Could my childhood be behind my anxiety today?
Hi, I’m a f30, and I’ve noticed that it doesn’t take much for me to feel nervous or anxious. For example, I can become extremely nervous when I have to talk to my colleagues, even though I’ve worked with them for many years. I start breathing quickly, my heart rate increases, and I have a hard time calming down afterwards.
I’ve always been a responsible, conscientious and quiet person, which is probably one of the reasons I’m highly educated today. However, with my closest childhood friends, I was always funny and felt loved. I’m starting to miss that side of myself. I miss being the adventurous person I was before I got married, without anxiety taking up so much space.
Today, I find it difficult to let go and fully enjoy things because I often feel a sense of restlessness in my body. This can happen when I travel or go out. There are so many things I want to do, but I quickly feel overwhelmed by the thought of having an anxiety attack and having to deal with those feelings.
I also become very tired after work and don’t feel like I have the capacity for any more activities that day. For example, if I have plans after work, I quickly start feeling stressed.
My childhood was actually good in ways, but it was also difficult and quite strict. I wasn’t allowed to go out whenever I wanted, go to parties or be out in town, and I wasn’t allowed to come home late. Among my siblings, I was often the one who had to help my parents with various things, on top of all the work and studying that I was already putting a lot of effort into.
My father was quite aggressive at the time and could sometimes hit me over small things that I can barely remember today. When I was very young, he would sometimes come home drunk in the evening and threaten to hurt himself. I would then have to go to school a few hours later and couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened. I was often nervous and afraid of doing something wrong because I was scared that my father would get angry with me. My father was also ill, which was difficult for me as well.
My life mostly consisted of work, studying, exercising and spending time with my closest friends. The money I earned while studying had to be given to my parents because they were in debt. I would always have a knot in my stomach if, for example, I was having an ice cream with a friend and it got a little late. My parents would keep calling me and telling me to come home. But I wasn’t doing anything wrong.
I was allowed to travel abroad as long as the trips were related to school. I also had my first boyfriend, but I wasn’t allowed to be with him either, and I was forced to break up with him.
Today, especially in the evenings, I find it difficult to go out and simply let go and enjoy the world, which is something I’ve always wanted to do. I get this feeling that I need to hurry home because that’s where I feel safe and secure.
This became a very long post, but this is a brief overview of my background.
I’m mainly wondering whether you think my experiences during childhood could have something to do with the anxiety I experience today? I did also receive care and love, especially from my mother, so I’m a little unsure about how to understand everything.
Or could it be more related to my current work life and the stress I experience on a daily basis? I didn’t have anxiety in the same way when I was younger.
I’m now married to someone I don’t feel 100% compatible with. We don’t have the same energy or vibe, and I miss certain things in the relationship. For example, he doesn’t compliment me when I make an effort with my appearance, even though I often receive compliments from other people. When I’m upset, I also don’t really feel like he’s there for me. He doesn’t hug me or try to talk to me about what I’m feeling.
We actually have very little communication in our relationship, and that is one of the reasons I’m considering whether I should leave him.
Sometimes he also puts pressure on me and gets angry with me because I can’t do the same things I used to be able to do. In many ways, I feel like I’ve gone from being a very happy and energetic person to feeling lonely and anxious.
I’m taking medication for anxiety, but I find it difficult to open up to a psychologist or to another person in general about my childhood.
Do you have any advice on what I can do and how I can work through this?