Anxiety

Anxiety/Panic Disorder - if you have it, you know it! Thinking that others "get it" is just not so. Sufferers go for years and years not understanding their own body or mind. Some turn to pills, others to alcohol or drugs as an escape, and still others retreat deeper into their own self-doubt. We're not crazy! We are scared and we don't know why.

The doctor looks at us with raised eyebrows as we list our symptoms. We ALL know our symptoms better than we know anything else in our lives. They are any or all of the following: increased heart rate, sweating like a pig, feeling like we're going to pass out, feeling like we're going to do something that will draw attention to ourselves, feeling like we're going to die, dizziness, vision disturbances, loss of balance, racing thoughts and millions of "what if..." thoughts, feeling like "I've got to get out of here!", rapid breathing, shallow breathing, fear that we'll STOP breathing, chest pain, headache...... (I'm exhausted just from typing the list!)

I've suffered for over 20 years with anxiety. The good news is that I understand it now and I've read just about everything I could get my hands on. Now it's time to share it, write about it and learn from one another.

Journey with me toward wellness. We'll help each other, ok?