Hi Grey,

You mentioned that you feel OK on waking and then the anxiety kicks in. I used to keep a diary to record my ups and downs, do you do that?

The thing about the constant nature of GAD, I guess it is with us all the time at some level. I have worked to reduce mine, with some success, using CBT techniques. My own take on this, and it is only a personal view, is that CBT is the only way to go in the end. There comes a point when you just have go there.

Again, Grey, this is only one view, something that worked for me. Three years ago I couldn't sit in friends house for more than 3 minutes without feeling trapped and having to leave. Two weeks ago I was performing poetry in a London club as a named guest. How terrifying is that!

But the anxiety is still with me; the only difference between then and now is CBT and breathing techniques. Now I have learned to go through it, and the act of doing that somehow reduces the problem. That first time when you don't give in, when you say "No, I'm not going to run!" is an important day.

When anxiety is acute, like yours is now, it feels like it will never end, like we are powerless. I know that feeling so very well, and, for now at least, I have learned how to fight it.

It can be done, with the right CBT therapist, or even working on your own, it is possible to get your life back.

Peaceful thoughts to you, Myzen

PS - In fact, anxiety got so bad with me that I was waking in the night and having to walk the streets compulsively. Sometimes I would retch and vomit. The battleground was in my bed. I had to stay in the bed, and take the anxiety. It started to reduce when I refused to budge, gradually I won back my ground, inch by inch.