so, im not gunna die?

[stuck]

I've been having severe anxiety for a long time now (so it feels) a little over a year. i cant work i can hardly be alone. and it seems like if i have the slightest cold, my mind goes directly too "im going to die". i really need some Reasurence that i can get over this anxiety. i've become a total shadow of who i use to be and im just fed up, i want to go back to school finish my architecture, but... i cant even go down town by my self?... what can i do

[suggy]

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[RedSoxGirl77]

I'm the same way too! I used to be independent, worked over 40 hours a week and didn't think too much of anything. Now I'm depend on everyone else, work a part-time flex job because I know I can't handle full-time. I'm afraid to be alone as well because I always think something's going to happen to me and no one will be there. Or something will happen to me when I'm with my small children and they'll be left at the house all alone to take care of themselves until my husband gets home. I do have some medical issues. I always thought my medical issues caused my anxiety/depression but lately I'm thinking it may be the other way around. This has been going on for the past three years. I too am not the person I used to be and am always wishing for that person back again. Any time I start feeling better and get a spark of ambition something will happen to knock me back down again. I too get panicked over a common cold thinking it's developing into more than it actually is, etc. I too had an endoscopy done....actually twice within the past year. From the symptoms I was having I was so scared of what they were going to find. Both times the only thing they found was "mild" reflux. I was shocked since the symptoms I was having were unbearable. Just thought I would share.

[suggy]

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[polkadot]

When I first started having problems with anxiety and panic attacks I was the same way! So you most definitely don't have to worry if its abnormal. It's been about five/six years since I got my first panic attack and it has lessened a lot. I was so bad to the point where going to bed freaked me out, especially lying down for some reason. I had to lie kind of sitting up, clutching on to my bible, enduring an anxiety attack for about 15 min before I could finally calm down enough to fall asleep. It's crazy because somehow I got over that long ago and don't have that problem anymore. I still hate being on my own, especially driving alone. But really it takes time, which isn't fun, but with practice and knowing that you will make it through this, even if you don't feel like it, you will overcome. It's hard to believe but trust me, I have been getting better and better. At some point you will get so fed up with what you are afraid of it you will just risk it. This happened to me during high school, there was NO WAY I was going to let a supposedly great time of life fly by me. It was so hard because hanging out with my friends I would get panic attacks but somehow I always pushed through it and even though I would still get nervous from time to time, I eventually was able to go out and have fun and not worry. I was able to relax and be by myself. You are probably wondering why I'm still here then. Well... I still get anxious, I haven't fully gotten over worrying and the panicky feelings but I still dream of one day doing things I have always wanted to do, becoming the person I've been created to be.(unfortunately these past few months I felt like I backslid major from everything that was helping me, but in reality it was far from that). This program hopefully will get me over this once and for all.

It's hard work, trust me, and you might have to go through darker times before it gets better but remember the sun always rises in the morning, even after a night of full of tears and pain.

You are stronger than you think, braver than you can imagine, and no matter how you feel you are NEVER alone.