Anxiety

Ray212

I have struggled with anxiety for years and while people know the word and many have experienced it I always found it difficult to put into words. Trying to explain to someone how things feel is always difficult. 

I am sure many people have seen this before but I found it helped me describe anxiety and how it affects me 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boewaMwPSaE

Hannah_Alumni

@Ray212 Thank you for sharing! I also think the way we feel about our anxiety changes as well as the anxiety itself. Seeing this video, there are descriptions where I thought " I remember feeling like that" and others where I thought "I feel like that now".

How are you getting on with your anxiety? Do you have support? 

Ray212

I find anxiety hard to describe, its different but familiar I guess. 

I have had it for years but really struggled with it for well at least 14 years I guess. I have my kids, well I say kids they are over 18 now but still live at home. I have support in place but its just crippling, not going out, not doing things, I haven't been on holiday in 20+ years. Don't go to places etc etc

I have kind of resigned myself to that's how things are. I have lost count the amount of courses I have been to, one to one counselling and different tablets.

I am still hopeful one day something will click and life may come back to some type of normality. One day at least

Hannah_Alumni

@Ray212 I understand that. Sometimes its just familiarity. 

I hope the support you have will help you I had CBT and it helped me but then Mindfulness techniques helped later on when my anxiety came up again. When you say, not doing things. Do you have any hobbies? I started researching my ancestry when I was housebound and I also run a blog. 

We also have many members of the community with hobbies that they do at home. I hope that some can comment here or that you'll see a few when you are going through threads on the community and it gives you some ideas  

AntJP86

@Hannah_Scope thank you for the tip above regarding ancestry, I too find things difficult as I am currently in the early stages of severe anxiety although I think I have suffered it for years (seen a diagnosis back in 2008) - just always thought I was shy and didn't like to be around people too much.

It's been a hard time for me as alongside the anxiety I also have depression which is now hopefully coming under control with medication and also chronic back pain I have had for 15 years now and it will only get worse.

Luckily I am undergoing counselling and they are giving me tips to try and cope however any further tips to help cope would be appreciated or indeed for things to do in the house!

Hannah_Alumni

Hello @AntJP86

Welcome to the community! I'm sorry to hear you have been struggling with anxiety and depression, but pleased to hear you have support and are trying to find tips to help. I hope the community can be a place of support for you too

One of our members @66Mustang has just started researching their family history and started a thread which you may like to take part in. We also have threads about the premier league predictions if you like football, The Book Nook, if you like reading and one of our other members @grinchy has an amazing movie collection! 

We play games in the Coffee Lounge, there are loads if you'd like to join in. As well as other debates and getting to know each other kinds of threads. 

As for other things to do around the house. With my ancestry research, I scanned all my family photos onto my computer. I cleared out the attic on good days. Put scrapbooks together of treasured things, like concert tickets. I had people round on good days too, for tea or for a movie night