I'm 18 years old and I've been diagnosed with GAD since I was 15. Most of my life had been great and I was able to “avoid" my anxiety but for the past 2 months and a half it's been hell on earth. I've been having panic attacks intense anxiety over the smallest things like being in crowded space. Lately for the past 3 weeks I've been feeling foggy and like I'm in a dream state. I go crazy and start to think what if I'm not real no one else is real, questioning reality and existence often etc and it just freaks me out. I wake up not knowing who I am sometimes. I just feel like a robot, I do things but I don't feel like it's me doing it a lot of the time even when I talk, eat, especially when I walk. I just stay cooped on in my house when I'm not going to school. I just really want to know if I'm not alone in this. I do group counseling and just started individual therapy and don't know if taking medication would help or not since I heard it can cause more dream state. I want to live my life again.
You are definitely not a lone with this feeling and it is a scary experience but it will pass. I am glad you have sought help from individual therapy, it should help a lot in order to help you understand what is happening and why as well as coping mechanism.
As for medication, it can help but it's only a tool to help you tackle the issues that are driving the anxiety. There is also a rollercoaster effect that antidepressants often make your symptoms a lot worse before getting better (it's also trail and error)
For the time being, the best thing you can do is to learn about anxiety and what it is, it can manifest itself in some scary ways. Breathing exercises help the most by far
That is really tough. You're going to get out of this state. Guaranteed.
I actually do suggest meds because it will help. What is causing your DP is your anxiety. If you can get rid of your anxiety, your DP will go away. Yes, I said go away. Meds can help decreasing your anxiety and depression.
I used to have ridiculous panic attacks that I didn't want to live anymore. The one thing that helped me the most is reading about panic. It gave me hope every night with just few pages and I learned so much about getting rid of it every day. I suggest you look up books on panic and look at the reviews. Then find one that has been working for many people.
God Bless you on your journey!
I agree with learning about the condition helps me a lot more and not feel so alone in all of this. It's a scary and dangerous place at times I want to just sleep forever in a sense of ending it all. Thank you.
It is very scary, but if you know what anxiety is and you are able to pinpoint anxiety from your normal thoughts, then it will help you because you know it's because of the anxiety. I really recommend finding a good reviewed book on anxiety. Really changed my perspective