When I was 17 years old I went through some pretty intense health scares. I spent two years of my life being poked, prodded, and tested on by a number of doctors. I saw a neurologist, physiologist, physiotherapist, cardiologist, nuclear medicine specialist, and even got admitted to the hospital for a two week stay. The tests I went through were extensive. They ranged from simple blood tests(of which I had many) all the way to full body MRI's as well as nuclear medicine tests, which were way less cool then they sound. During this time my anxiety was off the charts. I couldn't be left alone because no one knew if I was going to pass out(which I did a few times) or have something more serious happen. Not only was I stressed about the situation I was in, I was causing stress to the people I cared about the most.
Looking back I realise just how much stress I put on my friends and family. I went years without seeing some of my closest friends. Partly, because I distanced myself from them so I wouldn't cause any unnecessary stress. However, by distancing myself I made things worse all around. By avoiding the people I care about, I put a strain on our friendship and caused more stress than I would of by just telling them what was going on.
My point is that when you are going through a situation, whatever the severity, it is best to tell your loved ones about it. Having people around that know you and are there for you will make any situation better. Anxiety is an illness that loves solitude, but on the same hand it is one that desperately needs attention. It is hard, at times, to find a middle ground. The best thing to do is to let people know how you feel, see how they take it and proceed from there. Chances are you'll be suprised at the responses you will recieve.
Thank you for reading and as always, take care.
It is a very lonely illness, and unfortunately very few people can understand it unless they live it themselves. I'm experiencing this myself
ReplyDeleteright now, and I think it is what sent me off on a "safe" internet quest in search of "my people". :) Thanks for sharing your experiences. I think it's extremely helpful so those of us dealing with anxiety issues to know that other people out there are feeling the same way.
It's very true, those with anxiety tend to distance themselves for whatever reason. I struggle daily with my own mind over the simplest of things like whether I should go to the store or call a friend back. I always find it best to go in the opposite direction the anxiety is telling you to go. We all know that sometimes this is extremely difficult considering the physical symptoms anxiety produces. You have to realize that they are simply just symptoms and they will fade, most often when you take a deep breath and face your anxiety. I'm glad that my experiences can help others going through the same thing.
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