Life With Anxiety Disorder

I have suffered, and I do mean s-u-f-f-e-r-e-d, with anxiety disorder since high school.  I've spent years learning how to cope with long-term counseling sessions and short term medications.  Unfortunately, my symptoms have been escalating rapidly since May. 

For me, anxiety disorder:

• makes the most mundane events seem terrifying. 
• blows everything out of proportion and makes me truly panic.
• makes my heart RACE and body tremble with sweat.
• creates unbearable nausea. 
• causes me to wake in the middle of the night in fear. 
• leaves me speechless and only able to grunt.
• can result in blacking out and waking up on the bathroom floor. 
• can send me to the bathroom with intense stomach pains. 
• makes me afraid to go to sleep. 
• makes me petrified to travel. 
• can make me nervous about eating. 
• gives me a weak stomach. 
• wakes me in the middle of the night with panic.
• makes me guilty that I can't control it.
• makes me feel shameful and the need to hide how bad things really are.
• makes me frustrated when the people closest to me don't understand.
• makes me furious when people say "it's all in your head" or think I'm overreacting. 

For the record, I saw the doctor this week and am taking medication again.  Prayers it kicks in quickly and effectively.

Update: My sisters and husband coaxed me into going to Urgent Care after a particularly severe attack.  (FYI, if you want to get seen in Urgent Care quickly, lay down in the middle of the floor.)  I am now taking Clonazepam around the clock for the next week in addition to Zoloft.