Dont let anxiety beat you

Hi all you all know me by now as I have blogged loads and gave advice to everyone when I could.I have stopped coming on ere as much as my councillor said although its great I am trying to help people on here I needed to concentrate on myself as all of us are different .At first I thought no Im still going on all the time.then I thought about it and thought yes your right.We are all different people who share this bloody awful illness and we have all got different amounts of strength in us.I needed to for me to concentrate on me for a while not take on and worry about everyone else.I have had now over a week of relativley anxiety free,Its been and will be a constant battle but one Im trying to win.When I get the thoughts I work work work and work again on taking my thoughts elsewhere for eg.If Im doing the dishes and my mind is just thinking of the anxiety I now focus hard on what the water feels like ,what noise the bubbles make.Its hard work but it does work for me. Im starting to do more now little things like washing,baking crosswords.Before I used to just sit on here all day every day.I still need this site but I needed to back away a bit.One thing anxiety loves is to feed of us if we can be strong enough not to let it day by day bit by bit we will get there.Also herbal tea has made a massive difference to me .I no longer drink coffee just herbal tea chamomile is fantastic for calming and peppermint if you want a bit of boost.Different things work for different people.I have spent a fortune on remedys herbs books etc its trial and error.But what has worked for me is 1000mg fish oils daily ,pyridoxine (vitamin B) and herbal tea.Also CBT is working as I say its hard work and there has been times I think I cant do this so I stop for a bit and then start again because you have got to want to do it and I do.The website getselfhelp.co.uk has been a godsend also.

[nana59]

Hi I would just like to say that I first suffered with anxiety when I was 12, back then doctors didn't know much about it, I was picked on at school from day one of my jnr. school right through until I left secondary school. I think this set the pattern for me as I grew up. Back then the doctor gave me some tablets to calm me down and eventually I got better.

The next time it happened I was about 19 and still living at home, I was woken up one night by my parents as the people next door had an argument and he stabbed his wife, so because I was woken with a start this brought the anxiety on again. Once more off to doc`s got tablets and recovered.

The next time was when I had my daughter I was about 26 and I think it was post natal depression this was a bad one, took me about 2 years to get over it and I did. And the worse one I have ever had was a year after my dad died, he was my life, my friend and when he died it felt like I had lost a limb felt like something was missing, though oh well need to get on with life now and I got a job, a year to the day of my dads death his car that he owned was parked down my street where I lived, and to be truthful I don't remember much after that had a breakdown was ill for a year doc wanted me to take antidepressants but I wouldn't, got hooked on valium was in a right old mess thought I was going to be carted of to the funny farm. My poor family didn't know what he hell was going on with me. I just wanted to die and get rid of all them horrible feelings. I decided to change my doc it was at the same surgery but he was a person who listened. He talked me into taking an antidepressant and I can say I am glad I listened to him. I took my first pill in January a year after the breakdown and by September I was flying off to Cyprus something I would never had dreamed off a year earlier. I cant give you all any hints or tips on how to try to control your anxiety as I just took pills and pulled on my inner strength and determination. There is no quick fix if there was I would be the first to find it.

You all will get better , I know because I have many times. And if I can do so can all of you. I am the biggest scaredy cat going lol lol.

[Hidden in reply to nana59]

Hi what a sad but also inspirational story.I think the key is to admit there is no quick fix or overnight cure x

[fyodor in reply to nana59]

Hi,

what was your experience with the anti-depressants?

[Hidden in reply to fyodor]

Hi Im not on any was on citalopram but the side effects where too much for me.I have diazapam for emergencies only.

[KevinManchester]

Hi

One thing I have noticed that I share is that if you can focus your mind on something else except the anxiety it does help. keep your mind busy. I used to attend a weekly group session of fellow sufferers but found it only made things worse. I then took up a new hobby and met with people who did not have anxiety and this helped me more. I became a member of a club and really concentrated on this new hobby. It worked.. Anxiety is not as bad now. This worked for me and I guess the same for you when you thought of the feel of the water.

[Hidden in reply to KevinManchester]

Hi Kevin Im trying to do that but finding it hard at the moment it always goes back to the anxiety,I know Im just feeding it but will plod on got to havent you x