Anxiety disorders.

[Kame]

I was just wondering if there's anyone who suffers from any kind of anxiety disorder? It's suddenly dawned on me that I seem to be more anxious than the average person and I feel I've been like this for years.
It only really came to be a problem last night when I was really anxious over going to work, to the point where my bosses pointed it out. It's made me realise that I am really over anxious over things, like going to work, seeing a friend/family member, going out somewhere, interviews, and I'm even a little anxious over making this post.
I think I'm going to take a trip to the doctors because I can't kept feeling this anxious, especially over work. I just wanted to know if anyone can relate and has any experiences explaining to their GP that they feel they're too anxious over things. Thanks :)
Lanny xx

P.S I just found out I'm working tonight too so I'm feeling anxious all over again. ARGH >.<

[PassedExpectations]

yeah, i do, and theres lots of people on here who have them also. i have OCD (which has gotten alot better, but was pretty severe) and social anxiety (which sounds similar to what you describe, and also was pretty bad). i ended up going to a residencial treatment center for three months, but thats not a normal scenario, most people don't need that intensity of treatment.

when you go to the doctor you can basically say what you said here, but you can also add how it makes you feel physically or mentally. like for me, i get really jittery and my mind starts going too fast. but other common ones would be a knot in your stomach or throat, sweating, turning red, headaches, stuff like that.

i'm really glad that you've recognized that you want to change this. it took me a while to even figure out that it wasn't normal and that i wasn't happy cause i'd gotten so used to feeling anxious that i almost didn't know i wasn't supposed to feel that way.

i hope it goes well, and if you ever have questions, i know quite a bit about CBT and ERP stuff, cause i did a ton of that. or if you just want to talk, i enjoy talking to people

[Kame]

Thanks for replying, sorry to hear you're going through it as well.
It has taken me a while to recognise that this isn't right and that not everyone feels as anxious as I do either. I can really work myself up to the point where I have a panic attack, but I feel really sick, I get shaky and my heart beats really fast :/
I have an interview Monday and I wish I'd recognised it sooner, even just a few days sooner so I would be prepared for that.
Thanks for your reply again, I appreciate the offer of a chat and you just reading and replying in general :)

[one_step_closer]

I have generalised anxiety disorder and mild OCD, you're definitely not alone. When I was working I also used to get very anxious about going into work. What goes through your mind when you are feeling anxious? I everything goes well with your GP. Please keep us posted. Take care.

[akita]

I was anxious for 9 hours and it didn't stop until I got where I had to go to.

[Kame]

Thanks Lindsay :) I don't really think about a lot when I'm anxious apart from if I'm going to mess up. That is literally all I think about. It's just "what if I do it wrong?" or "what if something happens?". I tend to get really irrational about everything if I'm anxious.
Mystery of life, that must have been really awful for you, I'm sorry you had to go through it.

I'm really trying to calm myself down before I go to work. I was really bad last night, and I can't help thinking if I'm that bad again.

[akita]

^ Thanks Lanny, it sucks to have it. I hope you are able to calm yourself down enough before you have to go.

[one_step_closer]

"What if..." statements are common in anxiety, both normal anxiety and more extreme anxiety. Do you know what has made you so fearful? Can you remember when it started? Try deep breathing and relaxation exercises if you can focus on them.

[sherlock holmes]

I have anxiety. I havent been given a specific name for it, everyone just refers to it as "anxiety"!

I mainly overcame a lot of it through graded exposure (at one time I couldnt leave my house at all except to go to sainsburys with mum once a week) and so I worked with my CPN to gradually go further and further from my house, but at a slow pace and so on.

I also have diazepam for PRN, however as my anxiety is not generalised, ie I have it over specific situations such as being in a classroom or cinema, I only take it probably once a week and my GP is aware of this which is why I have been continuously prescribed it for about a year now. I am aware this is not the norm.

I hope it goes well when you see your doctor. He will probably suggest seeing a psychiatrist or doing something like cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) to help deal with the anxious thoughts and learn some coping and relxation skills.

[Kame]

Thank you all for replying, it means a lot.
I know I need to calm myself down, try not to think about it and relax, but right now I'm on the edge of completely flipping over going to work and thinking "no, I'm not gonna let this get to me", I don't quite know which way it's going to go. I just feel like a total mess.
Lindsay, I'm not entirely sure. I was quite a shy child and I was bullied when I was younger so I remember feeling anxious a lot going to school. It died down a little bit in my later years of secondary school, but I had a bit of a low time at college. From then I guess it's gradually gotten worse and worse.
Thanks Sarah, it helps hearing your experiences. I'm glad you're in control of your anxiety now.

[Grrr....]

I have mild-ish OCD... Some compulsions are stronger than others (UGH! I hate compulsions!). It's a pain sometimes... Like when I really want to sleep but can't because I'm anxious and need to do rituals... Or when I'm taking a test and my lettering isn't the way I like it to be... Or when stupid desks wobble back and forth and I just can't concentrate (RRR!)... Besides that I deal with my anxiety pretty well...

[trekkinthrulife]

*raises hand* I've had GAD sense childhood. Its gotten better as for as physical symptoms. When I was younger I would get physically ill at things like giving a report in school. I still get nervous/anxious more so then I guess a normal person. Travel particulary bothers me and going out to eat for some reason...but yeah I hear you.

[-Asphyxia-]

Yes, I have problems with anxiety. I have Generalized Anxiety (where you're constantly keyed up and worry about every little thing) as well as Social Anxiety. I also have obsessive compulsive tendencies that tend to get worse when I am experiencing a lot of stress.

I've had these problems since I was a child (I can't ever recall I time when I was not anxious/high strung), and I didn't realize it until I was in high school. I think that's when they started doing medication ads on TV in the US, and they listed all of these symptoms, and my mom looked over at me and then I knew....lol

I think I have learned to handle myself better, though I do avoid situations I know will make me anxious, or I self-medicate w/alcohol. (IE: If I go somewhere like a small concert alone, I have to drink b/c I worry people are watching me. I still have a hard time doing new things on my own though.) The downside of not realizing or doing anything about it for years is that it (I think) caused me to develop depression...Mostly due to the social aspects of things and difficulty making new friends and stuff.

So my advice is to try and take care of this sooner rather than later, because it can really hinder certain aspects of your life.

PM me if you want to talk! <3

[-Asphyxia-]

Thanks Lindsay :) I don't really think about a lot when I'm anxious apart from if I'm going to mess up. That is literally all I think about. It's just "what if I do it wrong?" or "what if something happens?". I tend to get really irrational about everything if I'm anxious.


Me too! It's called catastrophizing. Basically, you think the worst possible outcome is going to occur during a certain situation. I think if you google the word, an article comes up on the Psychology Today website. I hate that I do this, because it prevents me from doing a lot of things I would like to. Meh. :-/

[Kame]

Grrr- Thanks for replying :) Sorry to hear that your OCD is difficult for you. I hope you manage to handle it better sometime soon.

Trekkinthrulife- It's good to know that I'm not alone in this, though I hate that you're having to go through it too. Hope you're okay, thanks for replying :)

Asphyxia- Thank you for both of your replies :)
I can relate to a lot of what you're saying, especially always being high-strung/stessed even as a child. I'm finding it strange and interesting that a lot of other who've replied have said "I didn't know what it was and then it clicked" too. I'd like to try and take the things that make me anxious out of my life, but I think that would involve me putting myself in isolation :/ I did tell my boyfriend what I thought it was though, as he knows all too well that I can really agitate myself when I'm anxious and he has to calm me down, so he can help me try to control it in the meantime.
That's interesting about the catastrophising, I think I'll go Google it ^_^ I always think the worst, even in normal situations and it makes me so pessimistic. Sorry to hear it stops you doing a lot of stuff though. I can relate to a lot of what you say, so I may drop you a PM sometime :)

I have an interview for Uni tomorrow but after that, hopefully I can get to the doctors at sometime this coming week. I don't want it to take over my life at all, and have me end up isolating myself (which I do enough of anyway). Thank you all for your advice and experiences, it's really helped me feel I'm not alone in this.