[dolphinlover8]

I have so much anxiety and really need help dealing with it. Every time I go to work my stomach always hurts. Today was the worst. It usually doesn't hurt as much as it did today and I started crying before I left the house today because I was so nervous and had too much anxiety. When I go to other places by myself I sometimes don't even have any anxiety at all but other times its so much to the point where I can't even leave my house and I start crying. I get really nervous having a conversation with people if I'm not comfortable with them and try to avoid having to say anything to people unless I really have to. I have found that when I do talk to people I can't speak clearly because I'm so nervous. I am SO nervous to go back to school in September. I think about going back to school every day although it is still a month away. I do go to therapy but my therapist doesn't specialize in anxiety and ways of dealing with it. I have tried to have a conversation about it but she usually just ignores the fact that I have a lot of anxiety and talks about something else. Switching therapists isn't an option(my mom won't let me)

dolphinlover8 I'm very sorry to hear that you had a bad day with anxiety. Please find comfort in knowing that you are not alone in this battle. I actually had a terrible day at work due to me making a stupid mistake that caused my anxiety to sky rocket. It happened about 8 hours ago and I still have shaky hands and rapid heart beat from the ordeal. I know it will go away eventually but I sure hate when I go through this. I also have tons of anxiety when going out in public and when talking to people. I wish that I could just stay hidden in my bedroom and never have to go out. By the way I'll be 41 next week and I'm a single mother of 3 so I have to force myself to go out and work and deal with people because I have to work. I don't have a choice. I tell you this so that you know that young or old, many people have trouble with anxiety. I still haven't figured out how to deal with mine and it's been a lot of years of me going through this anxiety stress. I wish you the very best in finding help with yours. I know there are lots of great people here on PC that can offer up some great advice. Take care!

[dolphinlover8]

Wish it gets better for you. Sounds like you are very similar to how I am.

[poptart316]

I'm sorry that you get nervous, I can relate.

Thinking of you. PM me if you need to vent, etc. x

[Heather11]

I know how you feel. My entire school experience was a knot in my stomach and throat every morning and then during the weekend, anticipating the start of a new school week. It took all I had just to make it through until Friday.
I'm also very self conscious when having conversations, even later in my life, so I understand how you feel. I wish I had some great advice to help you overcome it. I hope you find your way through.

[dolphinlover8]

Yeah that's how I feel. It's hard. How did you overcome it or are you still trying to deal with it?

[smilinside]

I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder 17 years ago, but I think I've had it my entire life. Untreated, it is absolutely horrible and if it weren't for medication, I don't think I could survive. I am also in recovery from alcohol, pot and pills and when I got sober, I also got off pills. I fought going on medication for two years because I didn't want to take a step backward. Fortunately, my sponsor urged me to go back on medication and it's the best thing I've ever done for myself. I don't know why I fought it for so long. Over the years, I've had to switch around to different meds as they seem to lose effect with time, but there are lots of choices, so I'm ok. Sometimes I still get anxious about some circumstances but it passes. One thing that's especially helpful for me when anxiety hits is exercise. Going for a run is incredibly helpful to help expel that nervous energy and give my heart healthy stress. It doesn't have to be running, but exercise helps. If you're not on medication and have ongoing anxiety, I really recommend checking into it. If you're on medication and still feel anxious, maybe you need a different one. Good luck, anxiety sucks!

[dolphinlover8]

Thanks. I'm not taking any medication right now. I used to when I was little but I had a really bad experience caused by the side affects and am now kinda scared to take any medication for that reason. I did try saint johns wort last year but it didn't do much for me.

[smilinside]

Yeah, I'm really into natural healthcare too, but I have to say I've had zero luck with those types of things in handling my anxiety. It's a chemical imbalance in the brain - at least when it's constant. I had a bad experience with BuSpar, but I'm soooo glad I didn't give up. Honestly, taking one simple medication gave me my life back.

[dolphinlover8]

I would like to try to see if anything helps but I really don't want to take a chance with the side affects again. My old therapist recommend me to try saint johns wort. I am thinking about trying it again to see if it will help. I'm not exactly sure if it did anything the first time. If it did it was very little.

[smilinside]

That's fine. You may be able to find a way around medication. For me, not so much. Maybe as you work through things your anxiety will decrease. And of course, like I said, there's exercise.