I had anxiety from early on in age, I know I had it longer then when I was diagnosed with it at the age of 16.. I remember being anxious when I was really young and my parents would go out for dinner, if they were 1 minute late I'd start crying and panicking thinking something happened to them... that happened alot.

Anxiety can be crippling, but if you put your foot forward in little baby steps you can over come it. No one wants anxiety to rule them. It ruled me for so many years, where I'd panic, i'd get so scared to do something that I'd curl up in a ball and cry hysterically. That got so bad, and my depression got so bad at the age of 15 before I met my psychiatrist I went for catscans the whole sha-bang, I was a hermit living in my room for close to a year, not changing from my pajama's. sleep alot, never let my house for anything.

You'd have to drag me, and still I'd find away out of it.

I avoided any and every situation that caused me great anxiety. One day I realized that I was tired of being anxiety ridden to go to a friends house around the corner from my house. I was tired of not being able to go camping, to parties, to peoples houses for supper. So when I was ready to nip this in the butt my psychiatrist helped me, and I had to take alot of backwards steps before I could make alot of forward steps. 8 years it took me to be where I am now... 8 years it took to learn postive self talk to the point where it actually worked.

One book that turned my thinking pattern around, that helped me with my anxiety was the book Don't Panic by R.Reid Wilson, PH.D.. I've never had a book effect me in such a postive way ..... Great read. I should re-read it.

Anxiety use to control my life for so many years, and enough was enough, now I control it... IT doesn't stop me from going outside, camping, sleeping somewhere that isn't home. I can go anywhere I want. I get anxiety every time that I go somewhere, but I can pretty much tell it to go away now and it does. No matter how bad the symptoms are I Remind myself that it's just the anticipatory anxiety.

Another thing that I Mis-understood and I bet you guys all that you've done the exact same this. Is thinking that excitment is anxiety. They feel the exact same way as anxiety does, so every time we feel anxious about doing something ... and you ask yourself why you are feeling this way, why be anxious when you are looking forward to doing something so much? You are excited, excited is what it is and not always anxiety. Alot of people automatically assume that it's anxiousness when in fact it is the exact opposite.

Therapy, meds, exposure to the thread, books like Don't Panic and The anxiety & phobia workbook by Edmund J Bourne, PH.D , friends, family, loved ones. I am no longer plaged with panic attacks and fear so bad whereI thought i'd die.

It took me 8 years to accomplish postive self talk to the point where it actually worked. It takes time, alot of practice and paitents. It's not easy to do but it can be done I never thought i'd ever be able to do the things that I am doing now, but I am and I refuse to let anxiety take over my life ever again.

Anxiety doesn't control me, I control the anxiety.

The motto that I know live by.
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<font color=blue>"Never react emotionally to criticism. Analyze yourself to determine whether it is justified. If it is, correct yourself. Otherwise, go on about your business."</font color=blue>

<font color=black>Norman Vincent Peale</font color=black>