Captain America
25-07-08, 15:52
just wanted to say hi and let everyone know that reading these posts has been so helpful to me since being diagnosed with gad, that i wanted to join and first say thank you! and, to maybe offer some help to others as i crawl out of my anxiety hole. not to mention the british slant to the humor on here reminds me of my time living in london 10 years ago (i had more freedom from myself back then.)
i thought i was new to anxiety, having my first panic attack in february. after thinking it over though, the signs have been there for years and i just drank through it. went alcohol free of late due to some stomach problems, and fell down the rabbit hole when i didn't realize that i'd been self medicating for years and partying kept my anxiety at arm's length.
tried meds and went through the classic of initial relief, followed by rebound anxiety, then withdrawal when i went off benzos.
had every symptom, and still do, and developed health anxiety that had me checking blood pressure every chance i got. had every test possible and still stuggle daily with the fact that anxiety can cause all this. my medical folder is 4 inches thick!! i worry now that i've given myself cancer from all the ct scans. (kicking myself for my decisions is fun).
i'm doing cbt and off meds...getting better every day through exposure therapy.
when the bad days come, i come here. i see a bit of myself in every thread...the mind chatter, the health anxiety, googling everything, the fear of doing something where you had an attack before, the odd symptoms....
i didn't know truly how classic my case of gad was until i found this site!!
anyway thanks again to EVERY ONE OF YOU. that sounds corny maybe, but i mean it.
i'm sure you'll see me posting questions on my bad days, and maybe pitching in to help on my good days.
i thought i was new to anxiety, having my first panic attack in february. after thinking it over though, the signs have been there for years and i just drank through it. went alcohol free of late due to some stomach problems, and fell down the rabbit hole when i didn't realize that i'd been self medicating for years and partying kept my anxiety at arm's length.
tried meds and went through the classic of initial relief, followed by rebound anxiety, then withdrawal when i went off benzos.
had every symptom, and still do, and developed health anxiety that had me checking blood pressure every chance i got. had every test possible and still stuggle daily with the fact that anxiety can cause all this. my medical folder is 4 inches thick!! i worry now that i've given myself cancer from all the ct scans. (kicking myself for my decisions is fun).
i'm doing cbt and off meds...getting better every day through exposure therapy.
when the bad days come, i come here. i see a bit of myself in every thread...the mind chatter, the health anxiety, googling everything, the fear of doing something where you had an attack before, the odd symptoms....
i didn't know truly how classic my case of gad was until i found this site!!
anyway thanks again to EVERY ONE OF YOU. that sounds corny maybe, but i mean it.
i'm sure you'll see me posting questions on my bad days, and maybe pitching in to help on my good days.