Does Anybody Else Here Suffer From Anxiety?

[JohnsonDDG]

Sadly had to go back onto meds today.

I can handle the mental strain but I get physical symptoms: muscle spasms and twitching, heart racing, shortness of breath, nausea, and tingling in the feet.

My stress/anxiety isn't just hair loss based: its from work, money, health, relationships, and hair loss.

I've only had an attack as bad as this where I needed meds once before during university exams.

At the moment I use beta blockers over sri's because the beta blockers just calm your symptoms down and make you feel relaxed as apposed to making chemical changes to your neurology.

Last time I took the beta blockers, worked through my issues, took a holiday, and a month later I was fine.

Hopefully this time will be okay as well.

Anyone else had genuine anxiety issues as well?

 

[SmoothSailing]

Pop some xanax on bad days and I'm grand.

 

[JohnsonDDG]

Pop some xanax on bad days and I'm grand.

Can you go to work and perform normal tasks with Xanax?

 

[blackg]

Sadly had to go back onto meds today.

I can handle the mental strain but I get physical symptoms: muscle spasms and twitching, heart racing, shortness of breath, nausea, and tingling in the feet.

My stress/anxiety isn't just hair loss based: its from work, money, health, relationships, and hair loss.

I've only had an attack as bad as this where I needed meds once before during university exams.

At the moment I use beta blockers over sri's because the beta blockers just calm your symptoms down and make you feel relaxed as apposed to making chemical changes to your neurology.

Last time I took the beta blockers, worked through my issues, took a holiday, and a month later I was fine.

Hopefully this time will be okay as well.

Anyone else had genuine anxiety issues as well?

Sorry to hear this, mate. I didn't know you suffered anxiety regarding other areas of your life.

 

[JohnsonDDG]

I know my stuff when it comes to anxiety, being quite high in neuroticism (75th percentile, so there's definitely worse than me), I'm in a position where I could never tolerate too much uncertainty or chaos in my life.

So picture me at the age of 20, badly balding, which affects my academic performance, makes me wonder if I'll ever be able to get a girlfriend (I still was a virgin), everything spirals down pretty quickly, soon you lose friends because you're a depressed and anxious mess. And then on top of it all, there was my latent atheism which turned into full-blown nihilism because of my modern literature course at my university who was basically hammering the point that there was no truth, no good, no evil, no right path, that existence was meaningless and pointless. That also drove me to harmful ideologies and conspiracy theories to fill my intellectual and spiritual void: bogus natural treatments for hair loss, veganism, fad diets, pick-up artists, hedonism, etc.

The culmination of my anxiety was during the summer of 2010: my mind became sort of structureless and I was putting everything into question: the way I was eating, authority figures (on hair loss and in general), science, my beliefs, my thought process, my aspirations, my goals, my future. Everything quickly became a threat, I sank into a black hole, and the result was a string of horrendous panic attacks, the kind that makes you want to jump out the window to make the intense suffering stop.

The cure for me was to reverse all those harmful dogmas that I had fallen for. The first step is to adopt adopt a pragmatic view of the world and to make a plan based on what truly works and has always worked, and of course I'm going to go full Jordan Peterson here: make a plan, make a tight schedule, wake up at the same time every day, eat healthy (that means no veganism and no fad diets!), eat a high-protein breakfast, decrease your consumption of carbs, lift weights, find a long-term partner (there is no such thing as casual sex), fix yourself, try to fix your family, maintain your social life, get kids, pick a religion or a spirituality to prevent your mind from being parasitized by harmful ideologies, recognize that good, evil, heaven and hell are way too real, possibly more real than anything else. Do what's good for you, your family and society in a manner that it will be good today, tomorrow, next week, in ten years. And pick up hobbies, challenges that are difficult and rewarding.

Ultimately, it's a leap of faith, you can put into question everything I'm suggesting here and say "nah I don't think it's going to be good for me", you won't know until you try. I know it worked for me and thousands of people, to the point that my anxiety has been dramatically reduced. Events that would have floored me a few years ago barely affect me these days. But make no mistake, the problem of problems will never go away, you'll still feel anxious from time to time, but if you adopt the mode of being I've described, you'll be way, way more efficient at dealing with those problems that are bound to occur.

That seems like solid advice. I agree with your points and I think I'm inclined to agree with Peterson as well. You know I'm on the fence about the kids - but all the other factors seems very sensible and full of logic.

Onto my anxiety

Some of my stresses are logical:

- short term money issue (owe money for a bike I crashed last year)
- working a lot of hours teaching - and I'm really struggling with the younger learners (I'm fine with children 8 and above)
- want to find a woman to settle down with, but cant find anyone who's good for me
- hair loss

Some are illogical:

- health anxiety: i'm terrified of ALS, MS, and having a stroke and often get panicked about it.
- self criticism and berating myself for small flaws

Some are theoretical:

- should I have kids (or a vasectomy)
- what country should I live in


But all in all they tend to cumulate sometimes and then I get these extreme bouts of anxiety and illness
- should I get a masters

 

[blackg]

Kids or vasectomy? Vasectomy.

 

[Roberto_72]

I really find it difficult to believe that someone who is suffering from moderate to serious hair loss does not also suffer from depression or anxiety.

Hair loss is a part of our body saying bye-bye.
It is a loss in every sense.

 

[Saurabhaj]

That seems like solid advice. I agree with your points and I think I'm inclined to agree with Peterson as well. You know I'm on the fence about the kids - but all the other factors seems very sensible and full of logic.

Onto my anxiety

Some of my stresses are logical:

- short term money issue (owe money for a bike I crashed last year)
- working a lot of hours teaching - and I'm really struggling with the younger learners (I'm fine with children 8 and above)
- want to find a woman to settle down with, but cant find anyone who's good for me
- hair loss

Some are illogical:

- health anxiety: i'm terrified of ALS, MS, and having a stroke and often get panicked about it.
- self criticism and berating myself for small flaws

Some are theoretical:

- should I have kids (or a vasectomy)
- what country should I live in


But all in all they tend to cumulate sometimes and then I get these extreme bouts of anxiety and illness
- should I get a masters

I think here law do not permit vasectomy on man who do not have a child.

 

[Joan]

That seems like solid advice. I agree with your points and I think I'm inclined to agree with Peterson as well. You know I'm on the fence about the kids - but all the other factors seems very sensible and full of logic.

Onto my anxiety

Some of my stresses are logical:

- short term money issue (owe money for a bike I crashed last year)
- working a lot of hours teaching - and I'm really struggling with the younger learners (I'm fine with children 8 and above)
- want to find a woman to settle down with, but cant find anyone who's good for me
- hair loss

Some are illogical:

- health anxiety: i'm terrified of ALS, MS, and having a stroke and often get panicked about it.
- self criticism and berating myself for small flaws

Some are theoretical:

- should I have kids (or a vasectomy)
- what country should I live in


But all in all they tend to cumulate sometimes and then I get these extreme bouts of anxiety and illness
- should I get a masters

I've suffered from hypochondria for a long time, and, like you, ALS has always been at the top of my list (I'm knocking on wood just typing it). Twice I swore I had it, so much so that I went over blinking signals (one blink, yes; two, no, etc.) with my husband. Nuts, huh? Whenever I'm "dying" from something, I start getting rid of things so my family won't have to do it when I'm gone. I find it oddly therapeutic. And sometimes I exposed myself to unnecessary radiation, only to find nothing was ever wrong, so I worry about that now. I think neurological illnesses are so scary because they eventually incapacitate you, whereas with cancer, you still have movement and speech (cancer is a huge fear too, though). I've been taking a benzo off and on for many years for bouts of insomnia, but I do take one when I'm especially anxious, though I avoid doing so as much as possible. They can be addictive for some, and if you take benzos regularly, your body can build up a tolerance. Losing my hair has had one benefit, though: I focus more on that than illnesses. Antidepressants did not help me much, and I'm too worried that eventually, like all the ads on TV, they'll find something awful that the medication caused. An occasional benzo works for me the best, as I'd rather not take something every day. Maybe that may work for you too. Plus, even just one good person in your life to talk to can be a godsend.

 

[Calchas]

I'm so taken over by anxiety,that i feel it's anxiety who suffers from me,than me suffering from anxiety.
In my case, i guess it has more of an existential background than situational.
Even in periods when everything was going well for me,i was feeling that black holes were opening around me wanting to devour me.
I remember in school,when my crush of 2 years,and the crash of all the boys of the school,the unapproachable Super Stacy,approached me and asked me to be in a relationship with her.I should have felt the happiest guy in the world and yet,i felt nothing and i rejected her.
I know,what the f*** is wrong with me...That's what i keep asking myself.
It's like someone wants to prevent me from enjoying life...And i haven't morally guiltified pleasure in any way...Quite the opposite.
Of course, i have no tips or advice to give on how to overcome anxiety,but i'm an expert in giving guidance on how to completely drown in it.

 

[sunchyme1]

im gonna order some valium over the weekend

sh*t is amazing

 

[shookwun]

Why are drugs always the first resort for people?

Have you tried meditating, going to the gym, and reading self-help books.

Counselling, and cognitive behavioural therapy?

people are so quick to jump to drugs, yet there anxiety will never truly go away unless they eliminate the mental aspect of it.

Going to gym can easily give a few hours of relief.

Jordan Peterson recommends - full protein breakfest every morning, Go to bed and wake up at the same time, cleaning your house,. Getting up early, and allowing a lot of time before you go to work. All of this helps in mitigating anxiety, in which I have experienced both physically, and mentally. I swear by this routine, and I am seeing a difference. yet couple months ago I was googling around all the drugs everyone else preaches.

Swallow all the skittles you want, but it will never truly fix your anxiety until you face your fears, and seek mental treatment in the forms that i already mentioned.

I have taken these drugs before, and it did sh*t. Once they wear off, or you decide you are tired of taking them. Your insecurities will come back. Its a cope...

whether you stress out or not, it doesn't change anything. Nobody wants to accept the truth that they need mental help. I to was in this position.

 

[Joan]

Having a moderately grounded partner who's not afraid to be honest with you is also a great way to remain sane. It takes a while to find the right person, but if you date regularly, have your sh*t together and realistic standards, you should get there at a point.

This has been true for me through the years, Fred, and it sounds like you've found your "rock" in life too.

 

[Joan]

Why are drugs always the first resort for people?

Have you tried meditating, going to the gym, and reading self-help books.

Counselling, and cognitive behavioural therapy?

people are so quick to jump to drugs, yet there anxiety will never truly go away unless they eliminate the mental aspect of it.

Going to gym can easily give a few hours of relief.

Jordan Peterson recommends - full protein breakfest every morning, Go to bed and wake up at the same time, cleaning your house,. Getting up early, and allowing a lot of time before you go to work. All of this helps in mitigating anxiety, in which I have experienced both physically, and mentally. I swear by this routine, and I am seeing a difference. yet couple months ago I was googling around all the drugs everyone else preaches.

Swallow all the skittles you want, but it will never truly fix your anxiety until you face your fears, and seek mental treatment in the forms that i already mentioned.

I have taken these drugs before, and it did sh*t. Once they wear off, or you decide you are tired of taking them. Your insecurities will come back. Its a cope...

whether you stress out or not, it doesn't change anything. Nobody wants to accept the truth that they need mental help. I to was in this position.

I agree that drugs shouldn't be the first resort. Your suggestions are excellent and well worth trying with 100% effort and patience before resorting to meds. Unfortunately, anxiety and worries just seem to have a stranglehold on some of us. The brief periods when I did take antidepressants, I worked with them and didn't depend on them alone. I'm glad to read you're in a much better place these days. Hopefully, many here will get there too.

 

[Dirty_Harry]

Does any of you have really (I mean really) difficult time to get to sleep?

 

[Calchas]

Yes, I always was an anxious person... picturing bad things. When something comes up I go straight to the negative outcome.
At one point in my life, this anxiety built up because I was overwelmed : exams + job + this weird feeling that I am never cool when I am with people... I started to have palpitations at uni, but it got worst and I had a panic attack. When it happened I thought I was having heart attack. So I was telling myself : "okay, you are having a heart attack, go hide" and I locked myself in the toilets. While there I had this weird moment when I felt I was looking at myself from above (had hair at the time ), then I came back to my body, unlocked myself and went to my epistemology exam!lol
On the way back home that day I realised that my main concern was to not be seen while what I thought was me dying... and I realised it was like crazy. I was literally ashamed of "dying" or at least being seen this vulnerable. I realised I had probably a deep issue with other people opinion about me and even my simple coexistence with them.
This attack was traumatic - even though I did not realised it at the time. It printed some doubt about my hability to deal with the outside world. I started getting anxious in public space more and more often. My sight would get blurry, the ground would feel like in a little heartquacke... soon enough, I started staying more and more locked at home. At one point I could not approach my door without starting to get nauseous and could not leave my place anymore. A friend called my dad to come pick me up, he thought he had to pick me up at the train station... had no idea, and then this friend told him I had not been out for weeks basically and he came pick me up and brought me back to my parents house where I stayed for some month.
It took me a year to overcome my agoraphobia and as I am writing this I am still not "normal". I overthing things when I have to go out, delay, make excuses, can't drink alcohol if there are more than 4 people (I am afraid of groups of people), pass out if I see someone feeling nauseous, etc.
Somehow I learned by myselfhow to manage my anxiety - dedicating my time to others or work or sport. If I start thinking about myself too long, the idea of simply existing and all the bad things, the suffering, the fears it brings... ultimately the thinking of my loved ones disappearing and all this anxious existence stopping can make me cry for hours...

I would say that my hair loss does not cause me anxiety so much, but it surely causes me sadness, "depression" so to speak and the willing to lock myself in the house.

I remember when i was in school(6-8 years old),i was having derealization episodes and panic attacks and everyone around me was stunned as to what is going on with me....And there was a beautiful teacher in her early thirties, who was giving me tight hugs until i was calmed down(sick with benefits),and i remember how well it felt...it was really working!

I think that some people are biologically wired in such a way,that they need a constant reconfirmation by a benevolent and undisputed force,that everything is going to be alright.

 

[Joan]

Boxe thaï is what works the best for me. Release from stress, anger, etc. I always felt low energy on antidepressant

They didn't have that effect on me. I was unable to cry, though; that's about it. I have a small (only 10 hours/week), part-time job, and I love seeing everyone in the neighborhood where I work. It does take my mind off things. I think once my younger son graduates high school and finishes college, I won't feel as stressed. We are dealing with two health issues, and I just want both kids to be on their own if/when things get worse. That would be a huge relief.

 

[Joan]

To each their own way to relax... one just have to find what works for them. Felling your body (even through some pain) is good. I really hope health issues are not too bad Joan you are such a sweet person. All the best to you and your loved ones

True about feeling "good" pain. I miss the days (so long ago) when I could lift heavy and feel sore the next day when I increased the weights. Maybe I ought to look into Boxe thaï--probably better for me at my age! You're really a wealth of information, Pas. I do understand your need to take a break from the forums sometimes, though, but I do miss your posts when you're away. Really. You're so interesting and funny, even through your sadness. Thanks for your well wishes. You're one in a million.

 

[buckthorn]

Why are drugs always the first resort for people?

Have you tried meditating, going to the gym, and reading self-help books.

Counselling, and cognitive behavioural therapy?

people are so quick to jump to drugs, yet there anxiety will never truly go away unless they eliminate the mental aspect of it.

Going to gym can easily give a few hours of relief.

Jordan Peterson recommends - full protein breakfest every morning, Go to bed and wake up at the same time, cleaning your house,. Getting up early, and allowing a lot of time before you go to work. All of this helps in mitigating anxiety, in which I have experienced both physically, and mentally. I swear by this routine, and I am seeing a difference. yet couple months ago I was googling around all the drugs everyone else preaches.

Swallow all the skittles you want, but it will never truly fix your anxiety until you face your fears, and seek mental treatment in the forms that i already mentioned.

I have taken these drugs before, and it did sh*t. Once they wear off, or you decide you are tired of taking them. Your insecurities will come back. Its a cope...

whether you stress out or not, it doesn't change anything. Nobody wants to accept the truth that they need mental help. I to was in this position.

I was about to type a long post, but Shook did it for me. This ^. I have known MANY people, including half my family who regularly take xanax, paxil, etc... it ruins them more than it helps. it's temporary and taking that garbage everyday is very very dangerous. it NEVER addresses the underlying problem. It's like have a mold issue in your house and wearing a mask. You, as a person HAVE to try and conquer these issues. I know I am still dealing with a lot of them. the gym helps, A LOT. getting out in nature helps, A LOT. meditating helps. moving to a location where you're not overwhelmed with people and status helps A LOT.

 

[buckthorn]

True about feeling "good" pain. I miss the days (so long ago) when I could lift heavy and feel sore the next day when I increased the weights. Maybe I ought to look into Boxe thaï--probably better for me at my age! You're really a wealth of information, Pas. I do understand your need to take a break from the forums sometimes, though, but I do miss your posts when you're away. Really. You're so interesting and funny, even through your sadness. Thanks for your well wishes. You're one in a million.

oh my god you're back. I missed you. <3