anxiety becoming debilitating

[chicken420]

i just wanna know if there’s anyone out there who might be in a similar boat as me/anyone with any words of encouragement. over the past year my anxiety has worsened to the most extreme level it’s even reached. i’m going thru a medication change right now, so naturally my anxiety is a bit higher than usual, but it’s been almost 2 weeks now where i’ve been in a constant state of extreme anxiety. i worry about things like going into psychosis, this extreme anxiety period never ending, never finding a solution, etc. i just wanna know that i’m not alone. and if anyone else has gone thru this or is currently struggling with any similar situation, how have you gotten thru it/how did you get thru it? i’ve been having to keep myself distracted all hours of the day so that i don’t have to be alone with my thoughts. i’ve been having to take hydroxyzine daily 3+ times a day because being without it is just so scary and lonely. please tell me im not alone. knowing that im not the only one going thru this right now will give me some comfort.

[MindfulMoment]

I was there when I joined. I would have done anything in the world to stop myself from falling over the ledge. I can tell you, there’s nothing over the ledge. It’s just more of the same. There are so many wonderful, Knowledgeable people on here who I’m sure will offer great explanations and advice. So I won’t do that because I’m still a work in progress. What I will say is the way through is to accept. Stop fighting the sensations and realize they can’t actually hurt you. And hang in there. It does get better. I was a complete mess, hydroxyzine may have been Tylenol. Nothing helped. Every moment was pure torture. But now, I am living again. And you can too!

[chicken420 in reply to MindfulMoment]

thank you so much for your encouragement. i tend to get really stuck in my thoughts and then it ruins my entire day/night. one of my current goals is learning how to confront my anxiety/accept it. i’ve heard from many other people as well that that’s one really good way to excel at not letting it consume you. thank you again, i’ll be keeping your comment close by in case i need some encouragement!!

[MindfulMoment in reply to chicken420]

Anytime. Hang in there. It does get better!

[designguy]

One of the most helpful things you can do for your anxiety is learn what it really is and how to best deal with it. Once you learn what is really going on and how best to deal with it, it helps lessen the fear about it. The reality is that anxiety is a paradox and the more you fight, struggle or try to deny it the more it persists and the solution is to desensitize your body to the sensations and to not believe your anxious thoughts because they are lies.

I suggest the DARE Anxiety book and youtube videos and also the website/youtube of Paige Pradko and the youtube/books of Dr. Claire Weekes. Another book that helped me is "At last a life and beyond" by Paul David. You can definitely heal anxiety and get on with your life, it takes courage, time and determination but you can do it.