Experiences of People with GAD

[u/Wesssiiiddddeee]

i (21M) was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder, and i have been meditating consistently (missing a day or two on rare occasions). i wanted to ask people with GAD who have been meditating and practising mindfulness about their experiences, insights, and advice.

kindly share!

[u/M8LSTN]

In my experience, life are full of ups and downs of different levels. Meditation, exercise, sleep, therapy, diet, medication, socializing, trying new things they all help achieving a better mental state. Now, I don’t know where your GAD comes from, but it does come from somewhere. Not only it came from somewhere but it also can go too, if you want to (like, profoundly want to).

Most of my life, I’ve felt almost no stress, barely any anxiety. I couldn’t understand friends or family that would go through anxiety attacks, depression and such things. Finally, things went south for me and I fell into that pit too. I’m building my way back up using all the above mentioned tools (except for medication, because of my own philosophy on the subject, will never follow that path).

All emotions, thoughts are transient. A year ago, I was using every cell in my body so everyone could think I’m well but getting out of my bed was getting harder and harder and harder. I was crying myself to sleep, felt hopeless and lonely. Thinking of doing things made me sweat and keeping my job was the most intense thing I’ve ever had to do.

But all of this made me realize, it’s a blessing it happened because now I’m getting to know myself and respect myself. I used to give no shit about sleep, diet, being kind to other person. I disrespected my body with alcohol often and did exercise on/off.

Now, I understood I have a choice. You have one too! Feeling miserable and having crippling anxiety does satisfy something inside you else you’d just drop it. Self victimization, feeling like life sucks and all that stuff serves a purpose inside you. Up to you to decide if it serves your bigger purpose, as a human being. You get only one life, you can complain about how miserable things are, feel guilty pleasure when you’re right and world sucks or everyone betrays you or you can adopt a more positive mindset. Because in the end that’s what it is. I could go way further but I think it’s enough for now

Tldr; you can overcome. It’s not even as hard as you think (and I insist on the word think) it is.

Good luck to you

[u/dutch_emdub → u/M8LSTN]

It is hard to overcome, for the majority of people that have been diagnosed with GAD. And I resent the suggestions that you can overcome if you profoundly want to. I'm glad that you were able to overcome whatever you had, but for many people, GAD is chronic and many of us relapse several times. I am generally a content person, with a happy marriage, a successful career, close friends and family, but also with chronic GAD for more than 10y and your suggestion that I'm still suffering from it because I don't profoundly want to overcome it, is complete BS.

[u/M8LSTN → u/dutch_emdub]

The concept is simple, the application is hard… nothing happens overnight. Truly, GAD isn’t a permanent condition and you are not the exception to it. I understand my post provokes frustration but I highly suggest fully surrendering to it [ie whatever makes you anxious]. What thought process makes you this anxious? I can also suggest some books, if you want to.

Edit: i’m not suggesting you don’t want it. Sorry if my message could be interpreted that way.