Two symptoms I'm struggling with

[phil06]

There's two symptoms that I am really struggling to get over at the moment:

Depersonalization/Derealization:

I can't seem to get rid of it every day I feel unreal, disconnected, feel I'm not communicating also find it catches onto false memories or worse images of what it actually is like a panic attack felt like I never survived. I find even going out doesn't give me relief I think because I feel it anywhere I go..I don't get a break from it. I find it makes my mind blank, I keep searching for answers. I look in the mirror seem foreign, places I visited seem strange and what's worse is
when I've been bad I avoid places..like mild Agoraphobia so my local bus station I visited the other day as I had to go out It felt weird as a few things had changed but more so because I had avoided it so long. I don't feel alive at times from it.

Some days I really do feel in a dream I'm doing stuff but from my head to my eyes to everywhere I look it's dull dreamy, distant.

I've had all sorts of physical symptoms like sore eyes, floaters, blurry eyes, fatigue, disturbed sleep from this symptom, I can lie in bed and feel my breathing has stopped or so it feels and I like jump up because I feel frozen for a second, and aches pains the usual anxiety stuff.

A few months back maybe 5/6 months ago I woke up and accepted my surroundings, I no longer felt in a cloud and went to work that day for a week feeling normal..then I went back to driving lessons and it got worse again.

Some people say sunlight is bad I no longer fear that..sometimes my panic attacks come at night. I have experienced the symptom where you walk into a place and you are hit by light and it's like a pressure rush..

But anyway I could go on all day about it..I feel I've tired to accept it but can't..it's lasted 10 months any ideas how I can get rid of it after this length of time?

My other issue is:

Bowels/Toilet problems/Diarrhea:

I find it embarrassing as I always get diarrhea and feel incomplete..sometimes I get stomach cramps and I go and it's the tiniest bit that comes out. I hate leaving the house feeling I'm going to get incontinent or something. Sometimes I can get a day where the diarrhea is particularly bad and I'm sat for ages. I'm quite fussy so changing my diet has been a challenge but I have been going for walks daily.

But both symptoms make me fear leaving home. A positive is I have been going out more lately..but I still feel I can't cope with these symptoms..and it comes with OCD, Depression, panic all these other symptoms but these two are the ones really cramping my life. There's been times I feel I'm suffering in silence and sometimes I try and put it into words.

People say anxiety is harmless but I now realise it can affect people in bad ways they don't want to go out. I feel my brain just can't accept it's anxiety at times which is annoying..anybody else got any advice? Basically after losing my job I don't feel I can be bothered working again, I want a g.f but duno how I can go out and cope with life and I just want to live my life in my bedroom as it's safer that way. Why when it got better am I back here again?

[phil06]

Nobody had these symptoms?

[honeyp1e]

Bowels/Toilet problems/Diarrhea:

I find it embarrassing as I always get diarrhea and feel incomplete..sometimes I get stomach cramps and I go and it's the tiniest bit that comes out. I hate leaving the house feeling I'm going to get incontinent or something. Sometimes I can get a day where the diarrhea is particularly bad and I'm sat for ages. I'm quite fussy so changing my diet has been a challenge but I have been going for walks daily.

But both symptoms make me fear leaving home. A positive is I have been going out more lately..but I still feel I can't cope with these symptoms..and it comes with OCD, Depression, panic all these other symptoms but these two are the ones really cramping my life. There's been times I feel I'm suffering in silence and sometimes I try and put it into words.

People say anxiety is harmless but I now realise it can affect people in bad ways they don't want to go out. I feel my brain just can't accept it's anxiety at times which is annoying..anybody else got any advice? Basically after losing my job I don't feel I can be bothered working again, I want a g.f but duno how I can go out and cope with life and I just want to live my life in my bedroom as it's safer that way. Why when it got better am I back here again?

Hi hope your ok??
i get that feeling of incomplete all the time i hate going out as i feel i could just go at anytime so i would rather just stay indoors 24/7 but life aint that simple and there aint anything we can do to help this feeling doctor told me its more of a nervous bowel...
i DISAGREE that anxiety is harmless cos god i feel it all the time and if it was harmless i would be living the life i should be not stuck in 24/7 panicing and feeling anxious 24/7 and am like you i no i have anxiety but am finding it so hard accepting it xx

[AnxiousM]

It's anxiety pal, I promise you. The bowel thing... The fight or flight reaction that's imbedded in us all. The more you think about it your mind puts itself on high alert and it needs to get rid of your poop so you can basically run away. I had a funny stomach as well as the rest of the symptoms you're having.

I know it's tough but try distract yourself if you feel the empty feeling coming in. If you're um-ing and ah-ing about going out stand up, get your coat and o out for a walk. Keep your head up, don't look down and take in your surroundings. If you've been used to these feelings you will find yourself actively trying to think about them. If I feel anxiety coming on I just say to myself... "come on then, if I'm going to have an anxiety attack who cares?!". Worst case is that it will come then go. No one has ever died from a panic or anxiety attack.

Be strong, know that this only a little blip in your life. Millions of people go through it in their life, many you'll probably know but they just don't talk about it and you'll know nothing about it. It isn't all great but the furthe you keep taking these steps, the faster you'll forget and you won't even think about it.

Keep strong and don't let a couple if bad days screw you over. If you need some meds or counselling it's not a weakness, something maybe to get you back on track with your sleep. I bet first thing when you wake up after a good nights sleep, when you've got no thoughts in your head, you feel normal.

You'll beat it, I promise.

Mark

[blueangel]

That's really good advice from Mark - every time we give in to anxiety, it wins another little victory. Even if you can grab it by the scruff of the neck just once, that's a start, and once leads on to the next time, and the next.