Some things that have helped me...

First, this website http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety_symptoms.shtml  Has a big list of symptoms for anxiety after reading through I noticed a lot of symptoms that have that have not been talked about anywhere else and that further helped to convince me that I suffer from anxiety and nothing else.

Second, going through my CBT I reach an epiphany, they asked for us to think about what you are getting out of your anxiety.  Which at first sounded like a load of crap.  How could I be getting anything out of being anxious and having anxiety attacks all the time.  Then it hit me, I was getting everything out of being anxious.  I had a huge list of projects I needed to finish before winter hit and my anxiety hit and I wasn't expected to do any of it.  My girlfriend and family members do not expect nearly as much from me because of my anxiety, and in reverse they do everything for me that I ask for.  I'm not expected to go to places I don't want to go to.  I got out of going to work I couple of times (I hate my job very much).  And I notice when my girlfriend will call and ask me to come over to her house I can just play the anxiety card and she will come to my house instead.

Now I'm not saying that I don't physically feel anxious and depressed I definitely do, but maybe just maybe I am bringing this on on purpose on a subconscious level. 

I'm not saying that this is true for everyone but just give it a thought. 

Are you getting anything out of your anxiey/depression?

Is life in any ways a little easier since your anxiety/depression?

Maybe this has already been brought up but I haven't seen it on old posts so I thought I would share.

No I don't get anything out of my A/P or depression apart from the fact I know I must be a strong individual to be still alive today even though I don't feel like I am.

Sometimes when my BF and I are supposed to be doing the 8 hour round trip to take my daughter to her dads , when I am wretching and have to take so many tablets to stop the diarrhoea , when I am doubled in pain , when my whole body shakes whith fear ands its all I can do to drag myself up , when my jaw is set so hard I wonder if my teeth might break , when my knucles are white with death grip..............................and my BF says you can stay home , I can take her by myself........................do you know what I do?........

I drag myself to that car and I go..............and do you know what?.........after an hour or so I have managed to calm down (yeah we might have to stop more for me to use the bathroom cos of the IBS - and I do carry spare clothes , but as they say s**t happens ) and I look out of the window and see the wonderful scenery and the sheep , cows and horses and I know I've accomplished something. If we get stuck in a traffic jam (another really scary thing for me as I feel trapped) I get my book out ( always travel with a book) and look at that so I can't see all the other cars round me and I become a character in the book , so I'm in the story and not in the car - it's great the way we can use our minds.

Can you imagine how I would feel if I had not gone........I would have felt shame in not fighting and would have gone into deep depression , and a feeling of worthlessness.

I'm gonna be a fighter not a victim.

So peeps if you do just one thing today to make you feel stronger , whether it be making a journey of hundreds of miles or just being able to stand on your doorstep and look outside , know that you have accomplished something great , something wonderful and you deserve praise - hold your head up high , you CAN do it , I KNOW YOU CAN