Overthinking and living in fear

Hi there,
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Es posible hablar en espanol. Pero....no es facile ahora para me. Demasiado anos desde uso espanol.

I will respond to you on the forum. Then others can benefit from your understanding and appreciate learning about your recommendations.

Adios para la noche.
Chris

In my experience a great deal of what is referred to as mental illness, including anxiety, is the result of trauma. That is not to say that there is no biological component.

It has long been known that environment can change biology. Children raised in abusive homes, women who have been abused, soldiers suffering from PTSD even bad nutrition can change how the body functions.

Trauma is different for everyone. For one person it could be the one time the parent yelled at them (I'm thinking of my own children here) for another experiencing the ravages of war can be the tigger. For me it was unpredictable and violent parents and sexual abuse; in other words the all to typical American childhood.

For me the only way I have been be able to find peace is through a three step process:

Intense psychotherapy.
Learning how to love myself, beginning with eating nutritious food and exercising.
Medication as a bridge to self care and to get through rough patches.

I have to be careful with medication. I have used it in the past to numb my feelings. For me feelings avoided are festering feelings. They will come back as bigger and badder monsters as soon as I let my guard down. Each time they come back I need more and more pills to make them go away; but they never do.

I have found that I have to make friends with my demons They're not really demons at all, they're simply me crying out for help. I was taught to repress my feelings and just keep going. My life has often been a horror as a result.

The literature on mental health seems to imply that mental health disorders can not be cured, okay so be it. I believe and have bet my life on it, that it can be put into permeant remission and just like cancer sometimes it is cured.

For me I had to lose everything, everything except my life, before I asked myself "what are you wiling to do to get better". I don't know if answer was for my ex-wife and children or for me but eventually the answer was: anything!

Now I know it has to be me first. I'm no help to anyone dead. And for the last fifteen years I might as well have been dead.

I hope you find peace and joy in your life.

Remember you are loved!