laney
05-03-08, 14:00
Well from time to time I check in with the good folk here at NMP just to say hello and how are you. This site was a huge help to me when meeting my current partner and finding out that for years he has been suffering what he thought was massive depression and now have worked out undiagnosed was also panic and anxiety. Basically after trying medication for a few years and a few attempts at his own life. He took himself off the drugs - his words they were doing no good and I just felt like I was falling into an even bigger hole. Credit to himself he did manange to stay off them and things managed to get better enough to cope with. Although he had a daily struggle with anxiety and panic and at one point even getting him to the point where he didnt leave the farm which he grew up and worked on. Move on a few years and the poor sod manages to attract my attention online. After a year of friendship and chat we moved to the stage of just meeting up - again a massive step for him as he has always stayed away from meeting people due to the amount of panic it sets up and also the anxiety he feels walking out of the gate. Mover forward another year and we are celebrating a year together. Not all of it easy but with the help of NMP and the people on this site I have managed to talk him into taking Vit B and to realising and taking control of his fears. Needless to say touch wood we have not had much in the way of panic or anxiety to the levels that he used to have when I first met him and infact he has become a more social being - coming to where I live in London from North Yorkshire on a train on a number of occassions , attending functions with my friends, setting up dinners with his family and friends for us to attend, going to 40th birthdays with his friends as a couple and the general day to day stuff we do when we get time to see each other. Lastly but by no mean leastly we come forward four more months to last Christmas. One of his biggest nightmares would have been to go on a long distance plane for an 18 hr flight and go to a country where he had never been before to meet my parents and family in a highly stressful situation for someone who is very anxious. But I am proud to say he did it and with so much positive power that it blew me away. He had his few moments where he felt unsure and a little worried but to do all of this from someone who 5 yrs ago would not walk out his gate was a massive step. And to top it off he actually enjoyed himself. Well we are celebrating almost over 18 months of being together and he has asked me to move up to be closer with him in the new school year which I was so thrilled about. Lots of big plans to be made moving in together and starting a life. Basically just wanted to come on and tell people that things can change - they will never be over night sensations but with the right support people can change their lives and learn to overcome fears they previously had. Now I do not want to sugar coat this sure there are times when again he said on the phone this morning 'I was worried about something and was up early thinking about it ' but these days instead of consuming his life it has lessened to the situation where he will worry but express his concerns or even by his own will put such concerns out of his mind. These days thanks to the site he has the tools to deal with things in a more straightforward and reasonable way. He has the confidence he lacked and though he would never admit it I think he is happier then I have heard him for the longest time! Thanks to all at NMP and keep up the fantastic effort you all do at supporting each other. :yesyes: