generalised anxiety disorder

I do not but I know friends who do. As a runner, for me, having the ability to run (even slowly) calms down any anxiety I might have. I have never done CBT. I think it's a legit question if you get the right people and not trolls.

Probably best to speak with a pro about it though.

Psychiatrist here. Continue CBT; best gold standard treatment for generalized anxiety. You mentioned avoidance- don't avoid; it sustains anxiety.

Most people need a higher dose SSRI (like, much higher than depression doses) for GAD. It's normal to have more anxiety when you first start an SSRI but over a few weeks it should get a lot better. You may benefit from other augmentation strategies as well but would talk to a psychiatrist about this.

GAD is very treatable with the right meds and therapy/therapy provider. good luck

I have diagnosed GAD and major depression. Therapy has been helpful, but definitely not a cure all. Same with medication, makes you have some better days but doesn’t fix the core issues. Truth is lot of people probably fit this mold, but so many people just push through it and mistake it for other things (coupled with the stigma of getting help).

Biggest advice I have to you is to capitalize on the good days. If this means getting in exercise or going out and being social the best you can then go for it. On the other hand, don’t beat yourself up on the bad days. We don’t get to pick how we feel when we wake up in the morning, but we can control how we let it effect our personal views of ourselves.

A little bit of advice for anxiety is the following quote. “Stop acting like you’re a main character in other peoples lives.” My anxiety comes from interaction with people and worrying about their perception of me. This reminds me that most people really don’t care or remember their interactions with you, and you’re the only one making it into a big deal.

Hope any of this helps and good luck :)

I have had a diagnosis of GAD for about 8 years now. The good news is that I have improved tremendously over the last 8 years with a combination of meds and therapy. The medicine that has worked best for me is Lexapro.

Lexapro really helped with the bodily symptoms of anxiety. I began with a relatively high dose, which unfortunately has some noticeable sexual side effects. It's a cost-benefit analysis with the sexual side effects. I will say that I have found those side effects go away when you stop taking the medicine, so there doesn't seem to be any permanent alterations there. In the short term dealing with the side effects was well worth the relief it gave me from my anxiety. Over the years I have whittled the dosage down to 5mg daily, and the side effects are not present or barely noticeable.

Lexapro can cause a bit of weight gain if you aren't careful, but it hasn't affected my running or training.

For me, the meds were important to lower the level of baseline anxiety so that I could do the behavioral therapy work, which of course is a life-long process. I think most everyone would benefit from a therapist, really. I met with a therapist maybe every other week for the first couple of years, then went to monthly, and now I just check in every 3 months or so. I worked with various therapists over the years, and as you grow and change, what you need from a therapist may change as well. Anyways, try to find a good fit there if you can.

Kudos to you for stepping forward to work on this. Best of luck.

Got family with big time anxiety issues. CBT is great but a lot of people need to be in counseling for a long period of time to pin down the source of the anxiety issues and to keep from backsliding. It may not be your cup of tea, but take a look at support groups too. Some of my family has had success taking CBD and doing meditation. It is not a cure, but it does seem to help keep things at a manageable level while pursuing therapy.

Yes exercise, especially running does help. As someone said, avoidance is what causes anxiety because it fortifies in your mind that there's something to be afraid of. Exiting or avoiding a stressful situation signals to the brain that the fear is legitimate. As for WHY you're afraid or anxious, it's probably because you'd like to avoid potential "embarrassment/humiliation/people thinking you're weird or not good enough" I put that in quotes because it's all subjective. You're probably too self conscious and worried what others think. Give yourself the same compassion that you give others. Love yourself. Challenge your negative and self limiting thoughts. Don't let them have power over you or control you. If you have an embarrassing moment, don't dwell on it amd forgive yourself and realize everyone has moments like these as human beings.

Perhaps another branch of the issue could be that you're depressed. You may not be, but with anxiety disorders, depression can be prevalent. Keep seeking help or a remedy. That shows that you're willing to become an improved person. Anxiety is not your fault but you can take responsibility and make a change.

Nice to see serious posts on this. I struggle with anxiety myself and it's super-helpful. LRC is usually full of trolls but it's good to get a real thread once in awhile.

Anxiety is the new adhd. Doctors will diagnose literally anyone with anxiety. In a sense they're right, because every human experiences anxiety. It's a normal human emotion. But this has turned into people thinking theyre different from everybody, doctors reaffirming that belief, and then people using that as a crutch.

OozmaKappa wrote:

Anxiety is the new adhd. Doctors will diagnose literally anyone with anxiety. In a sense they're right, because every human experiences anxiety. It's a normal human emotion. But this has turned into people thinking theyre different from everybody, doctors reaffirming that belief, and then people using that as a crutch.

That's a perspective but you're probably wrong

Alcohol is a big trigger for me

Mindfulness ,diet and exercise helps a lot

Yes, healthy habits are healthy. I agree.

Do you sneeze a lot?

Try cutting out caffeine - I mean completely. Just for a trial. You might be surprised how much of a difference it can make for some people - in two ways. 1. in general and 2. by increasing the quality of sleep.

A lot of people try to cut down to one coffee per day, or have it before midday, but the best results are from cutting it out completely for a short period of time and seeing how you react. The good thing about this is it isn't something you have to do for months to see if it benefits you.

OozmaKappa wrote:

Anxiety is the new adhd. Doctors will diagnose literally anyone with anxiety. In a sense they're right, because every human experiences anxiety. It's a normal human emotion. But this has turned into people thinking theyre different from everybody, doctors reaffirming that belief, and then people using that as a crutch.

*yawn* so over ignorance..

Anxiety can be very normal and indeed CONCERN can be protective and positive, and makes sense from an evolutionary perspective.

Excessive anxiety or worry that limits you is not.

This entire thread is people who are refusing to use anxiety as a crutch and actively working to make it better via therapy, lifestyle changes, etc.

The medicalization of the human condition is one of the greatest travesties of our modern culture, and it does not get talked about enough.

Everyobody is rushing to diagnose away all their problems to free themselves of any responsibility. People dont want to have agency, bc to have agency would mean theyre responsible for the consequences of their actions.

And no one is allowed to discuss this problem, bc only the "professional" class know enough about being human to opine on the human condition. You see, theyre professionals at being human and they know more than you.

OozmaKappa wrote:

The medicalization of the human condition is one of the greatest travesties of our modern culture, and it does not get talked about enough.

Everyobody is rushing to diagnose away all their problems to free themselves of any responsibility. People dont want to have agency, bc to have agency would mean theyre responsible for the consequences of their actions.

And no one is allowed to discuss this problem, bc only the "professional" class know enough about being human to opine on the human condition. You see, theyre professionals at being human and they know more than you.

The fact that you said medicalization and not over-medicalization tells me all I need to know. Sure drugs are given out too much to people who don’t need them, but that in no way invalidates all the people who need them to function.

It’s a common misconception that people want to take these drugs. It took me months to even consider going on meds, and I was so hesitant to start. Comments like yours make people second guess their decisions. Often times, these drugs help people gain responsibility again with the goal of eventually going off drugs. I’d consider you to rethink your position with some empathy in mind

The good thing is each year less and less people think this way.

Yup, people are starting to realize how ridiculous this stuff is.

Last paragraph was good, everything else was garbage.

We don’t pick how we feel when we wake up? BS. When you wake up, tell yourself it will be a good day, otherwise it’s a self fulfilling prophecy that you are gonna have a bad time.

Otherwise oozma is right, there is a serious problem of over diagnosing and over medication in the west. I sweat bullets when I have to give a presentation, but I do it with no meds and no doctors note.