re: Have You Ever Dealt With Stress to the Point it Affected You Physically?

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Everybody keeps telling me to get on meds to break the cycle but I don't even know if that's how it works...

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That's EXACTLY how it works. When your quality of life drops drastically, and you are going days to weeks that way? You need meds. If a simple Benzo breaks it and you are fine in a week? Great. Move on with life. If not you may need meds and counseling. Cognitive behavioral therapy.

I stopped at meds. I've had flare ups where I thought about counseling, but they always subside. You CAN keep going the way you are going. But it is miserable. And when you notice that your kids notice? That's another wall of guilt, panic, and depression.

My rock bottom... Full disclosure. I already mentioned my driving range meltdown. Just had to leave a bucket of balls in the tee box. Later that night I fricking BAWLED in front of my wife. We had just went to bed. Couldn't do it. Couldn't stop it. She knew I was anxious, but that freaked her out. It was a good 3 minutes of shameful sobbing. I don't think I've cried that hard at deaths of loved ones. Made ZERO fricking sense.

That's why it's anxiety or depressive DISORDER. If I chase you with an axe, you should be anxious. If a parent dies, you should be depressed and grieve. But when your life is just rolling along and your brain is telling you to feel the same way? Releasing the same chemicals? It is no way to live.

Good luck.