Do we ever get better? Is it worth having hope?

I think there's always hope. There is a post from Cheri, I think, checking in and telling us how well she's doing. I hear ya though, I'm having a rough time of it now and am feeling a lot like you are.

Funny thing is, I'm feeling almost exactly like you are right now. My face is tingly and my arms and shoulders ache. As a matter of fact, I was just going to write a post asking if anyone ever gets that. It feels like my arms are sore from lifting weights or something when I raise my arms. I'm thinking it might be from constantly holding so much tension in my shoulders. I don't know.

Post Edited (MissGigi) : 1/14/2015 7:49:26 PM (GMT-7)

i have hope. but for for now it is all about prevention and management. healing thoughts.

We do get better!!! This is a disease that is fear based and getting better means a lot of "mind over matter" thinking. That's why therapy is so, so important. We are so scared of falling back into the "black hole" that we freak out at any symptoms.

It is certainly not easy. That's why we are all warriors. I know this will go away as I lived most of my like without panic, but that thought doesn't seem to help me much when I'm in a bout. But I do find, if I lose hope, it makes thinks go from bad to worse.

I wish there was one thing that helped everybody with anxiety, be it a pill or exercise or therapy. But, what ends up helping people is soooooooo different. Kind of like a puzzle. What Helped mw in the beginning was xanax and lettin ALOT of time pass. Feeling just a little bit better most everyday. Being positive, even when I was so lost. accepting that I would have set backs (even though I HATE them) and muddling my way through them. Building on the little bit of confidence that I had instead of "waiting for the other shoe to drop". Learning to belive myself. Stopping (or at least quieting) the negative self talk (big one even outside of my anxiousness).

I wish you all the best!!! You will figure out the puzzle.

YES, YES AND ANOTHER RESOUNDING YES!!!

There is hope! I am living proof!

....like others said...I still have to manage my anxiety...but I am light years away from where I once was! I don't consider myself a person with anxiety issues anymore...I consider myself recovered, but still 'working my program' to stay well.

I completely second what M2G&Q said. We all require different things to find what treatment plan is right for us.

Keep searching, learning, and trying for yourself. You will get there!

S.C.

I think there's hope out there to be had. I have my good days and my bad days. But, I just take it one day at a time. That's all I can do!

I'm sorry I haven't responded to any of your incredibly thoughtful replies. I believe you all, I really do. And I do have a lot of optimism and hope...for everyone else. I need to get back to having it for myself again. I feel like I'm on the verge of finding what works for me, but when there are setbacks and bad days it's so hard to pick myself up yet again. But, alas, I will. :)

keep striving forwards and flailing that sword.

I have to believe that there is hope and that this will get better. If I didn't, every day would have the potential to turn into a soul crushing depression fest, as who the hell wants to live like this and have these feelings everyday? None of us!

The fact that my issues sprang up literally out of nowhere makes me believe that they can disappear just as fast, albeit with a little more work. The trick is to forget about it. Famous analogy of telling someone "Don't think about an elephant," they will think about an elephant. As long as we are consciously telling ourselves this and that we will continually think about it. I hope to get to a point where I realize after the past three months of on and off symptoms, I'm still here, so it can't be that bad, right? Especially when I initially (and still sometimes) had thoughts that I was having heart attacks. We can all get through this! It will be tough (I know for me it is) but I have to believe that I can get through it.

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is **** with its twists and its turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When they might have won, had they stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit!