I wasn't going to get specific because I feel like I have been sharing too many of my issues all over the forums already at the moment ... things always seem to come to a head at the same time ... but anyway, I feel like a bit of a hypocondriac. To be honest, it is also so much easier for me to share that other people have issues and admitting that I have a mental illness is not only new to me but something I don't like admitting. Having said that - I have been diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia, Major Depressive Disorder (all of those have been diagnosed at a moderate clinical level) and at a subclinical level (meaning I show signs of but don't have enough symptoms for a full diagnosis) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a Phobia Disorder and Insomnia.

I don't think all of mine are entirely environmental. I can see signs of all of them in various family members and I think they are partially genetic from both sides of my family. Experiences in my childhood have probably made it far worse than it is because I have a lot of unhealthy head talk going on but I think I would have struggled with these issues to some degree regardless. I have opted to stay off meds at this point in time but I am undergoing cognitive therapy which is helping I think. I am only in my second week of therapy but I am feeling much better about everything mostly because I feel like now I have a way out. I was feeling very trapped up until a few weeks ago which wasn't helping my symptoms.

I can't really talk to my family about my diagnosis though. DH is supportive of course, but most of my family don't believe in mental illness. Part of the reason my anxiety has become so bad in the last little while is because my whole life I have been told to 'snap out of it' and because I haven't been able to snap myself out of it, I have been more worried about my worry and it has made my anxiety much much worse.