Has Anyone Found A Way To Not Feel Anxiety, Rather Than Just Manage Anxiety?

[silkleaves]

I was going to say what Anthony did... basically that, if I could get rid of my anxiety, I wouldn't have PTSD anymore any my problems would be solved! I can feel where you are coming from though... I do wish that I would be able to take the little knocks in life easier without feeling like I'm about to go out of control.

Doesn't matter if its good stress or bad stress or everyday what everyone else deals with stress...my anxiety levels will soar.. It would be great to go through a wonderful moment or heck, just a mundane one without reacting the same way as I do when going through a bad moment. It's like my body can't tell the difference and just let me get through it like anyone else would.

 

[Suzetig]

I feel your pain on this one. What I know and what I feel are so often completely divorced from each other. I can know my feelings relate to a past trauma and yet it doesn't stop me feeling them to the full all the while telling myself the feelings aren't for just now. Anxiety drives me nuts - it's more manageable than ever it was but its still there like a backbeat to every day life. I do see the success in begin able to function and cope but I do still feel a measure of anxiety.

What has changed is the measure of hypervigilance which was impossible for me at points. That does come back every now and again and does bring me to a stand still but less often than used to be the case. It's so hard but as Anthony says, I guess if we ever get rid of anxiety, we'll have cured ptsd.

 

[KwanYingirl]

I had self doubt raising my children. I was anxious for them as well as me. I preferred a regular routine that felt predictable. I did and still want everything all planned out for the future. My ex said if I wasn't in the middle of a crisis, I'd create one. Like I was addicted to it.

I still annoy the kids who are 30 and 32 now (both well adjusted and happy). They're always telling me to chill out. Man, if it that easy. So I feel your pain. Things always worked themselves out. It wasn't necessary to worry so much, but I just couldn't help it. I still wish I could just be relaxed with life, go with the flow. I don't know what to offer for advice, just wanted to tell you I can identify with you.

 

[Meadowsweet]

Sometimes I feel like I understand the effects of trauma, and then other times I feel like i don't understand anything.

 

[Suzetig]

I'm so there with you, I ca go from being "myself" to being a complete mess instantly and with no sense of why. Trauma sucks.

 

[KwanYingirl]

Sucks is putting it mildly.

 

[cupfish]

It's never gone. Never. Hence the tragedy of having our lives stolen from us. Yes, we cope. Yes, we are mindful. I am beginning to resent how millions of silent sufferers who have spent a lifetime nibbling around society's edge, trying to fit in, are largely ignored. It took the military guys coming back to wake people up to PTSD. I wonder how their trauma compares to mine who spent age 0-18 living in terror because of constant threats to her safety and security? Would I trade a few horrible war incidents for 2 decades of abuse? Probably. I wish we, regular people, had the same resources and support that seem to be available to soldiers. That being said, when you find a moment of peace, rest, a moment without the burning pain inside, mark it and bank it. We all have to build up our internal reserves to deal with the day to day. Normal people don't have this. Bank the good stuff, it helps. You are not alone. Not at all.

 

[silkleaves]

Ohhh the grass is not always greener on the other side... I would not trade my trauma for anyone elses... I'd trade it for no trauma at all! lol Actually though I wouldn't hand this over to someone else...I wish no one else had to go through this...on one hand it's good to know I'm not completely alone and there are people I can relate to, on the other hand, it's heartbreaking that other's have to deal with this too.

I know many here are not in the US, but I can say around here...the type of resources and support really vary and in a lot of cases non-existent. And in general, there's very little support, from the system or society. People are more aware now of PTSD, because of movies and tv commercials, but that's about it. And even then, the message they are getting about PTSD excludes so many causes and makes us out to all be violent, shooting up places and such. There's still a long way to go, around here anyway. :(

But yeah, I know that because of how long I went through my traumas, and then how long I went without any treatment, this is just my life. It's all about coping and trying to keep myself together. I have a date in 3 hours, and I need to start getting ready *now* if I want to get there on time..and its only a 15m drive away from me. Watch me be late regardless... And I'm looking forward to it too...like really looking forward to it. But already I feel sick and anxious...for no good reason at all!! This is my life.

 

[Meadowsweet]

So basically it just means that i'm crap at coping with anything. Nothing went wrong in those minor stresses I faced last week, but even so, my anxiety has reached a place where I'm not quite here. It's so stupid.

 

[cherryblossom]

Don't be so hard on yourself @Meadowsweet . It's not stupid, and you're not crap at dealing with it. You are dealing with it the best you can. And that's all any of us can do.

Maybe use these experiences as a learning curve. .. you had several stressful changes to deal with all at the same time, but nothing bad happened. Maybe next time you have such things to deal with, you will remember this week, and therefore draw upon the memory to feel less anxious next time.

Don't beat yourself up over. That will get you no where. Just try to use this experience next time you feel so anxious about a change.

 

[Suzetig]

It's so not stupid, your stress "setting" is higher to begin with so seemingly small things tip you over - its all part of it and is perfectly normal for ptsd. As @cherryblossom said, you might want to use this experience to help you cope with whatever else comes along but don't beat yourself up for feeling what you feel.

 

[Meadowsweet]

The thing is, is that I've learned to get through anxiety by being logical. But even though I was telling myself that it was highly unlikely that anything bad would happen, that it was just PTSD etc, the anxiety didn't ease. So I feel like I can't learn not to be anxious by thinking nothing bad will happen, because I kind of already knew that.