Lrn

Thought provoking topic! I remember I was always so much more outgoing, I was the centre of a few friend circles and I loved going out and socialising. Now I find I cut myself off from people a lot more. I'll put my barriers up really easily and I beat myself up for doing it but I just can't stop. I never used to worry about how I came across, I'd just be able to approach people and talk, but now I feel like I'm constantly a burden to people and as though they wouldn't want to talk to me/they'd be better off without. It's absolutely slashed my confidence. There has been one positive though, I always used to have very strong opinions and I'd voice them readily but now I don't feel the need to and will only do so when necessary. I don't think this makes up for everything I've lost though

Hey Sandcrab, thanks! It's nice to be able to hear from people who speak from experience and not from medical books. Would you say you feel better now from how you did in '05? I have really bad panic attacks a lot of the time and live in fear that I'm never going to be able to get out of how I feel, which I think makes me a hell of a lot worse. Did your husband understand where you were coming from when you'd take things out on him? I know my boyfriend thinks it's a personal attack on him when I am how I am, I think he's finally coming to realise how I feel though but it's a slow process and I feel as though it's such a hard barrier to get through with him.

Hey guys, my first post here Thought I'd join a forum because as helpful as it's been for me to talk about how I feel to my doctor etc, I can't help but think unless people have experienced depression and anxiety first hand they always just give textbook answers or tell me to 'pull myself together' and it's getting really frustrating. It'd just be nice to hear everyone elses stories, how you feel, how/when it started and what you find cheers you up/makes you happy because at the moment I feel so alone as I'm just surrounded by people who I know mean well but don't seem to understand at all. Also wondering if how you feel means you take it out on those around you and if it's putting any relationships under strain? I'll be happy to offer my own story but it'd be lovely to be the listener for once to know I'm not alone in all this. Lauren x