[JennyStewarta]

there are many good responses here.

i've been free from major anxiety only in the last year. i had reason to be fearful at a very young age. my brain chemistry and my way of thinking was constantly reinforced by my circumstances.

to overcome the intense fear, i had to learn not to be fearful when i had never known another way. there were also some 57 years of covering up the anxiety because i was afraid others would find out.

the anxiety cycle can imprint itself in your brain and adrenal system so that the high level of fear response becomes a new normal. medication and therapy can support you while you are re-learning about your fears and changing the hyper anxiety response of your brain. (as well as meditation, healthy eating and drinking habits, and recreation and bunches of supportive people)

there isn't an easy/quick way out of this. it's an uphill path. but being free of the intense fear is worth all the years of effort.

know that you are loved just the way you are.
nancy in oregon