How to unlink anxieties

[DavidJ85]

I somehow manage to link anxiety/fear to the most stupid things and I don't understand how I do it.

I've somehow managed to make myself anxious now whenever i look at peoples faces and words? How I've done this I don't know. I'm now worried I'm going to attach fear to all things and going to have my eyes closed forever as I don't want to look at anything?

How do I unlink this fear? I can't seem to calm down. Been on red alert for 3 days solid now :(

[calm]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh david!

i dont have the answers that you seek...but i just wanted you to know you are not alone...its blooming awful....being on red alert is so exhausting!

thinking of you and i know you will get the answers you need xxxxxx

[trooper]

Hi David,

Its quite normal to feel to blame, almost guilt as if you're doing something wrong that is causing anxiety. Its natural to one to try and find solutions to problems and its all to easy to feel as if you're doing something wrong.

That is not the case. What you're describing is the symptoms of anxiety, what the causes are for you is really difficult to say, the human body, mind and soul are a complex thing.

There are arguments that is a chemical inbalance, some people are more genetically prone, the diet of modern society is full of toxins, early child hood experiences etc. My personal feeling is that its most likely a combination of some or all of the above.

So its not a case that you are linking things and causing those emotions.

Fear and anxiety are normal emotions but if they are on all the time and triggered for things which are not really a threat then it does become something that you need to resolve.

If its being going on for weeks, then it might be based on something in your life at the moment causing you stress / anxiety.

If its being going on for months or more, then its probably worth getting some help and support.

Your emotional and mental health is just as important as your physical body and you wouldnt' sit at home with a chronic cough for physical pain for months on end.

The first place to start is your GP, explain your symptons and discuss with them what help might be available. Medication short, medium or long term is one possible route, as is some kind of talk therapy.

In the meantime, things you can do straight away to try and reduce those overwhelming thoughts are as follows.

Anxiety and stress are heightened states, they produce adrelaline etc, these can be exhausted by exersise, especially carido stuff, such as running and swimming, cyling etc. This will have an immediate positive impact on you, its also good for your general well being.

Avoid coffee and booze, these make ti worse. Try to eat a healthy balanced diet, omega 3 found in oily fish is good as is a good mix of fruit and veg.

Try to avoid situations which really trigger it as much as possible for now until you can start to get some help.

Anxiety is a common thing and it can be treated.

Good luck and keep on trucking.

[trooper]

PS, read this:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=23461

[DavidJ85]

A good read. Does anyone else find themselves linking their irrational fears with more things?

[Pleasant]

Hi david xIve just read ur posts..
And Trooper,, made a good comment :)
I suffer from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder)
to cut along story short,,I had a bad trauma in my life, wen i was younger + sadly others have followed.. Im now 37, And anxiety + depression are both well known symptoms to PTSD! The horrible thing about this illness, is that it rests (calms down) with the anti depressants + other medication,+ hence-The often consumption of alchohol For periods of time. Untill BANG!! One day a big stress hits u, A worry,, A truama, And then im totally suffering that initial symptom of PTSD,, I Jump at the smallest noice :weep:
I become obbsesive+compulsive,, silly things on my computer become big things, + i spend hours reading + fixing them,i dont go out, i am hypo all day,, going from one thing to another, i have no focus at all, dry mouth,cold +hot flushes, I SWEAT Constantly! sleep for 2 hours then im awake + start over again..I cant deal with the smallest stress.. i panic, im on hyper alert, looking over my shoulder etc etc.. Then wen my body is overloaded+that latest truama (stress) is in the bak of my head, I kinda become normal again, still low + depressed'' But in a restfull phase. And The problem is :mad:....
- I never recovered from traumas in my life + nor did i finish any counselling or support groups, And the therapy,, Its something that i now know is an important part of treatment + recovery. My symptoms
havent gone away. They are just dormant! Untill the next upset comes along!!
I too cant bare to listen or look at people, Especially wen my stress disorder overloads xx
I wish u well !
love Pleasant x

[trooper]

If I can illustrate it with some examples.

I started to think I was going to be attacked on the street, after a while, it was as if I could smell trouble.

I become super-hyper-sensitive to those that could pose a threat and I think my vigilance was spot on. But in fact, the attention I gave such people made me more vulnerable because those kinds of people pick up on you noticng them, so it kind of invited aggression. Which caused a negative feedback loop.

At the peak of that anxious time, I would start to feel people on public transport were purposefully invading my space, and I would be really aggressive. People probably thought I was the menice, little did they know how much stress and unpleasantness was going on underneith.

In work I would perceive general horse play and jibes as vicimisation and would react angrily and again invite more, which in turn becomes a negative feedback loop.

I could go on, but since being in therapy and taking AD's, now that I have the emotional extremes of anxiety under control, I can look back and see it was a delusion, I can be in those exact same scenarios and have a different experience becuase my perception is not disorted by such emotion.

If you read anything about psychology, one common theme is that the human mind cannot cope with a void, we always apply meaning to things. We're not very good with unanswered questions.

So in that context I think the mind desperatly tries to find an answer to what is causing the feelings of fear and anxiety, in turn, that fuels the fire more and the negative feedback loop increases, if it keeps going it ultimatley leads to panic attacks.

I used to wake up at 6 am, cold sweats, panic, stomach in knots, a horrible tingly feeling all over my neck, there would be no rhyme or reason but my natural tendancy was to scan through my previous day/week or days and weeks to come searching for things which were likely to cause a threat. Of course, when you look, you usually find and again, this was like trying to put out the fire by throwing more logs on.

Negative feelings tend to create negative thoughts, which in turn...

I think I made my point :)