Feeling Selfish!!

[helenclaire]

I am feeling very guilty at the moment because I am putting myself and my anxiety before others.

I am so wrapped up in how I am feeling from the moment I wake until I go to bed that I feel I am neglecting other people.

I make excuses not to go places because I feel uncomfortable even though others want me to go but the awful anxiety symptoms take over, and I tell myself I can't do it.

All I think about it myself 24/7 and how bad I feel.

Christmas is coming and all I can think about is how bad I am going to feel and how am I going to get out of visiting and having people come to me.

I wish my mind would tell me I am going to be ok but it is just negative thoughts all the time.

:ohmy:!!

[hanshan]

Don't feel guilty - you are putting the anxiety first, not yourself.

When you beat the anxiety - and you will - then you will be able to deal with people without worrying about how anxiety might affect things.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Thats classic anxiety, it has many self defence mechanisms to keep us 'under the thumb' and one of them is making us completely focussed on it. Its not that you are being selfish, its the anxiety pulling you in and anything that could cause more of it becomes a matter of avoidance.

As hanshan says, you will be able to handle this more in the future when you get more control over it.

I know what you mean about Christmas, it breaks routines we often rely on just to get through the day, adds more pressure with social occasions and money worries, etc. I'm sure a lot of us will be having issues with it, I know I do thesedays and I used to love Christmas.