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Anxiety

With all these good Fortean people looking younger than their age, we'll have to have a creche at the next Uncon if it carries on like this. :eek:
Seriously tho, having seen how many of us have or have had problems, I regret feeling so wary of chatting on-line.;)
 
hallybods said:
Yeah, you can also stick me on the list of being both a depressive and suffering from anxiety attacks. I decided to start a college course to try and get me back on my feet. During the enrolement I had a massive panic attack and nearly passed out. I started the course today and I was fine. :D Which I'm really happy about.
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Can I be one of the first to congratulate you? Not only on starting your course, but being bloody brave enough to give it another shot after you first experiance! I'm sure we can all understand how much guts that took. :D
Actually, with the hope of not sounding too *sickly* I just wanna give out a big 'Well done!' to all of you who've posted, and those that haven't who also suffer, for still going on and facing life with a little more hardship than others. It takes a special kind of person to do that. My best wished to all of you. :)
 
Wintermoon said:
Can I be one of the first to congratulate you? Not only on starting your course, but being bloody brave enough to give it another shot after you first experiance! I'm sure we can all understand how much guts that took. :D
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*blushes* Why thank you. I had all sorts of misconceptions on what the other people on the course would be like. It turns out that I'm old enough to be the mother of just about every other student in that room. :D And, even though I was really scared I still spoke more than any of them. They all got shy and sat looking at the desk when asked a question. lol I suppose that fact put me at ease. :eek:
 
hallybods said:
... It turns out that I'm old enough to be the mother of just about every other student in that room. And, even though I was really scared I still spoke more than any of them. They all got shy and sat looking at the desk when asked a question. lol ...
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A feeling I recognise from when I restarted Higher education 3 years ago (and still regularly experience) although, obviously, there are gender differences... :)

Let's see:
Depression? Check.
Anxiety attacks? Not severe, but Check.
Prescribed Medication? Check.
Self-administered medication? Check.
Social Phobias? Erm... yes, Check.
Victim of unprovoked attack, and attendant nerves - yes, AV, I've been there, know what you mean....

Look younger than my age? Well, the only way to find out is to remove the facial fungus (which, since it's turning white, probably makes me look older - just as well I don't give a sh**)

And yes, it is nice to find a peer group, even if you are all as daft as me! :eek!!!!: :madeyes: :spinning :D

PS Anyone for Insomnia? You can have mine....
 
Many thanks to one and all for sharing so honestly about their struggles. Interestingly I had always self-diagnosed as depressed, but when I took the MMPI last year, the doc said that while I spiked mildly on depression, I was off the scales on anxiety. I know there's some overlap there, but go figure:)
 
Me too. Panic attacks, and although I wouldn't call it depression (wouldn't presume to, sounds too serious for something silly old me could have), I do get down quite a bit (I'm on the upward slope today, though).
Not sure about what Derek calls social phobias, but meeting new people always causes me an inordinate amount of anxiety. That's part of why I like coming here. And I get stress headaches - a lot (couldn't live without aspirin).
I feel like this should be on the whinge thread, really. Like I'm venting minor complaints, and you lot are more serious sufferers. I can't even be unwell without residual guilt. Deary me. :D
 
A lot of people with quite serious depression think that their condition is trivial compared to other people's. Low self esteem possibly? :( I always feel that "what right have I to be sad when I have so much and others have so little", but as my shrink tells me, this is nonsense. Your seratonin levels can be very low no matter how great your life is.
 
Wintermoon: Passing on insomnia works! Half an hour after posting, I started feeling 'properly' tired, 10 mins later, zzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Lopaka: I find it's a bit of a spiral - if I start getting worried/anxious about something, the depression frequently follows. Similarly, when I'm just (just!) generally 'down', the anxiety attacks start. (Minor anxieties that I laugh off when 'up' are somehow more important then...:( )

Sally: 'Social phobias' is Lard's term that I used to mean concern about appropriate behaviour in social situations - not wanting to give the wrong impression/ afraid to upset or annoy people, etc. I'm OK with closer friends, people that I know quite well, and also with complete strangers - it's the people that I know, but not well, that give me problems. (Insecure? Me? Not while I'm strapped to the PC, no...)

And last, but far from least :D , Beakboo: the few people that I've met (in the flesh) who admit to having problems with depression do frequently trivialise the problem, at least at first - they think (as I did) that all you've got to do is 'pull yourself together' - that, after all, is everyone's favourite bit of advice to a sufferer :rolleyes:
 
Well, I do worry about giving the right impression, or perhaps more specifically I'm always worried people will take an instant dislike to me. People disliking me after they've been around me for a while I can deal with, and generally expect. ;)

I'm also always worried about imposing myself on people, and being a pain or a bore. Strangely, though, I don't worry too much about upsetting people or seeming rude - must be the uncouth Continetal person in me. :D

Still, we all seem to make light of our problems to a certain extent. L'humour est la politesse du desespoir.
 
I was thinking today , us fortean depressives with anxiety problems probably look younger than we are ( yes me too ) because we spend out time moping inside in the dark and never expose our skin to the ageing rays of the sun . Plus no laughing=no laugh lines .
Panic attacks , remember , panic is an adrenaline rush - this burns up all the sugar in your blood and puts you into shock which makes you feel faint so you panic because you think you are going to faint in public etc..etc.. , learn why your body is feeling and behaving like that, it helps if you understand ( it did with me ) . And carry some chocolate on you at all times . And don't give in to the demons that tell you it is easier to just not go out...
I don't have long bouts of dull depression , I get sudden acute depressive anxiety attacks . Luckily they only happen once every year or so ( for some reason in May or June ! ) These days I just sit them out , I know they will go away fairly soon .
 
Marion said:
And carry some chocolate on you at all times .
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To para phrase W C Fields:
I always carry some chocolate with me in case I see something frightening. For which purpose I also always carry a mirror. :p
 
I've been wondering if my M.D. would think my Seasonal
Anxiety(?) Disorder (lack of sunlight in winter brings on depression) was worth medicating.

I brought it up in my last blood pressure checkup, and he just recommended "a sunny vacation during the winter months."
No interest in medicating me for it...
which I was actually very relieved to discover.

I thought mentioning it would be "hint" enough...
but apparently S.A.D. doesn't qualify as depression
in his opinion.

Does anyone else have the Seasonal depression?
Other than bright lights whenever possible,
how do you handle it?

TVgeek
 
There maybe something in this...I am not a particularly anxious person and I'm told that I look much older than I am...It's a hell of a price to pay for nice skin, though.
 
My main worry is about what ppl think of me. I constantly think I'm boring ppl. I remember saying that to one of you on MSN. :eek:
Stupid I know, but ppl were like that around me at school.

Sally, I know what you mean about ppl who aren't complete strangers, but aren't close friends. I worry about what some of the ppl at work think of me, but I feel ok around my close friends and around complete strangers.
 
Me too! Although not as bad a sufferer as some of you, when I get the 'blues' it's awful. You feel as though you're alone in all the world, don't you? Everyone else has their own little niche and set of friends and interests and there you are, out in the cold with no friends :( .

And panic attacks - the simplest problem becomes HUGE and unsurmountable and you just can't cope . . .

At least this Fortean Depression/Anxiety Club has some nice members!

Carole
 
Do any of you drink a lot of water? I do and it keeps my skin looking bright and new.;) It's hard to tell if I look younger because I'm only 25 anyway (just turned 25 today in fact:D ).

I've suffered occasional panic attacks. I definitely suffer from social anxiety. I have heightened sensory awareness and reflexes (especially in public) because it's just an assumption on my part that someone or something is going to physically or verbally attack me. The ironic thing is that people tell me I look cold and tough and that they wouldn't want to mess with me. I certainly don't feel tough - just incredibly shy and vulnerable. Having said that I have gotten over my social anxiety considerably over the past few years in various ways - one them being (you ready?) speaking on the ftmb:D. Grade school and high school, however, might as well have been prison for me. Of course, I've also suffered from depression, which, as far as I can tell, is just unexpressed rage. Suicidal thoughts were common during high school (music was one reason I preferred to continue living for a while;) ).

I've also experienced derealization/depersonalization. Anyone else (de)experience this? It's when you realize that nothing is real and feel despair, horror, and...let's just put it this way - it's pure HELL; feels very similar to an anxiety attack only it doesn't last as long (at least in my case). There's usually a sense of detachment that accompanies it which is what depersonalization is.
 
People think I'm snobby and aloof and sometimes simply 'not very nice' cause of my social anxiety. Other people appreciate me for my different outlook on life. I've got over it a lot but its so easy to slip back, working with the public and joining special interest groups and clubs have helped a lot (you sort of go into shock cause of it at first but ride it out and you come out better) and the net and especially here has helped hugely!
I still get the old awkward silence thing when I want to say things and ask things but just can't do it, and sometimes I mourn the life I could have had if I'd been brave enough to go for it, but I've got plenty of time left to make up for it :D
I've had the de-realisiation thing but only when my depression was really bad.
 
Marion said:
People think I'm snobby and aloof and sometimes simply 'not very nice' cause of my social anxiety. Other people appreciate me for my different outlook on life. I've got over it a lot but its so easy to slip back, working with the public and joining special interest groups and clubs have helped a lot (you sort of go into shock cause of it at first but ride it out and you come out better) and the net and especially here has helped hugely!
I still get the old awkward silence thing when I want to say things and ask things but just can't do it, and sometimes I mourn the life I could have had if I'd been brave enough to go for it, but I've got plenty of time left to make up for it :D
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Wow Marion, you and I must be exactly alike! :) I have to really push myself to prevent me falling back into the "not going out, staying in my room" routine though. Luckily, I live in a shared house now so there are always people around and friends coming and going all over the place. Plus, I too look a lot younger than I am - it MUST be a Fortean thing! :cool:
 
I'm another anxiety/depression person who looks younger than my age. You'd think it would work the other way round wouldn't you? Lots of frown lines :p
I have to say this board has helped me a bit too, finding out that some people actually like me, and finding a whole bunch of people who think in a similar way, so I don't feel a complete outsider anymore, is a wonderful thing.
 
Marion said:
I still get the old awkward silence thing when I want to say things and ask things but just can't do it, and sometimes I mourn the life I could have had if I'd been brave enough to go for it, but I've got plenty of time left to make up for it :D
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Same here. Often I know the answers to questions on a game shows (even though there's no way I could know them) or what song will be on next while flipping through the radio stations - things like that. I never say out loud though because I'm afraid if I'm wrong (though I never am) I'll feel embarrassed. Also, because I know I "shouldn't" know these things anyway so I feel a little jarred by it.
 
Me too about anxiety and looking young. The looking young thing started around age 17. My first boyfriend's mother asked what middle school he got me out of. My 5 years younger sister has often been mistaken for my older sister. I have a baby face, I think.

The anxiety thing, I think I just always believed that if something bad could happen why shouldn't it happen to me as opposed to someone else. I knew it was ridiculous, yet at the same time I was always ready for trouble. I developed a way of looking relaxed so I could fit in. Maybe that's why I looked so young for so long, my tension rarely showed in my face. When I was alone, I felt really afraid and would sometimes pace and break down in tears, though. I always felt safer when people were around. I felt like the big bad people in the world only saw a girl alone as a tempting target.
 
Yup to depression, free floating anxiety and looking younger than my age. (I've been mistaken for being younger than my sister who is 7 years younger than I am)
 
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