Checking In

It never fails that if I open up Facebook, the first thing I see is somebody talking doomsday like if their preferred candidate doesn’t get elected there are going to be mass executions and concentration camps the very next day. That we all need to move out of the country or be unalived.

Don’t get me wrong, the election is important and I know who I’m voting for. But I just cannot be inundated with all of this toxic catastrophizing all the time!

I’ve been looking for a way out of social media for a while. It’s just not been enjoyable since it’s all ads, monetized accounts, and rage bait.

But I think this election cycle just might be the end of it for me. I mean, I think I’ll keep my accounts as basically an online phonebook since people change their numbers pretty often and it’s reliable way to get in contact with someone.

But I just can’t do the content anymore. It’s so terrible for my mental health.

And yes, I know that Reddit is technically social media. But you have more control here on what you see and it’s more like the old message boards than what Meta offers. It doesn’t have the same negative effect on my mental health.

I’ve been dealing with anxiety for a while, and one of the most effective strategies I’ve found is writing in a journal. It took some time for me to realize, but the opposite of anxiety is clarity. By analyzing, breaking down, and facing my worries head-on, I’ve been able to manage my anxiety better. Writing everything down and having a dialogue with myself in my journal has been incredibly therapeutic.

I've also discovered shared journaling communities where I can engage in conversations with myself and with others who are going through similar experiences. If you’re unsure about the kind of life you want to live or what you’re passionate about, starting a dialogue with yourself might be a good first step.

I believe that, eventually, we will all find the answers we seek.

So, what are your best methods for coping with anxiety? I’d love to hear what works for you!

Hey guys So personally I deal with around the clock symptoms, and it’s every part of my body one minute it’s dizziness and shortness of breath, then it’s my eyes that are fucking me up and so on. Every minute of every day I fear passing out or just straight up dying. I am loosing my mind I hope you guys can help me?

It happens every couple of months. Something new will make itself known and I’ll fall into despair.

We came back from holiday last week and I started to feel pressure in my prostate area and needing to pee more often. I went to the doctors yesterday and he gave me a prostate exam (horrible) said it felt ok but has taken urine samples to see if there is an infection.

All I can feel right now is an aching pressure in that area which is stopping me from being able to think about anything else, and on top of that, the thought of having to take antibiotics if there is an infection is hanging over me like a very dark and dread filled cloud.

I’ve never felt anything like this before and I just feel completely doomed. Like nothing can help me and life is over. I keep nearly falling into a panic attack and can’t picture any future. This happens every time something new roles around. But I CANNOT just function and carry on with life until it goes away. Then something else starts a few weeks later.

The most popular thought is the classic “yeah last time was scary but THIS is the one that is serious and going to end you. Urgh. It’s such a trapping feeling. Anyone else?

When I wake up it’s hit or miss. I either wake up with immediate anxiety that I carry with me or I start off OK. But usually by the middle of the afternoon I’m an anxious wreck. I’ve got physical sensations, I’m ruminating, I’m worried there’s something else wrong with me, etc.

Then I go to the gym around 5:30PM. I’ll either carry the anxiety with me but let it be in the background or I’ll have a great time. So it’s fine or good.

But either way, usually when I wind down in the evening, which can be as early as 7 PM or as late as 11 PM, it almost all melts away. I’m just in AWE that “normal people” feel this way ALL THE TIME. Wow. Yes, I have some bad evenings, but most days I spend all day waiting for it to be over so I can calm down at night.

I know some people have anxiety worse at night. But I’m wondering if other people have better times of day like I do. And instead of waiting for that time to come, is there something we can learn from feeling good at a particular time of day and try and induce during the others?

Me: [takes new medicine]

My Brain 20 minutes later: ITS AFFECTING US IN A BAD WAY

Me: IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN THAT FAST, WHY ARE WE LIKE THIS

My Brain: ITS GOING TO MAKE US GO CRAZY.

Me: ITS AN ANTIPSYCHOTIC, THATS IMPOSSIBLE

I’m on vacation and I’ll be honest, had a bit much to drink yesterday. Today I’m so fucking anxious and my heart is racing and I’m just so scared out of my mind. I just need someone to tell me i’m not dying, that my body is just hungover and that it’s going to be fine.

Anyone else have random mild heart pain that only hurts for like 5 seconds, and automatically thinks your having a heart attack? and then go into an attack? Happens to me about every single night. Anxiety sucks

I've been waking up pretty much every day with this weird feeling of dread in my chest/stomach. It's a really nasty feeling that I can't seem to shake unless I'm:

A. Not sober, or
B. Not awake

I recently got out of a relationship, and I thought that constantly worrying about that person was what was causing this gnawing dread, but I'm beginning to think it might have been vice versa.

My therapist diagnosed me with anxiety recently, but I'm not on any medication. I'm just looking to see if anyone else has experienced similar symptoms.

I had an appointment yesterday with my doc and my blood pressure is quite high (150 something). Could it be because I'm literally always stressed and anxious? I'm sacred it could be dangerous and I will have a heart attack or something.

So I am going to the doctor again next week and I want to ask about starting a new anxiety med. I’ve always been scared about taking medications, but last year it got so bad I really didn’t have any other options. I was prescribed Prozac and it made me so sick and my anxiety so much worse and my doctor kept telling me to push through and it would get better, but it ended up being so bad she pulled me off it because I was so sick. Then she prescribed me Lexapro and I was terrified to take it, ended up putting it off for a couple months, and then about a week in the nausea hit and I immediately stopped taking it. It’s been a few months and I know I desperately need to be on something, my anxiety is completely debilitating, but I’m so scared of those side effects. My sister has said Zoloft is good, she had issues with Lexapro too, but I’m just curious what everyone else does. Is there one that works faster? Less side effects? Should I try something different?

I've been battling anxiety for a few years, dealing with general unease and panic attacks, especially in tight spaces. Living in London and frequently using the crowded underground was a nightmare. There were times I couldn't handle the packed trains without succumbing to panic, forcing me to escape the train and rush up the stairs for air. Elevators and planes were just as bad, if not worse.

Recently, I took up running with a goal to eventually hit a 5k distance. After six weeks of running three times a week, I've experienced a complete turnaround—my anxiety symptoms have vanished. My overall mood has significantly improved, and I've even started drinking coffee again, which I previously had to give up due to the anxiety it triggered.

For anyone struggling with anxiety who hasn't yet tried exercising, I highly recommend giving it a shot. It changed my life!

Hey guys! I'll be doing orientation for my first minimum wage job this Friday and I'm absolutely terrified. Do you have any advice on how to cope with this?

So Im not very familiar with the term anxiety or how it would feel, so I’m wondering if what i have is anxiety since it became bad that last few months.

I usually get a feeling of tightness in my chest and it becomes a bit hard to breathe almost like I can’t can’t completely fill my lungs with air. I feel like my heart is pounding like crazy. Its like Im in a mental prison I get restless and very irritated. Sometimes it effects how I interact with people since I get uninterested in the conversation. This could happen randomly or in specific situations and when I get it I often avoid eye contact with people and I become a bit awkward

Alos worth noting that I have had depersonalisation/derealisation since I was like 8

I hate the feeling and it sometimes makes effects my day. Is this anxiety? And if so how can I fix it

Disclaimer: I (30 M) have not been clinically/professionally diagnosed.

It all started around 5-6 years ago, everything was normal I was hanging out with friends, having coffee (I had a lot of it that day), smoking cigarettes and having fun. Everyone left except me and a friend of mine, we decided to stay up a little longer. We were standing and chatting with each other outside the car, suddenly, I felt a little dizzy, so I told my friend how I felt and suggested sitting in the car and continue the conversation. While walking to the car the dizziness got worse, I sit in the car and my heart was beating so fast and I was sweating a lot, sounds around felt so far like I was inside a cave, my vision was turning black and after few seconds I was seeing nothing, I honestly was sure that I am dying. My friend gave me some water to drink then he drove me to the ER. ER checked my vitals and everything seemed normal, the doctor didn't care much which was really upsetting. Eventually he asked for a head scan, I did it and everything was normal. I went from the ER undiagnosed, although I collapsed out of the blue. Since that day my life changed a lot, I still have the fear of this happening again, I started to fear standing for a long time, waiting in queues, and what I fear the most and cause me to really freak out is when I feel the slightest dizziness, even sometimes I think I am dizzy where in reality the floor is just not totally straight. I feel like I don't trust myself (my body?) anymore, I feel like it can fail me like before and cause me embarrassment or injuries. I am still struggling since that day, I started to avoid SO many things because of this. I am not sure if that event triggered anxiety or something else, not sure what I should do and how I can be normal again.

For context i haven’t worked for awhile because when i had a job some things happened and i quit and then just decided to finish school so i wasn’t for a little over a year. When i finally graduated and found a new job the anxiety and stress was unbearable. I ended up quitting 2 days cause of my reaction. Not my proudest moment. When that happened i didn’t sleep for 4 days straight and didn’t eat for almost a week. I was also breaking down a lot and crying. This is very unusual for me because im a 300 pound guy who never cries and sleeps a lot. I may have been depressed after that as well cause i was feeling sad and like a loser for probably 2-3 months after that. Eventually I got better and now found a new job. The night before I started the same thing happened 0 sleep, lots of crying, and now my appetite is gone. i’m about to be on day 3 i don’t think i’ll quit this time but this is kinda scaring me i don’t want the same thing to happen again. When is it time to go see like a professional. I’m kinda scared to tell my parents about this idk why i just am so that’s why i came here. Any help would be great thanks. if you want any more info i’ll respond.

I’m in the middle of a panic attack that started while I was at work, and as I was getting into my car my entire left arm went numb as though I was having a stroke. A second later it was fine, but I still can’t breathe properly and I feel so scared. I think I might have to go to the emergency room.

I’m about to pack some clothes in case they admit me and go. I just don’t know what else I can do at this point. I’m so sick of this disorder.

I have a doctor's appointment on July 3, they might draw blood from my arm. I'm worried that I'll get diagnosed with a disease that's incurable. All diseases are incurable. I feel like there has never been a cure, and there never will be. I'm afraid that I'll die from a disease at 21 years old.

I'm 25, very healthy, not an adrenaline junkie with a stable job and supportive family and yet even sitting at home safe I worry that I've accidentally taken or done something to cause death. I constantly worry about being poisoned, attacked or hurt in some way. I have had OCD since I was 11, mostly with ruminations, intrusive thoughts about death and dying, madness and illness. I'm worried constantly about dying every day even while on escitalopram and calming drops. What works for people here?

Or atleast how do you hold your job when everything causes so much fear.

I have started therapy. I'm not medicated.

I just can't even ask for help because I'm paralyzed by fear until it's too late.

I've been at my company for 3 months. I don't want to lose the job but I can't get over my anxiety

How do I cope? How do I manage to be decisive and assertive when I'm unsure of everything I do.

I can’t stand it anymore. I overthink so much and it’s killing me inside. I overthink down to the neuron. It feels so robotic like my overthinking literally feels like it turns on like a switch whenever I’m in an anxiety inducing situation. Everything is affected. Speech, mannerisms, decision making, etc. It’s gotten so bad to the point where I’ve developed a stutter from how much I overthink my words. Everything, every action, every movement and every sentence feels like on the spot conscious decisions I have to make and it is so frustrating to deal with. Everything that comes out of me just feels so fucked up

I don’t know why I do this. I feel like I do it to try to achieve a better outcome for whatever it is I’m doing but it does more harm than good. I’m always left feeling super exhausted and dissociated. My head always ends up hurting for the amount of overthinking, and everything I do ends up feeling like such a chore making me put off most things

I’m trying to think positively and i’ve been taking steps to get better but it’s just so frustrating when it actually happens. I’m even overthinking writing this. I had a job interview the other day and thats when I completely felt it turn on and I felt so powerless. I largely lack confidence and constantly second guess myself which may be reasons as to why I overthink so much, but it’s just a really bad habit that I can’t stop myself from doing

My husband literally just sat there as I had an anxiety attack and continued to play on his phone. I feel so alone, I have no one to talk to that understands how I feel. I feel anxious about everything and I have 100 things on a to do list. Everytime I think about all the shit that has to get done on the house, I panic. My husband doesn’t understand this and doesn’t help get the shit done, he just tells me “it’ll be ok”. On top of this my job is so stressful it takes everything in me to not quit, the metrics are unreasonable and my boss is a micromanager. I feel like everything is falling apart. I’m also pregnant and scared about what the stress is doing to her. How does one deal with an unsupportive partner? I just wish he would take some of this weight

Hello! As someone with some anxiety I feel like I should know the answer to this but for some reason I'm stumped?

My friend has really bad anxiety all the time. I don't think I have ever seen them without anxiety. Well there was an situation where I set some boundaries and about an hour later noticed they were very quiet. Apparently they were ruminating on the situation that cause me needing to set boundaries when to me it was just a little fluke. I don't know what to say at this point? I know saying there is no need to have anxiety over that isn't prob the best soooo

My main point is how do you react when someone says they are having anxiety? Do you say sorry that sucks? It's ok? Ignore it??

I've suffered with anxiety for 17 years (as well as depression - now treatment resistant depression), and it has only gotten worse with time.

I'm unable to go to any large department store because of overwhelming anxiety, and I feel extremely overwhelmed if I have to drive anywhere. This is especially noticable with the time change - when I was working, coming home from work was significantly better when it wasn'tt dark out at 6:30)

Anxiety at stores began around my first diagnosis, and the driving/spatial issues/irritation with sound/maintaining eye contact began gradually about 7 years ago.

If I need to move my car to let my husband pull into the garage, I'm a complete mess the 6-7 hours leading up to it.

I have an appointment with a neurovisual specialist in about a month, and I am beyond excited (and have been for months)

Just seeing if anyone with GAD had success with prism glasses, even if it was just a bit.

Thank you!