Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi
I am a 51 Yr old female awaiting diagnosis. My work have been very supportive and have referred me through occ health. What led me to speaking out was the pain of panic attacks and what I perceive as an inability to overcome them. I am successful in many areas in my life and professionally however there are a few situations which absolutely floor me and for the life of me I cannot get to grips with them. This has been the case since I was a child so has plagued me for over 4 decades now. I try and rationalise it and tell myself it’s confidence or self esteem, I’m just wondering if others can relate to this ? Sadly I often berate myself and feel foolish hence getting a diagnosis will hopefully help me make sense of this. I would stress there are numerous other factors besides this which have led me to seek support and diagnosis. Thank you in anticipation
I was only diagnosed today, but I can tell you that what led me to find a diagnosis was my own behaviour, which I knew was destructive to my (work) relationships, but that I struggled to avoid, even when I felt foolish and criticised myself deeply. I don’t have panic attacks, but I get a strong sense of physical and mental pain when I manage to get into situations of conflict and it is not easy to break out of that. I hope that helps, but diagnosis is certainly a good way to understand your own challenges and either accept them (making life a little easier) or find ways to manage them better.