When co-workers as why?

[Kltormey]

While I know my anxiety is real, what seems to make me even more anxious is when people as what is causing it or why are you so anxious. Anxiety/Panic Attacks/etc. are a difficult thing to explain to someone that has never experienced it. To the outsider it seems irrational that I would be anxious about going to work all of a sudden when I have been doing it for years now. And it isn't necessarily going to work, the past few day just leaving my house has raised my anxiety level significantly. I haven't had anxiety has this level in nearly 10 year, or at all for that matter. I can't recall a time when leaving the house for any reason made me panic. Now, my co-workers as why and I feel silly explaining to them that I just don't know why. Luckily for me, my co-workers are all very understanding and haven't pushed the matter much. Not yet anyways. I have an appointment to speak with a psychiatrist this Wednesday to hopefully start getting help/treatment so I can get back to a "normal" life.

Anyone else have experience with this and how did you handle it?

[Annie0904]

I just said to my husband earlier today that it seems strange that at one time I could go to a hospital appointment without thinking about it and I traveled alone from UK to USA for a holiday. Now I struggle to get to visit a friend or a local store!
The trouble is, even when you tell friends/colleagues that you are suffering from anxiety, not all of them can understand it. I printed out some leaflets explaining a little about living with anxiety for my close friends to read.

[Kuatir]

If somebody asks that question I usually say that I have very little to be anxious about but it's a disorder and my body is making me feel this way.

[BikerMatt]

I usually tell people to imagine the most nervous they've ever been about something and times it by 10.

Still, not many people knew about my anxiety until my obnoxious, vindictive sister in law took great pleasure in telling everybody!

[Bill]

If you had a broken leg, would your sister-in-law take great pleasure in telling everyone? If she did, what would they say? Why should suffering from anxiety be treated any differently why should anxiety sufferers be made to feel "bad"?

I really don't care if people know I suffer from anxiety because one day they may suffer it too. I realise there is stigma and ignorance in society and somehow I think in some people their attitude will never change but don't allow people to make you feel bad for suffering from a condition that some people are too ignorant to bother to try and understand.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if the people that your sister-in-law will most probably think more bad of her for attempting to be nasty towards you about something she is being ignorant about.

As for why some days are worse than others or anxiety suddenly re-appears, I'd look at whether you had a good nights sleep or if anything has changed in your life. For instance, there maybe added stress at work. Sometimes at work, we're given more little by little to cope with until one day without realising it our load has become too much in which case look at ways to ease that load whether by delegating, prioritising or finding some relaxation time.

Sometimes we have a bad day but only if we worry why we had that bad day will it become a bad week, month or year etc. Just write it off as a bad day, forget it and start afresh the next day.