Fearing the unexpected

MJ,

The fear of having another attack, raises anxiety levels, which can naturally help another one form.

The drinking episode did not cause the anxiety. It was already there most likely. I do believe that due to our personalities, physiological factors, how we were raised, past experiences, ect...those things are the determining factor. The drinking was just an oppotunistic trigger for the anxiety to emerge.

If it hadn't been that, it could and most likely would've happened eventually anyway...otherwise, everyone who had ever gone on a bender would be an anxiety sufferer, right?

I know that it is easy to say 'If only I hadn't done that.' but the truth is, it only expediated the inevitable.

Now is the time to focous, not on the 'if only's', but on getting recovery and managing the anxiety.:) It can be done!

Do all that you can and use our Resources which are free and can be done at home!

We are here to encourage and support you along the way, so keep posting.:)

S.C.

That's 100% exactly what I'm going through right now. I keep getting really scared that it will come back and then what do you know? It comes back. You're not alone at all.

Everyone has anxiety differently, personally mine happens and then for a week or two I'm entrenched in it. Then I start to feel better, but it still takes weeks, even months sometimes for the negative anxieties to fully go away. I'm at the point where I know my anxieties are bogus, but cannot fully let them go due to fear of them coming back. I'll be feeling fine and then I'll think that if I'm not thinking about it, the fears and anxieties I've been having will happen or I start to get worked up about if or when the anxious feeling will come back. I sometimes even feel like it's just easier to worry about these things than to let everything go which is just crazy.

I know I've been getting a little better at just kind of letting the negative feelings go and run through which is really tough to do, but believe it or not it actually does help. I've also really tried to stay positive which I know again can be hard. Every time I feel good and then start to feel scared of future anxiety again, I try to step back and say to myself "you were just feeling great, that's a good step, see you can feel normal again" and that actually does bring a little calmness to me.

I have to say, sometimes it feels like this part is more frustrating than being completely entrenched in the anxieties because of the fact that you KNEW you were just fine and you can kind of see the finish line.

But it sounds like you're getting better which is awesome. Take advantage of the little victories you achieve each day and maybe that will help a little.

Kitt,
You're a wise sweet woman! You mean a lot to us here!
jl