Everything is hitting me at once :(

[Toconfused]

So I have anxiety and about a week ago I have started to feel a lot better. I was getting out there and enjoying life and than all the sudden my anxiety came back and it just seems like everything that happened in my life is all coming to the surface and my anxiety it back. All I want to do is cry and I feel like I can't talk to any one because they don't understand and it's so frustrating. I am not going through a bunch of anxiety symptoms like tiredness, eye sorness, spots in eye sight, nervousness. I am angry all the time now.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I think a lot of people on here will understand this and how frustrating it is.

For the past few years, my anxiety changed to cycle on & off. Initially, it was 3 weeks bad to 1 week good and it has gradually decreased (sometimes it would reduce in a chunk though) to 2 days bad but until recently it has literally be every week or 2 that the bad cycle would return.

This has made me question whether I am bipolar, but it doesn't seem to be the case as I can often snap out of it.

It really has put my life on hold. I can't plan for things because I don't know if it will hit the bad cycle. I continue as normal but I can't sustain a job with it and it's difficult to move on.

Mine manifests itself as some physical symptoms, some are low or bad thoughts and dread.

[Helen19]

I can totally identify with this, it's like everything is going along OK'ish then WHAM... another setback. I have been told that it's a bumpy road with 3 steps forward and sometimes 1 back but that as we go on the setbacks do become less frequent. Have you tried maybe keeping a note of the good things you achieve each day even simple things as I find that helps me not to loose sight of them and become totally focussed on the bad anxiety side.

[wabbit1]

It is so frustrating. When it's going well you start to believe that you have control over it and when it all hits you it's scary because it feels like it has full control over you. Sometimes it feels like it's teasing you by showing you that you can't do anything to control it.

However, I believe things will get better. Not sure how but you've got to have that belief.

[Helen19]

Yeah I know the feeling, it's like just when you think it's OK there it goes but you are so right "things will get better"... Lets go with that thought.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I remember seeing Claire Weekes describe this as 'layers'. I always thought of it before this as 'stages'.

Anxiety gets to it's very worst stage, then you get a little bit further forward, it stalls out for a while, you get a jump forward, etc. These are all stages for me or layers as described by Dr Weekes.

I think this is spot on because it's not a matter of getting therapy and seeing ongoing sustainable results, it just doesn't work like that. You go back and forth, stall and jump, but above all - overall you are moving forwards.

[Toconfused]

I just really dislike all of this cycle thing because as soon as I am better it hits me hard a d all the anxiety I have tried go over come is back and it is really taking a toll on my life I have distanced my self from friends and family, quit my job and it just became very difficult to do day to day things now :( its really taking a toll on my life