Will the irrational thoughts go when the anxiety does?

[LiveAboveIt]

I'm in a very severe anxiety state and have been for the last 2-3 months or so, everything was a fear for awhile and I felt like I was going insane.. I'm starting to feel much better now, although I still constantly struggle with remnants of the anxiety, but atleast I'm going moments of 10-15 minutes of forgetting about the anxiety. I keep having these thoughts related to how anxiety kills your concentration and makes it difficult or impossible to feel/focus on anything outside of yourself.

I'll be outside on a nice sunny day and I just cant really feel anything the way that I want to. I feel like I dont have complete mental capacity/clarity to think the way I want, or to take in everything. The world feels so small and empty right now. It's difficult because I just want to be able to be ME again, without constantly questioning what is and what isnt.

Anyway, during these times, I get these thoughts of "I can't think about anything else and this feeling is going to always be there, maybe it always was and I'm just noticing it now." The idea that this is going to last forever is kind of terrifying.

So, everything in me wants to research research research about this and problem solve it to death, but this almost always ends up creating more anxiety at the end of the day and you never get any 100% for sure answers, so I'm trying to just ignore the thoughts with a "That's not true, this is just an anxious thought" attitude, but there is always something in the back of my mind that wonders if it is true.

I'd like to ask, is this kind of thinking normal when you have anxiety? Does it go away when everything feels normal after the anxiety begins to cease? I've had anxiety before, but never really to this severity. I'm worried that because these thoughts have been unlocked or discovered, that I will never be able to go back to feeling as I used to and enjoy life and not feel so trapped inside my head.

[Mojo61]

Hi there. Yes, it is perfectly normal to have these thoughts, and they WILL go away once the anxiety has resolved itself. After all, you didn't have these thoughts before you had the anxiety did you? Are you taking any medication to help with your anxiety or trying to do without? I tried to do it alone for almost 5 months but in the end I realised I needed help, I wasn't strong enough to go it alone and by then had developed depression as well as a result of the anxiety. I started on 10mg of citalopram 10 days ago and although my anxiety is still there I can at least take some comfort in the fact that finally I'm being proactive and attempting to do something about it. Yes the side effects aren't pleasant, but I've had worse when I've been at the height of my anxiety and begging the doctor to admit me to hospital! Hang in there my friend, we will fight this beast together! :D

[Chocolateface]

Hi

Sorry if this has posted twice, I caught the wrong button.

Yes when my anxiety is bad it is all I can focus on and then I spiral everything out of control but it all seems so real.

I have managed it so far without meds but I have had lots of support from people on here, the facebook group and friends and family.

It is hard but you will get there

Clare

[Holds1325]

Hi,

I went through exactly what you're going through now. And I will tell you, it will get better. Even if you don't think it will, it will trust me, your brain gets used to it, or gets bored of it. PM me if you need any support.

One bit of advice I'll give you is to stop researching any of this, all it does is make it worse and causes the brain to focus on the negative and then create scenarios with which these negative things happen.

The thoughts for me didn't fully leave, and some are still there however, they don't bother me as much. Think of anxiety as a small bully, they can only bother you as much as you let them. A thought pops in your head, don't even give it any attention, just ignore it. I tell people, this is probably the only problem solved by ignoring it. It starts losing its hold on you then because there's nothing for it to grasp.

Also hows your health and life lately? I didn't need to make drastic changes but I did have to change diet, supplement certain deficiencies like vitamin D and B12.

I'd see a doctor and get bloodwork done, perhaps ask if theres any deficiencies that need to be corrected.

Take care.

P.S. I didn't take any medication to get over this and I did some therapy but stopped that after awhile. Its up to you and your comfort level, these things made me largely uncomfortable but I was able to move on without them. They might've helped but I don't know, everyone is different.

[LiveAboveIt]

Hi there. Yes, it is perfectly normal to have these thoughts, and they WILL go away once the anxiety has resolved itself. After all, you didn't have these thoughts before you had the anxiety did you? Are you taking any medication to help with your anxiety or trying to do without? I tried to do it alone for almost 5 months but in the end I realised I needed help, I wasn't strong enough to go it alone and by then had developed depression as well as a result of the anxiety. I started on 10mg of citalopram 10 days ago and although my anxiety is still there I can at least take some comfort in the fact that finally I'm being proactive and attempting to do something about it. Yes the side effects aren't pleasant, but I've had worse when I've been at the height of my anxiety and begging the doctor to admit me to hospital! Hang in there my friend, we will fight this beast together! :D

Im glad to hear that it will cease when the anxiety resolves itself, I think Im just worried that the anxiety will never resolve if I cant find a way to be okay with the anxious thoughts. I think quite a bit of my anxiety is actually brought on by Citalopram withdrawals. Im about day 17 off of them after only being on them for 5 weeks or so, had an unusual bad reaction. Im very sensitive to medication and usually end up getting some of the more uncommon side effects and I just cant endure them for very long. My anxiety is tons better than it was a couple months ago, but Im still left feeling very out of it and disconnected and my thoughts seem to just spin in circles and I cant get my mind off of them.

---------- Post added at 13:55 ---------- Previous post was at 13:50 ----------


Hi,

I went through exactly what you're going through now. And I will tell you, it will get better. Even if you don't think it will, it will trust me, your brain gets used to it, or gets bored of it. PM me if you need any support.

One bit of advice I'll give you is to stop researching any of this, all it does is make it worse and causes the brain to focus on the negative and then create scenarios with which these negative things happen.

The thoughts for me didn't fully leave, and some are still there however, they don't bother me as much. Think of anxiety as a small bully, they can only bother you as much as you let them. A thought pops in your head, don't even give it any attention, just ignore it. I tell people, this is probably the only problem solved by ignoring it. It starts losing its hold on you then because there's nothing for it to grasp.

Also hows your health and life lately? I didn't need to make drastic changes but I did have to change diet, supplement certain deficiencies like vitamin D and B12.

I'd see a doctor and get bloodwork done, perhaps ask if theres any deficiencies that need to be corrected.

Take care.

P.S. I didn't take any medication to get over this and I did some therapy but stopped that after awhile. Its up to you and your comfort level, these things made me largely uncomfortable but I was able to move on without them. They might've helped but I don't know, everyone is different.

I can totally relate to what you said about researching and how the brain will create negative scenarios.. My problem is that it seems to have turned into an anxious compulsion. I always turn to the boards or research when I feel overwhelmed. I think I have a false belief that I cant think it through on my own because my thoughts are stuck being so introverted and complex and I often feel stuck inside my head.

Im really trying to do this without meds. I only take a .25mg Clonazepam if the anxiety spins out of control, but this is rare and I dislike relying on them. Ive always wondered if I wouldnt recover faster if I were to stop researching or stalking these boards, but this damn has sapped all of my confidence overtime and I dont know how to get it back.

[Holds1325]

I did the same, whenever I was anxious I looked it up. It was very compulsory, if the anxiety popped in my head there I was on google looking it up. It wasnt until I stopped googling stuff that it started subsiding, it was hard right away, it always is. The internet should be used as a resource, not to calm the mind as its not suited for that, its meant to only give information.

Now as a rule I only search for things related to cooking recipes or fixing something in my home, other than that I stay away completely.

But I would recommend staying on the board, posting your thoughts and feelings and getting support, it helps tremendously just getting it out there.

[cokesmyth5]

Holds 1325
Have just read your posts and want to thank you for them - excellent advice which has helped me.
Cokesmyth5