Ways to cope with Severe Anxiety Disorder

It can be very difficult having to live with severe anxiety disorders. This is a mental illness that I've lived with since I was 21. There are ways you can cope with it to live a happy, healthy life and I would like to help you with some suggestions.

I can't tell you how many times I have been rushed to the hospital thinking I was having a heart attack, but it was always only anxiety. I would always feel so embarrassed because most of the nurses that I experienced were usually rude to me about the situation. I never would have believed that it was a mental condition that I had. And I would never need medications for it. WRONG! I suffered so many years because I was in denial. There was even a period of my life where I experienced illness anxiety disorder. It's also known as "Hypochondria."

Things later in my life through seeing a licensed therapist which was causing all of my severe anxiety were the following.

~ Trauma from my childhood (which consisted of sexual, mental, verbal and violent abuse)
~ I have a brain chemical imbalance.
~ Living in a 13 yr abusive marriage.
~ Severe stress throughout my whole life.
~ Neglect
~ Manic Depression
~ PTSD
~ Alcohol usage (way more than I should have been using)
~ Using marijuana in my early 20s and sometimes meth.
I do want to add that I have not used any non-prescription drugs or street drugs since the age of 23 and I am now 51! YAY ME!
~ Drinking too much caffeine.

I have been using a prescription medication for 4 years now that my licensed therapist and my regular, both agreed to put me on for trial. After 3 years of using the medication and upping the dosage to the amount that I needed, I can control my severe anxiety attacks through my meds, healthy diet, yoga and I love going to the gym when I can. I also cut out all use of alcohol. Which I am in recovery from alcohol too. Today I am so close to being 8 months sober! YAY ME! High Five!! 

Being able to enjoy my life again without having to be rushed to the hospital every other week or so is the best feeling in the world. 

I really want to help anyone who has ever suffered from anxiety. Mostly because people who don't have anxiety will NEVER understand how you feel when you're having an episode. I've been called, "stupid, drama queen, faker, attention whore and more," by people who were supposed to love and care for me but I never had support. Everything I've learned in my life has been through doing research, talking regularly with my therapist, and frequent Dr visits with my personal Dr, rehab and medication.

If you need help please click on the links below that can guide you to get the answers that could possibly change your life forever!

I care about you all, you're very important to me and you're loved!

xoxoxo, Michelle Neal

Links Below!