ANXIETY

[Nmitchell]

Hey everyone this is my first time in a support group and I suffer from anxiety. My anxiety is on 10. I am always worrying, I am afraid to speak up for myself . I am easily startled. I do not like people yelling at me and I get nervous. My nerves are really bad and I have a phobia of driving because I fear something going to bad happen. I have the money to get the car but I am just afraid to get it . I am 22 and most people my age would rush and get a car.

[Hidden]

Hey. The world can seem a scary place. Try reversing the thoughts that make you worry : "What if I got the car and I didn't like it?!?" turn that in its head to "yes, and what if I got the car and absolutely loved it, went travelling all over with it, discovered wonderful places and experiences with it!". It's not easy, but I found that exposure to the thing is the way to get over it. If it is general worry, you can try giving yourself a "worry time", say 5pm. If a worry pops in your head, you say "thank you, but it's not worry time just yet, come back at 5pm and I'll worry the hell out of it then".

Hope something useful.

[JCPrague]

Do you receive any treatment for your anxiety? It sounds like it is quite severe. Perhaps some treatment could help reduce its intensity.

[JkBauer]

Good morning,

I am sorry to hear about your panic attacks. As already said by others here, "yes this world can be a scary place." There is nothing wrong with not wanting to buy a car. I do not drive and I have never driven. I have learned to drive and have the know - how. There is so, much that you can enjoy in this world too! I enjoy being the passanger in a vehicle. I love to look at the scenerey as we drive. I love to visit and talk and have conversation with the others who are in the vehicle with me. My husband and I enjoy music so we turn the radio on and sometimes a song will come on that I know and like pretty well and I will sing along with it (most of the time my husband will give the look, like; "Really do you have to ruin that song?" Haha!) I am no profesional that is for sure! But that is okay, we laugh about it! Laughter is a good medicine for the soul. It took me a lot of years to loosen up and learn to laugh. I used to be a very serious and tight person. Then, one day I ran almost , (litterally) into my future (now) husband. He asked me out to a firends bbq and we hit it off. I learned that he is just a big tease, haha! He loves life and he was always telling me to "lighten up and live!" Finally, his word had gotten to me, he had taken me out for drives and to places with people and activities such as bowling or hiking, camping, fishing, walks in the park, go and play basebal with friends, dinner out with friends... Most of the people that we were around were encouraging and uplifting and my to be husband back then was always the life of the party (so to speak). He always had a childhood story that would just crack a person up and he still has that gift today and can make just about anyone laugh with a story he will tell. - Are there any kind of things that you enjoy doing, hobbies, activities...? - I have to tell you when I was learning how to laugh, I had to make myself do one chuckle at each mistake I made. If I spilled a glass of water- it was either get mad at myself or force a haha. I chose to do the haha as I was cleaning the mess up. Each time I had a mishap I would, haha! Eventually, it became easier and easier to laugh at my mistakes, mishaps, today I laugh at just about everything I do. Laughter, calms the spirit and soothes the soul. - I sure hopes this helps you! Take care and in the words of my husband ..."Lighten up and live!"