When Worry Consumes You

[groovedaddy]

SUNDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Almost everyone worries about something -- credit card debt, car repair bills, an upcoming work review, whether your child will get into a good college. A little worry is natural and normal.

But when you become a 24/7 fret machine, that's not normal. You may have what doctors call generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD -- a condition marked by worry about most aspects of life that you feel you can't control. It can leave you feeling physically exhausted and emotionally drained, and also frustrate loved ones who must listen to you verbalize all that anxiety.

"This worry process never ends," said Dr. David H. Barlow, professor of psychology and psychiatry at Boston University and founder and director emeritus of the university's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders.

"The key psychological feature of GAD is a state of chronic, uncontrollable worry," he added, noting that about 6 percent of Americans suffer from the condition at some point in their life.

"They are always anticipating the worst," Barlow said. They worry about major concerns as well as ones most of us would consider minor, he explained. They can't seem to stop the worrying, even when they know it's unrealistic or unfounded. And once one worry is over, the next one surfaces.

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/mental-health/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100195460>1=10856

"There is always the next crisis to worry about," Barlow said.

[meegbear]

1. I have GAD ....

when it was at it's peak, about 10 years ago, I could be called into a manager's office and in the 15 seconds it took to get there, I'm freaking out trying to figure out why I'm about to be fired.

And you know it's unrealistic and irrational, but you find yourself doing it. Had to learn to stop thinking like that - still have some minor bouts, but not as severe as I did back then.

[ananda]

2. Think about it this way.

Maybe it's not you.

People and groups in authority know how to manipulate
those under their purview into toeing the line.

Take for example, calling a subordinate or employee in for
a conference.

They -could- be upfront and tell you right off what it's about.

Sue

[meegbear]

4. I'm over all that now ...

was taught to respect authority figures and was also taught to always assume the worst; parents lost their first child in a freak accident and has affected their outlook and mine.

[antigop]

3. Fear of losing your health insurance is NOT UNREALISTIC OR UNFOUNDED

Just sayin'....

[beezlebum]

5. constantly

i'm constantly worried, and sometimes, i don't even realize i'm worried. i'll sit there, anxious, and about the most ridiculous things, if im even worrying about something remotely worry-worthy, which half the time, it's nothing. i even worry about worrying. that first sentence- not even a fraction of it. if i have a bill to pay, even though i know the consequences are mild if it's a day late, i worry. it gets worse and worse as time goes on- b/c i'm so afraid of slipping back into debt that the late fees and overdraft fees make so much worse, and petrifies me to the point of panic.

i'm 28, and just starting my first job as a real estate agent. i secretly have a KNOT in my stomach because i am SO afraid of messing up on a purchase agreement, or breaking some disclosure law, or not being able to speak to new clients (i know most of my current customers and clients, which number maybe 3 ppl including family) w/o stuttering or being wrong or not being able to remember some crucial real estate rule of thumb, or anything unintentional, that will cause my being labeled incompetent (my biggest fear since childhood) by my co-workers. i dropped out of school in 8th grade- an honors student worried that my peers would think i was stupid.

i was diagnosed with SADS two years ago, and tend to have a breakdown every november, about a week into the time change, but the worry doesn't stop when winter is over, and it certainly is not at a standstill before then. i have my panic so well hidden that even my husband doesn't know how much i worry, b/c i'm so worried that if he finds out he'll leave me. november is simply when it is so bottled up it has to come out again.

and good god- speaking of fucking november, i've been waiting for 8 years for the opportunity to vote after worrying about war et al, but this brings NEW worries etc, and i can't discuss this with anyone off the internets b/c i'm so afraid of being told i'm stupid or fanatical (plus i have a difficult time speaking and come across as unsure and am often run over by ppl who disagree with me)- political activism is a large part of my character, and yet it's my dirty little secret...worry begets new worry begets new worry...

i have it under control 99.999% of the time- by which i mean i don't let it interfere with my daily life (though i often lose sleep in panic mode), and i am often able to overcome intense fear but that doesn't change that it's eating me up inside.

thanks for the post.

[LiberalEsto]

10. I've got it too

and have had it since I was a kid. I can remember only a handful of times in my life when I didn't feel that inner knot of worry. Those times include undergoing acupuncture, laughing really hard, working at something intense and physical, and I forget what else.

And it always seems like the minute you resolve one problem or issue, another one pops up to take its place. If it weren't for medication that I take at bedtime for sleep problems and depression, I would wake up around 3:30 a.m. every night and worry for the next two or three hours.

Wish I had some suggestions for you, but I don't.

For SAD, I use a light box from Fall Equinox onward, and it makes a huge difference. Since I'm an early riser, I use the box for 20 minutes around sunset. People who are night owls apparently do better using it in the morning.

[LynzM]

12. Beezlebum....

:hug: :hug: :hug: I feel for you... it sucks to live like that. I wish that you had someone you could confide in, even just talk through your worries. I'm sorry you feel like your husband would not be supportive (or worry that he would not be supportive) if he knew.

Have you been to any kind of counselor to talk about your GAD? Not a pharmacologist, but someone who specializes in talk therapy for anxiety or body-centered therapy? And/or a naturpathic doctor who can look for environmental, dietary, etc. kind of causes? I've found some help from both of these sources for my anxiety, and I hate to see anyone suffering like you are. You shouldn't have to spend the rest of your life being eaten up from the inside... :hug: I know that feeling and it's awful.

Peace to you...

[LiberalEsto]

6. GWB causes GAD

The cure: impeachment

[beezlebum]

7. hells yes. n/t

[teenagebambam]

8. I have it too.....

....and I'll tell you what was the single most important thing I did too get it under control...

...take an acting class. Seriously, it was better than therapy. Teaches you to stay grounded in the present and only react appropriately to what is given to you RIGHT NOW, not what MIGHT (but probably won't) happen.

[Mountainman]

9. I worry at times that I'm not worrying enough. I mean I feel there is something important I have to

do but I can't remember what it is. I take meds but they don't get rid of it completely. I worry that I didn't take my meds.

[BridgeTheGap]

11. "don't worry...be happy!" whoops, I just plagiarized! n.t