Anxiety

Discussion in 'Discussion' started by Ienzo, May 4, 2014.

  1. Ienzo ((̲̅ ̲̅(̲̅C̲̅r̲̅a̲̅y̲̅o̲̅l̲̲̅̅a̲̅( ̲̅̅((>

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    A few years ago, I was diagnosed with "Severe anxiety disorder" which I have been questioning a lot recently. The truth is, I don't know if I suffer "severely" from it or not because I don't know what the norm is. I used to experience it so badly that it caused me to faint regularly from stress and fear but I have managed to learn and deal with it far better since then but it's still there, in every situation I feel the anxiety telling me worse case scenarios and what I am doing wrong etc.

    However, I don't know how other people think about these sorts of situations, perhaps this is just totally normal so my question for you all to discuss is what causes you anxiety, how to you deal with it and what you think it normal? Or just anything interesting you can mention about the topic :3
     
  2. Ars Nova Just a ghost.

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    That does sound kinda severe, actually. O_o Everything else is similar to my diagnosis which was minor. Before I started taking medicine... well, this is mad dorky, but I used to comfort myself with one of Inara's lines from Firefly: "This is just a moment in time. Step aside and let it happen." It reminded me that my suffering was transient, and these thoughts weren't so substantial that they would run my life. They're just chemicals firing off wrong in your brain, and if you give it time they'll usually settle down. That's not to say you shouldn't seek help if you feel a severe onset of anxiety, but when you have no one to turn to the best thing imo is just to focus with all your might on staying relaxed and walling off those worst-case scenarios. Don't let them have purchase in your head, 'cause that's how it snowballs into something worse.
     
  3. ♥♦♣♠Luxord♥♦♣♠ Chaser

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    Doctor's and other people in the business like to through around names, because you can treat somebody who has "____".

    Anyways, growing up I used to get terrible stomach pain before school every single day, to the point where I couldn't keep food down (gross, sorry). I eventually knew that it wasn't some kind of bug or anything because it always happened RIGHT BEFORE I was about to leave. Usually 10-20 min. Then once I got out of school it just stopped. I guess you could tie that in with anxiety because my school life was a living hell.
     
  4. Ienzo ((̲̅ ̲̅(̲̅C̲̅r̲̅a̲̅y̲̅o̲̅l̲̲̅̅a̲̅( ̲̅̅((>

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    A true show of the importance writing can have on us :3 I don't think it's dorky at all, whatever makes someone feel better must be good (except murder... that's not good but that's another topic). It is exactly what I have been doing for years, I have learned to control my thinking before it snowballs into pure anxiety for the most part. The last time it happened was about 18 months ago though so it's really not that bad any more, in fact, it is something that has helped me learn how to avoid it e.g. keeps me motivated if I have to revise for an exam because the only way to keep my anxiety at bay is to study hard and make sure I am confident that I can do well in it.

    Now it's just simple thoughts, like at work if I do something wrong that may cause someone else grief, I assume it has and beat myself up about it e.g. I see my boss constantly worrying about food wastage and how much money goes down the drain because of it and I accidentally cook the wrong steak that then gets thrown away, I feel I have directly cauased her so much grief when I know that every person makes mistakes and wastes foods, it's not just me but that is still how I react.

    A better example is if someone compliments me and I thank them, my brain immediately tells me I am being vain and that person thinks I am vain too so I go about beating myself up to prove to myself that I am not vain. Thankfully, these everyday thoughts never really cause me to faint but they are always there.

    It is true, doctor's like the labels, I liked the label as well as it defined what was wrong with me as no one had any idea.

    That sounds horrible D: I am sorry you had to go through that. School seems to be a major cause for anxiety whether it's the social side or the workload.
     
  5. Sebax Avatar by Xerona

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    I've suffered from anxiety since I was a little kid. I'd run around the house, practically unable to breathe, and shout "I feel like I'm dying". I'm pretty sure I didn't and still don't have asthma or anything, but I am pretty positive that my anxiety attacks cause short of breath, because it's always during high stress times that I can't breathe. I've never passed out, but I've had one mental break-down before: when I was 16, coming out of a utterly terrible school and I've been to A LOT of different schools. I looked like the ghosts from "The Grudge" with the really blanched skin and I already have naturally black hair that accented the darkness around my eyes and my already light build burned off a few more oh-so-crucial pounds.

    Those are the problems. I deal with them through my acting, writing, singing, but when I'm on a stage, the world crashes away and I feel more human than I ever do anywhere else. I don't take any medication for anything. Not even after the break-down. I'll take Tylenol, Mucinex, and stuff like that, but like Princess mentioned, people like to throw diseases around. Virtually all of my generation is either ADD or ADHD. I was "both" at different times, or, you know, I was a kid with a lot of creative, active energy and sometimes I was calm. It's not that I didn't pay attention, it's that I was applying my mind to what I was learning. It still holds true to this day.

    Telling someone with anxiety problems "not to worry" is like telling a time bomb to "pretty please, don't blow up". So I won't tell you to not worry. When it comes to me, I overthink too much, just like you seem to do, Ienzo. I always used to hate that term though "Over think". How nice would the world be if everyone thought of consequence every now and again and showed a little consideration every now and again? But over thinking is when you can't get up because your crash is just the time before another attack, and it makes you just sit and think about everything your mind can think of to activate Self-Destruct mode. Your understanding that people make mistakes shows that you at least don't have problems with being so wrapped up in your anxiety that you literally can't escape its vice grip. A wasted steak, and it being "your fault", can easily turn someone into a blabbering mess, even though it is a simple mistake with a somewhat simple solution. It just makes you feel bad, and that mood seems to escalate.

    I like this thread a lot. I've known for a long time this isn't just something that goes away, because I'm having my string of attacks these past few weeks after flunking out of college. But you're not crazy. No one here seems to be. The fainting does seem severe, but it is a symptom I've seen in others. I know more people with High Anxiety issues than I ever thought I would, feeling so alone at times. The thing is: we tend to seek each other or out or at least try to find some way to deal, or else feel like we'll slip deeper into our own fabricated madness.

    Also, @Ars Nova , that quote isn't dorky just because it comes from a Science-Fiction TV show. I tend to be a lot more understanding of the point of view most modern script-writers have on the world, because I tend to see the world in a similar slanted view. It's a very applicable quote. Understanding is the last crutch when an attack hits. It's depressing, but the old stand-by "This too shall pass" helps when I feel way too down, and keeps me grounded when I feel ten feet tall. Because I fear being vain too. I hear "oh you're such a talent", and I feel bad for even saying that here, and I just try to do my best to keep doing what I do to make people happy or just feel.
     
  6. mindy lover Destiny Islands Resident

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    Actually I get that a lot. It can be really crippling in severe cases. I mean, like nausea, the inability to eat, sleep, or even think for more than a couple seconds at a time. I feel you on that one. Anxiety for me just gets worse with age.
     
  7. T3F Chaser

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    When I was in my earlier years of high school (7th/8th grade) I developed major Social Anxiety Disorder. I would have a massive panic attack before going to school, I would pretend I was sick so I wouldn't go, all because I was afraid of how people would react to anything I said. The more days that went by, the more I kept putting myself down, because everybody seemed to agree with that. It didn't help that I was bullied throughout those years and as a shy kid who was sensitive as all hell I just couldn't grab my courage to go and tell people off. Later on I switched schools and things got much better, but my social anxiety always lingered, and it's still here today.

    I'm now in my 2nd year of uni, so it's been a good 6 or 7 years since the 8th grade, and yet I still get uncontrollable nerves when I talk to people or try to start up a conversation. Surprisingly meeting new people is fine, I've learned how to make a good first impression and then go downhill. So I have a lot of "acquaintances" and not a lot of "true" friends. That doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that I'm surrounded by people who share the same interests as me, and yet I still have the most unbelievable panic attacks when it comes to striking up a conversation. I always feel this immense pressure not to say anything stupid.

    So 7 years on, I still have Social Anxiety. How do I cope with it? Music. Listening, playing, practising. What I find about music is that it's safe and simple. You can press play and the song will play. You can press skip and the song will skip. Guitar has actually been an outlet for my anxiety. If I'm really down, I strum a little and figure out new chords, it makes me feel like I've accomplished something. Singing is the most amazing outlet for Social Anxiety. I am so afraid to talk, but when I sing I get everything out and I feel so relieved afterwards. I still have more stage fright than any other singer I know, but wow it feels good when it's just in your room and you can just belt out the notes.

    This was an awesome thread btw. All to often those with any type of anxiety feel like they're the only ones with it. It's nice to know that there are other people around with it that I can share with and try to help out as well :)
     
  8. mindy lover Destiny Islands Resident

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    I feel you on that one. I've been this way longer than I can remember.[DOUBLEPOST=1403144251][/DOUBLEPOST]It's hard to not feel overwhelmed sometimes. I got a lot of that today and at home.
     
  9. Technic☆Kitty Hmm

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    There are two things that can give me a panic attack, when I can't hear myself breathing (like if I got my earbuds cranked, I used to do it on the school bus) and when I'm in a large crowd of constantly moving people. The people freak me out because I'm not typically social so I don't really like all the interaction. I get freaked out when I can't hear myself breath because ... well I can't hear myself breath ... it freaks me out.

    Other than that I can't really say that I have any issues. I used to worry a lot about semantics in my younger years but I eventually gave up on caring and it washed away a lot of what troubled me.

    -Nights