Mild/situational anxiety

[YoniBottsBumgina]

Does anyone have experience or advice to offer about this? I get very anxious over small things, and while I wouldn't say I have extreme anxiety and it doesn't affect my life most of the time, when it does come up it does stop me from doing things and I feel like I'm being ridiculous for no reason.

I get really anxious about things like seeing/speaking to people I consider to be a "higher authority" than me e.g. my landlord, my child's teacher, the school receptionist(!), my childminder, my doctor, my dentist, the health visitor.

Also opening post if I don't know what it is, opening my emails, sometimes getting texts if I feel nervous about something, answering unexpected phone calls and unexpected people at the door.

Making appointments is difficult for me and again I don't know why. I have to really psych myself up to do it and if not given a deadline I just let it go and go and go and then feel even more anxious because I've left it too late and they're going to be confused/annoyed/inconvenienced that I didn't do it earlier. I haven't been to the dentist in about two years and I really need to go, and there are various things around the house that need doing but I haven't mentioned to my landlord and I am worried that if I tell him he will say "Well why on earth didn't you tell me about this before?"

The postman just came while I was writing this and I almost jumped a mile! It's ridiculous and if something is coming up, e.g. a landlord visit this afternoon, I get nervous for a day or so beforehand and this morning I am very jumpy and stressed about it. When he has been I will feel incredibly relieved and he's only coming to have a look at a light fitting which was broken when I moved in

[YoniBottsBumgina]

Sorry - meant to ask an actual question! Is there anything I can do to try and get this under control? I don't want to take medication, mainly because I'm rubbish at remembering to take it, but also because it only comes on in certain situations but it is stupid things which do affect my everyday life.

[yamsareyammy]

Just to say first that I have no experience.

But, to me, that list looks pretty long. And pretty invasive to your daily living.

I think if I were you I would see the GP.
You could explain to him that you are not keen to take medication.
But he may have leaflets, and even coping strategies that you could try.

[AgentZigzag]

I agree with yams, that it's crossed over into the boundary of being a problem because it involves so many areas in your life.

Gearing yourself up to call someone you perceive as more authoritative than you in the situation, I would say is pretty normal.

It's such a short interaction that each bit of conversation has to fit together seamlessly, and very quickly. Trip up and lose your train of thought, and it can make you feel awkward and at more of a disadvantage.

That can also go (I've found anyway) for unexpected contact with other people, which is why I like MN, I have to have that control to feel comfortable.

I don't answer the door/texts/emails/phone etc, as a way of coping, but that's not going to be the answer for everyone, and I'm lucky I'm able to ring up and attend appointments because I'm OK with the formal-ish role expected of me. One on one conversation with another person though, and I haven't got a clue

[VitoCorleone]

I have social anxiety disorder and also feel the same about some of the things you do.

Im currently taking sertraline which is making me feel loads better, and im going to my first CBT appointment next week