View Full Version : Scared of everything - is this GAD?
Hi all,
My anxiety in recent weeks has gotten so bad I feel out of control. My thoughts and fears are reaching hysteric style proportions. I've gone from being afraid of panic attacks in queues, elevators and in public etc (this was bad enough but at least I knew it well) to being afraid of my thoughts. As an example, "I can't do x,y,z because that will cause me anxiety too, and by x,y,z I mean watering the garden! It's like I'm terrified my phobias are going to latch on to anything and everything. I have health phobias too and I'm beginning to wonder if I'm almost talking myself into going crazy.
It's not a coincidence that my anxiety has spiked as I was in a volatile relationship which has only just ended. I guess I'm seeking reassurance that there are others out there who can identify with this kind of thinking/fear response.
Yep. That sounds like GAD.
The only way is to either push through it or let the feeling ride over you.
I live in fear everyday and the more stress and trauma the worse it becomes.
It does not help if you are over-sensitive, which I am, so I have to fight a lot of demons.
It is exhausting, so make sure you get plenty of rest, sleep and fluids. :)
It just feels like a constant battle at the moment. I go to push through and confront a fear and up pops the next irrational thought/fear. Not fun at all. I think you've hit the nail on the head, Carnation - being over-sensitive doesn't help with stress and trauma.
Hi all,
My anxiety in recent weeks has gotten so bad I feel out of control. My thoughts and fears are reaching hysteric style proportions. I've gone from being afraid of panic attacks in queues, elevators and in public etc (this was bad enough but at least I knew it well) to being afraid of my thoughts. As an example, "I can't do x,y,z because that will cause me anxiety too, and by x,y,z I mean watering the garden! It's like I'm terrified my phobias are going to latch on to anything and everything. I have health phobias too and I'm beginning to wonder if I'm almost talking myself into going crazy.
It's not a coincidence that my anxiety has spiked as I was in a volatile relationship which has only just ended. I guess I'm seeking reassurance that there are others out there who can identify with this kind of thinking/fear response.
Sounds like panphobia to me.
MyNameIsTerry
30-12-15, 09:04
Yeah, my GAD has been like that, especially in my relapse. At the worst point literally anything was seen as a threat and I mean anything such as brushing my teeth, washing, shaving, eating, walking upstairs, anything!
It's a very sensitised stage when you are like that.
GAD at it's worse stages is something I see as 24/7 anxiety. It's often referred to as a general fear but it's also looked at as a state of constant nervousness.
I'm exactly like this at the moment and have been for 5 months now. I have so many questions buzzing round my head like 'will i ever be better, let alone fully better, will i keep having episodes as bad as this for the rest of my life, what happens if I'm treatment resistant, etc'. I realise they are all due to the anxiety but i can't stop questioning or remembering a time when i was better. Have comfort in knowing others are going through exactly what you are
---------- Post added at 13:25 ---------- Previous post was at 13:23 ----------
One thing that's scaring me is from reading websites that say GAD has a low recovery rate. Does anyone know if this is true?
I'm curious how teeth brushing became a threat?
At my worst point I only left my bed to go to the toilet
Teeth brushing, bathing everything was scary even eating, I lived on complan. I was also terrified to be left alone in the house
Thank you all for your responses - it's comforting to know there are people out there that get it without judgement. Urusainaa, I had been having irrational thoughts that my partner was poisoning me. I knew it was ridiculous but after having a fight and her telling me that she was afraid she was going to hurt me, the thought popped in my head one day and it terrified me so much that a) I thought it in the first place and b) what if she did?! From there I was in a state of panic, trying to figure out if I was finally "losing it", no longer trusting her and just feeling like I couldn't cope. So, from "what if she's poisoning my food?" (keeping in mind her that I knew that was extremely unlikely) to basically anything that could be tampered with.
I feel mortified/embarrassed to even be writing this. The relationship was extremely volatile and we broke up three days ago off the back of all this. Although I'm away from the source of my fear/stress I still don't feel safe.
So here I sit, in a state of fear...of what I'm not even sure.
Blinkyrocket
31-12-15, 17:31
I have the same thing right now, it'd be nice to know when it stops and how -_-
jadedreams
31-12-15, 19:12
Hi there, yes I am getting that too. Mine all started last April with an injury and HA, then came intrusive thoughts in May and GAD in June. I got a little better up through September but have been struggling since then.
I get fear of taking a shower (I still do), fear of going to the store, fear or moving sometimes when I'm sitting on the couch. I get in modes where I just freeze and shake. I also have a big fear of the anxiety itself, which I know doesn't help, but haven't figured out how to get rid of that one.
Working with a therapist now, hoping to see some improvement again. And I too get the questions running around in my head "will I get better, when will I get better, etc."
Thank you again for all the responses. It's really hard right now during the holiday period not to be able to discuss this with my therapist so reaching out to you guys is getting me through this crappy blip in my recovery.
Today is all about accepting thoughts as thoughts and getting through the day minute by minute. I'm about to go confront one of my irrational thoughts so here goes!
MyNameIsTerry
01-01-16, 05:22
Today is all about accepting thoughts as thoughts and getting through the day minute by minute. I'm about to go confront one of my irrational thoughts so here goes!
This will work if you have intrusive thoughts, but it takes time. I've resolved my intrusive thoughts in the past by learning Mindfulness which is big on teaching you to be an observer. Your therapist will likely be happy for you to practice this if you ask. It is helpful as well because it guides you through exercises to teach you this as opposed to just telling you to practice thinking this way (which is very hard in my opinion).
---------- Post added at 05:16 ---------- Previous post was at 05:12 ----------
I'm curious how teeth brushing became a threat?
For me it was because I was trying to control my environment so much that anything other that sitting on the sofa with an anxiety level of a certain amount, would take me out of a comfort zone...although it was horrible even sitting there, no comfort zone at all!
So, doing anything new, or even something unexpected on the TV, and it would either cause my anxiety to raise which I would notice and make worse or I would feel different sensations in my body and the anxiety would raise or even both.
Just standing up meant new sensations and that meant anxiety. Brushing my teeth meant going into the bathroom (first worry), and then I would have to do something that would potentially alter my breathing (second worry) and then the sensations themselves and the rushing as it was very much linked to the fact I would normally be doing this in my routine before work and work was a big worry.
Even drinking a glass of water was a trigger for me and I'm not the only one on here to say that.
---------- Post added at 05:22 ---------- Previous post was at 05:16 ----------
I feel mortified/embarrassed to even be writing this. The relationship was extremely volatile and we broke up three days ago off the back of all this. Although I'm away from the source of my fear/stress I still don't feel safe.
You have no need to worry about this, many of us on here have been through similar and even if not, we all understand how utterly petrifying anxiety disorders are.
When I used to go to the charity walk-in groups for anxiety/depression we would talk about things just like this. One day we had a lady in her late fifties who spoke towards the end as it was her first time there. She explained how she was so embarrassed to admit she hadn't had a proper wash in weeks as she was afraid to do it. She was reassured when half a group of around 15 people, myself included, all said they had been through that stage and feared the same. I didn't shave for 3 weeks, I didn't shower for over a month and the first 5 days I couldn't bring myself to even wash in the sink. I would sit on the toilet worrying about how doing a number two meant my breathing was suffering and would it make me have a panic attack and how the pushing could be the same. I could hardly walk upstairs to fetch something because I only forced myself up there to go to bed. Walking up those stairs brought on the sensations and the worry about them.
You literally can't understand how things like that can be scary until you go there.
I have probably many more embarrassing ones like that (sex is a good one!) if you want me to help you fee; less embarrassed?! :winks: Once you've been on here a while you will see just how common all of these things are.
I've just come back from confronting my fear - I'm afraid to go stay in my home after having my breakdown there and so I'm living with family until I get over this. I just went and spent ten minutes in there and will do the same tomorrow. I'm feeling pretty wobbly after having confronted it and so coming back to read your message MyNameIsTerry has made me cry, in a good way!
I just can't believe the level of irrationality that is going on in my head at the moment. My mum says I've always been prone to theatrics but I'm winning all the gold/Oscars for this bout of cuckoo!
Terry, thanks for being there. I notice you leave the nicest/most rationally supportive comments for people on this forum and I think it's really lovely.
angels22165
01-01-16, 08:37
Terry I'm exactly same this moment in time really helped to read your post, your sat on seatee feeling kinda froze with anxiety and anything you need to do you think will create even more anxiety. Think it helps when you know you are not alone.
I think we all think we are the only people who have such difficulties and fears but coming on here makes you realise that you are certainly not alone
Hey,
I wanted to say that I really sympathise with what you're going through and hope you have a better day today. What you're experiencing does sound like how I feel when things are bad: awful unremitting worry and tension, physical symptoms really bad etc.
Also wanted to offer some hope! A couple of months ago I was really struggling to be at home and had to move in with family temporarily, as I was so scared to be at home because that's where my breakdown happened. Now I'm back home full time and managing perfectly well. It wasn't easy at first, but I managed to gradually confront the anxiety and now feel OK again there. My therapist explained that it's all about retraining the brain so it doesn't automatically leap to negative thoughts with that environment. So, it can be managed. I also found that the general anxiety died down gradually too...
Wishing you a good day today,
Beatroon
Terry all those things that happened to you happened to me too
I would lie in the same position in bed scared to move incase it increase my anxiety even though my anxiety was already through the roof the thought of moving terrified me
I would literally crawl to the toilet I was so scared and the only time I could bathe was if my son was in the house then it was a quick jump in and out. I had the fear I would faint and drown. Feeling faint was my biggest fear even tho I never actually have fainted. I would sit on the doorstep when my son went out waiting for him as my thinking was if I faint I would be seen by neighbours and if I was in the house alone I could be left for hours
I still struggle to watch the tele at the mo because of the adverts, they increaaw my anxiety for some reason so I have to turn over when they come on....I don't know what that is about. Even being able to watch the tele is something I couldn't do when I was really ill
I wasn't judging, sorry if it sound d like that, I was just curious.
Hey,
I wanted to say that I really sympathise with what you're going through and hope you have a better day today. What you're experiencing does sound like how I feel when things are bad: awful unremitting worry and tension, physical symptoms really bad etc.
Also wanted to offer some hope! A couple of months ago I was really struggling to be at home and had to move in with family temporarily, as I was so scared to be at home because that's where my breakdown happened. Now I'm back home full time and managing perfectly well. It wasn't easy at first, but I managed to gradually confront the anxiety and now feel OK again there. My therapist explained that it's all about retraining the brain so it doesn't automatically leap to negative thoughts with that environment. So, it can be managed. I also found that the general anxiety died down gradually too...
Wishing you a good day today,
Beatroon
Hey Beatroon,
I did have a slightly better afternoon, pushing myself to face my fears is both terrifying and strengthening all at once. Thanks for sharing your story - it does give me hope that I'll get back there too.
---------- Post added at 23:41 ---------- Previous post was at 23:39 ----------
I wasn't judging, sorry if it sound d like that, I was just curious.
Hey Urusainaa,
I didn't take it as a judgement, just figured you were curious to understand. Thanks for taking the time to enquire :)
Was just browsing the forum and randomly came across this thread, and was stunned by how all of the posts describe exactly how I feel right now, especially:
For me it was because I was trying to control my environment so much that anything other that sitting on the sofa with an anxiety level of a certain amount, would take me out of a comfort zone...although it was horrible even sitting there, no comfort zone at all!
So, doing anything new, or even something unexpected on the TV, and it would either cause my anxiety to raise which I would notice and make worse or I would feel different sensations in my body and the anxiety would raise or even both.
In the past I've only coped/been diagnosed with panic disorder. This feeling of 24/7 (very sensitive) stress is very new to me, and none of the strategies I learned in therapy for panic disorder seem to do anything/seem to be relevant.
I noticed that Terry mentioned mindfulness, is that something I should look into - does anyone have any other ideas for combating this kind of problem?
Hi Fireflies,
As I was the one who started this post and was looking for help myself I may not be the best person to respond, but I'll give it a shot!
If you've never tried it before, mindfulness can be an excellent addition to your toolbox of skills. It's all about acceptance, which seems paradoxical when you're sitting with your heart beating out of your chest and shaking like a leaf, but if you can get into that mindset it starts to lessen the tight grip that high anxiety has over our mind and body.
A great book that I've found helpful in the past, my old faithful, is Claire Weekes - Hope & Help For Your Nerves. It's a billion years old but still rings true today.
Another thing my therapist bangs on about, and rightly so, is making sure you stay busy. Don't give in to the thoughts and feelings, take them with you into your day. If you recoil in fear and pull the blankets up over your head you're basically inviting anxiety to stay as long as it likes.
One more thing, medication. I avoid it but I know it's there if I really need it.
And one more thing! Supportive friends, reaching out and maybe most importantly of all, being kind to yourself. Sounds so naff and cliched but damn it if we don't deserve some self care for running this shite awful marathon.
Hope that helps.
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