Do you ever fear your mental illness is hurting your friendships or social life?

[[qu...]]

Before I had my first panic attack and a serious anxiety disorder I had a lot of friends and was real jovial and pleasant to be around. Since my panic attack that started all this I feel I keep pushing my friends away by being a total bummer. I often tell people about how I feel and I think it annoys them to hear about my same troubles nearly daily and my worries, I'm a broken record. Also there are things I don't like to be around and ask people to not do something such as burning plastic or making things too hot for me, people seem to resent my demands and seem to dislike being around me because of my anxiety. At times my anxiety/hypochondria makes it hard for me to engage in activities because I worry or focus too much on things and I want to escape the situation because it torments me.

 

I know my friends try to help and be considerate but sometimes I feel they wish I was how I used to be or I wasn't such a pain to be around. I hate how I am now compared to how I used to be. I sometimes wonder if people are actually my friends because the services I provide, I don't really know who is a real friend and who just pretends to be one. It hurts to think people only want to be around me because they want something from me apart from friendship. I sometimes wish I didn't need any human contact so I didn't have to bother people and want to be accepted, loved, and understood by others. I would do really bad things if it could make me like my old self again but there is no way that will happen.

 

Do you ever feel your mental illness is hurting your relationships with people or overall social life?

[Guest [jc...]]

I don't consider benzo withdrawal or anxiety to be a mental illness.  I've always had social anxiety to some degree, but I think it got worse after starting benzos....I seem to recall I had lots of friends in spite of having an anxiety disorder.

[[qu...]]

I don't want to label anyone else but I consider my anxiety to fall under mental illness. I have extreme hypochondria and am always worrying that I have something physically wrong with me which is pretty delusional. Sorry if I suggested your anxiety was mental illness. I personally had a bit of anxiety before my big panic attack that made me the way I am now and currently it is causing a lot of trouble in my life in regards to being a normal, happy, functional individual. it is funny because social anxiety used to hold me back now that I have my anxiety a lot stronger on a different subject matter my social anxiety seems like less of an issue to me.

[[lo...]]

Hi quiscalus

 

Any sort of illness can affect relationships, physical or mental. Any major change can also affect relationships such as divorce or bereavement. People need time to adjust to the changes, both the sufferer and their friends.  Some friends won't be able to stick with it because it is hard. Some friends hopefully will but it takes a lot of effort. Try to  take an interest in your friends' lives and their problems. Even their trivial problems are still problems to them and it is a good way to distract.

 

I try to limit the time I spend talking about myself and vary it depending on who I am talking to.  Some people have more patience than others. I don't bother if it is someone who can't empathise.  I guess I maintain relationships at different levels from the superficial to the very close which is what we do normally.

 

I have read your other posts and hope you can taper off valium. I am so pleased you have stopped drinking. I can understand why you want relief from hypochondriasis.

 

Can you add your drug use to your signature so folk can see it.  This link tells you how:

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=20524.0

 

 

Hugs

 

LF