I'm back here after about 6 years away.. things aren't great.

[Jellybeann24]

Hello,

If your reading this I just want to thank you. Now to begin I need to give you a little bit of back story. When I was a teenager let's say 18, I'm 26 now, I went to a theatre show in London(super scary one) and it triggered a 'fear anxiety' I left the theatre early but would continue to have flash backs/anxiety attacks for around 6 months after all based on the fact I thought something was trying to come and get me.

I actually stopped being so bad after a year or so but anxiety had made its mark and I continued to battle with health anxiety for some time after. Anyway, I got better, stronger and I found peace. I became very spiritual and meditation helped me the most.

The last month or so I feel like I've slipped back into my old way. I suffered with a bought of depression for a week and my anxiety went through the roof. I've been experiencing work stress and relationship stress which most likely triggered it. Last night and this morning I had the biggest anxiety attack I can recall(although the ones when I was 18 were pretty much identical.)

I'd watched a horror film a few nights before (I have done lots of times, I love horrors) but it appears to have triggered me in the exact same way it did when I was 18? A sense of completely dread and doom came over me and I couldn't get rid of it. My anxiety rocketed and I lost track of time the only thing I could focus on was getting my mind back to a safe place, which after going out for a while and lots of rationalising it did. I'd say the whole thing lasted maybe 3/4 hours.

I of all people know how utterly ridiculous these thoughts are but I am left very shaken. I have an incredible support network and work colleagues but I don't feel as though I can tell them I have anxiety over a horror film I couldn't shake off.

I'm now wondering if what I experienced today was anxiety or more like PTSD from my younger years.has anyone experienced anything like this before? Can you give me ant advice?

Truly, thank you.

[jojo2316]

Was it The Woman In Black??

[Pea Tear Griffin]

Hi Jellybeann24,

I have had my Anxiety return in full force for the last few days due to a week of stress so I guess stress can cause you to slip back into those anxious ways.

[ankietyjoe]

Was it The Woman In Black??

Lol that was my first thought too. I saw that 25 years ago and I still get shudders down my spine.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Well, is it so different to be scared half to death by a real life event e.g. a crash? A seriously heightened sense of fear that should dissipate as we reconcile it and get back to normality yet with some of us it sticks and becomes a disorder. PTSD can affect one person yet not another despite the exact same scenario.

I can say that at my worst I would find exciting TV programmes or films triggering. But even later sometimes I was just in a strange sort of mood and something affected me for a while afterwards.

Sometimes things just get under your skin and perhaps if you are already not feeling 100% it crowbars it's way in and heaves for all it's might?