Really bad anxiety and fear of going mentally crazy

[Amytat]

im suffering from really bad anxiety. I'm down and dont have motivation. I have a massive fear of death and going mentally crazy. Can anxiety make you go crazy and hospitalized??

[Hidden]

Amytat, Im not sure if anxiety çan make you crazy to the point where you get hospotalized because I'm fairly new to this. But i do know that it causes you to have that amplified fear of death. Months ago I obsessed over this and was making myself sick, I learned to not feed it any longer, when ever that thought and terrible feeling creeped in I would do anything and everything to distract myself and get my mind of it to the point where when ever It popped into my head I would shake it right off. I stopped giving it power. That's what worked for me.

[Amytat in reply to Hidden]

That's great to hear it worked. It doesntwork for me :(I do try so hard butI'm scared

[Lbk64]

Hi Amytat.

I used to worry about this too. To ease your fears a little, whilst you're worried about going insane, you won't. Anxiety won't make you go insane, it just feels like it.

There are some good books by Dr Claire Weeks about anxiety and the tricks it plays on the mind.

I hope this helps.

[Amytat in reply to Lbk64]

Thank you. Reading that now I purchased

[Lbk64 in reply to Amytat]

Excellent! Her books are a great help. Hang in there, it does get better.

[Amytat in reply to Lbk64]

It's just that fear feels so real that you think your death is near

[Lbk64 in reply to Amytat]

Yes. I understand how you feel. I used to have those fears too. I don't know how many times I ended up at casualty thinking I was dying from something, hear attack and whatever else I could imagine. They're only thoughts. May I ask how old you are?

[Amytat in reply to Lbk64]

I'm.32

[Lbk64 in reply to Amytat]

You're young. I know it doesn't help to hear that your chances of dying are slim but it's true. At your age, that was how I got through it. I used to weigh up the odds. Health anxiety is the pits. There are some great guided meditations that help with health anxiety. I listen to them on occasion and they do help. I must admit that they are the thing that helped me the most. I don't take medication and never have. Not because I was trying to tough it out but more because of my intense fear of side effects from any medications as we have this issue in my family.

I'm not sure if I'm helping you at all but please pop onto YouTube and see if you can find something that you're comfortable with.

[Amytat in reply to Lbk64]

Yes unfortunately I tried without medication for year and a half until 4 days ago I felt like going insain so took lexapro.

Please share with me the meditation you are referring to please

[Lbk64 in reply to Amytat]

I'll try and find it for you. One moment.

[Lbk64 in reply to Amytat]

On YouTube, search for 'the anxiety guy' and his videos should come up. I've found the health anxiety video to be the best. I listen whilst I'm going to sleep.

[Amytat in reply to Lbk64]

Oh yes have seen all his videos

[Cwoods in reply to Amytat]

we are the same age at this time we should be living our lives and not be burden down with these fears and anxiety i pray each of us overcome this obstacle we are facing.

[Lbk64 in reply to Cwoods]

You're right. When I was your age I worried about all of these things incessantly. I'm in my 50s now and whish I could have that time back to enjoy and not worry so much.

I look at life like this...the birds and animals don't sit around worrying about when they're going to die. They just get on with living. We should do the same.

[Amytat in reply to Lbk64]

Such a good inpo thank you

[Cwoods in reply to Lbk64]

oh sooo true.

[Krasykat]

Oh thank god im not the only one. I also have this but my thoughts make me think what If suicide is the only way out for me which provokes my anxiety about going crazy and dying 😩I don’t know what to do

[Amytat in reply to Krasykat]

No way dont think that. I'm sure this is temporary thing we all go thru. Pleaae keep in mind one day we will feel better

[Lbk64 in reply to Krasykat]

It will get better. Please trust in yourself and hang in there. Everything passes. The anxiety will too. Trust.

[Amytat in reply to Lbk64]

Thank you so much

[Krasykat]

I know. I think these thoughts are intrusive. It just sucks. Have you found anything to help you feel abit better?

[Amytat in reply to Krasykat]

I just went on medication unfortunately cuz I couldn't control any more but that made things 100 worst

[autumnthebrat2 in reply to Amytat]

sometimes the first couple of weeks, your anxiety will intensify till the body adjusts. a psychiatrist can give you some benzos to counteract this. If the side effects are not serious, try riding it out.

[Amytat in reply to autumnthebrat2]

Thank you. I heard this but can it really be this bad?

[autumnthebrat2 in reply to Amytat]

I don't know what your symptoms are, but a few years ago, I was taking care of my father who was dying and taking care of my 4 year old daughter. My wife who is a nurse was never home due to job responsibilities. I had strange symptoms, freezing cold feet, low blood pressure and even had a couple episodes where my vision went double while trying to focus. Told this to my doctor and he wanted to give me meds. I refused and I got worse. During this time, my father demanded to go outside and sit in the sun, but I thought it was too hot, but finally gave in and brought him outside. He loved to have the sunshine on him and demanded that I remove the umbrella, so after pestering me, I finally removed it and tended to my 4 year old. After a short time, I looked over at him and thought he passed. I freaked out, brought him in the house, doused him with water and was about to call the priest for last rites and call an ambulance. He finally came to. After that incident, I was in cvs and weird experience that felt like I was hit with a lightening bolt. I finally relented and asked the doc for meds. He gave me Prozac and the first few days were horrible. On the 4th day my dad passed and that along with the med side affects put me in the hospital. Stayed in for 5 days, came out and went to my dads funeral. During this time the side effects were horrible, I was pacing and just felt terribly detatched. I rode it out and after about a month started feeling semi normal. I did not know that the meds would not give me immediate relief. Many years ago, I had amitriptyline and that gave me immediate relief with insomnia and irritablility. My wife is on Zoloft and that worked for her almost immediately. So, it is a hit and miss situation with the meds unfortunately, but you have to try to give it a chance or you'll never now if it was the right one.

[ciley]

every word you state in your intro applies to ME too, on and off , mostly on, all life, I find this fear is actually a fear of life....its because life is difficult at present, bad luck, others being unkind letting you down, realising you are alone, needing a drop of human kindness, finding it incredibly rare, I was persecuted and moved to a place which does not suit me , I should have known, I panicked, it has not improved a lot over 5 years, now my own resentment and the constraints I have in my situation, now I find it difficult to 'get back', for one it would be v costly for me, and I fall into the 'poverty trap' of having savings.i am struggling my upmost at present, do you look for spiritual help? if you can believe I must say that helpful souls not bound by the body may help you MORE than what is basically a selfish world, hope some words I say strike a cord, I can tell you, no-one understands better than I do !!