Hi all. I just thought Id tell everyone else about meand my condition and see if anyone else can relate....I feel like Im the only oine...like Im going crazy.
Lets see where to start...I have suffered from anxiety for about 12 or so years. I went trough a bad period in my life and then it just went away, sorta...dont know how or why. I was about 14 when i started having attacks. It was scary for me. Then by my junior year in high school, i remember just thinkning one day, "Hmmm, I dont remember when I last had an attack". That was it for me. I mean yeah, I still sometimes got anxious. Car rides on long distances, being somewhere where i couldnt escape. My parents had divorced when I was 14 and we moved fromthe house i grew up in. So that was probably the trigger for me. Anyway, they pretty much went away until I had my daughter two and a half years ago. They didnt get bad tho. Then about 3 or 4 months ago, they came back out of the blue. And in last few weeks they seem to have gotten really bad. Im anxius 24 hours a day...no joke. Cant sleep, eat, do things that i enjoy. It has totally consumed my life. I feel like everyone is looking at me thinking there is something wrong with me. Since starting this prgram, I seem to have gotten worse, and everyone in my family thinks so too. I cant stop focusing on my symptoms. Even when I try to distract myself, ifind that im doing things like tics, simply becauase its my subconsious way of preventing anxiety i guess, not sure.. I have developed insomnia bad. I get sick every morning almost. Im jittery all the time, cant seem to relax. And when i am sitting down and watching tv or something, my muscles twitch which gets me anxious even more. Ive tried telling myself that I am okay, but its just not working. Anyone else think they can make me feel better? I feel like im losing myself...

I have not had anxiety for as long as you have, but I have gone through short periods of overwhelming anxiety like you are describing. My first question would be are you seeing a therapist or a psychiatrist? Second, are you on any kind of medication?

The reason I ask is because although the program helped me to learn the skills I needed to help keep my anxiety under control and thus (for the most part) eliminate it, I needed the help of medication and a therapist to be able to do it. At first I was very opposed to both, but I wouldn't be where I am now without a combination of help from my therapist, medication, the program and God!

I have not had anxiety for long either. I am trying buspar for anxiety attacks, but I think I
may need an antidepressant. I'm going shopping and
doing things that I enjoy doing, but I don't enjoy the things that I use to. I tried Zoloft and Effexor a month ago, but they both gave me
insomnia. Any suggestions? I am going to weekly
therapy and support group at this time.

We are one in the same! My attacks started at 13 or 14. They too went away for a while from about 16-23 and now they are back. I felt how you are feeling now for almost a year straight. and I too was loosing myself and the life I had worked so hard for. Most of my family, friends and new fiance didn't understand either which made it harder.t has been about 3 years now since they came back and put some minor roadblocks in my path of progress.

I also had a hard time with the program, I felt like it made me focus more on whats was wrong or could be wrong or would be wrong if I didn't fix my "problem" So I backed off the program and started doing things for myself like shopping and pedicures, things to make me feel like ME again, I got an Ipod and started building playist, Oh I picked up a really good book too, It is called metro girl... That helped alot because it was funny and entertaining, so It kept my mind off of what was "wrong". Everyone here says stay in the precious present moment, for me I found that hard because I didnt understand what that was. However I did find a way to accomplish some form of it, and for me that was to do things that I liked, or that inspired the ME inside to pore out. I even got into cooking, that really helped too.

I will say Im not all better, but I can eat and sleep now normally, I dont get up in the middle of the night and pace the floor, and I dont get the twitches any more either. Just so you know thats just adrenaline running through your body. Get up and use that energy!!

Hope that has helped you a little. My name is Shelly, and Im here if you feel like venting to someone who knows where you are and understands. Hang in there, you will be ok. ITS JUST ANXIETY.

thank you...i needed to hear that therre were other people like me. yes iam on paxil. just started two days ago. im hoping this gets better. im an impaatient person though so i know its giong to be difficult for me to stay in the present moment. i just want it to be over and done with.

Hello,
My depression and anxiety started 4 months ago. I had a few things in my life that were stressful, but in the past I could handle stress. I'm on antidepressant and anxiety meds. I was wondering if my age 54 and menopause could be what is bringing this on. I just know I take 1 day at a time and do the program and pray alot to help me through this period of my life.