health Do you suffer from anxiety?

[Deleted. 10]

I used to and it was a lot! Now I got better, way better but still happen sometimes.

[powerpuff-tsubasa 448]

sometimes. i cant even identify if i actually do have anxiety in general

Edited May 19, 2016 by LotusPeony

[ggg-2 3,553]

I don't know if it's anxiety per se, but i get lonely extremely easily and i can't be alone for very long before i start getting panicky.

[d^_^b 27]

I've suffered from anxiety since I was in elementary school. It's a long story. I get anxious in school, social situations, and in doing something different; generally, going out of my comfort zone.

[Lucky Bolt 35,064]

I suffer with mild anxiety unfortunately. I'm wondering how many of you here do as well?

[PlzDelete 2,456]

Yup. It used to be super bad but nowadays it's mild. 

[Brony Number 42 10,069]

To what extent? Does it interfere with life?

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

I have really severe anxiety (i have an anxiety disorder)

[Mirage 24,770]

Yes. I am a professional worryer. In fact, I'm worrying about how people might view this post. Will they think I'm acting like a know it all? Does admitting this make me look weak and uninteresting?

But here's the thing - you don't have to believe what you worry about. Without getting too complicated, your brain is pre-wired to alert you with 'images' that evoke emotions to help keep you from harm. For example, if you're out in the woods by yourself and you hear snapping twigs behind you, your brain says, 'hey, the body hears something...it could be dangerous, get ready' and so adrenaline gets pumped out to get you ready to run or fight. And you're totally convinced you need to act because you're seeing images of a bear or a murderer. This makes your heart race and your senses get heightened, and thus, you get either aggressive and/or submissive as a result. This is what worry is, however, you and me, like many people, apply this kind of reaction to many, many things in life. We want to be safe and secure, and comfortable. so when things happen around us that make us feel threatened, the mind and body go to work to prepare you to run or fight - anxiety is a survival instinct that is often misapplied.

So you turn around after hearing the twigs snapping and look to see that it is a harmless bunny. And now you feel relieved. So you take a deep breath and just relax a bit, then you're back to normal. The breathing and taking a time out after a 'worry episode' is very important.

Anyway, same with worry - just calm down and know that your perception of a threat or danger could be wrong. Get facts. Talk to people openly. Be honest about your feelings with those close to you. Don't be afraid to fail, and don't be afraid of what people think of you.

[Libra 11,691]

I do have some problems. It mainly results from a fear of getting majorly negative feedback over an error that only I really noticed, which means that I think people are just going to start ignoring me because of some mistakes, which leads me to be hesitant to join in anything.

[Deleted3133333 3,560]

Yeah, I have some pretty bad anxiety too. Mainly social anxiety, but there are a couple other things that freak me out. It's gotten worse lately, so I've been working with some people to help get over it before it interferes with my life anymore.

[Guest]

Recently I had to learn a lesson on anxiety. My coworker has it bad, and I'm always poking fun at him because he hides it behind his mask of thick skin, but we ended up in a heavier-than-usual conversation about existentialism and he eventually worked his way into his own anxiety problems. It's easy to tell a person to get over something or move on, but after we talked about it with him, he prodded at some of my own weaknesses and I had to make a realization that the things I can't easily get over with platitudes. 
 

[Techno Universal 2,575]

I apparently can experience a lot of anxiety when my parents are shouting at me to do things. I believe it's just a part of my autism as I get really frustrated and anxious over it and I naturally have a tendency to shake around over it when my parents are not waching because of my autism.    

[hicagp 23]

Yes, I do. In fact, I take medication for it. 

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,632]

Currently taking medication for crippling anxiety. The medicine sometimes helps I think but anxiety, especially when it gets bad. it is no joke. I have noticed it worsening over the years. As a result I sorta stay in most of the time but that is fine by me. I can't drive as a result of it all so there isn't much for me to go to anyways. This is in combination with me being autistic and that can be a recipe for disaster.

[Sly 236]

Yeah.... I trend to have it even for the silliest of the things... even for MLP itself...

[Will Guide 21,362]

I have anxiety about keeping my finances up or else. Tying into it is also the anxiety of getting a job, particularly hoping that I'd be granted an interview. Even then, the interview is the part that scares me the most!

Does all that count as anxiety problems?

[Mirage 24,770]

We all have anxiety. It is natural. The difference is how you choose to behave about it.

Worrying about a job interview - that's okay. Not going out to get it because you are afraid - bad choice. Don't be ruled by your fears, Be ruled by your goals.

[Frostgage 7,975]

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone without anxiety. Mine is pretty apparent in everyday life though I like to think I have a decent handle on it

[Nerdy Luigi 2,065]

Anxious might as well be my middle name.

[Awkward Segway 317]

I've had social anxiety since I was young, but got cognitive behavioral therapy for it earlier this year and it helped a lot. I'm still pretty shy, but it doesn't interfere with my life anywhere near as much anymore.

[Prospekt 11,018]

I rarely talk about it, but I have struggled with anxiety for a long time. For a while it was social anxiety, then it kinda morphed into generalized anxiety. It has gotten a lot better over the past year and a half though. I've been on medication for it and I have worked with a therapist.

[Lucky Bolt 35,064]

8 hours ago, BronyNumber42 said:

To what extent? Does it interfere with life?

No, not like that, but it's enough to where it's really annoying. 

[GoldenGumdrop 164]

Yes, I've been diagnosed with general anxiety disorder for a while, since I was sixteen. It goes along with my depression problems and having Asperger's Syndrome. I didn't know I had AS until I was diagnosed at 29, but a lot of my social anxiety stems from the fact I have trouble reading social cues such as change in voice tone, nonverbal gestures, and facial cues. It's very difficult for me to be in social settings and not feel exhausted afterward as if I've run a marathon!

That being said, if I start to have an anxiety attack the first thing I remind myself is to breathe. You really would be amazed how shallow your breathing becomes when you're anxious so I have to remind myself to breathe in deeply and breathe out. I am a Christian, so I pray and it helps me feel better and remind myself that I am committed to finding something I am thankful for, no matter how small each day.

I am on meds and have worked with a psychiatrist.

[ZethaPonderer 2,199]

@Lucky Bolt, at least you have your anxiety under control. Not so much in my case where its ruining my college life along with depression (please be hopeful this doesn't happen to you nor to your BF).

 

Plus, I get somewhat anxious when posting anything online (including MLP Forums). Sometimes I post what some might perceive as rude, insensitive, and just straight up losing my sanity. But, I don't intend for that to happen soo... yeah... awkward. Nevertheless, I have to seek psychiatric therapy to overcome it.

 

I would not wish anyone to have anxiety and depression, not even to my worst enemy.