'Nerves'

I drink tea but not coffee.

Do you drink tea/coffee ? I was fed up of the way I was feeling so for 3 months or so I now drink decaffeinated tea & coffee ... just a thought

HowVeryDareYou. Yes I have people to go out with. I have looked at the Black Dog thread. It us helpful and I sympathise that people are going through much worse than me.

Thank you Vicky.

Kate1949 Have you got anyone to go out with? If so, are you better when someone is with you? Have you looked the Black Dog thread on here? We've all got anxiety and/or depression on there, and we empathise with each other.

This self-help material might be helpful.

www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Worry-and-Rumination

Yes I agree. It's ridiculous really.

The thinking is that once a behaviour begins to take hold, your brain naturally goes to that setting when dealing with the fear of shaking (for example)
It then becomes a kind of default setting and is hard to stop.
I suppose it's like a master reset of your brain.
Only regards that behaviour though.

Thank you. A new pathway for my brain would be very welcome.

Emdr is supposed to create new pathways in your brain (or something!)
Meaning that it sets up new ways to react to situations- essentially, it trains you out of damaging thoughts.

I have had it, and despite being very very sceptical it seemed to work!

These must be deep-seated anxieties and I imagine the only way to tackle them is through hypnosis or counselling. We have our conscious mind and our subconscious mind and it's the latter which controls us. So when the conscious mind says you really want to give up smoking but the subconscious says you really don't, it's the latter which will win. The two have to be in harmony. Sounds like your subconscious is in control here and you somehow have to make it realise you have nothing to fear and are not ill. Only when your subconscious mind believes that will you feel better.

It's fine MissA. I'm just having a whinge really. Poor me syndrome.

Just seen in your opening post that you've tried self help.
Apologies.

No I haven't MissA but I've heard of it. I will look it up. I've been nervous all my life, unsurprisingly, but I assumed things would improve. They haven't. Thank you both.

Have you tried something a bit more alternative than counselling, such as emdr therapy, Kate?
Or any self help techniques?

I had "nerves" when I was little.
I can't remember anything much about it, other than a rash, which needed cream every night, but "nerves" is what caused it, apparently.
(I was very timid)

I had thorough blood tests Elegran.

Did the GP give you a thyroid test?