Are we all stuck like this?

[trickynicky]

Hi my name is Nicky,
I'm a long time sufferer of panic and anxiety. I've reviewed your website and I found interesting and useful, however, what I'm looking for (and probably others too) is a permanent solution to my problems.

Treating anxiety with Bach Flower remedies does work (I suppose) but surely the way to a happy life is to be free from anxiety and panic altogether. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure everyone experiences anxiety from time to time but not like us. I, like many others, seem to spend my life avoiding situations that I know trigger my panic attacks. I am constantly aware of my levels of anxiety.

What's strange is that I sometimes experience times when I'm feeling quite confident, even adventurous. But this blissful state tumbles like a house of cards when something like work-life or family-life 'pushes' me into another panic situation. Also, facing the problems doesn't seem to lessen the anxiety, in fact in some cases it seems to worsen it (as though I'm picking at a rash).
I remember being a nervous child, even at the age of 6. I was a nervous adolescent and now a nervous adult. Surely this is no way to live.
My questions are:

Is there a way out of this maze?
Can an anxious person, like me, ever become happy, carefree and confident? and stay that way?
Has anyone every successfully defeated this problem? or are we all genetically programmed this way?
Should I just make the most of what I have and give up trying to get better?

Nick

[diane07]

Hi Nicky,

welcome to nmp,

No i don't believe anyone should ever give up, my panics started almost 20 years ago, but i had alot of years inbetween that time where i had no anx at all, and for a long time, i was going through a real tough time when my agoraphobia came into my life and i am working on it to kick it back out of my life and making good progress with it.

So don't ever give up trying to get better.

best wishes

di xx

[magpie girl]

Hi nicky,please dont give up hope.I sufferd my first panic attack in 2006,and i have since sufferd really bad anxiety.
I was finally diagnosed after 6 months of sheer terror,and given citalopram,now this drug did help me for about a year and i finally started to feel in control more. However it doesnt suit everyone ,and my gp changed my meds!!!!(IM ALLERGIC TO ALOT OF MEDS).
Im now on day 2 of escitalopram it may work it may not,but you can only try
You cannot let this beat you ,if this drug doesnt work for me then i will try another,im also going to try hypnotherapy,Finding this site has really helped me today i could feel the panic take hold,so i switched on the lap top and waited for the anxiety levels to drop.
If you get scared just log on and share your fears

[jean-paul]

Hi Nicky,

I'm in exactly the same boat as you I think. I have an overwhelming sense that my life can't start until I kick this. I also find that I often feel spontaneous, adventurous and excitable but get thrown back into anxiety and panic by the real world of stress, work etc.
I firmly believe that eventually anxiety and panic will be a thing of the past but that it takes time, therapy, possibly medication etc. Ultimately though its important to be patient and not give yourself too much of a hard time. I have 2 family members that suffered from anxiety but are now completely recovered and now live lives with less anxiety than someone that never had an anxiety disorder - so keep positive

jean paul