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Were you born female and identify as a woman? Aged between 35-59? Have a diagnosis of GAD? Have experience of treatment? If you have answered YES to these questions, would you be willing to take part in research? As a Trainee Counselling Psychologist at London Metropolitan University, I am conducting research on how Generalised Anxiety is discussed. I would like to talk about GAD with women aged between 35-59 who have this diagnosis. All information shared will be kept anonymised and confidential. If this sounds like something you would like to do please contact me on the details below. Contact details: Researcher: Jamila @ jah0839@my.londonmet.ac.uk

I think my health anxiety really started after I had my daughter in 2016. I ended up with high blood pressure from preeclampsia, which eventually went down over a period of about 3-4 months. I became OCD about taking my blood pressure, and started doing it several times a day. For a short time, I was also convincing myself that I might end up with heart failure due to the blood pressure spikes. For a good year or so, I felt like the anxiety had all but gone away, I felt great. I got sick with the flu last month, followed immediately by a stomach virus, and then a sinus infection. I was sick and had on off, fevers for 3 weeks. While I was sick, I went to the ER and got a blood panel that said I was slightly anemic. That ended setting me off onto a google search that eventually convinced me that I had a blood cancer. I had major anxiety over this for a week, until a follow up test showed that I was not anemic (it was an error or I hadn’t been eating properly). During that time, I ended up waking up a few times with a really fast pulse, more than likely because I read that anemia causes fast pulse (*eye roll*). Although I’m hoping it’s anxiety, I went to see the cardiologist just to be safe. He reviewed my chest X Ray from the ER, did a new EKG, and listened to everything and concluded everything looked completely normal and the fast pulse episodes were probably benign and suggested a Holter monitor. I mentioned that I had recently had the flu before the fast pulse episodes, and he suggested getting an echocardiogram. Apparently, its very rare but viruses can cause damage to the heart. Now I’m obsessing over heart failure because I had high blood pressure spikes for about 3 months after I had my baby-- so it has all come back to me! I’m incredibly anxious, depressed, and afraid to take my newly prescribed Lexapro because I know when I took it years ago, it made my heart race. I want to make sure nothing is seriously wrong with my heart before I start taking it. So I feel awful and have to wait 2 weeks for the scheduled echo. Could someone please talk some sense into me and reassure that if the cardiologist was concerned, he would have rush ordered this echo??

I don't know if I'm posting this under the right topic. I just googled and signed up on this forum because I trust no one to share how I'm feeling right now. A year ago I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety disorder and Generalized Anxiety disorder. I took the medication for some time but lost my prescription this month. And I'm in my hometown and I am not taking my medication. My doctor is going to be pissed. I write short stories , poems and shit and post it on facebook and few girls are kinda interested in me because of that. I am too shy or anxious for meet them so I usually try long distance relationships. But I had to break up with a girl I had an online relationship with. I just couldn't take it anymore. We both had anxieties and nobody can understand me as good as she did but there was no way I was going to be with her. I don't even have a passport yet for the god's sake and I am going back to college again and I don't know where my future might lead me. Quitting college and again getting back makes me quite anxious too. Like wtf.. I don't know shit. I hope I will able to pick up on school and not end up depressed like in high school. So, yeah.. I kinda fell in love with one girl who writes too and is from same town I'm from and studies in same city, I study in. But the thing is she had a boyfriend, who she hasn't broken up with yet, officially. She is in a secret relationship with me. She says she loves me, is not going to break my heart and shit and she wants to date me but she will need a couple of years to make it public? Wth? One reason might be because we are from really traditional place and she doesn't want her family to find out or she might be thinking it might not work because of some reason. One thing that scares me is .. Is she going to take her boyfriend back if he comes are cries in front of her? Another thing that scares me is whether I'm being played. But I did put these insecurities in front of her and she's like "get and job in 8 years and marry me". Then again she gets jealous of my girl best friend so .. meh.. idk ... The real issue with me is that I'm a guy who has been faking confidence. I'm out of medication and I can't obtain them this month by any means. Heck, I don't even know the routes of city I live in. And being an anxious guy and having shitty data connection for navigation and a shitty phone overall sucks. She wants to go to a movie with me next month if everything works out fine. She would want to go on more dates. And I don't even know if I'm always going to be scared of her? I know I'm a loser.. I'm pathetic.. I might now deserve her but this is how I am.. too scared to do anything but I went out and tried and it worked and here I am .. still scared :/

Hello, Finally I found a place to write down my problem without being judged from family. All started once I found my first serious job. I finished Computer Science in college, and I found a job in a big firm as a developer last year. In the second month I developed insomnia. One day no sleep, 2 days, 3 days and so one. 2 years later now, and still I m worrying about sleep. Left my previous job and went to another one as an intern with very little money, hoping that this situation will comfort my mind and make me feel as " I don't have so much to do"... Not any different at all. Now, my symptoms are... It takes me 2 hours to fall asleep, then I wake up after 3 hours exactly and it takes me another 3-4 hours to sleep again... after a while I have to go work.... And I was going like this !! And in the weekends I was fine... Today is Saturday and I couldn't sleep for more than 3 hours... Thoughts are racing my mind and I cant take them away...!! What I did till now about this problem: Went to 4 different psychologists, Noone helped me. Went to psychiatrist.--> gave me Zanax its addictive I didnt try it. Tried over a million times to kick away the bad thoughts. NOTHING WORKS FOR ME, I m desperate I think I should kill myself. I dont have life, I cant function normally.. This week I ll quit my job... Anyone feeling like me?? Anyone had severe insomnia? Please give me any suggestion..

Hello all! My name is Amber. I am a single mother of a 3 year old little boy. I have bipolar disorder, major depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, add, and insomnia, and RLS. I found this website today because i need to reach out to somebody. im very depressed and need a good friend to confide in that understands the struggle because i cannot talk to my family about it because they just don't understand. Somebody please help me. I need emotional support and advice badly! I have gone to the mental ward 4 times in 3 years and it hasnt helped. please i need somebody to talk to. Amber.