get that pillow off my face!

Hi! I'm new to this forum. I'm 27 and have been experiencing EXTREME anxiety these past couple of months partially due to high stress and depression. By no means am I new to having anxiety/panic disorder. Here recently though I have been having anxiety through the roof. I'm constantly worrying that I'm dying and I feel like I can't breathe (like right now), which is making the anxiety 100 times worse. Is there any tips out there that can help me stop worrying about everything (especially worrying that I'm dying). I hate this feeling and I'm annoying everyone around me to where I have become reclusive and want to be alone (and that's not the type of person I am.) I have been battling a bout of depression for the last 3 years due to a long term relationship ending and now with losing my job. I guess the reason I'm having really high anxiety is that I have no one to talk to that understands. And due to the anxiety/depression I have run off all my friends. Sorry, I'm just rambling on. I just need something to take my mind off of life for a minute. Thanks in advance for the support. Nice to meet all of you :).

geekgrlnluv

That is what I love about this forum,  you can always find someone that is in the same boat as you are.  Welcome to our world.  I have just finally started to feel better and good about myself after a 5 year slump.

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.

I am a great believer in staying in the moment which I learned in therapy. Making ourself miserable is how we tend to spend a lot of time in the past or the future. We spend much time thinking about what was and what could have been. And we spend much time projecting into the future and wondering about what may happen.

This way of thinking is indeed a great way to make much of your life a lot more miserable and limited than necessary. The key to solving this problem is of course to live as much as you can in the only moment that you ever really live in and control. This moment right now. The moment that is all there ever was and - probably - will be.

Love to Live, and Live to Love. Have Fun, Help people. Live for today, and forget the past. Love those who Love you. Help the less fortunate. Learn all you can, spend time with people. Learn new skills, and travel the world.

Everybody will die, not everybody truly lives~ William Wallce.

Glad to meet you,

Kitt

Hi ggnluv. I wanted to say welcome, and I am glad that you are feeling a little better about finding a community of people who share similar struggles. It does make a difference, so keep posting.

When I was in therapy for anxiety, I asked why I struggled so much with worrying about health, the future, catastrophic incidents, ect...My therapist told me that most people live with a certain amount of denial/ignorant bliss about life and it's possible disasters. He said that if we didn't, none of us would be able to get up in the morning, leave the house and do what we do. (indeed some people who are really suffering, struggle with just this!)

He told me that A/Pers tend to be highly intelligent individuals who question/ponder things, and are knowledge seekers. This is great, except when it comes around to bite you in the butt in the form of anxiety!

We need to find a balance, and a place where we can embrace our nature, yet use our skills to battle the over-thinking and worrying that tends to be our downfall.

I hope that you can continue to do this, and find some relief from the stress that you are currently experiencing.

Take care, and post often:)
Scaredy Cat

Thanks guys. The one thing that I worry about a lot is like I say my health and if I'm dying. I don't know if this has to do with that almost everything that can kill you runs in my family. TB, Heart disease, Diabetes, Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, High Blood Pressure.....the list goes on and on and I don't even know what runs on my dad's side as he's adopted. I know majority of it is due to my depression and a lot of change (which I do not deal well with a lot of change in a short amount of time.) But I go in to overload mode when I get in my high levels of anxiety. A couple of weeks ago I actually threw my blood pressure to stroke/heart attack level because of all the stress. I'm trying to cope with it to the best of my ability without help from a dr (as i don't have the funds or insur to go). So the answer to your Q, Shanny. Nope I'm not seeing a doctor as of yet. I want to because I think if I got on some kind of medication to at least balance me out so I can function normally, would be great!

But anyway, I just hate this feeling and the reactions I get from my own family because of my obsession with thinking I'm dying. Like I tried to tell my mother today, I don't know why I feel like this. I wish I didn't feel like this. Because she was like you're annoying me. I'm thinking, but I'm annoying myself!

I know eventually I will overcome whatever this is. It's just trying to stay positive and keeping my head above water that's going to be the real challenge. Thank you all for your warm welcomes, again. It's great to be able to talk about it and not feel like I'm a crazy person on the verge of going into a padded room.

(I apologize in advance if I've repeated myself. my memory is not what it used to be.)