Aa
Rebound anxiety
Ok so just for a little background I have a history with anxiety and panic attacks although it has been under control for the 8 months medication free, I am a straight male. Last Friday I went out with some friends and got really drunk. I know I wasn't drugged or anything but I ended up attempting to walk home and ended up passing out just outside an apartment building. When I woke up I was inside the entrance hallway about four hours later. I walked home and went back to sleep. Then for some reason I started fearing I was raped that night (even though I don't remember anything like that. I have just started forcing myself to believe that and just like that my anxiety has started all over again. I know its my ocd because every time I think about it my but hurts and I start going into a panic attack. How can I get out of this cycle and how can I stop thinking about this situation at night???
I suffer from ocd and gad as well, so I can tell you that the one fear leading into another fear thing is something everyone of us with these issues has suffered with at one time or another. Many of us also have it the worst at a certain time of day, I too have it the worse at night which is why just about every night I am on here reading comments from cj29, nursegirl, mrgreen, and greenlydia. Ofcourse I agree with them on getting therapy, and as a recovering alcoholic I can tell you there was no worse anxiety than the 4 days after a binge. I'm going through a medication switch right now so my anxiety is sky high.
One of the things that helps me through this is positive self talk. You were very aware that these problems were anxiety, give yourself some credit for that! Many of us spend years in and out of ER's before we realize and accept our disorder. Make sure you remind yourself of the reasons you rock. My other thing is your last post, you are setting yourself up to panic over this hiv fear. You already decided you will start freaking out over it. We with anxiety tend to look to the future to much and often try to predict it. Living in the moment is so important with these issues. It takes practice to do this, but you can work on it with a therapist, mine is working with me on it. I am in a much similar boat, so I'd love to hear how everything is going. Feel free to message me anytime. You will get through this.
One of the things that helps me through this is positive self talk. You were very aware that these problems were anxiety, give yourself some credit for that! Many of us spend years in and out of ER's before we realize and accept our disorder. Make sure you remind yourself of the reasons you rock. My other thing is your last post, you are setting yourself up to panic over this hiv fear. You already decided you will start freaking out over it. We with anxiety tend to look to the future to much and often try to predict it. Living in the moment is so important with these issues. It takes practice to do this, but you can work on it with a therapist, mine is working with me on it. I am in a much similar boat, so I'd love to hear how everything is going. Feel free to message me anytime. You will get through this.
No, it isn't ridiculous...it's anxiety, which is why you need help. Again, you do NOT have to suffer needlessly. Get yourself some help. While it may take some time, I think you'll be surprised athow much better you'll feel once you're armed with coping techniques, and if you go the med route....allow a med some time to start helping with symptoms.
This is ridiculous and I know exactly where this is gonna go I;m gonna start freaking out that I might have hiv now.
I am going to have to echo what nursegirl said here. Many people turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism and it pretty much makes the situation worse with depression and anxiety. Have you had problems with binge drinking before?
Irrational thoughts are par for the course with anxiety. Are you in therapy? Getting to the root cause of your pattern of thinking will allow you to confront it in more productive ways in my opinion. Also, in my experience, anxiety can lay 'dormant' for a long time before rearing its ugly head again, so don't beat yourself up if it flares up; learn about it and confront it...keep us posted!
Irrational thoughts are par for the course with anxiety. Are you in therapy? Getting to the root cause of your pattern of thinking will allow you to confront it in more productive ways in my opinion. Also, in my experience, anxiety can lay 'dormant' for a long time before rearing its ugly head again, so don't beat yourself up if it flares up; learn about it and confront it...keep us posted!
You already know that it is your mind causing your worries....if you're not in therapy, you may want to consider it...to help you learn how to deal with these irrational thoughts.
The other advice I have for you is to lay off the drinking, especially drinking so much that you are actually unable to remember events that occur. One, for obvious reasons, you ARE placing yourself in danger as criminals like to prey on people that are not in control...and TWO...excessive drinking will exacerbate anxiety something fierce. Sure, while you're drinking, you have all kinds of confidence, and are anxiety-free.....but the way our body's react to alcohol....it will cause anxiety after the fact...usually much more severe than any anxiety you started with. Plus, alcohol is a depressant, which can add to feelings of depression...which for a lot of people with anxiety....is an issue as well.
I cannot reassure you that nothing bad happened to you when you passed out, but I CAN tell you that it is probably highly unlikely, and being a straight male, if you were entered anally for the first time, you would most likely have had immediate symptoms when you woke up...not just your mind creating some kind of pain.
Simple solution to that...dont put yourself in that position again...it is dangerous and will only add to your anxiety.
The other advice I have for you is to lay off the drinking, especially drinking so much that you are actually unable to remember events that occur. One, for obvious reasons, you ARE placing yourself in danger as criminals like to prey on people that are not in control...and TWO...excessive drinking will exacerbate anxiety something fierce. Sure, while you're drinking, you have all kinds of confidence, and are anxiety-free.....but the way our body's react to alcohol....it will cause anxiety after the fact...usually much more severe than any anxiety you started with. Plus, alcohol is a depressant, which can add to feelings of depression...which for a lot of people with anxiety....is an issue as well.
I cannot reassure you that nothing bad happened to you when you passed out, but I CAN tell you that it is probably highly unlikely, and being a straight male, if you were entered anally for the first time, you would most likely have had immediate symptoms when you woke up...not just your mind creating some kind of pain.
Simple solution to that...dont put yourself in that position again...it is dangerous and will only add to your anxiety.
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