yes anxiety strikes all the time and i rarely leave the house. however seroquel seems to be helping even though i only just started it. i also take a xanax or klopin if i have to do anything stressful.
yeah, chronic anxiety and worry seem to go hand in hand with my BP II.
And the social anxiety is double-headed. I'll dread going somewhere but once I'm there I'll often be talkative, silly and over-the-top.
but I won't answer the phone for the most part- and hide if someone comes to the door.
I dwell on everything I say, which causes me to not talk to anyone UNLESS I'm manic than I have great conversation skills. Unfortunately I'm terrified of mania also. I also have debilitating panic/anxiety attacks, even when in busy grocery stores etc. I assume once I get stable those might get better and my thought processing will be easier and I won't feel like the things I say are so stupid. The loss of conversation skills is the worst for me, I get upset and say things sometimes that don't make sense then dwell on it for the rest of the day. The other day I told my mom and uncle that I said something horrible to someone, the problem...that was a lie, I hadn't said the horrible thing at all, I was telling them about something that had happened and it just came out of my mouth before I knew it. I'm not a liar, I don't lie like that. I'm afraid now to tell my mom, I'm 28 years old, thats ridiculous, how could words just tumble out of my mouth like that? Has that ever happened to anyone before?
You had some great suggestions. Yes the past is the past... can't be changed so one must move on. I like that and will have to keep that in mind because I tend to dwell on the past.
I thought worry is part of my manic state . and a part of bipolar 2 . Its what I do insted of being hyper . Bill
Hi bastet56,
Yes, I tend to over-analyze what people say, are thinking/feeling, the tone they use when talking to me, certain looks, reviewing old conversations (more than likely I will do that for this post), etc. I also have been told I worry too much about the minor things in life.
It was suggested to me that I pay close attention to when I am doing this, and I should catch myself in mid-thought, and try to rationalize other different, POSITIVE, possibilities -- it takes commitment, and sincere effort. I know sometimes rationalizing doesn't help people who worry, because we worry about all the possibilities, and each possibilities seems real.
So another thought that may help is that I found that if you have a good, reliable, trustworthy and honest friend/family member/therapist/whom every to confide in, they might be able to help you... they might be able to tell you what they see from an outsider's point-of-view... but you have to be willing to trust this person. Sometimes it helps to talk through things.
Heck if you're even feeling bold that day, go up to the person and tell them, "hey I'm sorry, I think what I said might have come across the wrong way, I know I can come across a little _____________ (sarcastic, mean, offensive, insensitive, etc.) and am trying to work on it", then, openly, listen to their response. Sometimes when you acknowledge your problem to the person they will be less likely to blow you off and try to be nice by saying you didn't offend them, or misinterpret something, etc. If you do this, I am sure you will go back on that conversation and kick yourself, or maybe, congratulate yourself. Either way, a thing you can be proud of is that you are trying to be proactive on changing your anxiety. I frequently remind myself... the past is the past... I can't change it, and more often than not, when I dwell on a bad past interaction with a person, I tend to leave another less than impressionable interactio with them.
I hope this helps...
~* HoneyNut
I never considered myself as sufferring anxiety but i now know i do, i have always over analysed everything, worried about things i have said, what people are feeling, over worried about my kids, my marraige, everything really. I am trying to learn to let go of things that are not important but its hard. I dont know what to say either but you are not alone, if i find the answer or solution i will let you know lol. its horrible that much i know. take care
You are NOT alone! I also suffer from bipolar and GAD. They seem to go hand in hand. I overanalyze everything I have said and done. I don't know how to help you, just wanted to let you know there are others out there going through this.
Anyone's suggestions would be greatly appreciated.