Good to be back!!

[Ckrp]

Hi everyone, I think it was probably 8 years since last here. I have suffered anxiety, panic attacks, more symptoms/sensations than you can shake a stick at (if you have got it I have had it) and worried myself for years. I still get the feelings and I accept that it's very likely I always will, guess it's how my body responds to stress and I accept, even embrace it for what it is and go about my business. I went from not wanting to leave the house, struggling through work, struggling through life and now I can go anywhere, do anything and am completely at ease with it all. I am back to give advice/help to as many people as I can and I am looking forward to it. This site helped me and I want to do my bit to help others :)

[venusbluejeans]

Hiya Ckrp and welcome to NMP :welcome:

Why not take a look at our articles on our home page, they contain a wealth of information and are a great starting place for your time on the forum.

I hope you find the as site helpful and informative as I have and that you get the help and support you need here and hope that you meet a few friends along the way :yesyes:

[esme2]

Hi I haven't suffered with anxiety for at least 16 years but after a bout of physical illness its back. Ive had anemia with 2 blood transfusions. Long and short is they want to do invasive tests & Im now in such a state. GP put me on Seroxat 10 days ago & Im still in a state of acute anxiety, perhaps even worse because of side effects. I have put off the tests for the time being. I am so frightened - have been on Seroxat years ago and they worked well but when will they kick in? Sorry to go on but feel so alone!

---------- Post added at 16:20 ---------- Previous post was at 16:17 ----------

Sorry didn't leave any details about myself - Im Linda aged 60 & a retired social worker. Thats my message above!

[one day at a time]

How did you learn to accept the symptoms and embrace them , this is what I'm finding the hardest . I had a good 8 months of very few symptoms , symptoms I had on a regular basis I learnt through educating myself were harmless and would pass if I didn't fuel them . Just recently had a relapse due to a new symptoms throwing me into full blown health anxiety :( looking back I don't think I truly accepted my symptoms but more 'put up with them ' I did however stop avoiding situations that made me anxious and I did start venturing out alone where as I could only go out with someone and only places I was comfortable going , I controlled everything bit had started to be quite random . This relapse has totally knocked me and I'm trying hard to accept this new symptom as anxiety without rushing for tests etc . Any advice on ' accepting' would be appreciated

[Ckrp]

Hi one day at a time. I think it was mainly the realisation that if these feelings had not harmed me over such a long time then chances are they never would. I went a very long time with little or no sensations, they returned when stressed (which we all will be at times) but when you relax into them over time you find your focus being elsewhere and realising that without you fuelling them they aren't as bad. Granted it takes time and it sounds to me like you are experiencing symptom shifting where you accept one and your subcontious creates another. Panic attacks used to scare the life out of me, I can now diffuse one almost instantly.......the key for me was not the symptoms not being there/changing, it was just allowing them to be there, knowing they would pass.

[one day at a time]

I no longer have panic attacks but the fear of anxiety symptoms is my battle and I had made progress and come a long way . I had the evil flu/virus over Xmas and the longer it went on and caused similar symptoms to anxiety and the more I felt myself slipping , I knew I was but felt I was doing ok until the new symptom hit and I stupidly googled it . Today has been the first day apart from the morning that I've not been anxious since January , trying my best to accept it as anxiety and hopefully move forward . thanks for your response

---------- Post added at 18:59 ---------- Previous post was at 18:37 ----------

For me it's the fear of the symptoms , I've read enough about the symptoms I experience to now know they are harmless and why they happen so I'm not scared of what will happen , that helped me get out there and do things I had avoided but still hesitation there because I hate some of the symptoms so hold back because I fear them sticking around for months on end again .

[Ckrp]

It's difficult because the whole anxiety/panic is fed by fear, it's so hard taking the fear out of it. Every new symptom brings up the same questions and underlying fears as the previous ones and the worry that it won't pass. Google used to be my biggest problem too, you look long enough and you'll always find something bad to relate to anything.