if i am perpetually anxious, then how do i know that i am? is that not just now the level i function at?

Question

i am quite a rational person, saying that i do think im perpetually anxious, but is there anything i can do about this or is this just my level of function? a lot of the time it does not hinder my life but i do often feel inadequate and frequently want to leave or avoid situations but force myself to persevere.
my sleep is now quite badly affected and dont know if this is due to anxiety or something else? my insomnia is accompanied by hypnopompic hallucinations with no sleep paralysis and this is beginning to freak me out!
i hate going to the doctor and feel like a fraud unless i am dying but i need to sort my sleep!

i have waffled quite alot hear but would appreciate any advice on wot to do next, im not even sure how i approach this with my GP as they are so eager to have short consultations how do i condense it all???


aaaarrrggg, i feel like im crackin up!

Answer 1

The source(s) of your anxiety is the key to understanding how you feel but perhaps is the most difficult to identify. The mere fact that you've "accepted" the idea that you're living in a state of perpetual anxiety is a BIG step in the right direction. Many people take weeks, months, years to even reach this point and to be this aware of their condition. Continue to determine the source(s) of your anxiety and do whatever it is that works for you to subdue the harmful feelings & behavior(s) that you wan to get rid of. You're on the right track I can tell. Take care.

Answer 2

Hypnopompic hallucinations, huh? I'm impressed. Anxiety, or anxiousness, can be hereditary or environmentally determined. If you are having sleep disturbances like you describe, it would seem you are under too much stress.

You can medicate to calm down or meditate to calm down. You sound like you have been dealing with anxiety a long time and there is no quick fix for it except the meds. Ideally, you should learn effective coping methods while on medication. The goal is to use meds as a temporary fix to a long-term problem.

I can't list all the methods to overcome anxiety problems because of limited time and space. Find a therapist that can help you even if it means going to 3 or 4 different ones.

Answer 3

Yeah, that stuff happens. I was just anxious and whatever for a while (ok, probably my whole life) and then all of a sudden it started messing with my digestion and I couldn't eat much and had to go see a doctor. Stress can affect us in weird ways.

What I would do...ok, what I did do, was go see a psychological counselor. They helped me learn to calm down and relax. It's nice because they have 50 minute sessions so they actually sit down and talk and listen and become friends with you and it's awesome. If they think you need some kind of drugs to help you (which you very well may not), they can explain what's up to your doctor in simple terms so you don't have to worry about it, because counselors can't prescribe drugs.

I'm so proud of you for recognizing that something is up...best of luck with your anxiety!

Answer 4

What an interesting question, and what excellent responses (especially Bradley P - thanks so much for that). I. too, have had some PTSD which had been affecting me for many years after a near-death experience. I suffered chronic anxiety and was hyper-vigilant to the point that each day felt like a battle to remain alive and safe. Finally I had to go and get counselling and I am glad to say that I am well on the road to recovery. The slowing-down of time is indeed odd - during my near-death experience I felt that maybe a hundred years or more had passed and I was now in another level of existence, looking back at what had happened as though it was a very dim memory, even as it was actually still occurring. I think this is your brain's way of protecting you from the shock of what is happening. Even afterwards, when the danger was over, I felt as though it had happened to someone else in some other era - nothing to do with me. When the flashbacks started, there were memories emerging of details that I had not been aware of at the time - obviously my conscious brain had filtered them out but the subconscious had stored them for dealing with later. Time is of course relative, and what we experience as time on an everyday basis is just our perception of it - the slowing-down of time during a traumatic experience is just another perception. There is no such thing as absolute time. Thanks for sharing this experience with us - most thought-provoking!

Answer 5

Don't go to a GP. Make an appointment with a therapist. Their job is to spend the time required to identify the source of your anxiety.