New To The Anxiety Support Community? Introduce Yourself Here!

@Nicolette88 i read your post, all the best to you, what worked for me is making up a mantra that I tell myself in stressful situations when I feel my anxiety rising.

My yoga is about things I need to come into my life and my core, so it goes:

INTEGRITY, STRENGTH, PEACE.

You can also give this a try, may work for you, too.

Best on your path!

@Savellion

Thank you so very much! Namaste!

@Savellion

Thank you for your post. It was very enlightening for me. Codependency, I am learning, can be insidious and so damaging to one's self esteem.

Hello, I am Nicolette...new to 7 cups and the anxiety forum.

I have GAD, health anxiety, and panic disorder. As well as some other cross-issues (seasonal depression or anxiety-induced depression, low self-esteem...the list goes on...)

I don't have insurance and can't afford therapy right now but I have self-help books...and am trying online resources like 7 cups.

I'm a spiritual agnostic and I love my two cats, all sorts of music, art; I was once an English major and Psych minor but my mental illness and byproducts of it halted my degree. Now I sort of wander in an aimless sea. Well, I am here. Looking forward to checking it out. Best to all.

My name is Rachael

i have no idea why I have anxiety, all I know is it sucks...

its very hard for me to talked people ABOIT things I'm passionate about, as well as social situations, fear of death and serious illness etc.

in other news, I love twenty one pilots and they have got me through some pretty hard times.

stay strong x

@easyWheel5004 Hi, I listen to twenty one pilots too!! They (and music in general) can be so helpful. Good luck.

Hi New to 7 cups

Suffer from health anxiety and panic attacks.

Started to be more in-depth before Christmas which has lead me to leave my job and struggle to get the kids to school and do normal everyday mother things.

Really hoping this will help me as awaiting cbt but could take time to get an appointment.

Anxiety has been control of my mind and body for at least 10 years. It can be overwhelming and not much but distraction helps.

Hi! I'm Willow, and I am pretty new to this whole thing.

First of all, I'm not actual diagnosed with anything, so you know. Also, I have only been having really bad anxiety for the last two or three months, so I'm new to pretty much everything here. Back in November, a close family friend of ours got killed when he was on duty as a Paramedic. He was struck with a car, and survived a week before they pulled the plug, due to extensive brain damage. When that happened, a lot of things went down hill very fast. My mom's temper got worse. The fighting got worse. My grades plummeted. Just everything. In the past two months, my anxiety has gotten really bad, where I'm always anxious about something, and I have panic/anxiety attacks daily. This has in turn destroyed any shred of self esteem I previously had, and led to some close calls on other fronts. I just wanted to introduce myself, and tell you guys a little about myself. Thanks!

Hey, my name is J

Anxiety became a massive part of my life over the last 3 years and has had a really strong hold on me. It was a doctor I am seeing for something else that brought me here, so I am not only new to this app but also this whole idea.

I am here hoping to find support with people who are suffering like I am and also if I can help others.

Hi everyone, I don't really know how to start this but it's my story.

When I was 11 my parents sent me to a phsychologist and I found out that I had selective mutism and generalised anxiety disorder. It basically means that I get so anxious in social situations that I'm mute, I read somewhere that the anxiety paralyses your vocal cords or something but I don't know how true that it. I can't speak at school, I can barely speak at church but I can speak just fine to total strangers, a lot of people are confused by that but it's just how it is.

I went to the phsychologist every week for about a year, then I 'graduated', meaning I was at a point where I could get better by myself (I wasn't). Since then my disorder has gotten much worse, I used to be able to say hi to people and answer questions in class, there's no way in hell I'd be able to do that now. I'm too scared to talk to my parents about going back because they thought I was better, they'd be disappointed.

I don't really know where to go from here but that's some of my story, if I shared the whole thing it's be way too long, thanks for reading if you have. I hope you're having/ will have a wonderful day

Hello all,

I'm 29 years old for the past 10 years or so I've struggled but didn't know why with strong emotional reactions to things and feelings of being scared. Two years ago, I moved to Washington state and am on my own now. I don't really know anyone here and have become isolated which has made these feelings worse.

Almost a month ago due to a series of circumstances that wore me down and made things look bleak I tried to kill myself and luckily was rescued by a friend who was visiting and sent to the county mental hospital for a few days. I was diagnosed with a anxiety disorder and severe depression. Since then I've had frequent and strong anxiety attacks / feelings of anxiety that my friends will get tired of being in my life and leave and thus I cling to them and get upset when they're too close to other people.

I've known for a long time that I'm a very emotionally dependent person and don't do well on my own. But It's been almost a month and I don't feel I'm balancing out and friends are actually starting to leave me.

@Worrywolf I know how you feel I am extremely emotionally dependent too and its a viscous circle. Its nice to hear (read) someone else experiences the cinflicting behaviours that I do! After years and some encouragement I've decided its time to get help so I can hold on to the good people I still have in my life. Maybe you should consider getting help too, there is always hope that things can be different. I hope you see that too. Thank you for sharing your story :)

Hello all.

I'm Matt. I've struggled with anxiety on and off for over 7 years but also experienced it as a child.

It has come back with a vengeance this time and I feel really lost.

I visited the GP and they wanted to prescribe me medication but I don't feel this is the answer.

I have read numerous books in a bid to alleviate the anxiety over the years.

This time is seems like it is more health based. I'm always worried I'm ill as many seem to. I am scared I'm going to collapse/faint/get a serious illness or have one etc.

I really need to find some way through the fog as I don't go out at all. I no longer socialise. It's on my mind constantly.

I have started to become slightly dizzy and this scares me as I think I will collapse etc.

I have started to try to eat less in an attempt to lose weight in order to try and feel better about myself but it seems unrelenting at times.

I don't know what to do for the best.

It feels like I've had my life stolen away from me and I'm not the person I once was and I'm scared I'll be never be that person again.

@MattB87 I relate to this in lots of ways. On and off for years. And when I feel like I'm in it I'm so irrational and hopeless. I'm trying to find reasons to push through and help myself but it's so hard

Hello everyone.

Guess Im kinda new here, so I thought I should start with writing something about myself. First, I need to warn you, whoever is reading this: Im really not good at this. At talking, at… everything. I dont know how to interact with people, neither on the internet nor in person, so Im sorry if I screw up anything or if Im way too weird to exist, I dont know. Guess I should start with my name, huh? Im Shan. You might realize thats not my real name, but if you want to call me by name, please use this one. Thank you.

Well, I really have no idea where to start, but… Ill just… start somewhere, is that okay?

Actually, my story is quite cliché. Divorced parents, being bullied at school, and now having trouble finding a job and all of these. Yeah, lets start with the divorced parents, I think. Ive been living with my mum for sixteen years now and, well, I really love her, I do, and I also love my step-father and appreciate all they have done for me and - well theyre not the basic problem, but so is my, lets say, biological father. The first years when I visited him every second weekend, were… great, in comparison. But then, I dont know how old I was, probably eight or something, it all started. He forced my mother to consent to an eye surgery to me which was actually more a beauty-surgery than anything, he started telling me I was too fat, too this, too that… and so it went on for years and the older I got, the worse it became. Around age 12, I had kind of a list of accusations, I could check up every time I visited him. 1. Youre too fat you really need to lose weight 2. You need to know what you will do with your life, what job you will have and these are just some points on the list. To conclude: I wasnt enough to be his daughter, far from it. In these eighteen years Ive been living my life up to now, I cant remember him smiling to me, or telling me that hes proud of me, telling me that he loves me… no, nothing. All I remember when I think of him is a list of accusations my head is playing like a mantra every day. The only time Ive seen him smiling was one a picture, taken when I was about half a year old. Kinda sad, isnt it? A father, who should be a symbol of… of hope, the rock to hold you when a storm is coming, your role model…

Well and then I entered elementary school. In the first form, you get teached reading and writing and all of those. But however, I somehow was able of all of this in the kindergarten so my teachers decided that I could skip the first form and get straight to the second. And thats where the classic bullying begin that I wish nobody to experience. It went on until high school and now I find myself here. Just finished high school and now looking for the job, you want to do for the next fourty-something years. And I have no idea what to do. Everyone tells me I should look for something Im good at, but I am not good at ANYTHING. I cant do anything right. And I mean it like that. Every time I read about a possible job I hear my fathers voice in my head screaming that Im not good enough, that everyone is better than me. And it kinda is like that. I dont know if I just started to believe the voice in my head or if it is really like that in reality… but actually, it doesnt make any difference to me right now. In the end, it turns out to me, sitting here right now. Scared from the smallest things, like talking to anybody, asking for help, up to the constant feeling of not being good enough that has built a wall in front of me, between me and my possible future. And I cant break through.

I think I dont need to voice my lack of social life - hell, what about a lack, I dont even have a social life. I dont know what love is. Im serious. You know this romantic love-stuff, maybe Im even not capable of it. I love my mother, my stepfather. I care about them. I love my fathers dog, I love the invention of Netflix - but I have no idea what romantic love is. I did want to know, though and did the biggest of biggest mistake when you are craving for love: I forced it. I kind of threw myself at boys and would have done anything to make them love me, to make me feel loved, to feel desired, cared about… And the inevitable happened, of course. I never regretted anything in my life more than this. And now, its all just miserable. Maybe Im not capable of love or being loved in return or anything. Is there an actual scientific word for that? Incapability of love, something like that? I dont know.

I dont even know it thats a mental illness, I dont know what the borders like, when you kinda cross the line from „Having kind of a bad time right now to suffering a clinic mental illness. I have no idea and actually… it doesnt change anything.

Really pathetic, I know. I do. I dont really expect any help, hell, I dont know if anybody could help me. But indeed I feel better now, just after typing the whole thing down.

If any of you read up to here, thank you. I mean it. Thank you for reading, for caring. I truly appreciate that.

If any of you need someone to talk or anything or just - feel free to contact me.

Thank you again,

Shan

@philosophicalJet7612 ❤️

Hey guys!

My name is Tahni... I've struggled with anxiety since the age of 13 as a teenager I suffered from social phobia so would not take part in any social event even school. This meant I needed to go to intensive therapy and attend school at the hospital. I've been on medication since the ago of 14 and have only come off recently (2weeks) now the physical withdrawals have subsided my anxiety is creeping back and I am having to relearn ways to cope! So that's me would love a chat

thanks :)

Well, I did have an entire thing posted here and then I accidentally clicked out of it. Story of my life. My name is..well, you can call me Nessa. That's not an relation to my real name, just a name I like. I'm 27 and I have anxiety. I haven't properly been diagnosed, but I'm pretty sure it's anxiety. I've had it for awhile now, but I think before I didn't know it was anxiety. Up until recently, it's been a non-issue. A doctor I go to for a completely unrelated reason, prescribed me some Xanax. That was in November and I've only taken 3 pills. My anxiety is kept under control for the most part. Other times, not so much. I tend to worry about things that have no reason to be worried about. Oh, you want that thing in this container? You want this food item chopped a certain way? "Here, let me show you how to cut it." Okay, but what if I don't cut it *exactly* like that the next time? Will it still be alright? Thoughts like that. I also tend to hide behind fake smiles and self-deprecating humor. Like when I post things on various social media platforms and say "This is totally me" or "me irl"... I'm posting both for comedic effect and a subtle "this is really true and I'm sharing it for you to see how my mind works" I haven't had a full blown anxiety attack for a few months, and I hope it stays like that, but I'm sure there's inevitably something that's going to make me start shaking like a leaf on a tree. I signed up here to mingle with others that deal with stuff like this. Around my own peers, so to speak. So, I hope to maybe make some friends here. I dunno. I had a lot more to say in my original post before I stupidly clicked out of it. *sigh*

Hello there! Is the second time I have an anxiety attack, honestly thought I was going to die, I'm 32, art teacher at a very high risk middle school, for very very troubled kids... Had the episodes the first day of vacation both cases... I'm very scared..

Hi guys

Been suffering from anxiety for over 2 years, constant over thinking leading to lack of sleep, stomach drops and makes me feel sick if I think about something that's happened. Also panic attacks that leave me tired and unwilling to communicate and complete loss of any get up and go I may have had before. Putting constant stress on family making it a vicious circle.

Hello!

So I just signed up. I'm 16 and studying for GCSE exams. Although when I signed up it wanted me to choose one problem, I seem to have a little bit of a few others.

I don't really know what to put here. So I'll just wave o/

Hi everyone! I'm new to this and I'm so glad I've found this app, I'm really liking it so far.

Hi everyone! I'm new to this and I'm so glad I've found this app, I'm really liking it so far.

@charlosa I'm sorry to hear you are going through this on your own. I started suffering with anxiety a few years ago and mine just came on suddenly. For so long I was too embarrassed to talk to anyone about it. I felt like people would judge me, think I was stupid for feeling this way, think I was crazy or pathetic etc but eventually opening up to someone I trusted really helped me. Once you start opening up you realise that a lot more people suffer or have suffered with anxiety than you think and it's always reassuring to know that your not on your own. By talking about it I discovered that some of my friends and family have also experienced anxiety issues. Although anxiety is still an issue for me, my friends and family have been able to help me challenge my negative thoughts when I'm feeling anxious and they help me see the reality of situations rather than seeing what my anxiety wants me to believe.

I hope this helps :)

Ive posted once... but it's not here why is that!? Anyone else having this problem!? X

@Amie7 same I posted it as well and it disappeared

@Blueberry23

Thanks for the reply. Posts seem to be working now for both if us!?

@Amie7 I guess it does work know 😕 I forgot what I wrote

@Blueberry23

Can u remember? Start again

@Amie7 hi there

this is Ann

Hi, I had a breakdown about 2 years ago when I got in a new relationship and it sparked up past events which crippled me. I went on anti d's and they really helped. I felt so much better so I came off of them and have been okay for over a year. Im in a very supportive relationship but recently I've started getting very low and anxious again and I tend to drink to numb the pain. I work with vulnerable people which I think may have added to my stress as I am an empath who carried the weight of the world on my shoulders. I had to call in sick yesterday and I've come home from work today because my anxiety is overwhelming. I feel so alone, my partner is working away, my parents are abroad, my friends don't live close because I moved to be with my partner and although I stay in touch with them I just feel like I'm a burden if I tell them how I feel. My employers are supportive and I've booked a gp appointment for tonight. I don't know how I'm going to be able to get through work feeling like this. I am so scared.

@mellyworm84

I'm here if you would like to chat because we sound very similar

@CUPCAKE1489 id love to chat sometime. I'm going back to work tomorrow which is going to be busy. I'm very anxious about it, and friends are coming to visit tomorrow which I should be thrilled about but I'm dreading trying to look strong and happy when inside all I want to do is hibernate in bed away from people.

Ive posted once but it vanished

A few years ago towards the end of my course i became anxious and low - worked through this by working less hours and took some time away from work /uni etc. Its all come back a few weeks ago... I have a lot going on this year (everybody keeps reminding me) but I dont feel stressed but I obviously am due to waking up with panic attacks, and constantly being anxious. I constantly think about the reasons why im feeling like this (i blame studying psychology) and i genuinley think that im not coping well with 'adult life /growing up'! Would this make sense!? As im moving into my own home this year, getting married, parent in law very ill and i have a full time stressful job! Its suppose to be a fun and happy time... but its busy, stressful and theres way too much pressure and responsibility! I know i sound silly.... and ungreatful. Anyone else believe that their anxiety comes and goes during stressful life events!? Thanks.

@Amie7 I definitely relate to what you're saying and from speaking to others it seems that their anxiety Spurs from life events which create a lot of stress. I think as individuals we take on far too much. I have become unwell since taking on a lot of work and family stress. It's so difficult to remain strong for others whilst we're not looking after ourselves. This ap is really helping me. Admitting I'm unwell again had been so scary but I feel relieved to have done so.

@mellyworm84

Thanks for your reply. I agree, we do take on a lot as individuals. My mum has told me 'you think u can do it all, all at once'! I think thats whats expected of us sometimes. Ive also been told that stress and anxiety is a sign that you need ti change something... I hope your life stressors ease off for you soon. Thank you.

@Amie7 you're not alone. I definitely feel anxious when there is more stress in my life. Just important to take care of yourself, too.

Hello, I'm a college student, and (obviously) I struggle with anxiety. I haven't been diagnosed with anything yet, though I should be able to get answers soon. Meanwhile, I've done a lot of research on disorders and have suspicions, but I won't bore you guys with that.

I'm generally uptight and anxious a large chunk of the time, especially in social situations. The anxiety has caused be to avoid people and generally isolate. That's something that I'll definitely have to resolve before becoming more independent. I also have panic attacks which, of course, take huge chunks of time out of your life. (Even after you've calmed down, there's the aftermath and all that.) My insecurities and fears have severely messed with my life and relationship at this point, so I was hoping I could learn some new ways to cope off of this site. Also, talking to some listeners would be ideal if I can eventually work up the courage to talk 1-on-1. I'm also hoping to one day become a listener and help some people out, as well!

Hi there. I'm 19 and obviously have anxiety. I'm not on medication and don't really feel that it is the answer. It all started about a year ago and it has got bad throughout this year. I constantly feel terrified, I get this horrible feeling in my chest and like a pit in my stomach. I start freaking out about time moving too fast, dying and people I love dying. I completely focus on all the negative things in my life and my thoughts start to spiral out of control and I start to have panic attacks. It's absolutely awful and I truly sympathise with anyone who also has to experience it. I have been trying to focus on looking after myself a bit more and work on my health and well being. If anyone has any suggestions to ease the anxiety that would be great 😊

i hope everyone who experiences this feels better ❤️