[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by Redway

Are you sure that's not linked to agoraphobia?

Its a classic anxiety symptom to be honest. Speak to anyone who suffers from anxiety and about 85% will tell you they have suffered an attack in a shop. Its strange but a common symptom.

[Littlegreen]

A couple of examples of the stigma I was referring to:

When I wasn't eating properly and my weight was plummeting, I was having heart palpitations and basically a walking zombie. My mum dragged me to the doctors and do you know what the doctor said... "well he needed to lose some weight anyway".

In school when I was being physically/mentally bullied by a few people I was in a meeting with the deputy head, I explained I wasn't very confident and needed the teachers to step in because it was getting really bad. They told me to put myself in a metaphorical box - think of the bullies as being outside the box and you are in it...

- as a thirteen year old to be told that was a complete kick in the teeth.

[Babayaro.]

Originally Posted by Greg!

I start to feel extremely nervous, paranoid and sweaty and want to get out of the room as soon as possible

That's just you being too hot, it happens to everyone!!!

[Babayaro.]

(no but those things happen to me as well sometimes)

[AnnieK]

People who have never suffered from anxiety struggle to comprehend it. I was the same I thought people were just being mard when they said they had panic attacks. Until I had one. I thought I was having a heart attack. I had.no depression and no trigger but all of a sudden I couldn't breathe, needed to do one and get somewhere "safe". Its **** and I would never, ever underestimate now how debilitating anxiety can be.

[LaLaLand]

I've suffered with extreme anxiety, panic attacks and depression for over 10 years now. Thankfully I've learnt to get it under control but there was a point at the start where I didn't leave my house for over a year, didn't want to get out of bed, see anyone, wash, anything. Had constant severe panic attacks from morning until night over nothing really (still don't know what started them to this day). Was/is absolutely awful and definitely life-changing.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Greg!

Maybe actually. I've never really thought of that before. I've never went to a doctor about it or anything so I'm not diagnosed but I always assumed it was anxiety of some sort

Depends if your panic attacks are spontaneous or linked to the idea of you being trapped and not being able to get help?

See a doctor soon as though. You know you don't have to live like that when there's lots of help available.

[Tozzie]

my mother suffered paranoid schizophrenia, depression, panic disorder and severe anxiety. My poor mother was tormented all her adult life and all due to a wicked grandfather who treated her despicably as a child/teenager. He had a lot to answer for and I hope he is rotting in hell. I myself have suffered anxiety and depression on and off for many years although my childhood was fine so I don't have an answer for my own afflictions of mental illness. I'm happy to say I learned how to conquer my panic attacks but still suffer some depression and anxiety now and then. My depression got worse after losing my mother and sister both within 3 weeks of each other suddenly but happily i am now off all medications and learning to live without it. Mental illness is so common but still people don't like to talk about it, it's time the stigma was gone and perhaps more people will seek help and get treated. Sometimes in life we do need some help medically, there is no shame in asking doctors for help if needed, that's what they are there for. Some people prefer to suffer in silence and try help themselves, all well and good if they can but not everyone can so if anyone here is reading my post who perhaps suffers with mental illness, please go ask for help, you can and will get well x

[Greg!]

Originally Posted by Redway

Depends if your panic attacks are spontaneous or linked to the idea of you being trapped and not being able to get help?

See a doctor soon as though. You know you don't have to live like that when there's lots of help available.

Yeah I think I'll see a doctor about it soon. I haven't done before because it doesn't happen like every day, just every now and then.

[storybrooke]

A couple of family members suffer with depression and anxiety

[user104658]

My mum was an alcoholic / on various antidepressants for the last ten to fifteen years of her life; from reading various journals and medical notes that were left behind when she died, it's pretty clear that she was suffering from a severe anxiety disorder (and had suffered with anxiety for most of her life) and was heavily self-medicating with alcohol which - combined with prescription meds that you're not supposed to take with alcohol - eventually destroyed her organs and killed her.

I know / have known plenty of others with mental health disorders besides that, too. Mainly anxiety disorders and many (almost certainly) ASD-related, plus my wife's aunt has bipolar disorder.

I have personally suffered a fairly severe / acute episode of "spontaneously resolving" anxiety that lasted about 6 months. There was a LOT going on at the time and I utterly snapped, I guess it's what they used to call a "nervous breakdown"? But yeah. It was awful, the worst thing I have ever experienced, and it developed into an adrenal fatigue disorder where for about 3 or 4 weeks I was getting constant adrenaline surges that made me feel sick to my stomach and stopped me from sleeping. Horrendous.

I avoided diagnosis and meds because of, being honest, a terrifying fear that I was turning into my mother. It eventually resolved itself almost as quickly as it came on - which is bizarre, but apparently not uncommon. I also feel like if it ever happened again it could never be as bad... because the absolute worst of it was having no idea what was going on, and the fear that it wouldn't stop. I also sometimes wonder if I have my mum to "thank" for it not going much worse for essentially being a guinneapig... like, I wonder if what initially happened to her was similar, but she found that alcohol helped and fell into a vicious cycle of anxiety and addiction, as many do. What happened to her meant that I didn't touch a drop of alcohol in the 6 months that I was at my worst... specifically because I thought it might help and being totally honest I was feeling so awful at the time that if it HAD helped, I can understand quite easily now why people might end up going down that path. The reason I know that I never will, is because I've seen where it ends.

[TomC]

I have a bit of anxiety and experience mild panics sometimes ever since I had a horrendous panic attack last Autumn.

[TomC]

but it doesn't really negatively affect my life - I struggle with lectures and exam halls though

[Jack.]

I've suffered with depression in the past. I get very anxious in social situations but this isn't as bad now as the job I'm doing now has helped me a lot. My family has a history of depression. My girlfriend has Paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder which can be hard some days.

[Jack.]

Originally Posted by Jonnii

I've suffered with extreme anxiety, panic attacks and depression for over 10 years now. Thankfully I've learnt to get it under control but there was a point at the start where I didn't leave my house for over a year, didn't want to get out of bed, see anyone, wash, anything. Had constant severe panic attacks from morning until night over nothing really (still don't know what started them to this day). Was/is absolutely awful and definitely life-changing.

I was exactly the same with not wanting to go out the house. In the end I lost all my so called friends. I've learnt to control it and live a normal ish life.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Jack.

I've suffered with depression in the past. I get very anxious in social situations but this isn't as bad now as the job I'm doing now has helped me a lot. My family has a history of depression. My girlfriend has Paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder which can be hard some days.

Schizoaffective I guess. You can't have bipolar and schizophrenia at the same time technically.

[LaLaLand]

Originally Posted by Jack.

I was exactly the same with not wanting to go out the house. In the end I lost all my so called friends. I've learnt to control it and live a normal ish life.

Oh you definitely know who your real friends are when you experience something like what we do. Blessing in disguise in a way I guess.

[iRyan]

I was diagnosed with anxiety and put on medication when I was about 7. Was fine for my teen years, then went through another bout of anxiety and depression in college. Didn't seek help and just coped by drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, like many other students. Now i'm finally back on an SSRI and relieved to hopefully rid myself of the **** I've been experiencing internally the past few years.