Dealing with Anxiety

[ExpectingK]

I am a worrier by nature. I worry about both significant and insignificant things......this is a long post!

I have IBS so stress makes this worse. Sometimes I don't realise I'm overly anxious about something until my IBS flares up (or perhaps I'm in denial and think I'm managing just fine).

I can say things have worsened since I had my DD, initially manifesting itself as increased OCD, but now it's a general feeling of unease.

I would guess the last year has been the worst, particularly August onwards, when some stressful events triggered this current phase of continual worry.

I seem to be stuck in that cycle of 'one thing after another' at the moment. As one thing gets resolved another thing crops up for me to worry about.

At the moment I am waiting for Argos to sort out a faulty fridge / freezer. This has been ongoing for 2 months. Argos have bee quite helpful but the manufacturer is useless. It's resolved in as much as Argos have agreed to exchange but I won't feel 'happy' to the new one is here! (NB - this is the 2nd faulty one).

I had a new coat for Christmas (Ebay purchas), which I have discovered a fault with, and am now waiting for the Seller to respond to my email. I worry that they wont exchange the coat because I took the tags off and that I will end up having to buy a replacement so my oh doesn't wonder why I'm not wearing it.

I had a pay cut in December which has hit my confidence, but now given me money worries! I'm also waiting to hear about whether I will be made redundant before the Summer.

I can distinguish which are the big things i.e. those that warrant me worrying about them, but I can't help but worry about the other things too.

I'm not sure how to control the anxiety......I'm aware that I am on the edge of it controlling me. At the moment I feel in control but at times I am close to slipping somewhere I don't want to go.

I have suffered one bout of depression before (over a break-up), but that was 12 years ago. I did have PND too. I am not depressed and can see this is anxiety. How best do I manage it?

I have become more controlled about food, because of my IBS. My weight dropped before my IBS was under control and now I have put on a few pounds and my brain is starting to question if this is a good thing. I know I looked ill before, so the extra few pounds is good, but I can hear a voice in the back of my head saying you must cut down on some things and lose those pounds,

Help! How do I sort myself out? I never used to be like this and definitely don't want it to get worse. Any advice / tips?

 

[seoj]

I've dealt with anxiety (one extent to another) all my life. Even as a kid- I was overly concerned with certain things- usually social type things (interactions with people etc...) and now that I"m older, it's gotten worse. It really hit home that I needed to change things about 2yrs ago- after my Mom passed... as EVERYTHING else going on in my life just felt that much worse (for obvious reasons). But I didn't feel like "me" anymore. I mean, I was me, just not the best version of myself- I would flip over something so small... because there was this underlying weight I was carrying around all the time. It was a LOT for anyone to handle. And I thought I was doing pretty darn well- I still think I was (generally speaking)- but like I said, I didn't always realize HOW much stress I was carrying around .

So- I stepped up my time at the gym, learned to take a break and a breathe whenever I started to feel overwhelmed... we got a house keeper to come clean every 2wks (even something that small takes a weight off). I started seeing a counseling- and got the right medication. I make sure to take a break for ME every day. Even if it's only 5mins- as we all well know that there are a lot of people that need us. But WE need us too.

Today- I still deal with anxiety at times. It's something I'll always struggle with a bit. But I feel like ME again- least a better version of me. I feel more "at ease" when things come up. I'm better able to compartmentalize things. For instance- I can be a sounding board for my friend going through a hard time, but I don't have to take on her feelings and stress and worry for her. That doesn't help her or me. It's something I'm still working on- and have been, but we are all a work in progress.

Sorry for the novel- but you are not alone. This affects many. And it takes strength to recognize when you need help. I'm the rock- the one people come to with their own issues- the one that helps others, so I tend to forget I need help too sometimes. But it's about finding a good rhythm for your life that works. Whatever that means for you hun.