Generalised Anxiety

Hi All

In the eight years that I have been suffering from anxiety, the things that have triggered my panic can pretty much be generalised as follows:

1) Health worries

2) The thought of going mad/losing my mental faculties

3) Apocalyptic scenarios (world war, extreme weather, etc)

4) The thought of never getting any better

Which of these do you think is the biggest factor in your own anxiety? Maybe there's something that's not on my list that 'sets you off'?

Please, don't just read the article, join in.

Chris x

Hi all, i would have to say health worries are my biggest triggers.
Anything to do with my health can set me off.
love louise

Hi Chris

I agree that yout list covers most of the triggers for me, apart from the apocolyptic events. I think although I have the health worries I tend to also worry that if i die what will happen to my son, will he forget me etc,I know he has his dad ,but I think this triggers from loosing my dad when i was eight and to be honest I dont really remember him much and I'd hate to think i wouldnt be remebered, silly I know because we are so close. My only other trigger again involves my son, I tend to worry about his future, happiness how he will get on later in life. Again I know the this is because he has just been diagnosed as being a severe dyslexia sufferer, Although he has the mental ability and knowledge of a child five years older than his age ,I get very anxious about whether i could have done more (it took three years of battling with school to get him checked)or if someway its my fault. Its That horrid vicious cycle where we blame ourselves for things that we really know are out of our control.


Jayne x

Hello

I have just stumbled across this website and have found it really reassuring reading about other people's experiences of, and coping strategies for, anxiety. I have been suffering from anxiety for about two years now and the intensity ranges from periods of weeks of feeing OK to periods of feeling badly anxious. I have had a few major panic attacks which have all happened at night, i have experienced derealisation anxiety, get chronic headaches on one side of my head which makes me panic that I have a major physical problem such as a brain tumor, i get disturbing thoughts and have tendencies to be withdrawn in periods of anxiety. The main cause of my anxiety is a fear of insanity and when I am feeling axious it often feels like a cycle that I can't break. I feel that I am on a steep learning curve, at first I thought I was going mad but over the last year I have been learning about anxiety disorders and ways of managing them. A couple of my close friends have suffered from anxiety since since childhood but I didn't really understand until I experienced it.

I totally know what you mean about your response to seeing health problems being really variable. Sometimes things that trigger my anxiety affect me and sometimes not. I often think it is related to my mood; I have been much less anxious when I'm feeling happy, but this is not always the case.

Sorry that was a bit long-winded!
Cheers
Emily

Good post. I've often thought about asking the same question

For me it's definitely mental illness. That's the one has been at the fore-front all along. I've experienced some of the others to a degree. I think health was a big one in the beginning because of the unusual sensations that came with the first panic attacks.

Think another one for me not in the list is; Physically hurting someone OR doing something that you almost feel compulsed to do.

Also, the not knowing what happens after death... that whole scenario. The big questions??? What are we doing here after all?!?! Existance, etc.

Hi Booby

Very often when I feel like I am losing my mind, I fear that I will lose my ability to reason and become a danger to myself or those around me - developing paranoid schizophrenia or some kind of psychosis.

I first remember feeling this about 3 years ago when I was staying at my ex-girlfriend's mum's house. I noticed that she had a set of carving knives in the kitchen and from that point on I started convincing myself that I was going to stab someone. Once that idea was in my head it just spiralled out of control and I couldn't sleep a wink.

I live with my parents now and I worry that I might do something to hurt them - not that I would ever want to, I love them to bits. That's why it sends me into panic sometimes.

Chris

Yeah, thats it

Having any of these sort of thoughts really disturb me and i immediately reject them.

I'm a very straight foward person when relations with people are concerned. Totally uncomplicated (i think, anyway). I know other people think nasty thoughts but for me it totally contridicts my nature. I very rarely think any negative thoughts of other people and have never wanted to inflict harm to others but over the past six months i have had intrusive thoughts when anxious. It's really annoying and i don't know where it's coming from.

I know that hate is part of human nature but i reject the thought of it when anxious and it doesn't have a part in my life even when feeling normal ('anxiety sufferer 'normal'').

must i learn to hate?!?!!

Hi Booby

In reading your last post, I could just as well have been reading my own words. I try to avoid hatred, bitchiness, confrontation etc and I have always concluded that this must be the reason that these thoughts cause me so much added anxiety.

There is nothing more frightening than fearing your own mind - if you don't have that, you don't have anything.

Chris

PS. In answer to your last question, I don't think learning to hate is the answer. I believe the answer lies in listening to your subconscious mind and letting it have its 'moment of madness' without going through all the "what if" and "I shouldn't" thoughts of the conscious mind - but don't listen to my advise because I still suffer :)