I have not been to the doctor about this but have found my symptoms getting worse so have gone online to research and only recently found out what I have been suffering is actually anxiety. It was kind of a relief to know that it is actually a thing as I didn't really know what was happening. I have had a few panic attacks but I didn't actually know what they were so they were quite scary at the time, feeling like I was going to die, sweaty hands and feet, racing heart,major feelings of doom and thinking all sorts of awful thoughts.
I've noticed that it has been getting worse as I'm getting older. The first time I had feelings of doom and worry were about ten years or so ago when I had a hangover. Hangovers make it worse, much worse!
I find one of the things I think about is all of the horrible things that go on in the world and that are happening right now, how can anyone be happy when there is so much awful stuff going on and people are so cruel to others and to animals. I think that my worring is logical cos bad things happen to people all the time, so bad things might happen to me. Awful images insert themselves into my brain, mostly ones that my mind makes up almost to shock me it seems!
Also, I worried about my rabbit, who, while I was away for a couple of days, got eaten by a fox, as the hutch door wasn't closed properly by the person looking after him. This was very upsetting obviously but this has reinforced the feelings of' what I'm worrying about can actually happen!'
I have found that I have a lot of anxiety about my dog. My dog is very precious to me and I am so worried that something will happen to him. I find that I don't like leaving him alone in the house and when I do I have visions that there will be a fire in the house and he will be trapped and wont be able to get out (so much so that when I pull up to my street I am actually looking for the blue lights of the fire engine and am relieved when I don't see any), or that when we are out another dog like a pitbull might attack him and kill him and I wont be able to do anything. Or even that someone evil that hates dogs might have left something sharp out on purpose and he might jump onto it while playing. I tied him up outside a shop and popped in to literally get three things and I almost couldn't stay in the queue (1 person long) and felt physically sick while I was in there and almost put my groceries down and left the shop because I couldn't stand it any more.
Its so tiring worrying all the time, I'm jealous of people who don't think about any of these sort of things and are carefree. I know I probably have it mild compared to some people, so I don't want to feel like I'm moaning.
So.. I found this website, and now I know that I can get help I am going to make an appointment with my doctor. I'm sure it will help to talk to someone about it who understands. But this website has helped already with understanding what's going on.
I'd be interested to know if anyone else has similar thoughts, maybe about their pets or the other stuff I have mentioned.
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JillEBean
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Welcome to the world of worriers I'm pretty sure almost all of us here do or have shared similar experiences, I know I have minus the pets that is. I'm kind of glad I don't have any (other than a goldfish but he doesn't do walks or petting, thinking of taking him back actually, joking I never would) Worrying, negative thinking, bizarre thoughts, thoughts of death and dying, dread, fear are all a big part of anxiety so it's no surprise the things you describe and the tiredness, don't get me started on the tiredness!!
Before my anxiety I would cringe at the thought of a hangover now I'd welcome one as I don't seem to be able to have more than two beers/glasses of wine before my anxiety rips into me, often I don't bother and skip alcohol altogether. Anxiety has stolen that life away from me, maybe not such a bad thing, but beer festivals and nice wine used to be part of my social life.
With regards to your doctor chances are they'll reach for the prescription pad first unless they are really open minded but there are alternatives such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, you have to ask for it as a rule tho, don't be fobbed off. CBT works for some not for others but it should give you a good grasp of what is going on with your body and in your head regardless. If you ask here on the site about how other people cope you're bound to get some good advice and other options to think about in regards to coping, getting through this.
I was helping care for my grandmother 4 nights a week. My financial situation made me unable to get an alarm system for 3 months! I was a wreck. That was 6 years ago and just recently my grandmother needed more care so now I am home sleeping in my own bed. Like u I was so worried about their safety not my belongings. I flet so much better spending g all that money to make me feel better. I now i can watch them by camera now on my phone. I feel the most peaceful when my dogs are warn out from activity we shared together and having all of them in my bed! Lol I have.3. Large medium and small.
hi. enjoy your time spent with your dog and dont worry about the future! try to live in the present. My cat is very precious to me as well and she suddenly got ill. she has only a few weeks left. there is no cure. I will have to put her to sleep. I wish I had appreciated her more when she was fine.. now it is too late so dont ruin your present and spend as much time with your dog as possible!
I know this post is old but your words are helpful. Honestly my world almost but not entirely revolves around my doggies. I try to cherish every moment. It really makes you fall deeper in live with them. I know if any of them cross the rainbow bridge while I am alive I will b so sad because I want to believe even though people say " they're not human they r just dogs" that my love for them and their love for me was real!
Hi I read your blog you've got the full set of symptoms for anxiety worry panic world coming to an end something will happen to someone or thing that we love your not on your own there you say your going to go to your drs a positive move and I hope he will help you in your blog you said you were in a shop and in the queue and you ALMOST ran out but you didn't and that's a big thing concentrate on the fact you faced your panic bad as it was and stayed and finished what you had to do that's something to pat yourself on the back for as for your dog they're a friend in your low times and I'm sure you look after him well the rest of the time they look after themselves my dogs lying here snoring guarding his pile of biscuits il leave you with the fact that things we worry about very rarely come true so you look after yourself get to the drs and leave the worrying alone and have a smile when you take your dog out he's enjoying life so should you be. All the best. Mel
I experience exactly the same. I adore my dog, he is my best friend and he was by my side through really horrible periods of anxiety and depression, I would hate it if anything happened to him. I too have visions of something going horribly wrong in the house and something happening to him. I always check the oven, gas hobs, electric switches, just so I know I am leaving him in a safe environment when I go but I count down the hours that I can get home to him. I also have terrible anxiety over animal abuse. It's hard to escape the stories these days with the newspapers reporting abuse etc. I went through a period where I couldn't get the horrible stories out of my head and I would just sit and sob or my stomach would be in bits to the point where I couldn't eat my lunch. I just couldn't switch off from the horror stories. It sounds ridiculous and I know it is ridiculous but I couldn't control my own thoughts or feelings.
As much as I want to be aware of what is goping on around the world. I try my best to avoid negative news articles and barely watch the news now.
Thank you so much for all of your comments, It's comforting to know that you guys feel the same. I will try to just enjoy walks out with my dog rather than thinking something will happen, but it will be so hard. I am just so protective over him, he is so soppy and hasn't got a bad bone in his body.
Bramwell, like you, I wouldn't be bothered about my belongings in the slightest if a burgular broke in, only the dog!
Mandy26, I also go round checking all of the switches etc when I go out, but only when I am leaving my dog in the house, if I'm not leaving him I don't check any of those things!
I also know what you mean about anxiety over animal abuse, I also cannot read anything to do with cruelty, and I still have images now in my head of things that I have seen years ago that have kept me up at night and still disturb me now. Animals are so sweet and helpless and the fact that people hurt them on purpose just makes me feel sick and I just can't get over it. I think that these stories are part of why I think someone may hurt my dog on purpose.
gatita, you are right, I do need to live in the present more, I find that a lot of the time the anxiety ruins whatever I am doing as I'm just worrying or wanting to get back home.
I do the same! For instance my partner took our dog into work with him this morning and I walked out without even checking the switches. As long as our dog isn't in the house I don't care.
I too have images in my head of the horrible things I have seen over the years. I get frustrated whenever I think about it that it can even happen and nobody can stop it. As you say they are so trusting and caring and people can be so cruel. I just think as long as I give my dog the best life that's all I can do, I also try to raise money for animal charities where I can.
What kind of dog do you have? We have a Hungarian Vizsla. I swear he's almost human, he has such a character and is so emotional. He's also quite huge lol.
With your last comment to Gatita, I have been doing exactly the same as you, dwelling on things that have happened, or that could/may never happen. I read a great book called The Happiness Project and it really changed my way of thinking. I now focus on things I am doing at that moment. I take my camera with me to places and take photos of things during my day that I enjoy (mostly our dog! Lol) I also keep a journal of things that have made me happy. I have a tendancy to focus on negative things so by doing this I really pay attention to the nice things in life. I'll even write down a lovely walk I had with our dog and I'll write down the smells and the scenery. It's lovely to look back on as it seems you had a day without negativity and worry. It's the simple things that can make us happy, I think we just have to realise x
I just looked up a Hungarian Vizsla as I didn't know the breed, they are soo gorgeous! Mine is a Black Lab/Collie cross called Harry.
I'm going to look up The Happiness Project and see if it helps me. We all deserve to be happy and not worry about things but I suppose we just need to learn how!
I am still worrying a lot every day, and now I have my job to add to those worries as particularly stressful at the mo! But will keep working on it and find joy in the little things and hopefully they will overtake the bad thoughts one day! x
I could have written your post myself! I have dealt with anxiety and depression for many years. My husband and I got two dogs about 2 years ago and I find myself constantly worrying about them, whether they are out in the back yard or in their kennel. My biggest fear is the house catching fire! I think about it every time we're away from the house for long and how horrible it would be if my dogs were trapped. I almost start crying just at the thought and rush home. I love my dogs (and my two cats) but having them has certainly not helped with the thoughts of doom and gloom since we got them! You are not alone here.
Hangovers! Yes! Absolutely my anxiety attacks were (are) much worse when I've over-indulged. I was able to figure that out and calm myself down after a while, but still not fun!
I took Paxil for about 6 months and found the side-effects, and my horrid behavior towards others, to be not worth it. I was only on 20mg a day but it took about a month to ween myself off of them (the withdrawal symptoms were awful!). I don't recommend those meds if you can avoid them.
I just realized you wrote this post 3 years ago, but it helped me to know that I'm not alone either!
I am replying to an old post but I am sure not much has changed for some people like me. I do have one friend I can call and cry to on the phone but she always has to go. Hmmmm lol. Anyway when I hear the temperature is going to b over 100 degrees in Virginia I instantly start to cry. I know people will let their pets bake in the sun without water and it drives me crazy. Today I went by two houses to see if the dogs were inside or not. It's really hard sometimes to not let this take over your life. We hAve to work and focus on our jobs our driving.etc... I feel although I want peace I can't fathom having it totally with all the evil in the world. Can I change the world? No,but I do know.I can help make life better for some.... this still brings me anxiety knowING I cant help them all.
Omy god I seriously have the exact same shitty problem as u....it sux cuz everyones like dont worry and think positive but I cant cuz everytime ive tried that in the past something bad does happen and thrn its worse.....my dog is also my life and I seriously cant leave her alone, shes blind and I always worry about her.....I find myself staring at her when she sleeps to make sure she didnt stop breathing.....and I dont have any helcul info but just wanted to say I feel ur pain.....and it also bothers me thst
I know this is an old post but I have the exact same issues. I worry constantly about my dog and cats when I am not home. I even installed a security camera to watch them through the day. But it seems it has heightened my anxiety bc if I can not see what they are doing I panic and god forbid if the camera ever fails like it did on my way to work one day. I also find myself avoiding the news and social media due to all the violence and mainly animal abuse I can't deal with it or handle it. It seems I get those images into my head and it makes my anxiety that much worse. I was so relieved to read this and know there are others that experience the same thing I do.
This is an old post many had said already but at this time, it is really relatable. I can't imagine my dog being left in the house. I've experienced two cats that i've cared for a short time and it didn't end well. One was hasn't come back if ever it ran away and the other after a few hours that i've left her, i came back and she's having a seizure and well like i said it didn't end well. It breaks my heart and now how quickly they've become a part of me and my dog's life, they were gone just as fast. That's why lately even a twitch, a stand or stretching of my dog even in her sleep, i get worried so much that maybe she is having a seizure or something hurts. Even maybe it's a mild tummy ache, a loss of apettite or she's drinking less water.Even before i sleep, i can't imagine her being not on my side without wondering if she really is sick and i'm not there to quickly respond and even lose her too. Posts or news being animals abused or being put down breaks my heart and I can't really look at it and starts my anxiety all over again. I tried to calm down and here i am, still worrying. But it was helpful that there are people that I can relate it too and i hope I could meet more to help me still to calm me down. Thank you.
I'm the same exact way! If my dog shows any signs of being sick or feeling yucky, i FREAK out. My dad always tells me it's nothing and to just calm down, but I'm always worried that she'll die if I don't keep her in tip-top shape!! Lol I wish I wasn't such a worrier because my life would be sooo much easier. I saw a comment below about burglars, and I definitely relate. I would not give a singleeee shit if a burglar broke in and stole everything, JUST as long as they don't hurt or take my dog. Like, she is literally my puppy-daughter.
everything u described about u and your dog is me to a tee! I have spent 1000s taking him to vet when ther is nothing wrong with him bit I imagine alsorts is going on! I'm so glad I'm not the only one I thought I was goin insane! my dog is my best friend and I love him more than life but I know these thoughts are irrational but I can't stop! if i see anything on Facebook about animal cruelty or adverts on tv it actually affects me for weeks! it breaks my heart thank u for sharing how u are it actually helps to know u are not alone x
I am in the same boat as everyone here.. especially louisewiley. My pets are everything to me! Granted, one of our dogs is older and had major health issues last year, but now I freak out with every little thing about him. I just can't stop it and my husband doesn't understand why I'm so stressed.
Like everyone else here, I cannot stand animal abuse and bawl when ASPCA commercials come on.
I'm tempted to try biofeedback with a Naturopath dr.
I was always worrying about my dog when growing up, from being a small boy of 11, through my teens and my twenties. I would worry about a dog attacking him, worrying about our garden gate being left open, as I was scared he would get run over.
I would never leave him tied up outside a shop, just incase he would get loose or someone would steal him. I would worry later on in life when my Gran developed dementia, she would feed him different things and would have to tell her off, this caused me a lot of anxiety. I still have anxiety over him now, even though he has passed away at the age of 17. I still wonder sometimes did I do everything for him, was I a good protector, I always feel as though I failed him at the last minute. I love and miss him always, he is forever in my heart, and I can never repay him for the life, enjoyment, memories, moments and experiences he gave me, I love him with every ounce of my being, his name was Max.
All these posts are very old and I don’t know if this will result in any responses. I’m a slave to my 2 year old retriever. I worry my depression is affecting her, my anxiety and I worry about her being sad because I don’t have the energy to exercise her enough. I am sick to my stomach all the time. I have a Drs. Appointment coming up and I know that I need counseling. Can anyone give me a little perspective until I can breathe.
My dog will be two in August 😊 I can definitely relate to being a slave to your dog lol I love my dog sooo much and can't imagine anything happening to him. Just remember your dog is just happy to be with you. I'm glad you're taking the steps to recovery and wish you the best of luck
After I lost 2 of my cats within 2 months a couple yrs ago(one i found dead, one i had to put to sleep) I have become obsessively worrying about my remaining pets(1 dog 2 cats). I also have been diagnosed with ocd disorders. Im constantly checking to make sure they are ok , through video, making sure their appettite isnt gone(by feeding ....one of my triggers is when an animal wont eat)...keeping journals of any symptom i think i see...If i think something could be wrong with one of them i the anxiety starts..googling...tryign to stop myself from going to the vet.
With my dog Im constantly worrying she isnt happy with me. Im also not super active but Ive been forcing myself out once a day for a walk...not a real long walk though...I take her in the car with me for rides when i can too. part of the problem is, my dog and cats dont get along so i have the house levels seperated with a baby gate. Then the issue becomes me deciding who im going to spend my time with when home from work. When im upstairs with the cats and shes just laying at the base of the stairs(she is way too hyperactive for the cats and fights ensue if i do) i always feel like im failing her...i feel constant guilt if i have any spare time and its not with her...since she doesnt have a friend at home...at least the cats have each other so my guilt with that isnt there as much.
This all just makes me miserable. when Im at work i dnt feel this guilt tho...I just want it to stop...
Thank you so much for your response. I worry mostly about her not getting enough exercise. It’s hot in Texas and I’m not an early riser, so by the time I get up and moving it’s too hot. I put a ad in the paper for someone to walk my pooch But no luck so far. I’m depressed a lot so I don’t have a Lotta energy do you play with her, but I do sometimes, just not enough. I imagine her face being sad and her feeling depressed. This makes me feel very guilty.
Yes I do my dog is getting old and I worry so much about her I ask my kids two come look after if I go the shop I'm watching her all the time case anything happened two her
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I'm pretty sure almost all of us here do or have shared similar experiences, I know I have minus the pets that is. I'm kind of glad I don't have any (other than a goldfish but he doesn't do walks or petting, thinking of taking him back actually, joking I never would) Worrying, negative thinking, bizarre thoughts, thoughts of death and dying, dread, fear are all a big part of anxiety so it's no surprise the things you describe and the tiredness, don't get me started on the tiredness!! 
Constant worry
Constant anxiety about animal cruelty 
Worried about my health
