Anxiety Experiences

[KianDonoghue]

Hello everyone,

I am doing a course at College in Mental Health and I am trying to collect some information from people about their experiences anxiety and how they differ.

Would any body be happy to answer the questions below?

1. Describe a situation where you have felt anxious

2. Describe what it felt like when you experience anxiety

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

[KianDonoghue]

Experiences with*

[Fusion5]

Happy to Kian.
1) hospital appointments.
2) heart beating 100 miles per hour, tension in neck, feel like running out.

[Iggle Piggle]

1. Quite often usually at random but stress seems to be a particular trigger.
2. Fast heartbeat, butterflies in stomach, sweaty palms. Feels like I'm going on stage or into an interview that type of feeling.

[Tilly2]

I can't do that. I will get my anxiety feeling all over again.

[lardhelmet]

I'm with Tilly. Wouldn't want to re-live it again.

[nailit]

Kian, I am currently undergoing a course of CBT for anxiety and socialphobia. To be honest I cant say that its helping much although I try and put into practice my 'homework'.
1) a situation where I have felt anxious?...anytime I have to leave my flat. Shopping, job centre interviews (a biggie for me), and anything where I have to basically interact with people that I dont know.

2) what does it feel like to experience anxiety?...just imagine the opposite of feeling normal and in control!
I have good days where I can muddle through and bad days when I just get drunk to cope with my feelings of been unable to cope with what life throws at me, and thats the simple things like shopping. But then I get the mental health services telling me that Ive got a drink problem and not an anxiety issue.
Sorry for saying this but the mental health services havnt got a clue. All preset ideas from people that have all the 'book' learning but havnt actually been there. My own involvement with the mental health services over the last couple of years have been abysmil.
Not been funny here Kian, but do yourself a favour and get a proper job.

[scorpiojo]

Same as Iggle Piggle, but with added hyperventilating :(

[Prudie]

1 random situations that have nothing to do with obvious worrying experiences - eg on the sofa, in a restaurant, at the cinema, in a meeting
2. feeling of poison in my body, walking on sponges, chest tightness, neck tension, jiggly vision, general unease, feeling trapped, flu-like symptoms

[pastafreak]

When I was younger I had both panic,and anxiety attacks,plus I was agoraphobic. I still experience panic/anxiety...mostly in either open spaces such as wide roads...or unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people.
Panic/anxiety results in breathlessness,rapid heartbeat,severe muscle tension,upset tummy,a sensation that I have no control...over myself,or my environment. Sometimes I feel its all about control. Want to escape.

[nailit]

Just to add that last year I became seriously suicidal (been unable to cope with severe anxiety and depression). I rang the 'crisis' number and the bar stewards put the phone down on me after saying that we cant talk because youve had a drink ( like you cant be in drink and suicidal at the same time?? ) I ended up at the local railway station with the full intention of throwing myself under a train and have done with. Ironacally I was saved by the police carting me of because I was smoking (and drinking) on the platform.
And only THEN was I hospitalised and got some kind of treatment after been sectioned.

[boxtops]

pasta, I used to be like that. The anxiety related to nothing in real life, it was fear of fear as often as not. Panic attacks have no logic, and it's impossible to explan to someone who's never experienced them.

Kian, very hard to respond - anxiety is relative, what really stresses out one person is nothing to the next. Severe clinical anxiety and depression is nothing like being anxious because someone's late home (for example) - I think you need to be more specific in your question.

[ronnietoon]

Agree with nailit 100%

[nailit]

Boxy, he cant be more specific because he isnt trained that way (in my experience) Mental health proffesionals try to treat mental health issues in the same way that doctors try to treat a broken leg...leg, broke, mend. You cant treat anxiety or depression that way, theres so much more variables with the mind than the body.

[nailit]

ronnie, I take it youve had your own experiences with the mental health teams then?
Its not just myself im concerned about, ive lost friends in the past because no one would listen (it wasnt in their 'books')

[anneasquith]

in fairness nailit,,,,,,, many many people have been treated very well by mental health services.

[Prudie]

I think what Boxy means is that everybody can describe feelings of anxiety when going to the dentist, public speaking, dealing with a spider. That is completely different to anxiety in the mental health genre which is usually illogical anxiety.

[nailit]

and many many people anne have lost their lives because of them.

[boxtops]

That is what I meant, prudie, thank you. Having spent many years being treated for A&D in my younger years, I know how hard it is to describe when irrational anxiety rules one's every waking moment.

[ronnietoon]

Apolgies to the OP

Yes nailit i have what they like to call dual diagnosis, im an alcoholic(recovering) and suffer from social anxiety disorder amongst others.

[nailit]

Im sure theres no need to apologise to the OP ronnie, it all must be an education to him when he collects his replies. Not sure though that the replies are ones that he wants (might contradict what his tutors are teaching him).
Kian mate, let me tell you that what you are learning is rubbish. Anyone who has been through the mental health services will tell you that its rubbish. The only people that will tell you its worthwhile is the other people that are employed by the mental health services.
The mental health service are at best incompetant and at worst downright dangerous. But that of course is coming from someone who has an axe to grind.
See how you feel in say, 10 years time, when you can start counting how many people have committed suicide because you have been taught that people who come to you for help are only alki's or drug addicts.
Good luck with that one mate.