so I'm finally get the help I need after crying out for it since jaunary, thank you so very much for caring, I really needed to tell somebody that, thank you hope your ok. Xx
Pressure from society to look a certain way and be at a certain stage in my life causes me massive anxiety on a daily basis.
I feel the same way. I had an eating disorder since I was 14 and bought hair extensions and make-up just to try and capture whatever it is that is 'beautiful in today's money driven media. There is professional models who have agents in my office tower and they are not happy people. I have gotten compliments maybe half a dozen times from them for my figure- which is quite ironic and funny to think of a young model to say that to a 40 year old woman who is 92 pounds and 5'5". Shows how messed up our society is for me to receive a compliment from them.
5 of us under mental help we get support fro each other but nobody elese, emma disabled with 13 life health conditions, 3 of us bullied, 1 belimick and 2 with stress.
People say ur 27 why are u so down and out its all in ur mind little girl let it go... i jus want to puch em... like wtf.. anxiety and panic disorder suxx
My ibs and anxiety are so intertwined... I feel so trapped that I am so limited on when I can even leave the house...and I think I worry more about IT (the ibs) than any thing else.
Living in a bad environment is a massive hindrance to me managing my anxiety. If I am unhappy at home everything else suffers and I become overwhelmingly depressed and anxious. I expect people not to get my illness, so for me, other people's lack of understanding isn't the issue it once was but it can still be frustrating at times. The worst thing about other people's attitudes is their expectation of how you should act and look if you have anxiety and/or depression. People have judged me many times because I look like I take care of myself physically and have asserted that I cannot have mental health problems because of this, which is a commonly held misconception.
Anxiety interfers with my ability to function to my full potential as a person. I used to have a very coveted career that allowed me to travel internationally. And now because of my mental health I had to loose my job and waste all those years of study. Anxiety interfers with my ability to ask for help even from medical professionals. And anxiety does harm my personal relationships but I don't reveal that to my partner for him to know how insercure I am. I don't have a relationship with my family but when I did I felt sick with anxiety still about 3 days later after visiting them. Anxiety in the work place is more of a tricky situation. The only person I dread is my boss because he is so moody and inconsistent. If you don't say hello to him he gets in a snit. But if you do say hello to him you might get a nice hello back, a sarcastic type of negative response- or he might ignore you all together. Our office is like a maze with many halls and exits so I do my best to avoid him. Everyone at work is in the same boat so it is not like I am the only one. When I go to work and walk down the hall my stomach feels in a knot just because of not wanting to deal with this lame game he has created. I know this is making a mountain out a mole hill- but for some reason this triggers anxiety in me!
We all are in same boat and I can understand what you are going through and also not getting open with your boyfriend about what you are feeling!! But what I suggest you is try some mindfulness technique and there are so many self help strategies!! Using those you can work in office better than your this situation!!
Lack of understanding from people in general AND so called mental health "support" when I have my attacks I disassociate with reality and 'trip' almost, it makes the whole experience worse when someone is looking at you like you are a freak. Or you tell them you have an anxiety disorder,as I do and I'm met with a blank start and an ignorant smirk, you can just see people thinking 'well everyone gets nervous' it's a completely different thing. It's debilitating and I feel as if I am living inside a prison in my own head. I've even had many suicide attempts because of it. PLEASE world can there be more educating people about not just nervousness but ANXIETY DISORDERS!!
Yeah, I can relate. My own family claims to understand but they don't act like it and usually make me feel like I'm just being ridiculous. I love this community because they're people here who really do understand. You're not alone. I sincerely hope you stay active with us and please don't try to harm yourself, we are here for you!
-Tiffany
Just accepting the fact that I'm not going to die from anxiety every time I step out my front door and that not every ache or twinge I feel is life threatening
I have strong issues in my past I have a lot of ptsd because I have never been offered the right therapy , I know the mental health budget is getting cut more an more it should be putting in I self harm to when something sets me off I hate it I don't know where to start in sorting 31 yrs of pain
Start with self compassion. You are doing the best you can! God is behind it all, ever compassionate, yet it feels like He isn't even there. Also experiment with intuition, trusting that no mental health professional knows you as well as you know yourself. PTSD is tough! It takes grits and perserverance to hang in there. Congrats. for doing the best you can!
you think think this is fun
I live in NYC and feel that APS is so rare here and little understood that it's frustrating. There's support for lupus but APS?? I've gone to Lupus support groups and called Hospital for Special Surgery and they reached out to me by email because they apparently have support groups but they never followed through. I'm also 68 and sometimes I feel that people seem to feel that any symptoms I have are a result of aging and ??APS -- what's that!
Fear of Stroke or heart attack or death.
Me too. Terrified about migraines because it reminds me of strokes. I had one 20 years ago and keep thinking about it all the time.
I can't seem to control my inner feelings of what people think and what is expected of me. I have negatives images and thoughts about myself and my life seems to two steps forward and three back! I'm afraid to have any type of relationship, as afraid of getting hurt and anyone touching me, unattractive. .... I could go on....
some days I feel okay! other days I feel anxious I'v e been dealing with anxiety for 4 months, after loss of a loved one. I started having bad panic attacks' 4 months ago I didn't really take the meds for it I was scared so my mom supported me by exercising with me daily I started eating I had loss my appetite loss weight! I started gaining it back. I got better until the end of may other personal problems brought' it back on so now I've been dealing with for a month n half again! on the meds I started cbt that person wasn't the right fit for me after 4 sections, I found somewhere else, I go this Friday I took one of my doctor's yoga class she teaches I think' I need more of that I write, but the past two weeks I been letting negativity get to me plus, I have year who has asd he gets aba therapy and speech' therapy I still have problems indgestion
now some racy heart some head tension when its very' hot! what to do right now i'm experience indgestion shortness of breath I took , an anti acid reducer rolaids trying to stay calm I feel anxious'''
I am suffering with panic disorder, I find if there were group meetings at certain destinations close to where people live it would help lift the spirits of some people and talking with others can also help.
I agree with you
My challenge is Getting enough time away from my stressors. Which is my family so its hard, the day is easy but night is impossible. I sleep in the living room and recently my brother has come to live with us. Well first of all I have to walk outside to let him in the gate, usually 1,2,3am, and hes completely wasted. He acts like a jerk til he passes out then he reeks of alcohol so its hard to sleep feeling like I cant breathe. You can imagine the anxiety of dreading him coming home.
Stress is building up while waiting for my hip replacement surgery, I am relying more and more each day on my walking sticks. Just wondering how I am going to cope.
It's basically daily life one day it's family another day it's work but most of the time it's the fear of others not understanding or judging especially doctors who think your crazy because you have symptoms that you don't understand.
My docs just don't want to know because there fit and healthy don't tell you were to get help like counciling or cbt just give you pills and hope for the best
At this very moment I am terrified and trapped in anxiety I stay in bed all day Sunday as I just can not motivate myself on Sunday I push myself all week to get up and go out I just don't have nowhere to go, I'm crippled with the anixtey teriferd feeling, panic, racing heart headache, but it's the terrifying feeling I'm unable to control then the thoughts and fear get out of control , Iam so terrified please please can anyone help me I'm so frightened
Have other illnesses and I stress about them. Family are sweet but don't understand. I love this site, I can have a few months getting by but then my anxiety appears and I need to come here for support and advice, there's always someone here who knows how I'm feeling.
Best wishes to all for an anxiety free day.
not always having someone to talk to about my feelings
Please can anyone help me I'm really struggling with server anixtey it' makes me terrified
Hello
Sorry to hear you are struggling , members will understand but may miss your reply as this is on a poll
Do you think you could do a post on the site as more would see it & hopefully you will get more replies & support 
x
Yum not sure how to do it I'm new to this site, thank you for letting me know, please could you help me with another problem I have trying to log in to my account I made yesterday I have had to sign in today as a different name just to get on here please can you advise me what to do
No one understands and constant physio sensation feeling your not going to be able to manage and lose all control
worrying too much, overthinking, and drawing conclusions without seeking proper medical advice.
These are my Bummers
PEACE
I'd say it's the lack of support I get from some family , it's the worry I have 24/7 , I'm pushing ppl away, good , decent ppl ..., you want to isolate yourself from everyone . Sometimes the stress from the outside gets to me, the summer weather ..(which I hate because I love summer 😒) uh....I hate that I google stuff 24/7 ..I'm always complaining but I mean anxiety does truly freakin suck
Fear of having another panic attack
I have chronic pain. No meds help and if they do, the side affects are more than i can deal with. Factor in a dysfunctional family unit, Drs who a clueless, and a mind that simply won't stop. Combined: a recipe for disaster. Currently at my wit's end. Have NO idea what to do or where to start. As a result, daily anxiety and panic including depression.
I have had anxiety for over 25yrs on and off, ive always been able to cope without medication. 2yrs ago i had an overactive thyroid my t4 was at 70 by the time i was diagnosed, for 5months i kept telling doctor at my practice that it was more than anxiety that was wrong she just kept giving me antidepressents, which did nothing my weight had dropped by over a stone i couldnt walk well with terrible tremors it took another doctor to take blood and then i was diagnosed. My levels are now normal and been off thyroid meds since May this year, but the anxiety and tremors have never left me and now i have had 3 different antidepressents, now they want me to try Venlalic prolonged release (venlafaxine), my body feels like its taken a real bashing over the last 2 yrs, i am so tired and its ruined my life, sometimes i think doctors have no real idea as to how bad these meds can make you feel over the weeks it takes to find out if they are helping, then when there not, your given more to try, im not sure wether to take Venlalic as i dont no of anyone who has given them a try. Good luck to everyone out there and take care.
The biggest difficulty is the discouragement that comes from grueling tension which produces a tightness in my throat that goes on and on. It is somehow protecting my "infant" which was in early childhood severely threatened. Trying to stay in the moment.
Over coming anxiety all together
Overcoming anxiety altogether
Definetly!
People that dont suffer with severe anxiety simply dont understand the condition they just think what we are feeling is all in our head but when we have a panic attack we know what we are feeling is very real
I'm the biggest challenge...well my mind is the challenge that stops me from being able to manage my anxiety/panic attacks.
Other: My wandering, critical mind
I FEEL SO ALONE ALL I CAN DO IS SIT HERE MY EYE LIDS HAVE WILTED
AND SAGGED FROM PASSED DRUG USE AND GETTING HIT IN THE EYES
AT A PARTY A LONG TIME AGO THE DARKNESS NEVER WENT AWAY
AS A TEEN I WAS OUT OF CONTROLL BUT I USED DRUGS BECAUSE MY LIFE
WAS SO BAD LIVING WITH MY MOTHER AND FATHER I NEVER THOUGHT MY
LIFE WOULD CHANGE SO I MESSED MY SELF UP BADLY I HAVE BIG PROBLEMS
NOW IT IS SO BAD I CAN NOT REALY LIVE WITH MY SELF SO IM HANGGING
ON FEELING REAL SICK I BELTHCH ALL THE TIME AND I HAVE DARK CERCLES
I LOOK BAD FEEL BAD MY EYES BURN THEY ARE SUNK INTO MY HEAD
BADLY I CAN NOT KEEP MY EYES OPEN NO ONE WANT TO HEAR WHAT I GOT
TO SAY TAKING A HIGH DOSE OF VITAMAN D A YEAR AGO MADE IT WORSE
IM WORRYED I CRY BUT NO ONE WANT TO HEAR ME IM A MESS DARK CYCLES
LOOK WHAT I HAVE DONE TO MY SELF
When I have children in the future I just hope my anxiety is more manageable
My biggest challenge is talking about how I feel and seeking help. Which actually lead to a close friend shouting at me for not talking to them which just made it 100x worse.
Also it is hard to drive when feeling anxious, once ran a red light (Thankfully caught on before crashing or anything and breaked). No longer drive if I feel remotely spaced out, tense or distant.
Other: I'm too scared to tell anyone, so I'll just breakdown by myself then pretend everything is fine even though I'm freaking out inside.
I really believe that speaking to somebody when your feeling low helps. A friend a family member? If nothing else it just gives you the opportunity to let everything out! Keeping things in is not healthy.
And don't be scared, you have to be strong to fight this, your not alone.
Victoria x
Getting support from people that don't have any idea how to help but try, or people that don't want to understand- they say get over it or deal with it.
Facing my children and being a role-model for strength.
Scared of creepy thing in Google
Lack of support. Like having to sit with the anxiety for ages til somebody is available to talk to about it...
My mind!
My ability to make good decisions clouded confuses, worry and depression affect all my decisions.
The hardest thing for me was talking to my parents about my anxiety. Once I had accepted it myself I wanted to speak to them. Originally I thought they understood but in certain situations now they use my anxiety against me. There was a huge family argument on boxing day this year. I ran outside upset and neither of my parents seemed concerned or worried. I asked them the day after why neither of them showed any sort of support and my mum said that because of my anxiety she doesn't know how to be around me, she just thinks id rather be left alone if I am having an 'episode' 
I feel like no one understands my gad. Some people make fun of me because I obsess about locking doors. Some people don't see how it affects me.
Honestly a real problem for me is having the strength not to look up online 'pain in my X OR symptoms of X. It's hard to think the my pain is caused by anxiety.. I've been to the doctor and had a chest X-ray and full blood work everything has come back great. In the back of my mind there is always that little voice that says "they missed something," but that's just the anxiety taking over.. My anxiety has the power to manifest itself into heart palpitations and chest pain. It's rare but I've also woken up in the middle of the night because I felt like I couldn't breath and I freaked out trying to get a breath and soon after I got a couple of heart palpitations... Trying to manage your mind is hard.
I really want to be as holistic as possible. Many of the medications out there are just so dangerous both mentally and physically. I've been on several and just stopped taking Sertraline last year after 12 years of use. While I feel healthier, my anxiety is so bad that I hardly feel like myself.
Moderation team
