What more can I do?

[ReverendCharlie]

Signed up to this just today.

I have been suffering from very severe GAD for around 10 years now, i'm 22 now. It focuses on travelling outside my safe area that I have created in my head, which bases around the family home in London. I can't go out to new places without feeling very anxious. I am scared of being sick, needing to go to the bathroom and having a panic attack.
I have tried everything from medication, hypnotherapy and just recently; rTMS.
Everyday is a struggle, I am always feeling anxious or depressed. In the past few months, my anxiety took a real hold of me and I had a very severe panic attack. I have been upped on medication by my psychiatrist, to which I am now taking 5 different medications throughout a day.
I have a year out placement within my university degree secured to start in September which will require me to travel to unknown places, which is a big problem in my anxiety. I really want to be able to do it and get on with my life, but I feel that I have tried everything out there and don't know what else I can do.
I feel that therapy doesnt work for me, I require 'physical' things to help me such as medication.
Does anyone have any sort of advice or help that could benefit me?

Thank you,

Charlie

[ana]

I used to be where you are now. When I was 16, I was on 4 different kinds of medication, unable to go anywhere other than to school and back, and each day felt like one big panic attack. I was seeing a therapist, but I felt utterly unable to cope with everyday life.

I can't really tell you, Charlie, what will work for you and what will not. I will, however, tell you that your anxiety is yours alone and is therefore under your control, even though it might not seem like it is. I still have bad times, I still panic, but what's changed is knowing the anxiety won't and can't harm me. It won't kill me, but it will disrupt my life if I allow it to. Thus, I'm doing my best to function in spite of the anxiety; I accommodate the anxiety, but not let it rule my life. Find something that makes you happy, focus on your work or studies, on spending time with people, on laughing, treating yourself right and knowing that this bad period of time won't last forever. :)

[ReverendCharlie]

I used to be where you are now. When I was 16, I was on 4 different kinds of medication, unable to go anywhere other than to school and back, and each day felt like one big panic attack. I was seeing a therapist, but I felt utterly unable to cope with everyday life.

I can't really tell you, Charlie, what will work for you and what will not. I will, however, tell you that your anxiety is yours alone and is therefore under your control, even though it might not seem like it is. I still have bad times, I still panic, but what's changed is knowing the anxiety won't and can't harm me. It won't kill me, but it will disrupt my life if I allow it to. Thus, I'm doing my best to function in spite of the anxiety; I accommodate the anxiety, but not let it rule my life. Find something that makes you happy, focus on your work or studies, on spending time with people, on laughing, treating yourself right and knowing that this bad period of time won't last forever. :)

I understand you, I couldn't say either what could hep you! But I really appreciate your reply and taking the time to read my post. I wish you all the best and hope that your anxiety can be fully tamed.

[ana]

No problem. Thank you for your kind words. I'd be happy with a little anxiety, it doesn't have to go away fully and forever; I just want it to allow me to function normally and be happy.

[snowghost57]

Signed up to this just today.

I have been suffering from very severe GAD for around 10 years now, i'm 22 now. It focuses on travelling outside my safe area that I have created in my head, which bases around the family home in London. I can't go out to new places without feeling very anxious. I am scared of being sick, needing to go to the bathroom and having a panic attack.
I have tried everything from medication, hypnotherapy and just recently; rTMS.
Everyday is a struggle, I am always feeling anxious or depressed. In the past few months, my anxiety took a real hold of me and I had a very severe panic attack. I have been upped on medication by my psychiatrist, to which I am now taking 5 different medications throughout a day.
I have a year out placement within my university degree secured to start in September which will require me to travel to unknown places, which is a big problem in my anxiety. I really want to be able to do it and get on with my life, but I feel that I have tried everything out there and don't know what else I can do.
I feel that therapy doesnt work for me, I require 'physical' things to help me such as medication.
Does anyone have any sort of advice or help that could benefit me?

Thank you,

Charlie

I can't believe our doctor has you on 5 different kinds of medication, that seems to be a lot of pills. Medication has side effects as well. You feel that therapy doesn't "work for you" You require "physical things to help you" You and only YOU have got to change your minds thoughts. You have to do the work, not your therapist or a pill. People with anxiety have had years of negative and instructive thoughts and we have accepted it. My therapist gave me these tools that I use every day. I am now anxiety free with a few moments here and there. Unless you decide that you want to change you will continue to live the life you have. Hope this helps:

My therapist told me to write the situation down. This is an excerpt from a book "The feeling good handbook" by David Burns, M.D.

What is the situation? Only the facts.

Thoughts or beliefs? Self talk.

Feelings, how do you feel as a result of your thoughts?

Dispute thoughts or beliefs. What is unrealistic in your thinking? What are your dogmatic shoulds and musts?


I don't "fight" anxiety. I challenge my thoughts, I ask myself what value do they have? I started out by writing them down, now I do it in my head.

I did these steps 20 times a day if I had too. I've been thinking about anxiety and we keep saying it came back, it's bothering me again. There is no IT, we are in control of our thoughts. Someone posted on here that a thought is a wisp of wind or smoke. We have to get out of our own heads!

We can overcome anxiety! It takes work and practice.

[ReverendCharlie]

I can't believe our doctor has you on 5 different kinds of medication, that seems to be a lot of pills. Medication has side effects as well. You feel that therapy doesn't "work for you" You require "physical things to help you" You and only YOU have got to change your minds thoughts. You have to do the work, not your therapist or a pill. People with anxiety have had years of negative and instructive thoughts and we have accepted it. My therapist gave me these tools that I use every day. I am now anxiety free with a few moments here and there. Unless you decide that you want to change you will continue to live the life you have. Hope this helps:

My therapist told me to write the situation down. This is an excerpt from a book "The feeling good handbook" by David Burns, M.D.

What is the situation? Only the facts.

Thoughts or beliefs? Self talk.

Feelings, how do you feel as a result of your thoughts?

Dispute thoughts or beliefs. What is unrealistic in your thinking? What are your dogmatic shoulds and musts?


I don't "fight" anxiety. I challenge my thoughts, I ask myself what value do they have? I started out by writing them down, now I do it in my head.

I did these steps 20 times a day if I had too. I've been thinking about anxiety and we keep saying it came back, it's bothering me again. There is no IT, we are in control of our thoughts. Someone posted on here that a thought is a wisp of wind or smoke. We have to get out of our own heads!

We can overcome anxiety! It takes work and practice.




I don't quite understand the final part of your reply? What were the steps that you say helped you out?