Cannot remember the situation of my first panic attack; I think I just felt very tense and nervous at work one day 12 years ago and went to the doctors. Then had panics for next ten years.
Two and a half years ago I suffered stomach pains and that was the start of my GAD. Had a few days off work, but after returning for a couple of days I was then permanantly off sick til I gave up work altogether.
My onset of GAD followed a period of concern about not being valued at work, loss of girlfriend and general depression over war etc - it was the year of Iraq war.
My panics and GAD are the result of bottling so much emotion all my life. They had to come out sooner or later and am currently in very painful process of letting those long-term emotional pains out.
Ray
http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers