I am 52 years old . First anxiety episode and depression went on when I was 19. At that point I had very identified what was the problem. Abusing father , family disintegrated, lack of basic needs and a grey future ahead.
I struggle my self with this for 15 years , at some point I was loosing the battle, couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep , and I was smoking a pack of cigarette a day. Obviously anxiety and depression were consuming me.
Just before my daughter was born i was terrified, I had this mayor problem and was thought I was going to become my father just as soon as my daughter was born. I felt hopeless and the idea of stop existing came to my mind. That was even more terrifying.
My daughters mother told me that I needed help , she helped me to find a psychiatrist and lucky me I found a good one . After a few days of físicas tests, he was able to give me a diagnosis . General anxiety disorder with agoraphobia, social disorder , panic disorder, and a material depression. He said to me .
The medications I will give you will be helpful to cross the big ocean of therapy you will need to cross. But the medications are not going to be the remedy , medications along with therapy ( Cognitive behavioral therapy was that worked for me) is what will help you to get your life back.
So that’s what I did and it worked . But , even when I did all those years in therapy and I take my medications, sometimes comes to me, from deep inside , that anxiety they tries to emerge and take over my life, sometimes she wins and I have a terrible day, but most font he time she fails.
My therapist told me once: “You will never be 100 happy or able to said you are cured, this is something you have and you have to live with it . The secret to control it is to use the emotional tools you learn from therapy.
And even after 30 years of dealing with this , I still , sometimes use my therapy tools the wrong way. So I keep learning about my self and about this condition that it can put you down in bed for ever if you let it.
Best regards