Picking apart anxiety

[evilimbic]

I have very long term anxiety problems (25+ years) which is has elements of agoraphobia, emetophobia, GAD, monophobia, social anxiety and a bunch of other things. The issue I have with therapy is what do I try an attack? Do I pick one thing and work on that? Do I try an find a root cause and attack that? I worry if I pick something to work on and that's only a symptom of some underlying anxiety issue that it will help for a little while until the underlying issue pushes it's way out in another way. From talking to people it seems that multi-modal anxieties are the norm rather than defined individual phobias so I'm sure many of you will have addressed these problems too. Any hints as to how to approach a tangled mass would be much appreciated :)

P.S. sorry if this has been done before - the search system doesn't seem to be working :/

[sabrinna9689]

I have multi-diagnoses. OCPD, ADD/ADHD (Combined Type), Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Chronic Insomnia! Agoraphobia, and Venophobia.

I have a difficult time addressing these problems and I thought that getting help with living with these diseases meant that I was crazy. I still have self-esteem issues but therapy is (in my opinion) necessary if your illnesses interfere with your life enough that your condition continuously worsens.

I'd recommend talk therapy. I started by just "letting loose" on my therapist. I was all over the place but after a few sessions I actually felt better. I wasn't holding it in and there was finally someone out there that knew what I was going through. It felt nice.

You and your therapist will work out which order you should address your obstacles but finding the root problem should be your #1 goal. It won't happen immediately but just keep talking and it'll rear it's head sooner or later.

Good luck!

[Oosh]

Try and work out the underlying issue by tracing it back from the symptom/coping strategy to the reason you feel you do it.

Like I can be weird with food. But at the bottom of that is a desire to control my mood. So it's not food it's mood. Whether that be based on fear of anxiety or not feeling myself.

I've also grown to realise mood can be depressed by your beliefs about yourself.

So where on the surface you can have one thing like odd eating habits underneath it can be down to negative beliefs, low self esteem.
Change negative beliefs about yourself = mood improvement = no more need to be weird with food.

Control plays a big part in anxiety.
An attempt to gain control, fear of loss of control.
What are you scared of ?
Why do you do what you do, what are you scared of ?
What are some of the beliefs about yourself ?

I think ultimately it helps to know yourself and why you do what you do and to have a healthier view of yourself and the world.