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HALLIEBETH87 said:
im nervous about everything....
walking to my car from my house & driving away
walking in/out of work and thru the halls
writing, eating, and walking in front of people
i think everyones talking about me 24/7
driving in front of me/or people with me
going to stores, drive thrus...anywhere basically!
crowds, meetings, my bosses
why am i always so stressing? gah. its hard for me to work. im panicky/anxious all the time....im not sure if im having panic attacks but it feels like it.
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To a degree it's very normal, in the sense that all people, indeed, all creatures, panic and feel anxiety. It's a way we stay alive and fulfill our evolutionary duties, if you will. On the other hand, anxiety is something that can get out of control, especially when you start creating situations in your mind that aren't realistic and then responding to them. It sounds like that's what you're doing, yes?
Is it "normal?" It's something that's grown out of something that's very normal, that seems to have just flared up a little bit, but I think it is. Some people worry about their kids or their money or their cars because they want to hold onto the things that give them comfort. You're doing the same thing, just in a different realm.
I deal with anxiety on a pretty normal basis. The best thing I've found is to:
1) Realize that you really have nothing to be ashamed about. Everyone suffers with anxiety. EVERYONE. While you worry about your things, they worry about their's. If you take a sec and look around, you'll see people are almost constantly worrying, albeit on a subconscious level. You're perhaps in better shape because you're sensitive to it and have the guts to acknowledge that you're experiencing this discomfort.
2) Find out what you're afraid of and just care for yourself just like you had a friend who was confessing all HIS/HER fears to you. Be gentle with yourself. Keep practicing. You can start alone in private and then practice in public as you feel your fears arise. Once you start to explore that state of mind, you can start making decisions for yourself on how to best create your own therapy, though you'll already have done a majority of the work.
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