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Anxiety Through The Years

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Anxiety & Panic Disorders
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Posted 1/22/2015 12:41 PM (GMT -5)
Hi Everyone! Have I mentioned lately how much you guys help me? If not, I want to thank you all and tell you that without this forum I would feel so alone. Thanks for the support.

Can anyone relate to having anxiety that gets worse as you get older? I have had specifically health anxiety since I was 8 years old. I am now 33. Throughout the years I've had thousands of panic attacks, days of symptoms, constant worrying, and years of feeling off. I feel like throughout the years my body was able to tolerate the constant tension, stress, and anxiety. Is it possible that as I approach 35 my body doesn't tolerate the anxiety as it did when I was 25? It has changed and bodily symptoms are much worse. I have IBS now and also get episodes where I feel faint, woozy, and disoriented. My doctors / therapists have reassured me that it's anxiety, IBS, and Vasovagal. Is it possible that al my years of worrying have finally caught up to me? I know anxiety can't hurt the body per day but stress maybe? Can anyone relate to having anxiety that changes and feels even more real by making you actually really feel faint (it relates to my bowels too)
Posted 1/22/2015 1:26 PM (GMT -5)
Hi BT,

Yes, I can see how this would stand to reason. We recover so easily from various things when we are young...not so quickly as we age.

However, try looking at it from a new perspective. As you have gotten older, you have had more experience, you are wiser...and have picked up vaious tools along the way that you didn't have previously.

I was determined not to carry on rehashing the same fears and worries that held me down a few years back.

I used therapy and self help to re-work my worried thought patterns.  I decided that if I was still here after all I had lived through..the panic attacks and devastating physical symptoms...that I was going to be alright...and most of my anxiety has fled.

I still have some issues I continue to need to work on, of course!

However, in general, I am improving with time, due largely to changing my perspective...and knowing I have the power to manage my anxiety with my experience! :)

You can do this as well...I know it! Keep up with your learning and use of coping skills...never give up trying new methods of treatment.

I am glad that you find posting here helpful...it has been a big part of recovery for me as well.

Talk to you soon,

S.C.
Posted 1/22/2015 1:40 PM (GMT -5)
I guess what my current struggle (really always has been) is differentiating between anxiety and something real. Can you relate to the symptom of feeling faint when stomach tenses up to go? My doctors keep telling me anxiety and ibs but I've never experienced this before (started around thanksgiving). I do have some new stressors in my life along with many new changes - wondering if as we get older new anxiety symptoms can appear as we age and new changes / stressors take place.
Posted 1/22/2015 1:46 PM (GMT -5)
I agree with SC that our bodies don't recover/bounce back as quickly the older we get. I've had anxiety since my early 20s and am now 51. I've gone years with no problems and feeling good, but have had many points in time of feeling totally not myself, anxious, out-of-it, etc., and find that the older I get, when my anxiety flares up, it's more intense than in the past. I continue to use what I've learned to cope with it.
Posted 1/22/2015 3:43 PM (GMT -5)
Have you guys got a better handle of anxiety versus something real aka pathological
Posted 1/22/2015 4:12 PM (GMT -5)
I've had this for over 15 years and I can tell you...the symptoms change. They morph.
Posted 1/22/2015 5:10 PM (GMT -5)
I was always an anxious child. I was probably 9 or so when my real anxiety came to be. My symptoms have definitely changed as time has gone on. When I was younger, it was more general anxiety. I'm 31 now, and panic attacks in particular is how my anxiety is manifesting itself.
Posted 3/4/2015 7:47 PM (GMT -5)
Would any of you say that the older you get the more sensitive your body is to anxiety? For example, when I was younger my anxiety was random panic attacks that were short lasting then go away. As an adult (33 now) I find that I suffer with chronic anxiety, constantly thinking about my health and feeling "off". I have seen so many doctors looking for an answer to my weird symptoms. End result - I suffer with "health anxiety", "pyschosomatic syndrome" aka hypochondriac.... but I wasn't like that when I was younger...
Posted 3/4/2015 7:57 PM (GMT -5)
BTurc,
Totally understand and can relate to what you're saying. I think it's not so much that the body gets more sensitive to it, but as you get older you encounter new experiences that you aren't equipped with that therefore cause anxiety. "The fun of growing up" as the people in my life like to call it. I used to get really bad migraines as an adolescent. Blurry vision, dizziness, projectile vomiting, and a pounding head. I would brush it off back then and knew I was having a migraine and it was nothing serious. Now, even if I have a slight pain in my head, it's a brain tumor. No in between. And I chalk that up to as I learn more, I hear more. Knowledge is power, but knowledge can also be really dangerous if you have health anxiety because you can convince yourself you have everything and anything.
Posted 3/4/2015 10:54 PM (GMT -5)
BT,

Continuing your recovery efforts will see your anxiety decreasing, so have hope and don't anticipate things getting worse...but instead believe they can get better.

You can reach your goals.:)

Keep talking with us!

S.C.
Posted 3/5/2015 5:07 AM (GMT -5)
Hi

You have had some good input on this thread and I hope you are feeling a bit better today.

I have had anxiety for as long as I can remember and I am 39 fast approaching the big 40 lol but can relate to what you are saying in your post. I struggle with high stress levels and long term stress can have a big impact on your body causing all sorts of physical symptoms IBS included. If you suffer with stress it's important that you address it because if you leave it it will cause all sorts of problems.

What I have found really effective is Mindfulness Meditation I do at least 40min every morning after I have had my morning shower and I find that it keeps my stress levels in check. When you are dealing with anxiety/stress on a daily basis things can become overwhelming and it becomes hard to see a way out of it all but you have to remain positive and by using any coping skills you have you can start to reduce you anxiety and get back on top of things. This may take a bit of time but it is well worth the effort have a look in our resources thread for some useful links to self guides.

Hibee
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