Coping with GAD?

Hello. I definitely think I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I will continue to worry about the same thing for days--Even weeks. Some get to the point where I have anxiety attacks.

It feels like no matter what I do to stop worrying about something, it doesn't work. I feel like my worries consume most of my day if not all of it at times. I also feel like if I don't worry about certain things, they will actually happen. It's like I can't be alone with my own thoughts. I used to do things like draw complicated patterns or take things apart like pens and put them back together several times, but that would only get my mind off of things for a little while.

I'm very afraid of this effecting my ability to function in school and other things or of it effecting my relationships with the people I love.

I know that everything I worry about is irrational, at least most of it is, but I can't seem to get any of it out of my mind unless I confront whatever I am worried about... Which normally ends in me feeling ashamed for worrying about something so irrational in the first place.

So if anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it. I would really like this to stop before it starts effecting my life in a really negative way.

Hey - Welcome to the forum.

I'm sorry that your anxiety is so bad and really affecting you in a negative way. Do you have a therapist, if not, do you think you could try to get one? It's hard to try to deal with this on your own. Certain therapies, like Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy can usually be really beneficial for GAD and other anxiety disorders.

If it helps to confront whatever worry it is, then I would say to continue doing that if it works. I can understand the shame about it being irrational, though. I'd say, try not to think of it in terms of you being irrational, but rather that you're suffering from an anxiety disorder - so irrational worries come with the territory, and they are something that needs to be worked on, and they can be helped. Especially with the help of a therapist.

There are also CBT self-help books out there that might help at the moment. Not sure if you've tried any of them before.

- EGD.