Can't ignore it anymore

[irisheyes3]

Hello everyone,

I've suffered with anxiety my whole life. It wasn't until recently that I began to admit it, to myself and others. So far, no one in my life will acknowledge it. It's like they don't want to believe it. That was my fear in admitting to it and now I just feel alone. Looking to connect with others who are experiencing similar issues, so that I don't slip back into pretending like I've got everything under control, taking care of everyone but myself. It's tempting, but it's like now that my eyes have been opened to the impact anxiety has had on my life, I can't stop thinking about it, which is becoming overwhelming. Thanks for listening.:blush:

[LiveAboveIt]

You aren't alone, Irish. You'd be surprised how many people around you suffer with anxiety issues in some way or another, people just don't talk about it. My suggestion to you is to find some group therapy meetings in your area for anxiety and such, you will meet a ton of people with similar struggles and you will find community/support in them. I wish I hadn't waited so long to do this, it really helps.

Sometimes family and friends just don't understand and they don't know how to be supportive or understand what exactly anxiety is. It's pretty normal for people to not understand unless they have gone through it also, but there are TONS of people out there that struggle.

[irisheyes3]

Thanks for the insight, and you're right, sometimes people don't understand! I think in my case, most of my family and friends have come to rely on me as the strong one all the time, so no one can really get that I have problems just like they do. I know that my anxiety would pretty much make it impossible to go out and do in person support groups right now. It's definitely something I want to be able to do in the future!