When I browse Subeta forums I often see people discuss their struggle with anxiety related disorders and I thought it might be good to have a place where people can come to chat and seek support from people who are going through similar issues, without the fear of being judged. Sometimes it's hard to talk to friends or family for a multitude of reasons.

This could be a place for ranting, advice on coping, or just meeting people who relate to your situation and making new friends :) Normal chatter is more than fine~!

I'll start, I guess. I have been diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder. According to the pychologists, I also have "emotional dysregulation" and OCD tendencies. I am skittish and high strung- loud noises are enough to make me nervous, sometimes to the point of whimpering and shaking. I used to have frequent panic attacks which I responded to with Valium. I suffered agoraphobia, not being able to leave the house, and have had periods of disassociation. It made me fail three years of university in a row and quit work for almost 12 months. I am much better now; I am taking medication and I'm in a really good place personally, but there are definitely still difficult times. Currently I am trying to break a habit caused by skin picking disorder, which is going frustratingly slowly.

So, nice to meet you. Tell me about yourself. ^.^ Making this topic was quite scary so I hope some people join me lol.

Thank you for sharing. I imagine it was quite difficult.

I suffer from depression and find dealing with any amount of stress difficult. I also suffer from insomnia making concentrating difficult, I have mood swings and become very irritable. I used to be a very social person but since I was diagnosed with depression I have found it increasing difficult to go out and have fun, I become easily paranoid that people are talking about me (how I look/act etc.) and start to become moody even then.

I also suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome which is made worse by stress :( I suffer from stomach cramps on a daily basis and sometimes even more symptoms :(

That's enough of me rambling. I am glad to hear you are feeling better :)

I know how all of that feels. My biggest cause of anxiety is worrying that others will perceive me negatively and talk about me. I've not been an ansimoniac but it did screw with my sleeping for a loooong time and that made me generally shitty as well.

IBS is actually a common side affect of anxiety disorders. I have it too. It's the worst. My stomach used to make horrible sounds in situations with lots of people, like a lecture theatre, and it made me so paranoid/self conscious. I actually got up and walked out of an exam half an hour after it started once because my stomach was going crazy and I just wanted to crawl in a hole and die. Ugh.

Do you have any techniques to try and cope with your anxiety?

Anxiety's super scary and I'm glad when people open up and are willing to talk about it. I think that's a good step towards helping the country be more aware of anxiety disorder and how it can be PAINFUL both physically and emotionally.

I have to do lots of breathing exercises and force my brain to think positively and realize what's really happening. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who has stomach issues with anxiety! As soon as I start getting nervous... sigh I actually get like...the nervous toots. Then I generally get diarrhea.

Thank you so much for making this! hugs

I suffer from Bipolar Disorder I, PTSD, GAD, SAD and have extreme bouts of paranoia. It's very important I don't miss even one day of my meds or I turn into a paranoid, anxiety, mood swinging ridden crazy person.

One of the ways I deal with anxiety is with music. I find that specific bands calm me down. If I am not doing the music thing, then just going to my room and breathing deep will do the trick. If I'm out in public and having sensory issues it's a lot harder. Usually I have to come straight home or I become a serious puddle of mess.

I stay home a lot and don't go out very often. I don't like talking to people face to face except very few people. Even some of my oldest friends I can't be around sometimes...I'm just terrified of being around people. But then I have days where I can go to my fave karaoke bar and sing my heart out...singing is one of my anxiety and stress relievers, but again those days are few and far between. I shouldn't drink but the alcohol makes it easier to be around people. Crowds dono't normally bother me...it's conversation with people that really makes me want to cry. It's nerve wracking. I find being online is so much better. I also HATE talking on the phone. It makes ;my nerves go crazy.

I can't talk on the phone either unless it's urgent, I become tongue-tied and start babbling incoherently.

I am ashamed to admit, recently I've had to resort to self-harming as it has felt like the only thing that calms me down at the moment :( I scratch myself with scissors because they only leave temporary marks and no one the sees that I've done anything. When things aren't as bad I can loose myself in music, books or tv.

I can't talk on the phone either unless it's urgent, I become tongue-tied and start babbling incoherently.

I am ashamed to admit, recently I've had to resort to self-harming as it has felt like the only thing that calms me down at the moment :( I scratch myself with scissors because they only leave temporary marks and no one the sees that I've done anything. When things aren't as bad I can loose myself in music, books or tv.

Thank you for creating this. :)

My social anxiety makes me incapable of making new friends or keeping old ones, even though I desperately want friends. For example, I asked to meet one of my boyfriend's friends for a chance to meet new people but I just felt so awkward around him that I could barely even talk and I felt out of place. He kept trying to talk to me and it made me feel like I shouldn't be there. Part of me wants to have new friends, but another part of me is so shy that I don't like to meet new people. As for old friends, I get the paranoid feeling they don't like me and never want to talk to me simply because they don't answer at that moment. With all things considered, I turn to the internet for friends because I don't have to be face-to-face with the person, but just type. It's more comforting and I can do that much easier. I don't know if that's better but it helps me.

Congrats on your progress! Hopefully things keep going well! :D

As for me:

I'm really bad with people since I broke down in a class presentation in 6th grade. That's... a lot of years. Basically, I get so nervous in front of people, that I start shaking. It's not uhh, mentally scary or anything. My body just tenses up to the point where it starts shaking on its own and I'm there trying to calm it down - that is, at first. When it finally gets to that fight-or-flight point, my brain goes too and I'm in full panic mode. Can't think, can't speak. I wish I had any other fear. I mean, I could face snakes or spiders or heights, but I had to end up with the one fear that could judge me for being afraid of it - people :/

It's been really hard, but I have wonderful friends who understand and are trying to help me out. There's been progress, so hopefully the trend keeps steadily upwards :)

I'm really glad people are able to make use of this. :) Nothing's worse than feeling like you're going through this stuff alone.

Absolutely. There's still a lot of people that don't understand, and it's worse when those people are close to you. I think the hardest part is getting people to realise the difference between normal anxiety that everyone feels from time to time, and the everyday dread and panic over all sorts of things that comes with having an anxiety disorder. For instance, it's normal to feel a bit nervous about an exam. It's not normal to start crying when you're cooking meat for dinner because you've just imagined the whole pot flipping over and frying your skin with bubbling hot oil. Those are two things I hate about it- always imaging the worst, and feeling like a dysfunctional adult who can't cope with everyday situations.

Breathing exercises are good. My old psych nurse also suggested focusing as hard as you can on the trivial details about the environment around you, rather than fixating and what's making you anxious- so you might look around the room and think about the colour of the walls, or what you have in your bookshelf- things like that. I have found that really helpful in the past.

Although I don't know what it's like to live with, one of my closest friends has Bipolar disorder. Based on what he's told me, it can be really difficult- so I sympathise. He said he often felt like he was at war with two different sides of himself. Paranoia and sensory overload are shit too :(

(and also poison_ivy) A thousand times yes at the friends thing. I have friends I've known for years but when I see them it's often still hard for me to feel anything other disconnected and scared and as though they dislike me. And yeah, alcohol is always tempting in social situations because it is just so damn liberating to be able to talk to people without stressing over every little nuance of conversation.

You shouldn't be ashamed.You aren't weak or a bad person. It's good that they are temporary but I think it's important to try and find another outlet for the negative feelings. Something that lets you express them without hurting yourself. Maybe have a pillow fight with the wall? Or scribble really hard on a piece of paper until it rips?

Thank you. :) Same to you. I am really glad you have a good support network. I cannot speak in front of a group of people without losing my voice and having an attack.

Ahh the fight or flight response. A psychologist told me once that people with anxiety disorders would win survival of the fittest, purely because we have the tendency to be hypersensitive and super alert/reactive/cautious. So I guess you could take that as a kind of compliment???

On a side note, I notice a few people chatting about music. Any favourites you want to suggest or discuss? I just bought tickets for a Foo Fighters show in Feb!

Yeah... I've lost a lot of friends because of that feeling I'm assuming. Or maybe they just have their own lives and don't want to bother responding to me. Either way, it hurts to know I used to have all these people I used to talk to and they just disappear from my life like it doesn't matter. I often feel like it's my fault, making my self-esteem worse than what it is. I say "Why don't they like me anymore?" and it just makes me further not want to communicate with people in fear they'll dislike me or not be friends with me in the future. I'm not a huge fan of alcohol. I don't think it would help with my social awkwardness, just makes the situation more stressful in my opinion.

Favorite music? I don't particularly suggest music but I love Airiel Down. They're absolutely fantastic and I saw a show of theirs in Pittsburgh a couple weeks ago.

You put it so well! How people don't understand or realize these anxiety fears. If I had a nickel for every time someone said they have the exact same thing

well.... I'd have a few dollars because I don't generally talk to a lot of people :P

But still! They think just because they get butterflies when they're about to do some form of public presenting, that they know what it's like. They don't! It happens to me even in one-on-ones and it's the worst thing ever not being able to talk to even one person comfortably because my body decides it's time to shake.

I know they mean well by trying to equalize our fears and saying that if they can do it, so can I, but that's not how it works. Not if I wish I could trade in my level of anxiety for theirs a million times over every day :/

I've only drank a few times, but I certainly remember how it numbed everything including my anxiety. I was a normal human being at those few, select social events with friends! Anyways, I haven't drank since then, but sometimes I wish I could just to feel comfortable out there in the world. Will probably never happen, though. I had a "we have to return to the Prohibition movement" period in my life, and some of those anti-alcohol feelings still linger since I'm not particularly fond of its effects on people.

I am on anti-depressants and they react badly with alcohol so I tend not to drink.

Music wise anything I can sing my heart out at. Badly but still if it makes me feel better then whoever can hear me :p!! Disney is something I find helps me. I put on a 'happy' Disney, sing along and feel better by the end. I say 'happy' Disney and I mean those that are happy all the way through, no deaths or too sad scenes :(

You described my social anxiety exactly! I just want to squish you. ❤ I'm not that good with words, even though I used to write and am published. My meds just killed it all for me. Just...thank you for your post I'm SO glad I'm not alone in those feelings!!!!

I'm on anti-psychotics, anti-depressants and whatnot and shouldn't drink I know. :( I react very badly especially to anything with vodka. I've recently promised not to drink on the rare occasion we go singing (my boyfriend and I) but now I don't know if I'll even be able to tolerate being around all those people in such a small space without that alcohol barrier. It's a scary thing. I'm giving it shot and if it doesn't work then meh, no more drink and no more karaoke, but the no drinking is a must.

I'm sorry you're feeling like you have to give up one of the few joys you have in your life :( If only there weren't so many people out when we want to go out, like if they could just stay at home for the night and then go out when we are at home safe and sound.

It's okay. :) Besides, the bar I go to is owned by my friends so if anything I could always call and if it's dead go sing my heart out when it's not busy. That's a good idea.

Yeah, I wish the same sometimes. Especially when I want to go grocery shopping. >< I also wish cashiers would not talk to me. I know they are just being nice, but it makes me super nervous and tongue tied. :(

I am a cashier and trying to be that nice friendly person can be so exhausting for me especially if I don't want to be happy. I know our bosses try to push us to chat to people slightly because it's supposed to encourage people to come back again which might be why people do it. I only chat to regulars who I know chat back so that I'm not pushing anyone who doesn't want me to. Mostly I'm just happy if people use their manners, it's something people tend to lack. It especially annoys when people are on their phones while I'm trying to serve them because it's just so rude!!

Sorry for my rant.

Well it's not that I think alcohol is bad, it's just I take epilepsy medicine everyday, twice a day and that really conflicts with alcohol if I drink it so I try not to. I've never been drunk or anything, but I've drank enough to know it can't be healthy with the medicine I'm taking so I decided not to anymore. I think drinking can most likely ease a social situation, but that hasn't been the case with me. :/

Aww. :) I'm only good with words when typing. When speaking I sometimes fumble about. What did you used to write?

Rant away! I used to cashier too so I know how it is. XD I also hate when people use the cell phone when in line or anywhere when their attention is needed. Rude! I am always nice, but sometimes I feel like I'm being rude because I am not chatty I just answer any direct questions and keep to myself. ><

I'm bad no matter what. I take a med called Topamax that makes me mix up words and thoughts so nothing really comes out the way I want exactly most of the time. argh. I used to write poetry. :) I haven't written a word in years, though. :(

Ever consider writing a poem to relax? Maybe to feel better on stressed days? This is a silly idea, but maybe while taking that medicine, writing poems can help keep yours thoughts and words in line? Just a thought. To be able to write and capture someone's attention, I think that's a great talent to have. :) I don't think I have any talents. Haha.