Chained by Worry: Breaking Free from Debilitating Anxiety

Chained by worry: breaking free from debilitating anxiety is truely possible with patience.

“My anxiety is crippling me!” That’s what I was saying a few months ago until I started a med that would change everything (good and bad).

When I started on Klonopin, everything was going good, it kept my anxiety under wraps (good part). Now, several months later, I’m so relaxed, I feel like i’m in another world (brain fog-bad part).

Some people can deal with that, but I can’t. I won’t. I feel like a zombie like when I was on the Effexor, but a little less zombified.

So, what is debilitating anxiety meaning? Debilitating anxiety describes an intense feeling of unease, worry, or fear about everyday situations.

The worry and unease is so great you can’t function in your life. You worry about things in the future that probably won’t even happen.

What are the Causes of Debilitating Anxiety?

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in the United States, affecting 40 million adults every year. This figure is equivalent to 19.1% of the U.S. population.

Accordingly, to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), researchers believe that anxiety disorders can occur as a result of both genetic and environmental factors:

Genetic factors: Evidence suggests that anxiety disorders can run in families. Therefore, people may be more likely to have an anxiety disorder if they have relatives who have an anxiety disorder.
Environmental factors: Traumatic or stressful life events can also trigger anxiety disorders. Examples include:
- losing a loved one
- experiencing abuse or violence
- living with a long-term illness

What are Some Debilitating Anxiety Symptoms?

Chained by worry: breaking free from debilitating anxiety when you know the symptoms.

Anxiety symptoms can vary from person to person but usually fall into the following three categories:

physical symptoms
thought patterns
behavior

Physical Symptoms

Physical symptoms can include:

firstly, racing or pounding heart
restlessness
muscle twitching or tremors
sweating
additionally, shortness of breath
nausea
diarrhea
headaches
lightheadedness
insomnia
lastly, fatigue

Emotional Symptoms

Overall, emotional symptoms can include:

persistent worrying
feelings of dread or apprehension
believing the worst is going to happen
“all or nothing” thinking
overgeneralizing

Behavior Symptoms

Basically, behavioral symptoms can include:

being watchful for danger
avoiding situations or events that cause fear
feeling irritable or frustrated in situations that cause fear
social withdrawal
seeking reassurance
second-guessing
compulsive actions, such as repeatedly washing hands

Debilitating Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety along with depression is one of the two worst combinations of mental illlnesses to have. You can be depressed about the anxiety or be anxious about the depression.

I’m depressed right now because of the brain fog from the Klonopin which takes care of the anxiety. I have no anxiety, but I’m very lethargic. Besides that, I can’t think straight.

I don’t like this. Time to try to cut back on the Klonopin. If I had a choice, I’d rather deal with the depression than the anxiety. I’d rather be low key than heightened awareness.

What Are Debilitating Panic Attacks?

Chained by worry: breaking free from debilitating anxiety and panic attacks.

Debilitating panic attacks occur when you have one in front of a group of people and they’re wondering what is happening to you. Very embarassing.

No, panic attacks in themselves are debilitating. You feel like you can’t breath and you keep geting chest pains. How are you supposts to tell if your having a heart attack or panic attack? (earlier post)

I was trying to remember my first attack, but I’ve had so many of them, they just kind of blur together. I can’t remember anything right now.

Sometimes, you don’t even know when you’re going to have one. That’s debilitating in itself. And they don’t know why it happens.

What are the Best Debilitating Anxiety Treatments?

The following treatment options can help alleviate debilitating anxiety.

Therapy

There are several different therapies that can help treat anxiety. The therapy a person receives may depend on the type of anxiety they have, as well as their personal preferences. Some examples include:

Exposure Therapy

Generally, exposure therapy involves gradual and controlled exposure to situations that people find fearful. The aim is to help people develop healthy coping strategies to help reduce their fear response.

Exposure therapy can help with the following anxiety disorders:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Accordingly, ACT teaches people mindfulness and acceptance strategies to help them cope with negative thoughts, sensations, or feelings. This type of therapy can help people:

firstly, have better management over their reactions to unpleasant feelings
learn not to avoid potentially negative or stressful situations
accept their thoughts and emotions
feel clarity in their own values
lastly, commit to behavioral changes

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

DBT is a complex and multilayered therapy that combines CBT methods with Eastern meditation techniques to focus on both acceptance and change.

DBT uses a combination of group therapy, individual therapy, and additional access to a person’s mental health professional to teach the following:

mindfulness
stress tolerance
emotion regulation
interpersonal skills

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Chained by worry: breaking free from debilitating anxiety through therapy and meds.

During EMDR, a person’s therapist will typically have them recall distressing mental images while they help guide the person to shift their eyes back and forth in a bilateral motion.

EMDR seems to affect how the brain processes information, effectively allowing people to experience disturbing material in a less distressing way.

Research from 2024 suggests that EMDR is particularly beneficial for those with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Medication

Anxiety treatment may involve taking medication on either a short- or long-term basis. A doctor may prescribe some of the following medications for the treatment of anxiety.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has a positive effect on mood, emotion, and sleep.

Basically, common side effects of SSRIs include:

insomnia
sleepiness
sexual dysfunction
weight gain

Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)

Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in attention, mental focus, and memory. SNRIs work by preventing nerve cells in the brain from reabsorbing serotonin and norepinephrine.

All things considered, side effects of SNRIs may include:

headaches
insomnia
upset stomach
weight gain
sexual dysfunction
minor increase in blood pressure

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are a type of sedative medication that helps slow down brain and body functions. They help to treat the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as:

muscular tension
headaches
sweating
panic attacks
restlessness
insomnia

Tricyclic Antidepressants

Basically, tricyclic antidepressants increase levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain while reducing levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

Tricyclic antidepressants can cause the following side effects:

a drop in blood pressure when a person stands
dry mouth
blurred vision
constipation
urinary retention

What is Debilitating Anxiety Like?

Chained by worry: breaking free from debilitating anxiety and the feeling you’re trapped.

You are bombarded with worrying about everything and anything. Some of it will never even happen, but you worry anyway.

The panic attacks are atrocious. They happen when you least expect it and there is nothing that you need to run away from. No imminent danger.

Debilitating anxiety having ballons filled with whatever, hanging over your head. If one pops unexpectantly, your afraid when the next one will go.

The stuff inside is like the panic attack. It hits you and frightens you for a while, then you finaly calm down…until the next one goes.

How Do You Live With Debilitating Anxiety?

For years, I lived with it, not really successfully, but I tried to live with it. I will get through this new chapter in my life with the dosage to take of Klonopin.

It’s just making me tired most days right now. Living with anxiety is an art to be mastered. On one hand, you can predict when you might be triggered.

On the other hand, you’re not so lucky. When the anxiety comes, you can isolate yourself, if possible. That way no one sees you going through it.

When you have a panic attack in front of everyone, you try to minimalize it saying that it was nothing. They don’t need to know.

Sum It All Up

Chained by worry: breaking free from debilitating anxiety and feeling totally free. So, debilitating anxiety is rough, but survivable.

Once you ackowledge it and accept it, it is less of a threat to you. Once you’ve mastered that, life is a little easier.

You live with it by deaing with the signs that show up. Panic attacks are the worst, but can be discreetly and promptly handled with when they occur.

If you’ve dealt with them for a long time, it becomes second nature. And maybe they happen less frequently.

When you become a pro with handling anxiety, it has less of an affect on you. So, don’t think It’s the end of the world when you have anxiety. You’ve got this! Until next time…

Articles About Debilitating Anxiety

-Crippling Anxiety: Signs, Causes, & How to Deal

https://www.talkspace.com/mental-health/conditions/articles/crippling-anxiety-disorder-symptoms-what-is/#:~:text=If%20you’re%20struggling%20with,%2C%20difficulty%20breathing%2C%20and%20dizziness.

-How to deal with crippling anxiety (plus signs & causes)

https://www.calm.com/blog/crippling-anxiety

-What is crippling anxiety and how do I manage it?

https://www.talkiatry.com/blog/crippling-anxiety

Have a Good One,

Cindee Murphy
“One Voice Who Is Somewhat Struggling With Debilitating Anxiety”

“I just give myself permission to suck…I find this hugely liberating.” —John Green

“Anxiety was born in the very same moment as human beings. And since we will never be able to master it, we will have to learn to live with it— just as we have learned to live with storms.” —Paulo Coelho

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” —Thich Nhat Hanh

“You don’t have to control your thoughts; you just have to stop letting them control you.” —Dan Millman

“My anxiety doesn’t come from thinking about the future but from wanting to control it.” —Hugh Prather

Interesting Posts

Lost in the Abyss: The Reality of Debilitating Depression(Opens in a new browser tab)

From Darkness to Dawn: A Guide to Depressive Anxiety Disorder(Opens in a new browser tab)

Triggers And The Best Treatments For Generalized Anxiety Disorder(Opens in a new browser tab)

How To Stop a Panic Attack!(Opens in a new browser tab)

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