Time for a progress update. I started learning to beat worry in September 2010 and am writing this in May 2011. March and April have been really difficult months for me because I:
- over-did the therapy in effort to get better, and disagreed with my therapist, but wasn’t able to tell him
- was facing my fear of being well, sounds strange doesn’t it that the thing I most want is also that which is most scary.
- was realizing that cognitive behavioural therapy is a helpful tool, but it is not the thing that will make me better, and that’s OK.
It has been a time of darkness, but things have turned round since then and left me with a backlog of helpful things to write-up, so watch this space!
Beating Worry 
Hi
I have suffered from G.A.D for a number of years and I am so pleased to have found your blog.
I currently take medication and I am going to therapy in an effort to finally try and deal with my anxieties.
The thing that really struck me from reading your most recent blog was the ”fear of feeling well” as I find myself in a similar stage at the moment – I know precisely where you are coming from! The whole idea of making these big changes in my life and in the way that I think and see things is extremely scary, but I am determined to go for it. I hope we both can achieve our goals.
I will definitely keep reading.
Michael x
Hi Michael
Many thanks for your comment. It is true that it’s scary to think of being well. I’ve been a lot better recently and have found that days seem much longer because I’m not filling them with worry. However, the CBT seems to help with decision making so I’ve been trying some hobbies out (just seeing more of friends, gardening, dancing etc). It has felt strange to have so much more time! Today was my last day of therapy. I think though, that I’ve still got lots to learn and much practice to do.
Do let us know how you get on. And take good care
Julie
Hello, I’ve just been looking on the net at GAD and found it a mild releif in itself, I have suffered from this ever since I can remember which was having a very scary panic attack when I was just the vulnerable age of around 8 :(, I am now 22 and have never told anyone not even my family about how I go about worrying 24/7 but I finally told my gf of 1 year after I had a break down and realised that my behavoir was affecting how I was with her I won’t go into it but just involved me feeling cut off and isolated in my thoughts, but what really struck me was when you said your fear of being well and it being the one thing you want to be, that is me all over and the few times I wake up feeling fine with no worry I soon find my self worrying about not worrying and in a few minutes will think of something to ruin my great feeling of happiness and my whole day or even week, I’m so glad I’m not alone in this because since yesterday I thought I was alone until I confessed all to my gf attempting to explain the way I am to her and I just needed to sleep to just turn off my thoughts even just for an hour, and which is when she looked up my feelings on the Internet, and now here I am I now I want help but don’t know where to go, comments will be greatly appreciated because I’ve just had enough, thankyou Terry
Hi Terry
Sorry to hear that things have been so difficult for you and that you have been living in distress and in isolation. It must have taken real courage to tell your gf. It’s been my experience that telling a few well chosen people is one of the first steps to getting better. I hope that you find this site helpful, it really is possible to get better from GAD, though it can take a bit of time. I was diagnosed last October and have gone from wondering how I’d get through to the next day to actually being much better and relaxed a lot of the time – which I never thought possible. I hope that this will be the case for you too.
If you decide to get some help for your anxiety you may wish to contact
Anxiety UK, which offers a week day office hours help telephone line 08444 775 774 for confidential advice from people who understand. My route was to phone my GP, which is a group practice and ask for a Dr that specializes in mental health. This took great courage and I cried for a good while after making the call, but it the result was that I got a Dr that really has been helpful. If you are in a crisis situation you may wish to call the Samaritans, they too will listen for free 08457 90 90 90. This advice is relevant to the UK, if you are from another country do let me know where!
You are not alone, there is – almost to my surprise – a whole community of people who access this site. Do let me know how you get on.
Very best wishes
Julie