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 by worry. “What if” was the start of most of her sentences. She had bad dreams all the time. She is very bright but was an overachiever who could never feel satisfied with herself. She always felt like an outcast, worrying so much if she was dressed right or saying the right thing. The anxiety disorder was in control.
Beth was insecure. The reassurance that she demanded was often impossible to give. If she fell down and hurt her knee, she was inconsolable. The anxiety made her so unhappy that the emptiness at her core was bottomless.
Beth did not secure any lasting friendships as a result of her anxiety disorder. She became very needy; she could not stop herself from expressing her concerns about everything. Beth over-thought every little thing, talking incessantly about her concerns. She used up friends quickly. It was hard to listen to her and remain supportive. Her younger brother became numb to her and that was extremely hurtful and damaging.
As Beth entered her teenage years, her anxiety continued to interfere with her life. She was unable to make simple decisions. She was unable to organize her things. Dating became a torturous experience. She suffered from somatic stomach problems, and spent the hours before any social event in the bathroom, consumed with worry. But Beth survived and excelled in school. Like me, she was one of the walking wounded. (Read the post, “The Results of My Visit to the Psychiatrist.”)Beth’s anxiety was worse than mine. She suffered losses that I did not: her brother alienated himself from her, and friends became tired of listening to her rants.
It wasn’t until I got myself help and felt better that I realized Beth could be helped as well. I saw the light of the fact that I had a chemical imbalance in my brain which caused me to overreact to things and worry too much. And the anti-anxiety and anti-depressants started to work.
Beth began treatment by a psychiatrist at the age of 28. See the post “My daughter got help for her anxiety.”
Tags: inherited anxiety disorder
- Posted in : generalized anxiety disorder
- Author : freebird
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[…] Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is another line of defense/attack for anxiety disorder. My daughter suffers from a very very severe case of anxiety disorder. (Read post My daughter needed help for her anxiety disorder.) She has lived a life controlled by worry and depression. At age 34, Beth is finally seeing the light. She is successfully using a cocktail of anti-anxiety medications (prozac, neurontin, klonopin) which have been definitely decreased her anxiety. […]