Hi DIMES! I’ve been pretty MIA in the blogging and social media world recently. I needed to take a break from it all because I’ve been dealing with debilitating anxiety.
I’m not writing this post to have a pity party for myself or to get people to feel sorry for me.
I’m writing this post to share my story so that people who are going through it too can see that they’re not alone. Realizing I’m not alone has really helped me throughout my journey with anxiety.
So, buckle up and get cozy because were getting real deep here.
My Anxiety Story: Plus Some Coping Strategies
My Story
Those who know me well know that I’m pretty high strung and not very laid-back. I’ve been this way as long as I can remember.
I worry excessively about almost everything. I worry so much that I already have wrinkles on my forehead (at the young age of 21). To those around me, it may seem silly and unwarranted; like I worry more than I need to about certain things or that I create the worry when there is no reason to be worried in the first place.
I get really stressed out, overthink things and psych myself out all the time. But this had been my normal and left untreated my anxiety continued to worsen. Everyday tasks became a struggle for me.
Then, the sleep paralysis started. It was not very often at first, but then it became an everyday thing. Almost every morning I’d have an episode.
If you’ve never experienced sleep paralysis before imagine waking up, but you can’t open your eyes, you can’t move your body, but you can hear everything around you and as you become more aware of this you begin to panic. 10-20 minutes you drift back into sleep. As you can imagine, it’s not a great way to start the day.
The worst part of it all is the panic attacks. An overwhelming feeling of fear combined with physical symptoms like sweating, heart racing, muscle tension, shaking and heavy/quick breathing all create the perfect storm. It feels like you’re no longer in control of your body or mind. I actually ended up in the hospital on one occasion.
It took me hitting rock-bottom to realize that I had lost control of myself. So, I’m sharing my story in hopes that I can reach someone before they hit rock-bottom too.
I thought I was alone in my struggles and that no one else could possibly be dealing with this or feeling the way I do. I felt so isolated and detached from friends, family, and the world around me.
When you’re in the thick of it, you feel like you’re going crazy. You’re embarrassed, ashamed and afraid.
You feel like no one else will be able to understand how you feel. But that’s your anxiety talking. Because I understand.
And so do many others. More people than you think are going through similar stuff.
Getting help, reaching out to loved ones and talking about it out loud has made a huge difference in my life.
It helped me recognize that I’m not alone. Everyone has their demons; everyone has their struggles. While they are unique to each individual,
I take comfort in knowing I’m not walking this path of life by myself. None of us are. ❤︎
Understanding the physical and mental symptoms of my anxiety has also helped a ton.
I am one of those people that asks 1 million questions about everything. Honestly, I’m just really curious about life. Plus, I really don’t like not understanding something or being in the dark about it, so I’ll research and research and research until I fully understand it because it brings me clarity.
A couple of months ago I started taking Zoloft to treat my GAD. Starting a new medication (having never taken any medication before) has been a whole battle of its own. (I’ll write another post on that later). I still deal with anxiety every single day, but with the help of a therapist I’ve learned to change my relationship with my symptoms. I now only experience sleep paralysis about once a week, which is amazing!
OTHER WAYS I COPE WITH MY ANXIETY:
- Mindfulness techniques such as paced breathing and mediation
- Exercise (even a short walk outside helps)
- CBD
- Journal writing and drawing
- Call my mom lol
Up until now, I’ve only shared this stuff with my family and close friends. Writing this post and being vulnerable like this is not easy, so thank you for reading my story with an open heart and an open mind.
I truly hope this post helped anyone out there who is going through it. I’m here if you want to DM me on instagram @dimediaries, email me at [email protected] I love to hear other people stories and I would love to share more about mine, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
♡ Talk soon.
xoxo DD
About the Author:
As the Founder of DimeDiaries lifestyle blog, Blair Buchanan is passionate about all things lifestyle, wellness, and beauty. The mantra behind her blog is that: “every single one of you is a perfect 10 (dime) in your own unique and awesome way.” Blair loves opening up candid conversations with the community through her Advice Column.
Follow Her:
Website Link: www.dimediaries.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/dimediaries/
Instagram: @dimediaries
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dimediaries_
What are Your Anxiety Coping Strategies?
Hello, I’m Thuy of honeybunnytwee. I write a Wellness Wednesday guest bloggers series. Send me an article or link to a blog post about health and wellness, self-care, fitness, or mental health at [email protected]. Upon review, you’ll have a chance to be featured! I’m always looking for more Wellness Wednesday submissions.
What a brave post. It’s always reassuring to know that other people are going through a similar situation. Thank you for the coping strategies – I use exercise a lot to help me x
Hi Jo! I completely agree with you – exercise makes SUCH a big difference in my mental health. You’d think improved mood/mental clarity would be a good enough motivator to get up and exercise, but sometimes I struggle to just start!
I will definitely recommend your blog posts to others, it’s sad what many people have to cope with. It’s so thoughtful of you to share your story. You look amazing by the way, I love the photo with the t-shirt “be the change….” well done.
Hi Ivana! Thank you so much for your kind words, you’re so sweet! And thank you for sharing my post with others. The whole purpose of sharing my story was for it to be shared with people who are also struggling, and that may find some comfort in it. Oh and the shirt is from Target by the way! 🙂 xoxo DD
What an awesome post! I applaud your strength and courage to share your story. This is great to inform others and help everyone be aware how we can be of help. Thanks for sharing!
I am glad to hear that CBD has helped you with Anxiety. I have been touting the benefits for a couple of years now and wish more people listened and tried it. I have a daughter who suffers with anxiety as well and we are working towards ways to help her. I will absolutely share this post with her. Thank you for your honesty.
Thank you so much for sharing your story on dealing with anxiety and this expert’s advice on overcoming it.
Thank you Blair for being so open, honest and vulnerable about your personal experience. It’s definitely not easy to share something so intimate but in doing so, you may be the light at the end of the tunnel for someone that is really struggling right now. I am glad to hear that you have recognized your struggles and are starting to work towards finding the keys to management for your personally.
You have such brave soul. To share your anxiety experience is serious stuff. I had sleep paralysis once… And it was horrible.
Thank you for sharing your story. I suffer from anxiety as well and I’ve found that herbal remedies and long walks really help to calm me down.
Sharing your story openly can be such an important way of finding a community of others who truly get it, because they share your experience. I have had anxiety for as long as I can remember — I also have autoimmune arthritis, and the unpredictable nature of it has contributed to that. Three years ago, I developed PTSD after a trip to the ICU and you are absolutely right. It can feel as if you’re going crazy, maybe because of I guess the stigma associated with it? So you tend to not talk about it. But talking is the way out. Maybe people like you and I will never stop being anxious, but it can be reduced. All the best.
Thanks for sharing your story.. I have anxiety also and it has been a great help to read your post 👍🏻
I am so proud of you for sharing this! The last couple weeks I’ve been experiencing a lot of anxiety, nightmares, migraines, and panic attacks. So much so that I haven’t written much in my blog lately, it affects my driving ability, and so much more. I honestly wondered if I should go to a doctor, or if I would just be treated as crazy. I’ve been working on mindfulness techniques as well, and it really seems to be helping. I am very focused on turning those exercises into a habit each time I get ready to fall asleep and aim for a more restful sleep without the craziness that seems to follow me lately. You sharing your story helped remind me that I’m not actually crazy (yes this is a concern) and I’m not alone in this experience.
I like how peaceful you look in your picture. The one where you are smiling. I’m also thinking that the Zoloft helped some and I’m glad about that. I also started practicing mindfullness when my stress got so high that I had a lot of anxiety. I’ve been through the panic attacks and other stuff but not the sleep paralysis. That sounds scary.
In any case, thanks for sharing. A lot of people do struggle with anxiety and a lot of other problems so even though it was hard to be vulnerable I’m glad you were. It helps others!
thanks for sharing the story. Anxiety is a monster and it is very hard to fight off.
It’s quite brave and amazing of you to share your story with us. Anxiety is quite hard to battle sometimes and those are all helpful tips to combat them. I usually write on my journal to keep my thoughts organized.
Such a courageous and beautiful post. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. As someone who also lives with anxiety I appreciate so much how much strength it took to write and put it out there!
It’s so important to share these stories publicly – thank you for sharing yours.
Thanks for sharing your story. I’m sure that by telling it “out loud,” you’re helping others who may be going through the same thing. I smiled when I saw that one of your coping strategies was calling your mum. Connecting with the people we love and who love us right back can really helpful and supportive.
CDB seems to be pretty handy for anxiety and many other issues, I am glad it is something that is becoming more commonly used. Thanks for sharing your story for those who are in similar situations, helps everyone know they aren’t alone!
Thank you for sharing your story! I am a school social worker and try to help my students to overcome their anxiety. Mindfulness is so amazing and a great tool to deal with anything (in my opinion). You are definitely not alone and i hope others are able to get some guidance from your story.