Unknown reason for anxiety

[forgotten soul]

Hello,
I have the condition where I have constant anxiety for long durations of time with no feasible reason why. It debilitates me, makes me socially phobic, affects my concentration immensely and puts any confidence I may have had in myself to bed. It comes from nowhere and typically destroys everything I have going for myself at the time rendering me in a helpless, shameful state. My family and loved ones have no sympathy basically because they do not understand...often you have to go through something to truly understand it. Even my doctor is out to lunch, prescribing me different cocktails of meds every year where nothing seems to work, and when I try to consult him for consolement, I get little or no sympathy there either besides a new drug to try. What I'm asking anyone out there is if they have gone through a similar situation and if they have any advice, successful treatment that they have experienced, or just general support. I would really appreciate some support if you have the time.

[dandelion]

((((((((((((((((( forgotten soul )))))))))))))))))))

I have been diagnosed to have anxiety disorder with GAD few months ago and almost everyday i feel constant anxiety. I have xanax for my anxiety, it helps with my panic attack. But right now i try to avoid xanax and i manage to not taking them for more than a week now, i try to focus on my breathing and try to socialise with people. The anxious is there and i am fighting it hard and try to brush it away when i m at the coffee shop or when i go anywhere. I try aromatherapy as well and it helps to calm my mind. I dont really know why i feel constant anxiety, but i believe when somebody mention certain words, it always makes me remember certain things and it triggers my anxiety. but i read it somewhere and it kinda help a bit, rather than fighting to control anxiety--which generally causes more anxiety--it is much better, at first, to learn to control the way you respond to the emotional symptoms. As a result, there are no more anxiety attacks. Controlling anxiety can lead to panic attack in my case and usually i try to find ways to deal with my anxiety like when i feel nervous, instead of trying to control the feelings, i try to focus my attention on controlling something else. For example when i am reading something, like novel, and i suddenly i feel nervous, i will try to ignore the feeling and i will try to open my dictionary, finding every words that i dont understand, i try to distract my mind from feeling anxious and not letting it control me. i think thats all that i can suggest to you, i hope it helps. Take care of yourself and welcome to forum forgotten soul, you are not (and will never be) forgotten here

hugs
dandelion

[shatteredhopes]

Anxiety bites! I suffer a lot of anxiety as well as depression. I take ativan in small doses but I have found some other things helpful...

1) I take long hot baths often...gives me the feeling of warm embrace and helps with physical pain as well calming me a bit.

2) Sometimes when I think its anxiety, its low blood sugar, and I need to eat something like peanut butter crackers with both carbs and protein.

3) Deep breathing through the nose inhale "peace" hold for count of three seconds, exhale through the mouth "stress" "pain" or whatever for a bit...imagine taking in peaceful feelings and releasing all the anxiety as you breath.

4) Relaxation exercises where you start at your toes and feet, scrunch up tight, hold a few seconds, relax for several seconds, repeat, then move on to calves all the way working up to your face...as relax muscles, imagine anxiety leaving your body, tension fading...picture a serene scene like a gentle waterfall in the rainforest or whatever works for you...sometimes helps me sleep too.

5) Watch the sugar, carb, and caffiene intake...

6) If there is something specific you are anxious about, when you can, like engaging in social situtations, force yourself to do it anyway as much as possible, and you will gradually get better at doing it without so much anxiety...sometimes it is paralyzing, I know, but I try to force myself to do things sometimes as much as I can manage...

Go easy on yourself! No families often don't understand because they haven't experienced it. But you are coping as best you can, and welcome to the forum by the way! The people here are so caring and supportive.

Wishing you light and peace in your day...

[TackingIntoTheWind]

I know EXACTLY how you feel. I've always had depression, and to a lesser extent anxiety. But in June I absolutely crashed, my anxiety and depression became so severe that I experienced strong suicidal urges, because I couldn't deal with either. I was at home, safe, with absolutely no immediately obvious reason to be even slightly anxious. But, I was terrified, as if something worse than I could ever imagine was inexorably bearing down on me, without even a hope of escape.
I went to my GP, who was very helpful, and fast-tracked me to a psychiatrist, who let me know what other support was available for me.
EG:There is a British mental health charity called MIND, and they were able to give me a place on a six-week course they run aimed at helping people to understand and cope with anxiety and panic-attacks. I found this very helpful. Might there be anything like this in your part of the world? I still have depression and anxiety, in fact I'm working to curb a anxiety attack at this very moment! But, there are ways to so, to at least lessen them.
Good Luck! And, keep posting!