" I have Anxiety" ( feeling worried, nervousness, or unease, typically about imminent treats or something with an uncertain outcome.), these are phrases we hear every day, said casually in the course of conversations. Then there are those who live with the reality of anxiety on a daily bases, they try to cope with simple tasks like brushing their teeth, where every situation is an endeavor, the only invariable and certainty are the voices in their head telling them there is "danger". People with the disorder live there days hoping that they will be able to survive the next attack. They look like everyone else, they do not carry their fears and their panics on their face. They hold a mask they spend years to perfect, hoping not to be discovered and ostracized.
This blog is not about the clinical aspect of this illness, it is about the daily struggles of those who live with anxiety/panic disorder. I would like for the reader to have a basic understanding of what it takes to live with clinical anxiety and panic attacks on a daily basis. If you are someone who suffers from general anxiety disorder (GAD) or has a family member or a friend with this disorder you know that I am bearly scratching the surface of how debilitating that it is for everyone involved. There is not much one can do but be there, let them manage the attacks, let them know that they have to just hold on until the crisis passes and that you love them.
How to know if you have an anxiety disorder?
Here are two situations, These are two girls living the same events.
Ana has an upcoming job interview, she is stress but continues her day as usual.
Myriam has the same interview, she is stressing about it all day, without being able to concentrate on any other task.
Ana had her interview, before her interview she is anxious, but during her interview, she finds her composure and she is finally relieved once it is done, she feels confidente it went well. Myriam was anxious all night, she thinks of all the things that can go wrong, her heart is palpitating, her hands are shaking, she feels dizzy, she feels she is not going to be able to go through with the interview, she is convinced she will not get the job. After the interview, she goes over it compulsively, challenging her answers.
Ana invites Myriam for a get-together. Myriam rejects the invitation because she is worried she is going to be awkward and make a fool of herself. She spends the day analyzing everything she said to Ana. She thinks how she must have embarrassed herself, her thoughts always brings her back to the worst possible outcome.
Ana has a normal level of anxiety, Myriam is overcome with continued anxiety. Myriam is in a constant state of irrational unfounded danger. She analyses every situation perpetually.
There is no definitive determination on what causes anxiety. Psychotherapy and medication help some to manage the symptoms but it will still be a life of struggle.
I came across a Youtuber who films his anxiety for a year. I would like to thank him to have the courage to put himself out there and expose his vulnerability, making himself a target for the haters...
sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/
This blog is not about the clinical aspect of this illness, it is about the daily struggles of those who live with anxiety/panic disorder. I would like for the reader to have a basic understanding of what it takes to live with clinical anxiety and panic attacks on a daily basis. If you are someone who suffers from general anxiety disorder (GAD) or has a family member or a friend with this disorder you know that I am bearly scratching the surface of how debilitating that it is for everyone involved. There is not much one can do but be there, let them manage the attacks, let them know that they have to just hold on until the crisis passes and that you love them.
How to know if you have an anxiety disorder?
Here are two situations, These are two girls living the same events.
Ana has an upcoming job interview, she is stress but continues her day as usual.
Myriam has the same interview, she is stressing about it all day, without being able to concentrate on any other task.
Ana had her interview, before her interview she is anxious, but during her interview, she finds her composure and she is finally relieved once it is done, she feels confidente it went well. Myriam was anxious all night, she thinks of all the things that can go wrong, her heart is palpitating, her hands are shaking, she feels dizzy, she feels she is not going to be able to go through with the interview, she is convinced she will not get the job. After the interview, she goes over it compulsively, challenging her answers.
Ana invites Myriam for a get-together. Myriam rejects the invitation because she is worried she is going to be awkward and make a fool of herself. She spends the day analyzing everything she said to Ana. She thinks how she must have embarrassed herself, her thoughts always brings her back to the worst possible outcome.
Ana has a normal level of anxiety, Myriam is overcome with continued anxiety. Myriam is in a constant state of irrational unfounded danger. She analyses every situation perpetually.
There is no definitive determination on what causes anxiety. Psychotherapy and medication help some to manage the symptoms but it will still be a life of struggle.
I came across a Youtuber who films his anxiety for a year. I would like to thank him to have the courage to put himself out there and expose his vulnerability, making himself a target for the haters...
This illustrates very well anxiety attacks, it is invisible, real only to the person who lives it.
I am the mother of a beautiful girl who has been suffering from Anxiety/Panic Disorder. my daughter (taylorcyanjohnson.com) has Severe Anxiety/Panic disorder since age five. Her anxiety is so severe that she has OCD to cope with the constant fear and thoughts of looming danger, death, and failure. During high school and her college (RISD) years, she fooled everyone; her schoolmate finds her beautiful, talented, but they took her shyness, her reclusiveness, her avoidance of social gatherings for pretentiousness. Behind closed doors, her struggles were unbearable, she could not pick her clothes, she could not pick a pencil or decide what to eat because she worried about being sick. While in college she went alone to the emergency room several times thinking she was dying because of hearth palpitation and shortness of breath ...She was not able to sustain a constant friendship or relationship, trying to keep her illness a secret, she alienated herself by not following up with friendships, or relationships for weeks on end because of her anxiety. . . At 27, she is a freelance artist, trying to make her mark and have her voice heard. There too, her anxiety, her fears of failing to reach people's expectation is holding her back.
She tried medications which made her sluggish, she tried cognitive behavior therapy but did not see the sense of it, she tried yoga, holistic medication... nothing worked. Her struggles are still daily, she is now learning to manage her symptoms.
As her mother I suffer seen her pain, I have to accept that this is going to be her life, I can only wish that she doesn't give up on herself when it gets unendurable, I will be there for her as long as I live. I am reminding her that it is going to be ok, that she will win the battle, she will silence the voices in her head telling her she is not good enough, beautiful enough, smart enough, I hope one day she can look at the mirror and see her true self.
If you have a family member with anxiety/panic/OCD how do you care for them?
Share your experiences, let's open the dialogue.
sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/
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