Can you just forget about it?

[LMH2011]

I know a few people that have suffered from anxiety. They have overcome it now, with an occasional setback here and there, but never relapsed. One of them has been anxiety free for 40 years now (that's my dad). All of these people have a common breaking point - one day they just told themselves they have had enough and just "dropped" all of the anxious thoughts, panic attacks, etc. I've asked, over and over, how they did that and not one of them can give me an answer other than "I just did, I got sick of it, it was enough".

Looking back, I have suffered from anxiety over my health (and everyone elses) for 4 years. During that time, I have been checked out by several doctors and was told I was fine....and even went on to have a baby last year (unplanned, but I made it through)! I am pretty positive that if something was wrong with me, they would have found it during my pregnancy! Even my primary doctor said that only a healthy person could go through 3 good pregnancies and c-sections, so he is not at all concerned about my health, yet I STILL AM!!!! I have terrible allergies and sinuses, but I never stop to think that it could just be that making me feel woozy, not that it's some underlying, undiagnosed heart problem where my heart is failing as I type or a horrific brain tumor that I developed from worrying too much!!! If I was reading this as typed by someone else, I would be giggling. But to me, it's life or death!!! I need to get off of this worry train! I used to be so happy and so carefree....I was a rock and the one that everyone turned to for support because I could get anyone through anything! What has happened to me?? I have realized that I am not invincible. I realized that life happens.

Back to my original question, have you or anyone you know, ever just "dropped" anxiety? I'd love to just throw my hands up in the air and say "that's it...I'm done. No more anxiety or panic attacks for me", but I don't know if I will believe myself. In order to do that, I have to trust myself. Maybe that's where my problem comes from....

[manofmusic]

Personally, I don't know of anyone (including myself) that has just dropped anxiety. I've had anxiety issues for 35 years (since grade 5). I've never been able to drop it. They have gone away for a few years at a time, but out of nowhere. BOOM it's back. My worst was about 2 years ago. I had the full blown tremors. I would shake and sweat and literally go run and hide. After about 3 months of that, it went away. It has come back since then, but I know what to do now. My panic and anxiety never went away, but I can control it now. Since I've been able to control it, it's not even close to being as bad as it was. I can actually go into crowded stores now and not completely freak out.

[LMH2011]

See, this is what I don't understand! My dad is COMPLETELY recovered! He was agoraphobic, right before I was born, which was in his late 20's, early 30's. He was on Valium and Lithium for his panic and anxiety. He said he spent 3 months just laying in his bed. There is also another person I know that just said "I don't want to be like this anymore" and that was it! Now he occasionally will have a panic attack, but he was housebound at his worst too. He was even treated for bi-polar disorder, but we now think it was just really bad panic. He did the same thing - just turned it off! I don't know how people can do this! My dad was worse than I am right now. Hopefully I will follow in his footsteps!