Anxiety - Well yes!

[Bookworm84]

So, I have had CFS symptoms since age 7, diagnosed at 24 and am currently 39. I work part time with half a day in the office, the rest WFH. The half a day messes with my CFS and causes anxiety. As anyone who paces knows, you’re constantly weighing the odds of your energy levels.

On a good day the office time has an impact only on the evening of that day, on a bad one it ruins my next 3 days. So, I put in a full WFH request and as part of the workplace policy I had an Occupational Health call with a nurse.

She felt that while agreeing that I need to WFH, it’s the anxiety creating fear of going to the office. On one hand, I agree, I am afraid of going to the office. The air con and lighting, catching the latest virus, the physical energy expended sitting at the desk and the emotional energy being ‘on’ in a team group is exhausting. It has such a negative impact on the rest on my week.

On the other hand, wouldn’t anyone be anxious if you did something and 7 times out of 10 it impacted you negatively for days after? My whole adult life has been spent being cautious not to cause myself harm even before I knew what was wrong with me.

How do you become less anxious when the stakes are so high? I’m trying some meditation and visualisation techniques to help me stay calm in the moment but am I being delusional in thinking that anyone would have anxiety in this situation?

 

[hapl808]

On the other hand, wouldn’t anyone be anxious if you did something and 7 times out of 10 it impacted you negatively for days after? My whole adult life has been spent being cautious not to cause myself harm even before I knew what was wrong with me.

How do you become less anxious when the stakes are so high? I’m trying some meditation and visualisation techniques to help me stay calm in the moment but am I being delusional in thinking that anyone would have anxiety in this situation?

This is what people don't understand about our anxiety. It's not anxiety of some theoretical future - oh no, what if something bad happens.

It's more like a normal person being anxious about drinking arsenic. They might be fine. Or maybe they'll get just a little sick. Or maybe it'll permanently damage them. No matter what, there's a good chance of causing harm.

Normal activities have a good chance causing harm. People often saw me 'pushing through' and when I completed an activity despite great discomfort, they'd say, "Didn't that feel good?" Except it NEVER did, and often caused days or weeks or months of decline. Sometimes permanent. But of course, those people were usually long gone by the time that happened, whistling merrily along thinking they improved my effort preference.

Meanwhile, I have a bad habit of thinking the normal healthy people have an effort preference. Their work ethic looks terrible, they seem lazy and unengaged, unenthusiastic. If I actually could do things without a great cost, I'd be on a trans-oceanic flight tomorrow and never stop traveling, working, doing personal projects. There's eight million things I want to do, but then I remember I have 30-60 minutes a day, and suddenly the world contracts.

 

[Hip]

How do you become less anxious when the stakes are so high?

If you think your anxiety is due to anticipation of negative outcomes, then this may not help; but if you sense that physical brain dysfunction underlies the anxiety, then this treatment has proven highly effective for many ME/CFS patients.

 

[Bookworm84]

This is what people don't understand about our anxiety. It's not anxiety of some theoretical future - oh no, what if something bad happens.

It's more like a normal person being anxious about drinking arsenic. They might be fine. Or maybe they'll get just a little sick. Or maybe it'll permanently damage them. No matter what, there's a good chance of causing harm.

Normal activities have a good chance causing harm. People often saw me 'pushing through' and when I completed an activity despite great discomfort, they'd say, "Didn't that feel good?" Except it NEVER did, and often caused days or weeks or months of decline. Sometimes permanent. But of course, those people were usually long gone by the time that happened, whistling merrily along thinking they improved my effort preference.

Meanwhile, I have a bad habit of thinking the normal healthy people have an effort preference. Their work ethic looks terrible, they seem lazy and unengaged, unenthusiastic. If I actually could do things without a great cost, I'd be on a trans-oceanic flight tomorrow and never stop traveling, working, doing personal projects. There's eight million things I want to do, but then I remember I have 30-60 minutes a day, and suddenly the world contracts.

Yes, that’s exactly how I felt. To me, my concerns are logical.

I was upset after the call as I felt that my symptoms had all been lumped under the anxiety umbrella. I felt like she was minimising my CFS. However, after a few hours I realised that this was someone who didn’t know me/my history trying to make a recommendation based on a 30 min call.

I would like to handle stress better so this has at least given me the nudge to work on that.

 

[Bookworm84]

If you think your anxiety is due to anticipation of negative outcomes, then this may not help; but if you sense that physical brain dysfunction underlies the anxiety, then this treatment has proven highly effective for many ME/CFS patients.

Thank you, I’m not sure which is causing it to be perfectly honest. It’s a bit of a chicken and the egg situation (which came first?!).
I will definitely look into these and see what I can try out next.

 

[Hip]

I will definitely look into these and see what I can try out next.

By far the most effective anti-anxiety supplement in the list is N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG). The cheapest brand of NAG appears to be Swanson N-Acetyl D-Glucosamine.

 

[hapl808]

Yes, that’s exactly how I felt. To me, my concerns are logical.

Yeah, it can be hard to differentiate.

For me, if I'm sitting and watching TV (usually re-watching because it's less nervous system strain), I don't feel anxious at all. Nothing in my life has improved, but I know that it's unlikely to cause me any additional discomfort (beyond my baseline).

But doing things that are actively straining my system can cause me anxiety. For instance, the first 10 mins of a phone call are always a joy. But if I push through beyond what my system can handle, my nervous system starts to break down.

It's hard to describe to someone who doesn't experience it, because it sounds like 'mental anxiety' unrelated to physical symptoms. But it's actually the opposite for me.

I'd happily talk on the phone for five hours if I could (and I used to all the time before getting sick). It's not even the anticipation of a bad outcome initially, but just the call itself eventually overloads my nervous system. If I push through, I start getting reflux, a concussed feeling, and my vocal cords start going (kind of Parkinson's-ish sounding I think?). Then anxiety may kick in as well, because it's frustrating being unable to follow a simple conversation, and then also knowing that PEM will likely incapacitate me for a couple days. Reminds me of people with early Alzheimer's and such who get angry when they can't remember something, but I'm used to it and really try not to take it out on anyone else.

But I don't even bother talking to doctors anymore about this stuff - they're not interested.

 

[Bookworm84]

By far the most effective anti-anxiety supplement in the list id N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG). The cheapest brand of NAG appears to be Swanson N-Acetyl D-Glucosamine.

Thank you so much, I’ve just ordered the 3 suggested. Fingers crossed.

 

[Hip]

Thank you so much, I’ve just ordered the 3 suggested. Fingers crossed.

Please let me know on that NAG thread whether NAG works for you, or if it does not work. If it does work, NAG will kick in fast, within about 2 hours of taking it.

 

[lenora]

I suffer from anxiety big time.....or at least I do without medication.

In the beginning, I tried vitamins, supplements, many holistic methods....but after ending up in a mental hospital, I was put on Xanax. This wasn't the first time and I had been on milder drugs before what I refer to as panic disorder took over. Yes, there is a difference, or at least I felt there was. I know there was.....and it wasn't pleasant in the least.

Anyway, years later it's under control and I'm so relieved.

I know that many people are against meds and if vitamins/supplements/etc., work for them, they don't need the medication. However, for some of us that isn't the answer and for me it's the answer.

Wishing you well as you find your way. Yours, Lenora. P.S. I do breathing exercises and try to help myself as much as possible.

 

[Forummember9922]

By far the most effective anti-anxiety supplement in the list is N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG). The cheapest brand of NAG appears to be Swanson N-Acetyl D-Glucosamine.

Only basing on personal tinkering's but starting to wonder if this needs to be really highly dosed