Anyone else suffer from life-long anxiety? - Anxiety Message Board

Pivly · 07-10-2008, 07:32 AM

I'm not sure when mine started but it has been around at least since I was 4 or 5 years old (which is as far back as I can remember these feelings) which means it has been around for over 30 years.

At this point I don't know what is the anxiety and what is me. It has shaped my life, it is my life. I'm not where I want to be. I have not done anything. I never go out, I have no friends, only 3 relationships my whole life. There are so many things I want to do but have never done because I'm crippled.

Nothing I have done has worked to get rid of it. I have been working on it my entire life so I have tried many things. I can't even figure out where it comes from. It's not specific to anything (ie. I'm not thinking about it or anything in particular), it is just always there. At this point I know I can't continue like this but don't know what to do. I am not really depressed but I am broken.

I have never met or even known of another person that has had anxiety like this their whole life, let alone someone who managed to make life better.

hotdam · 07-10-2008, 10:38 AM

I know there are many people on this board that have had life long anxiety hopefully you will get a response, in the meantime we all understand how difficult this is whether it is life long or a few years either way it hurts. Are you taking anything for your anxiety? have you been to a Dr. recently? keep us posted we are here for you.

speck · 07-10-2008, 01:36 PM

Your definatley not alone in the anxiety dept when it comes to having it all your life believe me!

Hotdam makes a good point.. Have you seen a DR recently as there has been many new ways of helping with anxiety introduced over the years ones that you may not have tried or that may help with a bit of support from the professionals.

Keep safe x

pinkpixies · 07-10-2008, 02:23 PM

I have had severe anxiety all my life...one of my first memories was being afraid to go to school at 4 years old and crying everyday for weeks when my mom left me there. I was always the "shy" and "quiet" girl in school...in elementary school kids would tease and asked if I was physically able to talk. At 12 years old...I was missing so much school and my parents took me to the doctor and my pulse was REALLY fast...and she thought something was wrong with my heart...I told her I was just nervous...but she did a lot of tests...all came back fine...and she never treated my anxiety...by 16 it was overwhelming.{REMOVED} Then I finally started getting treatment. Now, at 23...I've never worked...I dropped out of high school even though I alway did really well <BECAUSE> I couldn't handle being around all the other kids and I always thought they were going to attack me.

GatsbyLuvr1920 · 07-11-2008, 10:34 AM

I, too, have had life-long anxiety. I have Asperger's Syndrome, so that contributed to a lot of my childhood anxiety. I also have OCD, and I've had OCD symptoms/anxiety since age three. I have had full-blown pure obsessional OCD since age 11. As a child, my OCD waxed and waned (much as it does now), and it was mostly the fear of doing something wrong and checking to see if I did something wrong. I suffer from panic attacks (but not panic disorder), as well. I believe I've had panic attacks since age three, but I first can remember the feeling of a panic attack at age five. As others have said, anxiety is just an integral part of me, since I've had it ever since I can remember.
-GatsbyLuvr1920-