Yes, in my experience, the two go hand in hand. The chronic anxiety has been with me since I was a child. I know that because I remember when I was about five years old, I would try each morning to jump out of bed before whatever was fluttering around in my stomach woke up. You see, I thought I had butterflies actually flying around inside me because I had heard somebody say they had butterflies in their stomach. So I figured that if I jumped out of bed before the butterflies woke up, they somehow would not wake up in time to begin their fluttering in my stomach. But I never seemed to jump out of bed soon enough to beat the butterflies.
That feeling of butterflies in my stomach has been pretty constant all my life, constant to the point where I never think about it except at the rare times when the fluttering stops. I've never intentionally taken an anti-anxiety medication. Once, however, a doctor prescribed Ativan for the allergic reaction following a yellow-jacket sting. I wondered, after I had taken that medication for a while, why I felt so relaxed. No butterflies! Then I looked the medication up in the Merck Manual and found that it was an anti-anxiety medication and was addictive. I tried to stop it cold turkey, but each time I stopped, the swelling returned. So I eased off it. Back came the butterflies. Better the butterflies than an addiction, I reasoned.
Until I was diagnosed with C-PTSD, I did not know that I had an anxiety condition. Now I know, but I don't really suffer with it. I'm so used to it, probably, that I don't think about it. So to respond to the searcher: Yes, chances are good that if you have C-PTSD, you also have a problem with chronic anxiety. Learning how to deal with stress may help. Singing and working on my icon painting help me find some relief from the anxiety and stress. If it really bothers you, it might help to ask your doctor or therapist about it. Peace be with you . . .
Unfinished Icon--lots of work to do on it yet!
Well I would say that for many with fewer traumas even if they are severe, and with basically good ego strength, EMDR can produce results which are rapid and dramatic, unlike anything I have seen with other modalities.
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You are so right about EMDR, Ronda! I built up my ego strength with Ego State Therapy and followed with EMDR. I had done so much Ego Strength Therapy that I didn't work with EMDR for a long time--just enough time to feel that I was okay. So far, so good! Thanks for your comment. Jean
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