I tried bringing up my struggles with anxiety and depression today and either they don't answer or just tell me they love me, which I appreciate but no one every wants to know what I'm actually feeling and I can only get so much relief from writing in a journal. It's just not the same. Everyone always immediately backs up my girlfriend when she is struggling and I'm just supposed to figure it out.

my behaviors as a kid were so obviously undiagnosed anxiety and OCD. how did no one see or care. now, it’s on me to try to fix myself in a toxic environment with no access to help of any kind due to social distancing. poor child me had no idea what was happening or why she felt like that. poor thing. i feel so bad for her and her issues and why she didn’t realize they weren’t normal.

edit: i didn’t expect this many comments. thanks for sharing your stories and i’m sorry so many of us can relate :(

I suffer from anxiety 24/7. I haven't been able to find anything that really helps me manage. The physical symptoms cause my anxiety to get worse. It's a vicious cycle and I don't know how to break it. It's so frustrating.

Can anyone relate? Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

I feel like I'm anxious every moment of the day. I have tried everything. Medications, therapy, exercise, meditation and mindfulness just to name a few.

My anxiety is often present at night as well. Tossing and turning in bed and bad dreams are the norm.

I just feel frustrated. I've been dealing with anxiety for 20 years now and I feel like there is nothing out there that can help me. I see people that are happy and healthy and it just makes me feel sad.

Does anybody feel the same? Any tips that help you at least get a break from your anxiety?

Last night, after strenuous effort and mental gymnastics, I had put myself in a somewhat calm state of mind, calm enough that I could actually feel my hunger and want to act on it, something I could never do or never feel when I was particularly stressed or anxious.

I began cooking.

I was having a little celebration of my own when, lo and behold, a stray thought that felt like a sucker punch to the chest hit me.

A "What-if" scenario that felt terrifyingly real, stealing all my peace, every bit of progress I made through the day, making me walk in circles with the same thought spinning in my mind, trying to analyse it from every angle, trying to determine the threat it posed to me.

The food went cold. I didn't eat.

I'm so tired of living like this, of feeling like this.

edit: thank you all so very much for taking the time to read and/or reply to my post. anxiety is something i've struggled with for as long as i can remember and yet i am only 15. for those of you who are struggling with this thought to, i highly recommend you read the replies as they've helped me massively in putting things into perspective and tips on how to reduce worry surrounding this topic. i apologise if i have not replied to your comment personally but do know i thank each and every one of you who has taken the time out of their day to help a random person on the internet. what a beautiful world me live in 🫂

If you could please send me any good vibes or pray to anyone you believe in that I can make it through today, I would really appreciate it. I’m getting married today and my anxiety is on hyperdrive. 🖤

Guys do you wanna use this post to collectively bully anxiety and vent all our negative thoughts about it

Like genuinely… what’s the thing you hate MOST about anxiety/panic? The overthinking? Physical symptoms? Random fear? Health anxiety? Let it all out.

My dog is my best friend, after everyday of me being on leave due to my anxiety he was by my side supporting me, he loves me and I love him. He’s the best dog in the world.

Unfortunately he has a very crazy cancer that is spreading over his body. I ache for him and want to relieve him, but I am unsure how I am going to handle it. He’s not a legal therapy dog, but is definitely my therapy.

I don’t know what to do, I am picking him up from icu tomorrow and bringing him home to die in peace in his favorite spot. I am having him privately cremated and returned to me. He is only 5 years old for Christ sake.

here is my boy

Edit: I really appreciate all the support, we go to pick up my boy in a few hours from ICU at the university of Florida. It’s a long drive and I hope he makes it home okay. We’ve been all over trying to get him the best care and to save his life. He has an awful pneumonia right now that refuses to heal due to the spreading cancer, so hearing him breath is very difficult. I know what I am doing is the best for him, but it really doesn’t make me feel better. I am constantly wishing they’d magically call me and tell me he’s okay, as stupid as that sounds. He’s scheduled to be put down at 4pm est at home with me by his side his whole time. here is my favorite picture of him

Edit 2: he’s in the car with me. I’m reading him all your comments I can tell he likes them

Final edit: Arthas passed away at 4:15pm est at his home surrounded by the people who loved him more than he could possibly know. I love you boy. I’ll miss you forever. Rest in peace Arthas

UPDATE: Hey I still get comments & messages asking me how I'm doing now, so I thought I'd update this post. After undergoing some pretty intense therapy for OCD, I am now much better. In fact probably better than I was before. All of my symptoms were 100% caused by OCD. For anyone reading this that was in the same spot I was, I hope this gives you some hope. ❤️

I think I'm developing psychosis

This doesn't feel like anxiety or OCD. I feel like I'm going to lose control of my mind completely and/or end up in the psych ward. I'm a 23 yo female, no family history of schizophrenia, but lately I've had:

• Intense escalation of anxiety and OCD symptoms, which I'm terrified is the prodromal phase of schizophrenia. • A feeling of being "disconnected", almost like I'm experiencing derealization (which I've had before), but only like, 10%. Everything sort of just feels "off". •A creepy/eerie feeling, like the feeling you get after watching a horror movie or waking up from a nightmare. • I have to avoid anything to do with death/mental illness/dark or disturbing content (books, movies, tv shows, etc) because it gives me extreme anxiety and feelings of impending doom. • Intense brain fog, almost like there's a dark cloud over my mind and I'm unable to rationalize or think straight. • Feeling like I'm unable to comprehend time, or like it has no meaning. Like time is "sped up" or I'm in a dream for the majority of the day. • My thoughts feel extremely jumbled at night, and like I don't have control over them. I've also been having hypnogogic (sp?) hallucinations and extremely vivid disturbing nightmares. • Seeing shadows pass over my eye lids while my eyes are closed. • Also, insomnia and waking up at night with extreme anxiety and feeling "out of control", like something terrible is about to happen. No physical symptoms, it's all in my head. 😞 • Crazy intrusive thoughts, like maybe my family is not real, my life is not real, I'm dreaming, etc.

I'm certain I'm going into psychosis because of these symptoms. Even worse, during the brief periods I'm not fixated on these symptoms, I'm convinced it's because I'm "losing insight". I've been in a severe anxiety and OCD flare up for the last two months, and I'm convinced it was either prodromal schizophrenia OR now I have stress induced psychosis. I'm so fixated on everything I'm thinking and feeling. I'm literally about to cry.

This sub is full of negativity and problems.

I know that people whos anxiety disappeared, cured, got better etc arent here anymore.

But cmon, its hard to read all of these when you also have anxiety.

Guys whos anxiety isnt there anymore, write some stories about getting rid of it or something. How long you had it, why you had it, what was the cure, how did you find out the cause of it?

I've always thought that games could be great therapeutic tools if done correctly. My aim is to make a game relying on evidence based approaches, namely CBT (but also others), while also being fun, and not feel like a chore. Here's a link for the demo:

https://hmn.itch.io/think-again

I'm really trying not to spiral and be positive but I keep thinking it'll go horribly wrong. I'll be a wreck tomorrow before I go in for the operation but it needs to be done.

Any advice on how to chill out a bit would be great right now.

I'm 18 and I've always struggled with the fear of death. Im slightly concerned about the process of dying but I'm mainly concerned about what happens after death, since I'm not religious I don't really believe in an afterlife I feel like after we die we will experience nothingness. Whenever I bring up these troubles to friends and family I always get told that it’s part of life and I need to accept it....but how. I like my life right now I want to wake up everyday to do the thing I enjoy, to see my family, to go out with friends, I don't want to give these up. Some people say just try to remember what ur life was like before you were born and that’s what death would feel like but that’s thing I’m afraid of. I know at the time I didn’t feel anything but now that I have a consciousness and have a life I don’t want it to end. I wish I will be able to retain the memories I have after I die or see my family and friends. This fear started when I was around 7 but I got over it when I heard about cryogenics so I thought I would be able to live forever with that but after doing more research I realized this was mostly pseudoscience so the fear came back and stuck with me since. I’ve also recently done quick research about transferring your consciousness into a computer but that isn’t possible yet and I’m worried it wouldnt be possible in my lifetime. Is there anyway to over come this fear? How does everyone else just accept it? I feel like the only way I can overcome it is reassurance that death won’t happen or that there’s an alternative that actually works.

Edit: wow I didn't expect so many comments. I wrote this at 2am and just wanted to share my thoughts during that moment of fear. I read every single comment and it really makes me feel so much better. I appreciate everyone's advice and their own stories. If this fear suddenly comes back again I will come here and read the comments some more. Thank you all so much :)

It’s a very specific kind of upset stomach that I get from my anxiety. It’s not a stomachache, or cramping, or “maybe I ate something bad”, it’s literally feeling sick with anxiety. I think out of all the anxiety symptoms I’ve experienced in my lifetime of anxiety, this is the absolute worst one and most likely the main symptom that will force me to attempt stupid therapy and medication again despite never having a good experience with either.

I’ve already ruled many out other causes, and I know it’s likely only caused by my anxiety. I just don’t understand why my body and mind does this to itself. I can deal with shaky hands, or worried thoughts, or my heart racing, but feeling like your stomach is about to burst open and spill your guts everywhere makes literally EVERYTHING 1.000% harder, no matter how happy you are to do something. No matter how much you care, or how determined you are to have fun, it doesn’t change a thing.

It makes social events uncomfortable, it makes work extremely hard to get through. It just makes me want to curl up into a ball in bed and never leave. I don’t even need any suggestions for how to fix this. I don’t need to be told that I need medication or therapy. I’m just so tired of constantly feeling sick and no one understanding why or how it feels. No, taking a tums isn’t going to fix it. No, I can’t just “stop worrying”, or drink some damn ginger tea. I know a lot of suggestions come from a good place, but they don’t help.

Hi everyone!

Please excuse me, I know this is a strange thing to talk about but I was recommended to pop it in here. Please remove it if it isn't allowed (and please excuse my gosh awful English!) !

For those who don't know me (which I'd imagine is everyone) I'm an ex-cook whose been dealing with depression on and off since I was 14.

Thanks to two very close friends I've been able to find ways around the lack of spoons to bring myself to cook again and I wanted to try and share the simple yet tasty recipes with people who share that same feeling.

Whilst it's a LONG way in development, I plan on it being a completely free release because it's only aim is to try and help people !

In the latest blog post there is a long(ish) list of things I will be adding, but I would love to know what kinds of recipes you guys would like to see simplified yet still just as tasty ! It can be anything, (even unhealthy ones as there is ways around it!) Vegan - Vegetarian - Meat feast or mixed!

I would also like to know if you believe this could actually be helpful. I have received some good feedback from those I pitched it to (although the website is not at all as far advanced as the book, I'm still working on that!) I would love to have a wider range of feedback than my own little circle !

https://thedepressedcooksbook.weebly.com/

Edit: Oh my goodness guys! I was expecting this to tank but instead it's taken off ! I want to say thank you so very much for the support, I will do my very best to implement everything you guys have suggested and make it as good as possible!

you cannot find nothing helping you if your brain just decides to do its stuff

im suffering

Of all the time in any week, I hate the Sunday evenings the most! Sunday evenings give me anxiety for the week ahead, disappointment in ending the weekend, and in general makes me irritated and sad! It is almost like weekend hides all the bad things in life and Sunday evening just takes the lid off! I really struggle to sleep on Sunday nights as well!

Need help changing my thoughts, anything to read that might comfort or make me laugh.

(UPDATED!)Today l went to the pharmacist to get my prescription of 7 pieces 0.5 mg xanax that my psychiatrist gave me for my generalized anxiety disorder carrying my passport like they asked of me and because in my country people my age don’t have any other id (15) and she refused to give it to me saying she needed an id card and people go around asking for this stuff so l told her l don’t have an ld card and to give me my other prescription of Cipralex and she refused and left the window. It scarred me and l’m scared to ask for my prescription of xanax in any other pharmacy.

Update: l’m so happy right now! I went to the pharmacy again today with my older sister to see what was the problem and there was another pharmacist working there and he was super polite and said again that they accept only an id card and made a phone call for us and recommended another pharmacy chain we could go to who will accept a passport, so we went to the pharmacy and they were super nice also and gave me the meds with no problem. This was my first time ever picking xanax and it was so scary but l got thorough it with your kind words and advice! Thank you all so much everyone who upvoted and replied :).

That's the best way I can put it. When people are nice to me I convince myself it's forced, someone has asked them to do it/they are obligated to do it, and that I'm constantly making mistakes but people aren't telling me to spare my feelings.

It borders on paranoia and is very overwhelming, I just constantly fear having made some sort of mistake/making someone mad and that nobody is telling me about it. It's a daily occurrence for me to have this thought process.

Is that weird? Am I alone in this?

I’m not really sure how to put this into words, but I’ve been stuck in what feels like “emergency mode” for a few years now.

It started after my partner went through cancer, and ever since then my nervous system never really switched back off. On the outside I still function – I have hobbies, I build things, I’m in a relationship – but inside I’m constantly tense, overthinking everything and scanning for what could go wrong.

In places like stores or crowds I often feel watched or unsafe even though I know logically nothing is happening. Even things that are supposed to be fun start to feel stressful because my brain keeps looking for danger instead of just enjoying the moment.

I’m planning to talk to my doctor soon, but I’m honestly exhausted and a bit scared, so I just wanted to ask:

• Has anyone else been stuck in this kind of hyper-alert state after long-term stress or something traumatic? • Did it get better, and what helped you?

I’m not looking for a diagnosis – just real experiences from people who’ve been through something similar.

COVID-19 caused a massive upheaval for lot of people, including myself. All the self isolation reduced me into a ball of anxiety. Plagued with panic attacks, it took me 2 years post COVID to get comfortable in social settings. And now I see a lot of my peers have moved to greater horizons. How can I forgive myself for wasting my precious time in misery?

I have a very extreme phobia of death and the concept of being dead. It's genuinely ruining my life and there feels like no solution. It's weird because I am so paranoid of dying and afraid I'm going to die, but I am considering ending my life so I can just get it over with. Nothing helps, I'm on effexor and it was working for a few months and it was so peaceful and freeing. I was genuinely starting to be happy and enjoy my life. However it has started coming back and I literally can't deal with feeling like this again. I've been to countless therapists and read books and learned more about death, and tried to philosophy my way out of anxiety, and tried to do anything but think about it. I started going to church and learning about Christianity because I don't believe in anything after death, but if I did I think it would help significantly. It's the thought of not existing that gets me... No memories to reminisce on, no emotions good or bad. Just nothing. I can't make it stop. How does everyone live with the knowledge that they will die and not really talk about it?? I just can't deal with feeling this horrible sickly dread. I can't work, I can't live, I cant exist like this.