Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi. I'm new and I'm looking for some opinions and advice from some other people like myself.
I'm 22 years old and I've been completely reliant on everyone my entire life. I cannot step outside the house alone, make phone calls to people I don't know and pretty much any social situation, involves me getting close to having a breakdown.
In the last few weeks, I have started having intensive therapy to help me with my anxiety that has ruled my life.
For as long as I can remember (I was diagnosed at 12 and have been under therapy for years), I have been taught safety behaviours. Things such as, planning before a situation, rehearsing what to do or say, having someone with me for support and now, I've been told that these aren't good for me. I've been told to push through the anxiety and deal with it without my safety behaviours, because apparently, this will reduce my anxiety overall, naturally.
When I was 12, it was confirmed by a highly thought of psychiatrist that having Asperger's, lead to the fight or flight section of my brain, to basically overwork itself, causing me to feel fear at even the smallest of things.
The thought of pushing myself through anxiety, scares the hell out of me. I'm terrified from the moment I wake up, so making myself do things in order to face the anxiety and deal with it, makes me physically shake.
Is my therapist right? Should I force myself through the anxiety, or will it make me worse?
hi,speaking from my own experiences with anxiety,ive had it a long time im 54 and was diagnosed aspergers with complex ptsd both come with a side order of depression and anxiety,so i only got diagnosed at 53.
i pushed through my anxiety purely because at the time i didnt know any better,i planned my pushes very well so i was always in control.
slowly slowly is the key to it , small steps,maybe plan something the day before and write it down as a reminder,i find if i give myself more notice it helps me prepare.
clearing up the leaves is written down for me tomorrow,so when i get up im already focusing on a challange.
just my thoughts i hope they go some way to helping you.
For me, my anxiety gradually got worse with age. The fear was relatively manageable as a young adult. However, from twenty-five onwards, I couldn't stay in a venue much longer. The last few hours before an event are excruciating.