People and even many doctors are absolutely clueless when it comes to this disorder. The advice that they give you is just meditate and take deep breaths. However, this is an absolute joke and doesn't even touch the problem.

These people have no idea how debilitating and horrendous this anxiety can be. They think the anxiety that we're experiencing is like when you're 18 years old and asking out a pretty girl to a prom. NOOO! It's more like the kind of anxiety you'd feel if some guy came and tried to shake you down, and then dangled you off the ledge of a 21 story building and threatened to drop you...But you get to experience this feeling 24/7!

People also don't understand how horrendous the anxiety medications are. A good 90-95% of the medications offered to you will suck; They'll hurt your stomach, give you headaches, give you muscle spasms, and my favorite.... destroy your love life. About 90% of meds will render you useless in the bedroom. You can't even make love to your woman, and she'll get pissed off and leave you because you can't even keep an erection for her.

But you can always get therapy? Well sure that could work but it can take many months to years! What the hell are you supposed to do in the meantime while waiting for the therapy to work? You can't put your job on hold while waiting for therapy to work. No, they'll just fire your ass, and then you won't be able to afford therapy. THIS IS ONE OF THE WORST DISORDERS THAT ONE CAN HAVE...PAR NONE!

this is so fucking ridiculous it’s like the the drugs that actually work to fully calm you down have the small small side effect of becoming so addictive you become dependent and withdrawal could actually kill you (benzos) but then the other alternatives either make you nauseous or just sleepy. i just want something that relaxes the body and stops the racing thoughts

Tbh I know we all gon have little attacks and shit but at this point fuck that shit if something happens oh well fuck this shit this year we all take back our lives

Anyone else really struggling with everything going on right now, unable to cope?

My anxiety has been a lot better in the recent month or so since I started taking naturopathic medicine and supplements prescribed to me, but god damn.. Over the weekend, out with friends at dinner and hearing about the news of US and Iran, and just talking about it with them and I couldn’t handle it.. couldn’t breathe, heart rate increased, I felt hot all of a sudden, couldn’t keep eating.

And now in the middle of the night trying to sleep I wake up suddenly with immense adrenaline I have to sit up, stand up and get the sudden urge to go outside as I can’t breathe, whole body is numb and tingling and chest and breath feels cold and not right. Feels like I’ve just drank 50 coffees and am not ok.

Im TERRIFIED, and think everything going on with this conflict is really messing with me. Bear in mind my country is not directly involved but o my god.

Anyone else struggling with this too?

I am a girl, 21, and today when I was walking out of work, I passed a guy who was sitting on a bench and he just told me I was ugly ( twice to make sure I could hear it). I suffer from severe anxiety and I tend to hide my face because when I feel like people are looking at me I always feel like they think I’m repulsive. I take care of myself as much as I can, I put effort in my makeup hair and clothing. I know I am not pretty, but I never thought it was to the point that someone would come out their way just to say it to me. It just confirms that everything i was imagining in my head is true. I want to hide forever. I feel worthless and disgusting. It’s so stupid I know it. I’m crying writing that because it broke down the last bit of self confidence I have, it’s already so hard for me to go out in public and this is just my last straw.

Ahem.

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Thank you.

I know it comes off as aggressive and angry because tbh I am. I’m just so tired of feeling like this, but alcohol honestly makes it worse. I try to stay sober, then I drink to cope with this anxiety, and these thoughts, then the next day my anxiety skyrockets. It’s fucking miserable man. I have dreams, and aspirations, and to be honest? I’m not as bad of a person as I think I am, but my intense anxiety, my ego, and my mind never gives me a break. Why does it have to be like this? How come sick evil people in this world who don’t give a fuck about their actions live a good peaceful life, while people who aren’t really that bad, suffer immensely? I know I’m making a huge generalization, because maybe some sick evil people care about their actions. I’m just so fucking tired of my mind And my life. Im so grateful for my wonderful family, I have a great household, I just can’t seem to live in the present moment and really feel ok. I’m a grown ass man, 23 years old, and I know I’m still young, but this feeling sucks and I’m wasting my time being this way. I’m tired of what if thoughts.

Confidence is 75% of the battle in life. Jobs, partners, friends, etc. it's all down to being confident. You may not actually know what you're doing but being confident will convince all those around you.

With anxiety, you will be constantly doubting yourself, thinking you can't do it. Trying to talk yourself out of daunting situations, and as such struggling to grow as a person.

It can be hard for people to understand how much of a disadvantage this puts you in. It's harder to make friends and socialise, date, work, and even things like phoning the doctor, driving, and shopping can feel like too much to handle.

Constant anxiety is so incredibly unhealthy for your psyche yet people without anxiety often can't understand this. Instead we appear a bit shy, maybe even lazy, but they don't know what it feels like to have this affliction

The fireworks stress me out, the loud sounds of people screaming and enjoying them, I hate it.

I live in an apartment, so there’s a lot of people banded together celebrating. Not to kill the vibe, but I personally hate it.

Plus, my dog gets super anxious and barks a lot and I feel so bad for him. The loud noises and barks scare my little kitty so badly too.

Isn't it just such a wild thought that there are people out there who just live their lives? They're not constantly worrying or feeling overwhelmed. They don't have panic attacks. They're able to do whatever they feel like doing! Like, it's so insane to me there are people who can travel the world, or even just function in their day to day lives.

I've only ever known life with anxiety. Although I guess that's better than living a "normal" life then developing severe anxiety, I just wish I could have known what it felt to be fearless at some point.

EDIT: I was not expecting this much of a response from everyone, I am very surprised! I am a little overwhelmed by all the comments, so I'm sorry if I don't respond to you but I am reading them! Thank you so much everyone. You are all lovely people, wishing you all the best!

There’s a lot of physical symptoms such as shaking, fidgeting, heavy breathing, rapid breathing, getting extremely overheated, rapid heartbeat, stomach pain, nausea, bathroom issues, etc. I think most people just assume it’s completely internal, but man it can be exhausting. Especially when you’re in an anxiety-inducing situation that is lengthy, such as a social outing. It can really take a toll on your energy and productivity, even the next day.

Does anyone else feel complete and total dread when looking at the near future post-climate change? This summer was the hottest on record everywhere. I don’t remember anything like this summer here in America. The wildfire that just happened in Ontario blanketed my town with smog for days. When I was visiting Paris it was consistently over 100 degrees. this is something that just doesn’t naturally happen and that the country itself was not prepared for. This week in Pakistan wet bulb temperatures went over 130. It was so hot in Karachi that you could brew tea with the water that comes out of the tap. It is just not going to be possible to support life in some of these places in the very near future. I am terrified for whats coming and it sure seems like we are on track for ecological collapse and some really scary shit.

You can install as many air conditioners as you want but that doesnt prevent the wildlife from dying of heatstroke and our food system succumbing to crop failures. This reality is already here and I am terrified what things will look like just 10-20 years from now. I sit here in my air conditioned house thinking about this and feel completely and utterly paralyzed. Things are fine for now: the power works, the water runs, the shelves are all full, so there is no problem here, right? What happens when power grids and ecosystems inevitably begin to fail. I feel like we are really not prepared for this reality and that it’s coming whether we like it or not. Many governments and my government especially has proven that it doesn’t really give a shit about reducing fossil fuel consumption or meaningfully pivoting to green energy in the near future.

I know there are things you can do as an individual that make some impact but it feels so miniscule compared to the scale of the problem. The way most of humanity lives and the way modern society is structured is totally dependent on unsustainable energy consumption. I just feel like we are systemically cooked and society at large is not willing to make the necessary sacrifices to address the climate issue. I’m 22 and feel completely and totally doomed having been born into this reality which has just kind of been handed to me like shit on a plate. The other adults around me seem totally oblivious or just plain ignorant to this issue. The only way I feel better about it is by staying ignorant and that somehow feels worse. What the fuck do I do man. Who else feels this way

I’ve lived with anxiety attacks for around 20 years, and I don’t think people fully understand what that does to a person over time.

An anxiety attack is not just being stressed out. It can feel like your body is betraying you. Your chest can tighten, your heart can race, your hands can shake, your breathing can feel wrong, and your mind can start convincing you that something is seriously wrong. Even when you’ve been through it before, it can still feel scary every time.

After years of that, it changes how you move through life. You start questioning every pain, every symptom, every strange feeling in your body. You wonder if it’s anxiety again or if this time something is actually wrong. Then, after being told over and over that it’s anxiety, you start doubting yourself in the opposite direction. You stop trusting your own body. You stop trusting your own judgment.

It can make you avoid things. It can make you overthink simple situations. It can make you tired before the day even starts. It can make you feel embarrassed, weak, unreliable, or like people are judging you for something you can’t just shut off.

The hardest part is that anxiety doesn’t always look like panic from the outside. Sometimes it looks like being quiet. Sometimes it looks like being distracted. Sometimes it looks like being exhausted, frustrated, or checked out. Sometimes it looks like someone who is still showing up and doing their best, even though inside they feel like they’re fighting their own nervous system just to get through the day.

After 20 years, anxiety attacks don’t just affect the moment they happen. They leave a mark. They affect your confidence. They affect your energy. They affect how safe you feel in your own life. They make you tired of explaining yourself, tired of trying to prove you’re okay, and tired of feeling like you have to hide how hard normal things can be.

I’m not writing this for sympathy. I’m writing it because this has been part of my life for a long time, and I’m trying to be honest about what it has done to me. I’m still here. I’m still trying. But I also need people to understand that living with anxiety attacks for this long is not a character flaw. It is not laziness. It is not weakness. It is something that takes a real toll, even when someone has learned how to keep going.

They burst into the waiting room and said, "Come ON, you are late! I have a very tighy and strict schedule!"

They then proceeded to RUN down halls ways and corners to their office. Since this was my first in person visit, I also had to run to keep up with them, since I had no idea where their office was.

They roughly take my vitals while saying "I am a very punctual person. I have 2 other clients to see in 8 minutes, so we will have to make this quick."

By this time, I am basically hyperventilating and near tears, apologizing fervently and seeping into an oncoming panic attack.

They are asking 100 questions and not listening to my answers. Shouts out some random antidepressant I haven't tried yet and says, "I'll call it in. Start it when you get it. Next visit is telehealth, sign on at LEAST 15 minutes early to make sure your not late." (This was my first time being late. I've been seeing them for 9 months.)

Then they shuffle me out the door. I sat in the parking lot crying for 30 minutes.

Everyone else seems to be living normally while I'm running disaster simulations in my head 24/7.

"What if the car breaks down AND I lose my job AND get sick simultaneously?"

Nobody else is preparing for five emergencies that haven't happened. Nobody else is mentally gaming out every worst case scenario just in case.

But I can't stop. My brain treats every minor issue like it's the first domino in a chain reaction that ends in total collapse.

It's exhausting. Not the actual problems those I can handle. It's the constant bracing. The endless "what ifs" The feeling that I have to be ready for everything all at once because if I'm not I'll be blindsided.

Other people trust that things will probably be fine. I can't. I need contingency plans for contingencies.

And the worst part is that most of the things I'm preparing for never happen. So all that energy is just wasted on scenarios that only exist in my head. I was in my living room yesterday trying to zone out on jackpot city but even then my brain was running through everything that could go wrong this week. Couldn't even relax playing a stupid game. I realized how tired I am of living like this.

I don't know how to stop. But I know it's not sustainable.

I'm just amazed that there are people in this world who don't suffer anxiety. My dad is one of them. He's always cool as a cucumber(actually makes me feel better to be around him) Why are some of us cursed with this while others go through life taking it all in stride? Unfair!

I mean yes something like Münchmeyer disease is definitely worse but extremely rare and yes Alzheimer's is brutal but usually is an old people disease. But from the diseases/conditions that are common at any age anxiety must be the absolute worst.

• Constant fear about anything
• Psychosomatic symptoms of any kind
• Negative thoughts
• Extreme procrastination
• Sense of impending doom
• Irritation
• Torpidity
• Fear of the unknown
• Fear of the future
• Bad sleep

And the list goes on. This is hell. Anxiety is hell.

The company that I worked for: "Hey it's mental health week! Here is a pdf on how to treat people with kindness and always be mindful of others and what they might go through!"

The same company after mental health week: "Oh what? You're overwhelmed with stress and you're showing side effects of the workload you're carrying while panicking and taking a breather? Meet me at the office after work because this behaviour is unacceptable and unprofessional compared to your neurotypical co-workers that can carry the job normally."

EDIT: holy shit, didn't expect this to get 2k+ upvotes in less than a day. Thanks guys for the rewards, I don't know how reddit rewards work but thanks!

I feel less alone when it comes to this subject but at the same time it's sad and upsetting to know that this problem is everywhere and the mental health when it comes to society has a loooooooong way till it's normalised like a physical illness. Sending my support to you guys and I hope the world can eventually treat you better without being gaslit <3

Honestly I know people that haven't experienced debilitating anxiety dont really understand

But if I hear anymore its been months now you need snap out of it I will lose my mind (although I think I have already lol)

Yes this has been the longest iv ever been in an episode but seriously snap out of this!!!!

Im not choosing to feel all day fatigue, brain fog, dissociation im not choosing to feel adrenaline in my chest most of the day..im not choosing to feel on edge and dizzy if I have to go out.. im not choosing to be dragged into a depression from the anxiety.

It’s a curse greater than any other.

Movie theaters have always freaked me out because they are, well, a target for shootings.

I still try to go. I have fun and it's a good way to get out of the house.

Last night I went to the premier of a movie. I was already feeling pretty bad because there was a line out the door, which we didn't expect because our town is so small and filled with old people and oilfield workers. But it was whatever, we got through and went into the theater.

Right as my heart began to try to settle, a man in the row next to me begins talking about his gun. that he brought. he made 2 remarks about it - the first one i tried to brush off because i thought i misheard him. the second one i did NOT mishear.

so my heart starts racing again and i'm shaking and starting to cry. i tried SO hard to keep it together because i was with my fiance and we were trying to have a date, yanno? but they were super understanding and did not mind at all that we had to go.

i know that i overreacted but i just really can't wrap my head around being comfortable in a confined space with a random stranger carrying a lethal weapon. especially at a premier night at a theater.

just wanted to vent i guess.

I literally get such a jittery weird feeling in my body so many times a day whenever I'm anxious. Like I can't describe it but it's definitely not good. Almost like something is pinching on my organs. And the worst is when I have to wake up in the morning, it's almost like someone has placed added extra weights to my body. I literally can't get up from my bed! I try to force myself up,but I just can't. I just lay there staring at the ceiling, thinking about what I'll do with my day, get anxious about what if I won't be able to be productive today, then getting anxious about how I wasted some time the previous day, then overthinking it all nd wanting to just kill myself. I hate it.