Crippling Anxiety

[Turquoise95]

I have had crippling anxiety over the past couple weeks, to the point where I feel detached from what is going on right in front of me. It's so bad, I even get secondhand anxiety from watching certain situations play out on TV shows, like having dinner in a fancy restaurant. I broke down crying just from being around too many people and being overwhelmed. I also can't stop ruminating on past mistakes and decisions I've made. It's constant and it's mentally exhausting. I fixate on random things and memories. I don't know if I'm so anxious that it's gone full circle and I'm depressed, or if it is just extreme anxiety. The rumination is exhausting. Does anyone have a similar experience? What can help? Please, I don't know what to do.

 

[Snowfall 62]

I have had crippling anxiety over the past couple weeks, to the point where I feel detached from what is going on right in front of me. It's so bad, I even get secondhand anxiety from watching certain situations play out on TV shows, like having dinner in a fancy restaurant. I broke down crying just from being around too many people and being overwhelmed. I also can't stop ruminating on past mistakes and decisions I've made. It's constant and it's mentally exhausting. I fixate on random things and memories. I don't know if I'm so anxious that it's gone full circle and I'm depressed, or if it is just extreme anxiety. The rumination is exhausting. Does anyone have a similar experience? What can help? Please, I don't know what to do.

I want to reply to your post so you know you I care. I had a break down 3 1/2 years ago and was on meds for a little while but they made me sick. I never felt detached from my surroundings but the depression was so bad I felt like someone was holding me down in the recliner and I couldn't get up. My depression has let up but I still have racing thoughts that won't stop but as time has gone by I guess I have learned to deal with them a little bit.There are wonderful members on this forum who have so much experience in responding in helping people find a way to get help.

 

[Cassius]

I have had crippling anxiety over the past couple weeks, to the point where I feel detached from what is going on right in front of me. It's so bad, I even get secondhand anxiety from watching certain situations play out on TV shows, like having dinner in a fancy restaurant. I broke down crying just from being around too many people and being overwhelmed. I also can't stop ruminating on past mistakes and decisions I've made. It's constant and it's mentally exhausting. I fixate on random things and memories. I don't know if I'm so anxious that it's gone full circle and I'm depressed, or if it is just extreme anxiety. The rumination is exhausting. Does anyone have a similar experience? What can help? Please, I don't know what to do.

Hi T95,
Yes those ruminating thoughts are really exhausting. I get them aswel and I end up hating myself . Worse still, I then start thinking that the future will be catastrophic because of my mistakes in the past. So I do understand where you’re comming from. The question is what do you do ?
Firstly you’ve done a good thing by joining this forum. This shows you are trying to do something about the way you’re feeling and there’s a lot of people here who are in the same position as you and willing to provide some support.
The important thing is to seek help, there’s a lot out there that you can access. Have you tried speaking to someone, perhaps a friend or a counsellor. My counsellor told me that If I get a negative thought, I should take this thought to ‘court’. Meaning I should question it to see if there is any truth behind the thought. This has helped me as I found that I’m not as bad a person as my anxiety is telling me. Hang in there ! Cas

 

[soul searching]

Hi Turquoise95! For me personally, I have had to change pretty much everything. Had to find a way(with my voice it is very hard) to get more sleep, start exercising, start meditating, eating fruits and vegetables, praying. The most important possibly, still a daily thing, is changing the way I think. Have to force the bad thinking out. I try to do this with divergents like music(the best for me),movies, basically anything engaging the mind-socializing is another. Also be on guard for when the bad thoughts come, be aware of them, then force yourself to either turn those thoughts to a positive, more understanding, and kinder to yourself pattern. If that doesn't work, drop the topic of the bad thinking altogether(you can come back to it when you are feeling healthy enough), and think about something you like about yourself or just like. This is my ongoing struggle. It is getting better.

 

[Turquoise95]

Hi T95,
Yes those ruminating thoughts are really exhausting. I get them aswel and I end up hating myself . Worse still, I then start thinking that the future will be catastrophic because of my mistakes in the past. So I do understand where you’re comming from. The question is what do you do ?
Firstly you’ve done a good thing by joining this forum. This shows you are trying to do something about the way you’re feeling and there’s a lot of people here who are in the same position as you and willing to provide some support.
The important thing is to seek help, there’s a lot out there that you can access. Have you tried speaking to someone, perhaps a friend or a counsellor. My counsellor told me that If I get a negative thought, I should take this thought to ‘court’. Meaning I should question it to see if there is any truth behind the thought. This has helped me as I found that I’m not as bad a person as my anxiety is telling me. Hang in there ! Cas

I have a therapy appointment next week but I really couldn't wait that long. I spoke to a psychiatrist but they said only therapy would be necessary, which I disagreed. I need my medication, because I still think this is some form of long-term withdrawal and it's severely affecting me.

 

[Turquoise95]

Hi Turquoise95! For me personally, I have had to change pretty much everything. Had to find a way(with my voice it is very hard) to get more sleep, start exercising, start meditating, eating fruits and vegetables, praying. The most important possibly, still a daily thing, is changing the way I think. Have to force the bad thinking out. I try to do this with divergents like music(the best for me),movies, basically anything engaging the mind-socializing is another. Also be on guard for when the bad thoughts come, be aware of them, then force yourself to either turn those thoughts to a positive, more understanding, and kinder to yourself pattern. If that doesn't work, drop the topic of the bad thinking altogether(you can come back to it when you are feeling healthy enough), and think about something you like about yourself or just like. This is my ongoing struggle. It is getting better.

Thank you. This helps. I greatly appreciate it. I try to distract myself through music although it's a bit hard because the depression made me lose interest in doing things. I'm slowly improving, I think.

 

[jajingna]

I've been having ruminations/obsessive thinking as well for the past six months, like it's there with more or less intensity (?) often throughout my waking hours. It feeds off anxiety or causes it, not sure really how that all works, but it sure is annoying. It's mainly just one memory from 8 damn years ago. Pretty frustrating I can't seem to get past this, something I never even thought about much at all till last summer and now it seems so significant. But I'm not sure if the content is so important, like what the thoughts are about, or if the anxiety that goes with it is the main problem..

 

[HLon99]

I used to suffer from panic attacks and still to to some extent continue to struggle with anxiety. Medication of course has its place in treating mental illnesses, but I do think that in some cases it is overprescribed. Antidepressants have only proven to relieve moderate to severe cases of anxiety and depression. For the milder spectrum it has no better effect than placebo. Also, benzos such as Valium or Xanax are addictive and harmful, avoid like the plague. Of course I don't live inside your head so I don't know how bad you feel, but if your psychiatrist suggests that you should try going without then maybe its worth considering.

I think that self-help along with therapy is the key to handling anxiety. Try incorporating healthy practises in your life such as exercise and mindfulness. Eliminate unhealthy habits such as drinking, smoking and excessive caffeine intake. Engage with the therapy. Work with your therpist to unlock and unchain you from the route of your negative thinking. And a personal favourite of mine is always keep yourself occupied. Part of staying sane is staying busy. When you live life without a purpose you will always find yourself riddled with anxiety.

If all else fails, or if your condition gets work e.g. panic attacks or thoughts of harming yourself, then the medication will always be there for you. Believe me there are no shortage of doctors willing to prescribe them these days.

 

[soul searching]

I used to suffer from panic attacks and still to to some extent continue to struggle with anxiety. Medication of course has its place in treating mental illnesses, but I do think that in some cases it is overprescribed. Antidepressants have only proven to relieve moderate to severe cases of anxiety and depression. For the milder spectrum it has no better effect than placebo. Also, benzos such as Valium or Xanax are addictive and harmful, avoid like the plague. Of course I don't live inside your head so I don't know how bad you feel, but if your psychiatrist suggests that you should try going without then maybe its worth considering.

I think that self-help along with therapy is the key to handling anxiety. Try incorporating healthy practises in your life such as exercise and mindfulness. Eliminate unhealthy habits such as drinking, smoking and excessive caffeine intake. Engage with the therapy. Work with your therpist to unlock and unchain you from the route of your negative thinking. And a personal favourite of mine is always keep yourself occupied. Part of staying sane is staying busy. When you live life without a purpose you will always find yourself riddled with anxiety.

If all else fails, or if your condition gets work e.g. panic attacks or thoughts of harming yourself, then the medication will always be there for you. Believe me there are no shortage of doctors willing to prescribe them these days.

Great advice!

 

[HLon99]

Great advice!

Thanks

 

[YogiLife]

I can relate to a lot of this, it really is crippling.

For me, reading the happiness trap by russ Harris, engaging in regular meditation and beginning counselling has provided a useful foundation for me to start working through these and enables me to observe what is happening in my head and body more.