benefits of anxiety and depression

[red100]

Hi All,

Has anyone experienced any positive benefits as a result of anxiety and depression? Now that i'm back at work (social care sector) i find that my experience really helps me with my clients, for some reason they find me calm(!!!!) and understanding now - i guess its because i really do understand what they are talking about ( i never tell them about my experience though) and this means that i have a much easier time at work, they act out a lot less with me, and we have a much better relationship because of it.

It would be nice to know if other people have had anything positive come out of all this!

Red100

[PUGLETMUM]

:) hey red,

glad that you feel like this, because im sure at one time you really didnt?!?

me too, i hated it, but i agree with you, in that i feel like im a very empathetic/sympathetic person, and i have got in touch with myself and seen what is important in life!! which i think sometimes people who dont experience this dont do - im sure youve come across them - mean spirited people who are usually only concerned with status and money!!!!

its like they say - you cant know joy until youve known despair!!! i dont think it does anybody any harm whatsoever to go through this in the long run if it makes you an easier person to be with and to be the calm person you are makes you easier to be around, its like as though you let go of ego and you want to be more accepting of other people who after all are just human and are probably confused and unhappy alot of the time themselves.:yesyes:

[kate]

Personally, I can see no positives in having dep/anx at all for myself.

Kate

[Phill2]

A brief Outline:
Before I developed Panic I was on a disability pension due to a motorcycle accident on the way to my work ( I used to be a storeman) The govt had decided I could never work again due to my injuries.
After about 4 yrs of staring at the walls (i owned my home luckily) I developed panic in a big way.
I started reading the Living with IT series of books by Bev Aisbett to try and overcome it but couldn't believe it when she said "Panic comes about because a change is needed and you will be a better person for having experienced it"
After I got over the initial attack (3 days in bed and losing 6 Kg) it took about 6 mths to settle down.
Then I decided I needed to work so I paid for a course in Real Estate , got my certificate and have been working for the last 4 yrs.
I'm in pain most of the time from the accident but I earn a 6 figure income and own 3 houses.
If it hadn't been for panic I'd still be spending my days alternating between the computer and the TV so I'd have to say YES panic can have an upside
Phill :shades:
PS I still have "off" days but nothing like before

[PUGLETMUM]

:D fantastic news phil, i dont think we ever ever get rid of off days were human after all!!!everybody has them, but its how you react that makes all the difference.

ive had panic disorder in one form or another and sometimes a combination since i was 14 years old - i am now 35!!! and i wouldnt change any of it for the world, its been a learning process that has made me who i am:yesyes: im sorry that there doesnt seem to be any positive for you right now kate, and i know your not alone in feeling like that, but i believe that even for the people who are desperate to be 'normal' there is a positive in how they are feeling, but you just havent found it yet! hang in there long enough and you will!!!

i dont know anyone who gets 'joy' from going to a supermarket alone, or driving into their town alone and basically waking up again is like a new lease of life, you might say well i dont want to feel like this so i can feel good about simlple things, but i do feel like this and i believe that being happy doing all the mundane things in life is in itslef a gift, i would not want to feel that my life was not complete if i wasnt doing experience after experience, when you come to know yourself you start to see that all the people you strive to be like are no better off than you are yourself!!!! and like ive said in some instances although they function perfectly well ,on a deeper level they are lacking, so why would you ever want to be like them? im not saying we are better than anyone else, but were not worse than anyone either, in my world we are all equal, basicaly vulnerable, confused and made up of good and bad traits!:yesyes:

[Lindalou64]

people always tell me how strong i am and how do i do it......but i dont feel as tho i am.........but i guess going thru the dreaded panic ect does make you a stronger person............linda xx

[kate]

All I can say is that in 25 years of this crap I have never once found anything positive in it.

I was a kind person before all of this, and I still am. I just don't agree that the anx/dep has contributed to any positive aspects of my personality and I don't believe that I ever will find any positives to it.

Just my opinion :winks:

Kate

[honeybee3939]

Hi

Im not sure if i have gained many benefits in life , but i must say i dont take things for granted like i used to do. things like going shopping, going walking etc, things that Agorophobia stopped me from doing. Been able to do these things after years of not been able to is for me the best thing since sliced bread was invented.:winks:

Love
:hugs:
Andrea
xxx

[bobdriscoll]

Great post Red :yesyes:

A positive for me is that anxiety has definitely made me more understanding. My ex wife might not agree with me there though :winks:

[margaret911]

I still have attacks of anxiety depression and wen they pass i really appreciate the little things in life like listening to the birds singing and going for long country walks and then i really appreciate being alive.

[red100]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the replies, its nice to see some other people have benefited a bit from this experience as well. I'm trying to keep looking at the positives as much as possible, but i can quite understand that suffering this for 25 years could make any positive aspects look a bit like a cruel joke.

good luck everyone
Red100

[beauty]

Yeah i was thinking about this the other day, i think it does make me appreciate life more when im going through a panicky phase, and also i find when i am going through this the bad moments are of course BAD but the happy moments or days are VERY happy. I think its cos im so glad of them, like when i do relax and have fun it feels even better than relaxing and having fun when ive been fine and not panicking for ages lol, its weird how it works!

Also i think panic makes me a better person, i tend to act nicer to people, i think im always nice anyway lol but i try even harder to look out for people and think more of what others feel like when i am down myself. I also feel more greatful of my family and friends, as they make me feel better without even meaning to sometimes.

Its good to hear other people can find good points too : ) : )

Beauty x

[Gordon]

Well I have a condition called BPD where I experience highs and lows all the time. The high periods are great as I'm really active and can get a lot done but sometimes they only last for a few hours at a time.

Gordon