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View Full Version : Please Send Me Some Positive Thoughts! - Helping Myself To Cope With Anxiety



glittery
27-02-19, 07:54
Dear All,

Hope you are all doing okay.

I have had anxiety ever since I was a kid. It all started when a family next door got robbed and almost murdered. I started reading newspaper since I was 7, and any kind of horror stories would get to me. I would spend nights and days imagining that if I left my family alone, they would get murdered, and I will have to live forever alone. I hated going school as a kid because I was worried that I won't see my mom again if I leave.

I didn't know it was called anxiety then, and to be honest, no one else could. I looked pretty normal from the outside, apart from crying a lot at night out of fear.

I turned into a teenager, and I started having body image issues. I would keep staring at myself in the mirror and wonder what's wrong here and there. Every single pimple was magnified in my eyes, and I used to consider myself overweight even though I was not. I used to over analyze everything, and every single comment made about me.

For the last 2 years, I have been anxious about losing people close to me, or anxious that I might die myself. I fear the unknown, I feel sad that I cannot control my future, I feel sad that unpredictable things happen in life and we end up losing people.

Few months ago, I was obsessing over a murder story of this man who killed his wife and two children. My anxiety made me question my bf: what if he is fake, what if he kills me, people kill each other, people murder each other, what if I get murdered?

I also used to obsess over serial killers, read their stories, see the murder scenes' photos, imagine the knife on me, etc. I would end up panicking about it.

I am currently in a long distance relationship with my boyfriend, we will meet in 3 months. We are great as a couple, and he is a man with very high values. We are planning to get married soon too. A part of my anxiety makes me think that all these will never happen because they are too good to be true. A part of me is scared that I will die or something "terrible" will happen before I get to be happy with him and my family. I am a family girl, and I want to have babies. A part of me is worried that I will never have them.

I am a blessed person, and I am worried that my blessings will be taken away from me.

I end up crying a lot, and every single physical symptom I feel in my body makes my HA even worse. I get tingling all throughout my body, crying at night, muscle spasms, IBS, and what not.

Can you all just wish me a Good Luck, so that all my dreams come true, and if they don't I at least gather the courage to face them? I am a religious person, and these days I always tell myself that whatever God has planned, he has planned it for the best, and that I am sure he has something great in store for me.

Can anyone also confirm me what sort of physical symptoms did you face when you had anxiety? How long did it take for your physical symptoms to go away? How did you manage? I would love to hear your stories. I have had few physical symptoms before, but recently it is far worse.

Fishmanpa
27-02-19, 11:09
Can anyone also confirm me what sort of physical symptoms did you face when you had anxiety? How long did it take for your physical symptoms to go away? How did you manage?

First off, I'm sorry you're suffering so much :weep: I've been around long enough to clearly recognize the patterns of severe HA/anxiety and it's quite apparent you're being really tormented by your dragon. There are literally 100's of anxiety related SYMPTOMS (https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms) that can affect you. I'm not a sufferer but I'm certainly affected by anxiety related symptoms when I'm stressed out. I just don't attribute them to something sinister.

Concerning how long they last?


Anxiety is like a campfire. When you're in the midst of a spiral the fire is burning bright and hot. When the flames die down, there's still a bed of red hot coals burning away just waiting for some more fuel. You may not feel anxious but your body is still on high alert and has a bed of hot anxiety coals inside just waiting to flare up. Just like a campfire, the hot coals of anxiety take a long time to finally go out.

IMO, you have to treat the root of the issue, your anxiety, by seeking real life professional help.

Positive thoughts

Sylver1975
27-02-19, 11:29
I'm sorry you're having such a bad time. Everyone's anxiety is different. With me it was panic attacks: sweating (despite it being snowing) shaking, vomiting, heart racing, no appetite and that constant churning of my stomach.

You need to take charge of the situation; be pro-active. Seek help. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy helped me a lot. I was on medication for 9 years, I was afraid of coming off it in case the bad anxiety returned. I weaned myself off (very gradually) last Spring and now take no meds. I still get anxious but I've learned to manage and live with it much better.

You deserve to be happy. You can be happy. And anxiety can and will get better.

Stop reading about or watching shows on tv about murders, etc if they're adding to your stress. I gave up watching anything that was causing me stress, including even the news. You're only feeding your fear by engaging with that information if it's adding to your issues.

glittery
27-02-19, 12:18
I'm sorry you're having such a bad time. Everyone's anxiety is different. With me it was panic attacks: sweating (despite it being snowing) shaking, vomiting, heart racing, no appetite and that constant churning of my stomach.

You need to take charge of the situation; be pro-active. Seek help. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy helped me a lot. I was on medication for 9 years, I was afraid of coming off it in case the bad anxiety returned. I weaned myself off (very gradually) last Spring and now take no meds. I still get anxious but I've learned to manage and live with it much better.

You deserve to be happy. You can be happy. And anxiety can and will get better.

Stop reading about or watching shows on tv about murders, etc if they're adding to your stress. I gave up watching anything that was causing me stress, including even the news. You're only feeding your fear by engaging with that information if it's adding to your issues.

Thank you so much for your reply :) I agree that I should seek professional help. I will talk to my mum about it soon.

I am getting random muscle spasms that last for seconds and numbness at different body parts.

The strange thing is I can control it.

Like yesterday night when I suddenly had the pain in my lower back, the moment I freaked out the pain got intense, and then I chose not to worry and it became normal.

glittery
27-02-19, 12:24
First off, I'm sorry you're suffering so much :weep: I've been around long enough to clearly recognize the patterns of severe HA/anxiety and it's quite apparent you're being really tormented by your dragon. There are literally 100's of anxiety related SYMPTOMS (https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms) that can affect you. I'm not a sufferer but I'm certainly affected by anxiety related symptoms when I'm stressed out. I just don't attribute them to something sinister.

Concerning how long they last?



IMO, you have to treat the root of the issue, your anxiety, by seeking real life professional help.

Positive thoughts

Thank you for your response <3 You have put it very accurately! Sometimes I try to make my mind busy by focusing on something else, but I still get the anxiety symptoms. Which returns my anxiety back to square one.

And these days I can't even differenciate between when I am anxious, and when I am normal because anxiety has become a part of me sadly.