Feeling awful. Need tips to stop further regression.

[StevenN]

Been suffering paralyzing anxiety for two months now. It started with panic attacks but now it's just constant anxiety. The problem appears to be getting worse as I now seem to be battling depression also.

Depression is my new foe.

The fact that the anxiety has more or less crippled me for such a length of time, I am feeling a tremendous sense of loss for these months which I'll never get back. I cannot stop myself from waking up and feeling terrible for this reason. Each day is derailed. I have no interest in anything anymore so I essentially have nothing to distract me from the anxiety.

Can anyone offer any advice for facing each day and staying positive and batting away depression? I currently have bad days and worse days.

Many thanks
Steve.

[annamay]

Hi Steve
Am sorry to hear you are feeling unwell. My road to recovery in writing down the following which is based on CBT ;
1. What is causing my anxiety
2. How does it make me feel
3. What can Ido about
4. What advice would I give to a friend if they were feeling like this
5 will this still be a matter in 6 months time?

I found when I wrote things down it really allowed me to get a good picture of what was causing my anxiety. I also started making a plan for everyday, just something small as I realised I was avoiding people and places. I read in a book "the worse you feel the less you do and the less you do the worse you feel. Hope this is off help. Take care and believe in your own abilities to help yourself

[StevenN]

Thanks for your reply annamay. That's all really helpful and I shall follow that advice. One problem I have though is that I actually don't know what is causing my anxiety. There was a trigger for sure but the circumstance have completely changed and I am not in that environment anymore.

It's as though my brain isn't telling me what it has a problem with. Does anyone else feel this way?

[kittikat]

Have you seen your doctor about how you feel?

A course of CBT may help you to identify what is causing your anxiety and help you with coping techniques. Anxiety does rob you of a huge part of your life, but you have it within you to manage this and slowly build up your confidence again.

Hiding away isn't the answer but unfortunatly it's usually the first thing we do...to seek out a safe haven where we feel most comfortable. Please get some professional advice if you haven't done so already. Good luck.

Kitti :)

[Thumbelina]

Hi Steve, i am sorry you are feeling this way.
I saw in your profile that you are in creative business, which means you should be very sensisitive and emotional person for start... i think your depression feelings are in fact so called reactive depression which is only feeding of anxiety. I feel that way and doctors before confirmed it to me...As soon as your anx levels will go down your depressed feelings will fade.away. the good thing most of the times we cant even remember how it feels once we rid of anx and depress and it feels like it never happened. Its just the vicious circle / bubble you are currently, and as yiu will let yourself out it al.will look very simple. Take care

---------- Post added at 04:26 ---------- Previous post was at 04:18 ----------

I agree kitti, the visit to the doc will not harm if you have not done so. It can be a big step becaue of stigma but our illness jist like any other and there is no shame to feel what we feel.
You are not wasting time being anxious - you are learning how to be strong and how to appreciate the better times. We get only the challenges we are able to handle...

[StevenN]

Thanks for the replies. I really appreciate it, it means a lot. I have indeed seen a doctor. In fact, many doctors and I'm five sessions into a course in CBT, I still don't see an end in sight which is getting me down but reading nuggets of positivity like this:



You are not wasting time being anxious - you are learning how to be strong and how to appreciate the better times.

... helps me enormously. Perhaps I'll wake up tomorrow feeling fine, it's possible.

[times71]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc4rWleclXs

It really inspired me.