So I just got done talking with my therapist. Short background, I had anxiety back in 2015-2016 for about 7-9 months depending on when you consider it over. I didn't really see a therapist then. I took Lexapro prescribed by my PCP and eventually got better. But this time, I immediately went to a therapist because I had seen one for a while for just general reasons about a year ago.

Anyway. I always thought I had anxiety, and sometime it was just stronger, like when I woke up in the morning. After talking with him today (third week, so we aren't far), he thinks that I have mislabeled it. He thinks that it's actually panic attacks. It makes sense. I don't have fear of anything else really. I don't have general fear of doing poorly at work, or pushing good friends away (at least not more worries than I think is normal, which is of course subjective) or much else other than what I feel is normal, (like will I like this new job? Who knows? But I like it alright now and I think I can learn a lot from it and if I don't like it, I can move on. There is a little anxiety there, but not overwhelming). It really is all waking up and panicking and then panicking about panicking. I think this could be a good way for me to really understand what is happening. I don't have extreme heart racing or trouble breathing during my attacks, so I didn't think they were panic attacks. They are bad, though. When it's really bad, I'm just rocking myself saying "Help me" even though no one is there and they can't really help in that moment anyway. He said that one reason he was thinking panic attacks is because the core of my issue is just anticipating the next panic attack and fearing it.

I don't know. I am just really interested in this new way of approaching my issue and I'm feeling really good after talking with my therapist. I highly recommend looking for a good therapist. I know it can be intimidating because they aren't all good and aren't all right for you, but talking with him really put my mind in a different perspective that is helping me deal with it better, I think.

Have any of you had a similar experience where you thought you knew what you had or were diagnosed one way, but they learned it was actually something else? Did having this different perspective help you?