How does this anxiety all start

[rickb]

Dear all
can anyone answer where anxiety starts/comes from? or is it just a culmination of life events that can overwhelm a person?
basically upto about 30 ( just turned 36) i was me, normal just doing stuff & getting on enjoying life, then at 30 i had 2 grandparents funerals, breakdown of a 7 year relationship (we lived together but not married) & my parents had not long since split up, later on met new girlfriend (who is now my wife + 2 awsome kids).
But since 30/31 i remember anxiety creaping into my life & for a good while not knowing what it was and trying to resolve it in my head (which kind of makes it worse as i generally come up with thing i didnt like), i now know its generalized anxiety disorder which the meds help with (citalopram). I'm on the drug again for the 3rd time in about 4 years, it does go away but possible life events trigger it off (birth, marriage etc).
Even when its gone there's always a little seed at the back of my mind worrying about it coming back.

thank you for taking the time to read my story.
if you've got any answers or can just relate, feel free.

life is good, its just a bloody chemical & adrenaline that sometimes intefere.

[*natalie*]

Hi there. I think everyone is different. For some people it can start with a relationship breakdown or death in the family and then develop from there. I have suffered depression/anxiety since i was about 17 and i have no idea how it all started. I had a 'normal' upbringing, had a small circle of friends at school and was a happy child.

[rickb]

hi natalie,
do you take something for it or do you cope naturally? its a wierd beasty anxiety, if you have a physical ailment you take a medicine & it goes away, its unfortunately not so easy with anxiety/depression.

[soliveirap]

I agree with Natalie, its different from person to person.
Im a nervous person with a short temper, allways been.
But what trigered my panic symptoms was the birth of my son, but during my pregnancy my father was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had to remove it, but he almost died cause of a clot and then he broke his head in the intensive care unit. So i was a wreck and the nerves took over. Then the birth, scared the crap out of me, my baby was huge and heavy, all the hormones changes and stuff, resulted in panic.
It took me 7 years to see the doctor (i have a problem with doctors, i get really nervous arroud them), and now im on paroxetine, propanolol and victan and im feeling better, now i know what trigers the attacks so im prepared to face them. Im trying hard to overcome this.
Take care

Sandra

[*natalie*]

Hi rickb. I have taken medication numerous times in the past which did seem to help but the feelings of anxiety and depression always come back. I'm not on any medication at the moment but am considering going back to the doctors soon.

[rickb]

hi natalie, hope the doc sorts you out and you feel better again soon.

[learner]

I think we all suffer from anxiety in some form all the time but it does take an upsetting event to allow it to surface.

With the support from loved ones keep talking and you will get through it.
julie

[kendo59]

Like yourself, I was a normal confident outgoing person... and then I had a whole lot of traumatic events happen within a very short time, led to a lot of family problems which culminated in me having a breakdown which left me very depressed/insecure/anxious, etc.

I don't feel the meds & counselling have really helped me at all.

[Jon06121974]

Hi

This is a good thread as its a question im always asking where did this all start. For me i got home from work one day feeling a bit weak and within an hour of being home i was in a heap on the floor shaking, sweating, urinating every 5 mins, and thinking i was going to die.

I dont really know of any major triggers as i was happy at this time but the more i think about it i realise i was always slightly depresive and used to drink a little to often to cover that up. id also had some pretty stressful jobs and been in a relationship with my now wife for 18 months with two step children.

All i remember is that after around 3-4 cups of coffee at work i kept needing to urinate and then the full meltdown happened. This then continued for 8 months until i finally got to see a private psychiatrist who was amazing and helped me get back to where i am now which is around 80% of my old self.

Ive read a lot and it comes down to my nervous system being totally overloaded and the cafine in the coffee tipping it over the edge. My familly have a history of nervous issues but nothing as severe as what i experienced .

So when my nervous system got run down it became very sensitised and anxiety and depression quickly followed and before i knew it i was a mess and couldnt leave the house. I had a 3 month course of venlafaxine which sorted me out but even today i feel down and confused as to who i am and where i go in the future. Ive recently left my job after only 4 months because i stupidly thought i was recovered and took a high pressure sales role, im now looking for a mundane job on a temp basis while i decide my future.

Unfortunately after such a big breakdown i dont believe i will ever be my old self so its all about changing your life to help manage the illness. I know its different for everyone but this is what bought mine on in such spectacular fashion.

[Wenjoy]

I agree - for me I had an abusive childhood and when I married my hubby 26 years ago I had my first panic attack when we bought our first home together - my physchiatrist told me it was because I had such unhappy things in my life before we married that I couldnt accept that someone could love me for who I was and not treat me badly!! Weird - but I got better until a few years ago when I lost confidence - my weight, family members dying, loss of self belief, kids left home etc. I am now tackling my panic attacks by asking them to come on and do their worst - it seems to work but is very scary.
Wenjoy x