My life sucks :( help me

[mafft1983]

Hi,
I am new to this site and wanted to introduce myself and tell you a bit about my life and my anxiety, I have not yet been officially diagnosed but have visited the doctor many times.

I'm 26 years old now and upto the age of about 18 i had a pretty normal life, felt good and enjoyed my social life. I took a holiday to spain with friends when i was 18 and it was the worst time of my life, i remember the first day there i felt so much panic and wanted to go home and couldn't understand what was happening to me i was so scared.
I stuck with it and got through the holiday but found myself in the hotel room alone everynight instead of going out.
I figured once i got home i would be ok but it carried on at home, i gave it time and it seemed to settle down, i found comfort in certain things such as a tv show or games console which seemed to take my mind off and settle me down but i wasn't going out much.
Over the next few years it seemed to come and go and for months at a time i could go out and felt great then it would just start all over again and i felt so scared i just stayed in my room and didn't go out at all.
As the years progressed i tried to live a normal life but found so many days a struggle and always avoided situations where i knew i would feel anxious and it was ruining my life. Again coming and going for weeks or months at a time.
At the age of 23 i split with my partner and moved in with my parents bringing my daughter with me, this was a difficult time for me and i felt very ill during the first few months but settled down after time.
Now at the age of 26 im at my worst and for no reason at all, my symptoms are severe now and its affecting my life alot.
I am in a happy relationship, live in a steady happy home and have support yet everyday i feel poorly and anxious and i need help :(

The symptoms i have on a daily basis at the moment are:
Sickly feeling in my stomach
Wind
Shaking
Tiredness
Dizzyness
and generly just feeling poorly and low

I find even just talking to my family hard and feel like im panicing and want to get away and shut myself in my room, i hate going out even just to the shop.

Sorry for the long story but i wanted to get as much info as possible, I'm scared and would really appreciate any help

Thanks guys

Matt

[BexieB]

Hi Matt

Welcome to the site.

The first thing i want to say to you is that you WILL recover. I know things are awful for you at the moment, but you are in a great position to make a full recovery. A stable relationship is the bedrock in fighting this disorder. I think your first step is to seek out professional advise and get an actual diagnosis. Could be anx and/or depression...i suffer from both, the symptoms are very similar. Your own condition sounds very anx based. Your recovery will be your own personal journey, there are so many techniques and not all suit everyone. The most popular treatment at the moment seems to be medication combined with CBT. Have you tried any treatments yet?

Love and Hugs
Bexie

[Mudskipper]

Hi
You sound pretty much the same as me. Up until 7 years ago I was outgoing and always busy doing something. Then anxiety struck and since then it's been a roller-coaster ride with much of my time spent curled up on the sofa with the TV, waiting for the next panic to strike. I've been on and off of medication and it does help, but even then I often find certain things completely overwhelm me and leave me curled up and not wanting to leave the house. I still work but it's a real effort sometimes. I'm now waiting for a course of CBT which my doctor thinks will help. I suggest you see your doctor for assessment because, although I may be sounding negative, there is help available and for many people it works. I can at least assure you that you're not alone.
Take care.

[Idstain]

Read everthing you can by claire weekes ! Just Reading the reviews on amazon alone will make you feel 100 times better.

It may be hard to see it now but you WILL recover if you follow everything she says.