Hello, I'm new here and have been dealing with anxiety and depression for at least the last 10 years. I've been on and off meds, I've had numerous panic attacks, and I go from being anti-social to very social. It's been quite a roller coaster ride. I have identified a lot of my triggers for my anxiety and panic attacks but my depression is harder to understand. Sometimes it hits me like a ton of bricks and I want to do nothing but be home alone. Has anyone here been able to identify their triggers for anxiety and/or depression?
Welcome Parisian Chic, it's nice to have you here with us. I have spent a lot of time and journaled a ton in order to try to identify my triggers. The big one for me was my panic attacks. For a while it felt like there was no rhyme and no reason why they would come on but then I started documenting my panic attacks and everything that transpired weeks prior to them. I started to see a pattern. When I would go through major stress and/or trauma they wouldn't come on right after, but they would come on a week or two later. Before I couldn't associate them with anything. I was so confused but then I finally saw a pattern. So now when I go through a really stressful period I try to approach it differently. I make sure that I exercise so that I can tame my anxiety, I eat well, I meditate, and I get plenty of sleep and rest.
I was able to identify my triggers for both and now realize what causes my anxiety and depression. My anxiety is a lot worse than my depression, but in working with my therapist we were able to identify my triggers. I journaled a lot and when I would meet with my therapist we would go over my journal and things that I didn't realize could be causing my anxiety were the actual triggers. Now I know what to avoid. There were also people in my life that were my triggers and I didn't realize it. So I created boundaries and have tools that help me deal with them when I have to interact with them.