New Here, feeling really alone. Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Hi, I'm new here. I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and I'm feeling really alone right now. Even though I have great support from my therapist and most members of my family, I still feel like very few understand the struggles I face living with this mental illness everyday. Despite being diagnosed a number of years ago, my father still thinks it's an excuse and makes me feel awful about it. I have so much guilt about how my anxiety affects those around me. Trying to not let these things bother me, but I just feel like no one understands, and I'm tired of having to apologize for my mental illness. It's not like I chose to have this.

[RachieW]

Hi there, I too have suffered with General Anxiety Disorder and also I have social anxiety which makes life quite awkward for me. I too find very few people understand my struggles.. some try to but can’t as they’ve not experienced it. I believe because it’s quite a complex illness they can’t comprehend what it’s like for us. However there are plenty of us here and the support is fantastic if you ever need a good chat there’s always someone to help

[Hidden in reply to RachieW]

Thank you so much. Looking forward to the support, and hope to be able to show support to other people too. I've lost count of the number of times in my life people have told me to "just get over it", and it's become really painful to face the lack of understanding over the years. I know I'm far from alone in that struggle, but it's hard enough to live with this mental illness, but even harder when people think it's a choice.

[RachieW in reply to Hidden]

I understand that totally. I’ve encountered it in all walks of my life so far and was actually bullied out of a job in one case. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I wish I could just ‘get over it’ because it’s certainly not something I’d choose to have. Somedays I don’t want to leave the safety of my home but I force myself and people think I’m being off when I don’t want to go to social gatherings but I find this task so hard it drains me for days. I feel lonely most days because all the people I thought were friends haven’t stuck by me as they don’t understand.. awful place to be.

[Bird-67 in reply to RachieW]

Totally agree with you. Even the professionals cannot fully understand what we go through as it’s one thing to study Anxiety and another to experience it.

Wishing you well xx

[Hidden]

I'm sorry you've experienced this as well. I think it's hard for people to understand that I experience anxiety everyday. Sometimes with no obvious cause. Some days are better than others, but it's always there to some degree.

[Hidden]

Hello Hidden & Welcome

I hope now you have found these Communities it will go a long way it letting you know you are not alone with how you feel and you are among people that totally understand

RachieW has given you some good advise and hopefully others will show you the same as they see your post or at least let you know how very welcome you are

Please and I know the guilt but do not feel guilty , you have nothing to feel guilty about this is just like any other illness but with a difference because you cannot see it you can only feel it if you are struck down with this dreadful thing called anxiety and that is why even most professionals as well as family do not quite get how debilitating it can be because they have never had the feelings and despair that we have

It must really hurt when your own family feel you are using this as an excuse as you know how soul destroying it can be and because of that you also know that know one would self inflict or use this as an excuse or choose to have anxiety but when they say these things try and remember that they may have no clue how to help , they may feel powerless and frightened because they don't understand so they act in a way which ignorance makes a lot of people act and that is by saying the most hurtful things but they will love you , they just don't understand what they can't see

Look forward to seeing you about the Community and I hope we can help and your offer of helping others where you can will be very much appreciated

Take Care x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi, thank you for your response. It is debilitating for me very often, and I'm tired of having to apologize for it. I didn't ask to have this mental illness, and I just hope as time goes on more people in my life will show support, rather than their frustration with me because of my GAD.

[Hidden]

Hi there ~Well I think the thing is here that Anxiety is a sort of "silent " illness you can't see it . It's the internal struggle each day that gets us down. No one ever thinks I have Anxiety I am so good at hiding it. But boy it's most definately part of my make up. A day without worry of some kind or another would be wonderful tbh.Why should you have to apologise? If for instance you had broke your arm you would get loads of sympathy. ( not that us anxiety sufferers want sympathy ~far from it but a little understanding goes a long way to help) And don't ever feel awful about your illness ~after all who on earth would choose to be like this? 🤔🤔

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi, thank you for your response. It's part of my makeup too. Even though I wasn't diagnosed with GAD until towards the end of high school, I started having anxiety in middle school. Since then, I've dealt with anxiety in varying degrees every day. Most definitely an internal struggle that I wrestle with explaining to those in my life. I guess the guilt comes from feeling like my anxiety is hurting my relationship with family and friends. I wish so badly that it wasn't a part of my life, but it is, and I can only apologize for my illness so many times (even though I know I shouldn't have to) The guilt and feelings of awfulness just make my anxiety worse, and I just wish more people could understand that.

[Hidden]

Please don't feel guilty about your illness as I said before it's not your choice to be like this. At the minute I am doing a positivity journal .Where you write down 3 positive things each day. Doesn't have to be ground-breaking stuff ~just something simple ~today mine are I got a compliment from someone ~bought a journal/diary in a sale and had a chat to an old lady which made her happy which in turn made me happy. Give it a go!! And stop beating yourself up so much.😊

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Going to try this!

[Hidden]

Yep def give it a go ~Hope all well with you 😊