How I overcame anxiety disorder and started living life again

In case you don't know what anxiety is, The American Psychiatric Association defines it as ‘a mental health condition in which a person experiences excessive fear or worry that negatively impacts their daily activities.' It's basically feeling of being constantly stressed and worried about simple things.

It’s a journey

I remember when I was first diagnosed with anxiety disorder. I was so scared, it felt like my life was over. I had no idea what to do next or how to even start getting better. But what I did know was that I wanted to live a life without anxiety, and I wasn’t going to stop until I found a way to do that.

I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but I knew that something needed to change.

When I finally got diagnosed with anxiety disorder, I didn’t know how to handle it. All I knew for sure is that I needed help.

I was afraid of everything and everyone — even my own family. I had panic attacks, nightmares and social anxiety so severe that I couldn’t leave my house without feeling like I was going to pass out or throw up at any moment.

Finding the right anti-anxiety meds

Before I started taking medication, I had tried several different types of antidepressant drugs — including Prozac and Zoloft — but none of them worked for me. Some made me feel worse than others and one even gave me terrible side effects like severe stomach pain and headaches. But then one day my doctor prescribed Effexor XR (venlafaxine), which helped immensely with my anxiety disorder symptoms. The drug helped reduce the severity of panic attacks and also reduced the frequency of them happening. With Effexor XR, I felt more confident about myself and less afraid of everyday situations like going out on weekends or talking to people at work events or parties where I might have been anxious beforehand because of the possibility of having an attack in public places where there might not be any doctors nearby.

My doctors prescribed me anti-anxiety meds that made me feel like a zombie or like an emotionless robot — neither of which were an improvement over my natural state of panic attacks and depression!

After months of trial and error, I finally found the right anti-anxiety medication for me. At first, it took some time for me to adjust to taking pills every day — but once I got used to it, things began to change for the better. And although it may not be easy at first, taking medication is important for treating anxiety disorder because it helps manage symptoms more effectively than other forms of treatment such as therapy or lifestyle changes.

I’m not afraid anymore

Over time, my anxiety lessened and became manageable so that I could function normally again in daily life without having panic attacks or fearing every single situation that came my way.

I’m not afraid of going out, of being around people and I’m not afraid of the world. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I have a new lease on life.

I still have bad days but they are few and far between now. When those bad days come around I just remind myself that this too shall pass and things will be better soon enough — and they always are!

Don't give up.

I’ve been on anti-anxiety medications for over five years now and they work really well for me. But they don’t work for everyone so you need to find what works best for you.

Medications can take six months or longer before they start working properly but once they do, it's amazing how much better you'll feel!

I want other people with anxiety disorders to know that they aren't alone in their struggles and that there is hope for a better future. Know it more here.