General Anxiety?

[Krondelo]

Hey everyone, this is certainly a bit off topic but I wanted to express some things and don't have any other place to really discuss this. Does anyone else suffer from anxiety? I'm sure most do to some extent, mine got really out of hand a few years ago. It was making me physically ill almost every morning. Thankfully I've conquered that issue, but anxiety still has its way of creeping up on me.

 

Anyway I noticed a really strange phenomenon that happens to me. I feel like a strong person, and that I can handle things... but maybe I can't. The first time I really noticed was at school in an assembly, the DEA came and showed us the dangers of Meth. They showed some graphic stuff.. not like I haven't seen graphic stuff before. Then they started talking about death and all the terrible things that could happen. I started feeling anxiety rise within me, and once it starts its nearly impossible to stop. It was strange to me because while the subject was a bit unnerving, I had no reason to be afraid of meth, I would never consider touching the stuff. The anxiety it almost different, but it comes to a point where I feel like I might pass out.. and I usually kind of breathe and start calming down at that point.

 

 Well, now its years later and the problem arises in strange situations. I was reading about acid, and just reading experiences and such.. that feeling of intense anxiety comes back. It's as if I can't read about intense things that involve death or anything else intense. It seems odd to me because I'm interested in it, and like I said I thought I was stronger. Perhaps trauma from earlier in life is the cause of this?

 

Sorry for the long post, thanks to anyone who reads it. I feel this is kind a rare circumstance, but maybe someone can share some similar feelings?

[Capreb]

I was assuming social anxiety, but it's something else. 

From what you wrote it sounds like you're scared of drugs or something. 

That or I'm missing the point. 

 

Feel free to enlighten me. 

[Redgrave]

I have a bit of social anxiety. Not really terrible, but it's difficult for me to be in public places, and it's hard to talk to someone I don't know. I blame it on a lot of bad experiences with other people.

 

I also get really anxious when I hear about severe thunderstorms.

[DEMON]

I only really get panic attacks/phase out when I'm around crowds of people (especially in public transport as I feel trapped there, usually elsewhere if there's a crowd, I would do my best to avoid/get out of it), I have autism though, not social anxiety.

 

I think your problem may be that you're really afraid of death.  Is it always when death is being talked about that you feel this way?

[Kashiyuka]

Well, now its years later and the problem arises in strange situations. I was reading about acid, and just reading experiences and such.. that feeling of intense anxiety comes back. It's as if I can't read about intense things that involve death or anything else intense. It seems odd to me because I'm interested in it, and like I said I thought I was stronger. Perhaps trauma from earlier in life is the cause of this?

I totally understand what you mean, but I relate to this part particularly.  In a similar vein, once I was randomly looking up 1970s serial killer cases and read pretty in-depth storylines of their lives.  I find the topic interesting, particularly the psychology of it, but afterwards I found I was really nervous and anxious for the rest of the day.  Hell, even just writing this now, I'm starting to feel a bit on edge.

 

I've been having these feelings for the last 2-3 years now, and I think it's safe to say I have some form of social anxiety.  A mild case, however.  What caused this I don't know, only thing I think could have been an influence was some severe bullying in my early school years.  I also notice I only get this panicky, anxious feeling when I'm alone, when I'm left to think to myself, so my mind runs off and concocts irrational and illogical situations.

 

However, through all this, I always find that listening to music I like, or spending time with family or friends makes all these frightening feelings wash away.  I hope you are coping well and don't forget you can always talk this out with people. Help is always available if needed!  

[damon8r351]

From late 2010 to sometime in 2012, I suffered from anxiety that was work-related and for which I got some treatment for. Part of the reason why I got back into video games was that it made me forget for a little while what it was I was worrying about, and it was one thing in my life I could control. I once stumbled on this picture and immediately liked it because it showed people how my anxiety felt to me when there wasn't anything else I could focus my mind on.

 

[DFailureK]

Does anyone else suffer from anxiety? I'm sure most do to some extent, mine got really out of hand a few years ago. It was making me physically ill almost every morning.

 

Don't worry, my friend.  You are not alone.  To this day, almost every morning in the shower, I find myself sick to my stomach.  It's work anxiety, it's stress related... this much I know.  I went from zero responsibility to practically running the department overnight (with a very mild increase in pay, I might add).   Though I remember going through the same kind of "what's wrong with my life" anxiety when I was unemployed so many years ago.  So I can't really win here.

 

I just don't know how to turn off the switch in my head that keeps me up all night.  Like the people I work with who tell me they sleep like babies lol.  It builds up and builds up over the course of the night, until 6:30am rolls around, I've tossed and turned all night and my stomach starts turning as well thinking about the day ahead of me.

Edited November 29, 2014 by DFailureK

[Lady Lilith]

I'm not sure if it's anxiety that causes my insomnia, but I can never just fall asleep, I'm always lying there thinking of something.

 

Also I get anxiety really bad whenever I have to make a major decision (I'm bad at choices), or about to make a major change somewhere.

 

That and both an episode where this one group of cyber bullies harassed me and barely let up for like, two years a few years back, and also being bullied and teased all through school has formed some really tough social anxienty in me I suppose, like I'm afraid and wary of meeting new people and making new friends, for fear they'll backstab me like what happened a few years back in the worst way possible.

[Jak]

What Tony said, before the line break, applies to me to.

[Beyondthegrave07]

I have really bad anxiety about getting my grades back in college for exams and projects or just taking them in general. It's so bad that I've been physically ill from it before...

[Sra-000]

When I have bad anxiety, about the only thing that really helps is getting up and doing something different--taking my mind off stuff. I've also had luck with deep breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth, and just concentrate only on that. Lots of people have some type of anxiety--you're definitely not alone!

[Krondelo]

I only really get panic attacks/phase out when I'm around crowds of people (especially in public transport as I feel trapped there, usually elsewhere if there's a crowd, I would do my best to avoid/get out of it), I have autism though, not social anxiety.

 

I think your problem may be that you're really afraid of death.  Is it always when death is being talked about that you feel this way?

 

Yes, perhaps I should've given some more examples but these two came to mind. I think a lot of it is just me being scared of death, I did lose a loved one before so this could be the cause. Another time, I was listening to a doctor list some side-effects of a drug he was about to administer to someone I love, when he started saying death and stuff I got the same anxiety.

 

I totally understand what you mean, but I relate to this part particularly.  In a similar vein, once I was randomly looking up 1970s serial killer cases and read pretty in-depth storylines of their lives.  I find the topic interesting, particularly the psychology of it, but afterwards I found I was really nervous and anxious for the rest of the day.  Hell, even just writing this now, I'm starting to feel a bit on edge.

 

I've been having these feelings for the last 2-3 years now, and I think it's safe to say I have some form of social anxiety.  A mild case, however.  What caused this I don't know, only thing I think could have been an influence was some severe bullying in my early school years.  I also notice I only get this panicky, anxious feeling when I'm alone, when I'm left to think to myself, so my mind runs off and concocts irrational and illogical situations.

 

However, through all this, I always find that listening to music I like, or spending time with family or friends makes all these frightening feelings wash away.  I hope you are coping well and don't forget you can always talk this out with people. Help is always available if needed!  

 

Thank you, and everyone else for your kind words. Your story certainly rings a bell for me, it doesn't necessarily have to be about death, but it's usually something pretty extreme that brings it on. Like I said I was reading about lsd, and having bad trips, this triggered my anxiety too. 

 

 I guess the truth of the matter is that anxiety can come about in many forms. I was reading about someone else, who thought it had something to do with the mental stimulation of reading. Which may exacerbate the situation as well. 

 

Video games certainly help take my mind away from anxiety!

[broy300]

After 6 years of trying to deal with my panic attacks, I finally went to my doctor and was prescribed some meds. They have turned my life around for the better. Stress messes with people in some crazy ways and I always recommend seeing someone now. If it's true anxiety/panic attacks they will not go away and all you are doing is making your life miserable. So yeah, I can completely relate.

[Bucknerd]

I was recently diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and, while I'm certain I have it, I differ in the fact that it seems to come on sporadically.  

 

For me the anxiety works as some sort of paralysis.  I'll be at work and freeze, quite literally.  I won''t be able to complete my task and my stomach feels horrible.  Admittedly the GAD might also be a symptom of my depression and past experiences but it has recently become a constant battle since I got my new job in late September.  My physician wrote me a script for Cymbalta a week ago and I honestly can't say right now if it's effected my depression or my GAD.

 

I write all this to say that you aren't alone and sometimes there doesn't have to be a reason or specific catalyst for what's happening to you.  As others have previously said it can be all of your experiences combined.  If it starts to effect the way you function day to day I encourage you to see a physician. 

In the meantime if video games help you feel better by all means indulge.  I used to feel guilty about the great amount of time I would game but I was reminded by my therapist that it's a way to self medicate sometimes.  Do whatever helps you!  Goodness knows without Animal Crossing (of all games) I wouldn't have made it through my father's death.  Sometimes getting lost in a gaming world is the best way to help ourselves function.

[Mog]

I've always had anxiety my whole life, so it's not just you. I get nervous when i'm (supposed to be) talking to people anywhere or when they interact with me in any way. Lilith expressed my exact feeling towards people, i'm too afraid they will turn out to be the "friends" i had in the past.

 

Sometimes my anxiety teams up with my depression and i just can't take the two together, it's unbearable. Every day there is a fight in my mind, it's like there an angel and a devil version of myself fightning each other and it destroys me from the inside.

 

Kinda like this:

 

Mixed with this: (God of War 3 spoiler!)

 

 

So you get the idea. 

[Krondelo]

Ahh, I think we can all relate to the first image Sakura.

[Yukiko Miyamoto]

I don't have any anxiety or panic attacks. Luckily my job is mostly talking to people.