New here!

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-02-2004
New here!
5
Thu, 03-03-2005 - 11:46am

Hi all. Im new here and Im very glad i found this board. Ive been needing somebody to talk to lately and i just cant seem to talk to anyone here about it. Well anyways, I havent been diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder but i have some major anxiety issues. Death issues. I lay awake at night just scared that something is going to happen to my son, or my fiance or me or anyone in my family. Like i constantly worry that someone that i love is going to die! I hate it when my family leaves the house to drive anywhere cause im afraid they are gonna get in an accident and die. Im scared that they are gonna die in their sleep. My mom travels for her job and im scared she is gonna die when she is gone. I am afraid to drive because im afraid im going to get in an accident and kill either my son or myself or even both of us! Im always afraid that their is something wrong with my health such as if i have a headache im afraid it could be a tumor or something because i worry that whatever is going on could kill me. When i was about 12 i used to have to call my mom every morning from school just to make sure she made it to work safely. and after school if she wasnt at home on time i would freak out and cry to the point of hyperventalating. We all just thought time would cure it. Which it did kind of. I dont cry anymore when i cant get a hold of someone or when someone leaves and I dont freak out right away. Im now 18 years old and still worried about my loved ones dying. Or myself. I just want to be able to get over this. Im tired of worrying so much!

Jess

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
In reply to: lilpeeps1009
Thu, 03-03-2005 - 5:52pm

Hi, Jess & welcome to our community! I swear that someone wrote a post exactly like your's, some time ago. Death is a very normal fear. Usually, it becomes a preoccupation after a death or a severe trauma, where you may have faced your own death. Even the birth of your ds may have triggered this fear. When the fear & worry interfere with our functioning, such as not driving, it is a problem that must be solved. It can be overcome. There is help & hope. Usually our fears bombard us when we are stressed out. Try to reduce the stress in your life by making time for yourself, exercising, eating well & sleeping enough. I have

 

 


 



iVillage Member
Registered: 10-02-2004
In reply to: lilpeeps1009
Sun, 03-06-2005 - 8:43am

Hi there. You are not alone. I have worried about things like that since I was a kid too. I am 29 now and still worrying. I can remember as a kid worrying that someone would break into the house and kill me or my parents. I would always worry about people dying, including myself. It seems like when I was about 12 it went away for a few years, or maybe I just don't remember that time period. In my early 20's it seemed to not be there so much, but once in a while I would still freak out if something was hurting or aching, thinking it was cancer or something awful like cancer. Last year my granpda died. That was the first death I have had to deal with in my 29 years. I thought I was handling it ok but apparently I was not. I have been much worse in terms of fearing death and my own mortality for months now. I started having terrible anxiety and did not know what it was. It was very disabling. I thought I was going insane or losing my mind literally. Then I thought I must be dying. It has been real hard. They put me on Zoloft and I see a therapist. She is helping me to try to understand why I feel the way I do and why I worry so much and fear death so much. Maybe you should see a therapist since this is something you have had for a while even though it may not always have been so bad. I did not even realize at first that what I worry about now is very similar to what I used to worry about as a kid. It is deep rooted for me and hard to conquer. Maybe therapy would help you too.

Kim

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
In reply to: lilpeeps1009
Sun, 03-06-2005 - 11:19am
Welcome!!

Blessings, Suz   Posts in this Community   

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-02-2004
In reply to: lilpeeps1009
Sun, 03-06-2005 - 11:22am

Thank you Kim. Your story helped me out a lil. Knowing that im not just crazy and im not the only that feels this way! I will think about what you said with the therapist and all. I know that i shouldnt feel this way day after day. So again thank you very much.

Jess

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-02-2003
In reply to: lilpeeps1009
Sun, 03-06-2005 - 5:51pm
I would like to say Hi and welcome. I have not read any of the responses just free flying. But I know this board and I know that you got some good information. Okay that is out of the way.Ha! I hate to post on here but felt I needed to talk to you. I have ever so been where you are at and still bothers me some but I consider that normal anxiety, its a topic that know one does really well with. Jess at one point I was so bad if I heard a siren I had to follow the path that my children took if they drove to school or whatever to know they were all right. I would advise you to get a good Dr. and some therapy on the topic. I have had A/P disorder about as long as I can remember but diagnosed and on medication for 20 yrs. I'm 52 yrs of age and believe you me I have been around the bushes on this subject. Honestly I do think it is something that A/P sufferers have more of a problem with than the person who is not. We become obsessed to where it rules our whole life.I used to not even be able to go to a funeral home or see someone sick in the hospital. I to am a hyperventilater but I have not had attack in about 7 yrs, thanks to medication. If they did statistics A/P people have probably had more ambulance rides than anyone else. I am not by any means making light of this but that is our life and how we react to things. The FEAR is your major problem. Once you learn to control the fear you will feel alot better. My husband used to tell me that I was so afraid of death that I could not live......how true that was. As they say this is not a dress rehersal, so we gotta get out there and live. This disorder takes alot of work and it all has to come from you and what is great is that you can do it. My children are now 32 and 29 and grandchildren 13, 9, 9. I still hate sirens lol and live a block from police and fire dept.and probably always will hate sirens. I hope in some small way I have helped but do try to get some help, you are worth it. Keep posting and let us know how you are doing. I'll be thnking about you. Debbie