i cant believe it !!

[didibarb]

i have suffered from anxiety attacks for years mainly since my mum died 14 years ago and have had a great deal of stress since then though not constantly , more like a rollercoaster ride ups and downs which would describe my moods perfectly .. since then it has been a nightmare including a violent boyfriend , marriage to someone else who was later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis , divorced now and just had to go bankrupt and lost 2 properties . am not feeling sorry for myself but read all the symptoms of anxiety disorder on this website and couldnt believe that it is so me .. i feel so relieved !!! i have always felt that i was depressed or mentally ill but reading this i'm bloody not woo hoo , i cant sleep well havent for years i sleep on the settee with the tv on as my mind is always racing ,im ok most of the time till something happens then i get a tightness in the chest , i have been so worried that i will have a heart attack or stroke etc !i get this tight chest feeling so feel i have to have a drink to calm down as i cant otherwise . i have been on and off with anti depressants for years but to be honest they never worked i think i know why now ... i also get bad bowel problems and other symptoms .. does anyone have any advice or great stories recoveries etc :) it would be great to hear from people like me i feel so relieved as i thought i was mentally ill

[Anxious_gal]

Wow you've been through a lot.
No wonder youre so stressed out.
It'd be a good idea to tell your doctor, there's therapy like CBT which can be helpful.
There's lots of medications too you can try, some work better than others for anxiety.
There's herbal remedies too such as Calms , but you may not be able to take those if you're on other meds.

Make sure you're getting enough vitamins, and Omega 3 is said to be helpful for depression and anxiety.

Be careful with the alcohol , you can get addicted, then you'll find that you'll need the alcohol to function , also alcohol will raise your heart rate which can trigger off anxiety.
Make sure to eat and drink water if you're going to have a few drinks as alcohol can dehydrate you and the symptoms of dehydration are similar to anxiety.

Keeping a diary can help too and you might find it helpful to read back on.