How Long Can Anxiety Last?

[Killashandra]

I have been off work for 5 mths now due to uncontrollable social anxiety.
Whenever I leave the home I shake uncontrollably and can't walk or talk properly.
I've been doing a lot of ptsd recovery while incapacitated and while my mental health seems to be doing ok and my overall physical health is improving I cannot understand why I cannot cope in the Wide world.

I was thinking the other day that maybe it's because I don't know where I stand in any social format?

I don't know..

Has anybody else suffered from long term social anxiety that stops them working?

 

[Deleted member 20280]

One word ...... Yes, I am still suffering now even after three years. The longest I suffered from this was for four months this timmw last year.

I am much better mentally and much more stable mentally as well but my physical health is really bad at the moment. My doctors do not want me going back to work yet so I am being driven by them.

:hug:s If you accept.

 

[Ronin]

I'm anxious when I can't have work / have meaningful work / have to put up with lines of morons in my meaningful work .... right, I'm not starting on 'all my issues with work ever, are other people. Also most loved aspect of my work :D'

Back to you though:
Anxiety doesn't last forever, so perhaps look for the parts you're handling / parts that are soothing constants, and that people coming and going won't flip for you, something in your activities you can rely on more reliably?

 

[CS67ART]

Mine was sort of under control, it flared up now and then but would pass after a day or two, now and then it would go into weeks, then last winter I had another traumatic experience and that pushed me over the edge. I've been screwed up ever since and this time its all the experiences at once. Not a day goes by now without shaking, tremors and serious anxiety. I always say I'm two people, soldier and civilian, the soldier is in high gear now and I don't see a way to turn it off. What I'm learning is what I thought was just my normal way of being was in fact PTSD on low volume. So I was never really without it, I just didn't know how to recognize it.

 

[EveHarrington]

Hi, just a few questions.

Can I ask how you're approaching the social anxiety issue?

For some I think the social anxiety gets better as PTSD healing progresses.

For others, the social anxiety needs to be treated as a separate entity with treatment of its own.

I've struggled with social anxiety myself. At its worst I had to force myself to interact with the world. I had to schedule outings knowing full well that I'd have a freak out episode. It was hard! Over time my symptoms improved. I know this approach doesn't work for everyone but it helped me.

 

[sun seeker]

Try looking up polyvagal theory, it might help.

Deleted the rest of my post, sorry... I get like this sometimes at the end of a long day.

 

[AKP7]

I have been off work for 5 mths now due to uncontrollable social anxiety.
Whenever I leave the hom...

I have been dealing with ptsd since i was a little girl. For me i have always felt out of place in the world. And at times im still trying to understand what i go through. When i walk outside i always feel shaky and afraid. I think learning new ways to relax helps to ease the panic but for me it doesn't take it away.

 

[Heather]

Good question.. I'll let you know if mine ever lets up

 

[GenerousMoon]

Had anxiety my entire life. The last 10yrs have been the worse. Its been so bad that gave been missing many days of work. Its been life changing.

 

[Hanala]

I have been off work for 5 mths now due to uncontrollable social anxiety.
Whenever I leave the hom...

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time coping right now :( I don't know if I just have social anxiety because it's my personality or because of the PTSD. It's never kept me from school/work but there have for sure been times where I completely avoid friends/any social interaction that's not mandatory. I tend to have no pity on myself and force myself to function because I'm too stubborn not to. It's definitely a struggle :/ are there tasks/jobs/activities you can do from home without having to interact with people? That can be key to staving off depression while the social anxiety is bad. I hope that you find something that helps

 

[Freedomfighter]

Had anxiety my entire life. The last 10yrs have been the worse. Its been so bad that gave been mis...

After the death of a nephew my anxiety is through the roof. The posts of other members have shown me clearly that my nephew could have been helped, but was most likely ignored by the system. Such a good person, I liked my nephew a lot. It is hard to put into words and I do not know why it affects me so much. It seems that I am myself mortally wounded knowing that he shot himself to death. It seems that I have literally sustained a physical wound due to his suffering.

It pains me soooo much to know how much he suffered, it is almost unbearable.

 

[Gadgie]

I wish I knew the date when my anxiety would stop, as it would give me date to look forward to.

My anxiety comes and goes, as does it's severity, somethimes I can walk around a busy store and feel quite comfortable, as long as I'm not "hemmed in an isle"

Then other days, I get so anxious that I have to fight my fear just to enter the building? On those days, I have to rush around the store, grabbing what I need, and leave as soon as possible, arriving home in a state of panic?