GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER

[MrAnxiety]

since 05...but the anxiety has goten some what better and worse combined i dont know how else to explain it  ever since last summer i woke up with a burning like upper back pain i tought it would go away within few days but nope it did not so it decided to stick with me i worried about it so much over the months i had a Ct scan done that was normal no broken bones etc... ever since my body responds with pain when it comes to worrying,anxciousness,excitment etc.... i have been geting IBS symptoms along with it such as Lower Abdominal cramp which arent painful but uncomfortable i refused to take anti-depress. im 36 yrs old and single during    plus depression kicked in i slowly worked over the depression wasnt eating etc.... but the chronic  worrying is still with me  i try to get my toughts away from it but it never seems to go away just keeps on coming back

[kconnors]

Hi,

IBS symptoms are not unusual for folks with anxiety (myself included) and muscular pain tension is also not unusual . . . given that you have a clean bill of physical health from the doctor, I might suggest working with a counselor to develop some management techniques. Meds are not for everyone nor are they needed in every case. You appear to have already developed skills to manage depression so a bit of guidance would probably help you to use them for anxiety to prevent the physical symptoms. Counselors do not prescribe meds but focus on other types of strategies such as CBT to help. It seems to me that you have learned to react with physical symptoms as an indicator of anxiety so you might need help to dissociate those two things (I had the same and actually, in some episodes, I still get the same physical=anxiety reaction). I found that rather than trying to control my reaction, I tend to let the reaction happen and manage it . . . there is a subtle difference . . .rather than trying to ignore the reaction, I accept it and process it for what it is. This has helped me to diminish the intensity and frequency of the physical reactions to the anxiety. About 95% of the time, I even end up avoiding IBS symptoms as a reaction to the anxiety (not always, but 95% is pretty good for me although in the last couple of hours, it was a bit of a rough go for me as I had to cope with some anticipatory anxiety which can be, at times, overwhelming . . . . so nothing is every 100% for sure but even at 95% there is relief from 24/7/365 anxiety for any event). Take care, KC