the circle

Anxiety, stress, depression etc are all symptoms of life in the 21st Century. Our bodies were just not designed to deal with modern stress, life moves too fast & we have little choice but to face it just to earn money to survive. I believe as the years pass more & more people will be hit with these illnesses, the very people that used to say "pull yourself together" when I was having a panic or anxiety attack.

I understand what you're saying in that it can be so frustrating to feel such anxiety. Some anxiety is normal in life, but anxiety disorders can cause a lot of disruption to a person's life. There are many different treatments for anxiety such as congnitive therapy, hypnotherapy, meditation, medications and group support. It's good that you are working on a support network for yourself because friends can be very helpful. I wish you all the best, take care.

The circle, no better way to describe it, you think you are okay, then all of a sudden it hits again. I pull my shoulders outta my ears about 50 times a day, and unclench my teeth about 100 times a day and those are only the times that I am conscious of what I am doing. you would think I would have rock hard muscles as much as I stay tensed up with worry. and what do I worry about? nothing and everything. does anxiety ever make you feel like you aren't really in the room? that people are exsisting and that you see them but you aren't really there? I dont' know how to explain the feeling, it sucks though.....

Hi, personally I don't suffer from anxiety in my life, perhaps it's my laid back attitude of what will be will be I don't know. I do have a friend who suffers quite badly and my mother has suffered in the past with it too. I honestly couldn't come up with any suggestions as I don't have any first hand knowledge, but good luck with it anyway.

The solution is understanding the problem I think. Also medicine can relieve the symtoms of anxiety. It's not crap, it's just being human. Life is stressful and painful at times, we all screw up, make a mess out of our lives sometimes and it's hard to cope. But haveing friends,- like you mentioned that understand that, certainly can help. - I'll be your friend if you want.

I used to have these racing thoughts going around in my head over and over again, never ending. Then I was put on anxiety medication. The medication works great. I can sleep at night now. Before I could not sleep at night, cause I could not knock the thoughts out of my head. So many thoughts, things i had to do, things i didn't do, things i did do already, ideas for projects i want to do, thoughts about life, overthinking relationships, etc etc etc...it was like a living nightmare. Now on my anxiety pills I can finally sleep at night. I still think about htings, but it's not quite as obsessive as it was before. If I miss my pills, I get the reaccuring thoughts again. Sometimes I think my head will explode.

It would seem that this is a very common diagnosis these days. Personally I know that I experience it regularly as I think that we all do. However I also believe that the increase in diagnosis is in part a product of the pharmaceutical companies that all seem to be clamoring to the market with the newest and most effective pill. Don't get me wrong I think that if you need it, take it. But I think that doctors these days are far too quick to write out a prerscription. It makes you wonder what they are getting from it. And while I am absolutely able to give you a rational and well thought out set of methods for dealing with it, pratical application for me is something else. But on with it anyway. First in regards to the circle of thoughts I know how much of a pain in the butt they can be. But one method of dealing with them is to develop a mantra. ( a dialogue that is designed to counteract the circle of negative thought) I myself have had some success with this. Something like I am not a product of my fears, I will succeed, I am able to acccept setbacks and learn from them and move on. I found that when I started using a mantra it helped and I honestly can't tell you why I fell away from doing so but I will resume doing so. The trick for me was that I began my day day with repeating this statement over and over to myself. Sometimes aloud if privacy permitted. Then doing so several times a day. especially when I would feel the doubting thoughts.

That diagram is correct even tonight I am not feeling very good and I know it is my panic attacks I am starting to feel the overwhelming though that I am going to die and from there it just progresses into a waking nightmare. I used to try and think it was mind over matter and really made myself believe that however that worked for maybe 2 months or so and then I was back in the same position. I think that stress is the biggest thing and its harder than all get outs to not have stress. If you find a solution please let me know Ill be forever in your debt.

It sounds like you have obsessive scary thoughts which is common to us folk with anxiety...I've been a sufferer of panic disorder with agoraphobia, but would like to think I'm on the healing road of recovery..have you ever heard of Lucinda Bassett....she developed one of the more well known tape programs called "Attacking Anxiety and Depression"---on one of the tapes is exactly what you are describing--those nagging thoughts that go over and over in your mind... Give her website a check.... http://www.stresscenter.com

I've dealt with Anxiety/Panic Attacks for 7 years now. It will get better once you learn the keys to dealing with it. I am on Lexapro and Xanax. I have been on Paxil before but it quit working. It takes time and learning what best works for you. Send me a message if you would like to talk about it.