New To this Forum

Hello,

I just wanted to say that I feel terrible for what everyone is going through, but in a sense, it makes me feel better to know that I am not alone, specially since with anxiety you feel so alone and in dispair. I Don't know the extent of my anxiety, but I get constant thoughts of " what if...what if....." and I just don't like it. They come and go now and then, and today even knowing that I have a cold, the slightest tingle in my head places my heart at full alert, and it takes me a while to relax. I dislike the feeling of dispair and have tried " non-prescription" methods and I guess I have come to consider taking anti-deppresants.

To tell you a bit about myself, I am 31 yearls old, have been unemployed for one year due to the economic recession which severly hit the oil and gas industry, but I have been upgrading courses , being busy and social. I got recently engaged to a wonderful woman and we have our entire life together to look forward to. But recenlty an old enemy has shown up, way stronger than before. I have woken up severl times in the previous months with my heart at full speed and with that dreadfull feeling of a panic attack. Every little bad feeling and my mind starts its " what if..what if" loop which drives me crazy. It begun in 2005 with several panic attacks, but it lay dormant until now, and I know I am under a lot of stress, but I don't want this feeling anymore. I am seriously  considering going on anti depressants, but I dont want to be dependant on them, but then I don't want to feel like I feel right now.

I guess I just want to people who are going through what I am going through and hopefully we can find ways to help eachother.

As I mentioned I am new here, and I am hoping to talk with as many of you as possible so I can better understand this horrible feeling that dwells in me and hopefully I can find a solution. I wont ask " how can I get cured?", becasue deep down under all that anxiety, I know that the only person that can control the feeling its me, but it is soooo much easier said than done.

I look forward in sharing with you guys and hopefully we can all work this out together :)

Hello Stress,
I'd like to extend a warm welcome to you on your first visit to Healing Well!

It feels to me like you have what I do........ anticipatory anxiety...the "What ifs?".

Anticipatory anxiety is the anxiety one experiences before starting a challenging activity. Most often, anticipatory anxiety is a lot higher than what you actually end up experiencing.

Why do we experience anticipatory anxiety? I think it’s because the panic response is over-zealous about doing its job: trying to locate any danger, in order to protect us. When it can’t find any danger in the present, it looks into the future. Sometimes, the only possible “danger” it can find is something you haven't done yet!

Each time you actually start the new activity – bringing the activity into the present – the anticipatory anxiety fades away.

As you continue to do your healing work, the anticipatory anxiety will gradually lessen on its.



Stick with us and know we care.

Again a warm welcome to you,

Kitt

Hey Stress,


You are on the right track and anticipatory is often referred to is tommorow's dread - today ! We start to anticipate all of the things that my go wrong and that sets off the cycle of " what is thoughts". It is like a merry-go-round that you cannot get off of easy so if we can learn to stay off the merry-go-round we do much better.



Anyone can experience anticipatory anxiety, just as anyone can experience measures of panic and social discomfort.



You may have experienced anticipatory anxiety before a medical or dental procedure, public speaking event, or dinner engagement. It's a sensation of 100% dread and all-consuming doom, as if there's a dark cloud following you 24/7 that could open at any time.



Overcoming anticipatory anxiety is one of the key elements to recovery because as humans, we have a predisposition to 'over-predict' events and anticipate the worst outcome. In our case we really do have a tendency to catastrophize outcomes of events we are facing.


Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems. Focus on the present and stop trying to predict what may happen next week. Next week will take care of itself.

Instead of focusing on doom, stay in the moment. Give yourself breathing space.

Please know coming here is a wonderful and courageous step. You are voicing your fears so you know what they are.

In my simple slang, "kick the anxiety to the curb" and remember you have anxiety, it does not have you.

Stick with us and we will help you get through. Also if you have access to therapy that is a good thing.

Gentle Hugs to you,



Kitt