Social Anxiety was a huge part of my condition.
I didn’t know it had a name, but I knew that I was unable to socialize without suffering from extreme anxiety. I developed somatic symptoms of diarrhea, stomach cramps and nausea. I would get nervous during the most mundane activity like going to the supermarket. As soon as I would start shopping, I had to go to the bathroom. My nervous stomach would act up at the most inconvenient times. Thus began the cycle of worrying that I would have to go to the bathroom in the supermarket, on the bus, subway, etc. My anticipatory anxiety tortured me.
The anticipatory social anxiety …
When a relative or friend exhibits anxiety disorder symptoms.
How can I get my cousin to realize that she would have a new life if she were able to control her anxiety with anti-anxiety medication? She knows she suffers. But when I tell her what I think based upon my own anxiety experiences, she waves me off saying “Never mind. I just need a new brain,” or something like that.
This weekend I visited my cousin in Florida who is in her late 60’s. We used to be very close, but since she retired to Florida we have not spent much time together. I always knew that Susan was a fellow worrier and …
My daughter needed help for her anxiety disorder. Worry controlled her life.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Sadly, anxiety and depression, if caused by a chemical imbalance, can be inherited. My daughter, who is now 34 years old, is a prime example. However, when she was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, I was not yet enlightened about my own anxiety disorder, so I did not pick up on the fact that Beth needed professional help. The new anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications were not yet available. Therefore, she did not get the help she needed until adulthood.
Beth, had a very difficult childhood because of anxiety disorder. She was controlled …
These are the anti-anxiety/depression medications that I take.
With all the blogging, I did not take the time to mention what my anti-anxiety “cocktail” currently is. The first anti-depressant that I tried was Prozac, That did not agree with me. Instead of helping my anxiety and depression, it wound me up and I was jumping out of my skin. There is no denying that finding the right medication for your anxiety and depression might be difficult. Some people find the right medication on the first try. But that is unusual.
I am taking Paxil CR with Neurontin. I take 37.5 mg of Paxil CR in the morning and midday, …
Anxiety is not predictable for someone with generalized anxiety disorder.
Now that I am taking effective anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medication, I actually have many many calm, pleasant days where I feel in control, productive and happy. Before, I had nothing to compare my anxiety-filled days to. For me, that was all there was. And now that my anxiety is under control most of the time, I have good days and bad days. Before it was bad days and not-so-bad days. The sad thing is that now, when I wake up feeling anxious, it is like an old crappy shoe that still fits.
It is so easy to be sucked up by that tornado-ish …
Your anxiety might be caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain.
This is the big issue. There is so much criticism out there about anti-anxiety medications and anti-depressants. People like Tom Cruise get on their pedestal and preach about how bad these medicines are. But they don’t know what it feels like to be controlled by anxiety and how immobilizing the resulting depression can be. I know. Do you?
Don’t listen to the negative hype out there. If you have suffered with excessive worry for more than a few weeks or months, and you are feeling paralyzed by it, you need help. I agree that the first course of action should not be medication. Therapy …