McRainy

Don't think we are, it's just that I prefer the dumbed down approach which at times may seem like I'm making light of it, which is never the intention, the intention is to not freak people out with fancy medical terms and simplify it to where the spark plug needs changing in the car for example.
Still needs sorting, not to be ignored. Mechanics are there on hand, but you can also do this by yourself.
On a forum that is dominated by men, men who are supposed to be the strong ones, the leaders of the pack, it's difficult to accept at times that we may have a few issues that are seen as weaknesses which is why this thread is pretty awesome. 

No disagreement there. 
I have also experienced being housebound by anxiety, which is why I'm wary of hearing it described as a more severe form of ordinary nervousness. It's of a completely different order from that, and is often resultant from other conditions, in my case autistic burnout and complex PTSD. 
I don't think we are disagreeing about the effects, I just wouldn't want anyone reading this, who may not have experienced it, to think it's something you could tackle in the same way as plucking up courage to do something. That almost implies a lack of moral will, which certainly isn't the case. 

Anxiety 
noun, plural anx·i·e·ties.
distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune:
When you strip it down, that is exactly what Anxiety is.
Anxious of certain situations, be it social events, supermarkets, travelling, your mind attaches danger to these, which in turn makes you nervous of these situations. Extremely nervous, not the mild nerves you may have when texting someone asking them out. 
Needing the toilet, is common with nerves, before job interviews, before flying. It's also common with anxiety for the same reasons. 
Best way to understand something is to strip it back, remove all the stigma and drill down into what these conditions are.
I might not have the certificates, the qualifications, but I have read a ton of books on Anxiety over the years and combined with my own life experience and living with anxiety which no course whilst sat behind a desk will ever give a true understanding of how the person feels. I was diagnosed with severe anxiety around 6 years ago having spent the previous 5 years to that mostly in the house in complete fear of the outside world, completely crippled by it. 
I feel more than comfortable knowing I'm not misunderstood, or speaking in ignorance. Lived it, breathed it, have the t shirt, cap and failed relationship through it.   
And at no point did I say "Pull yourself together", just tablets and pills will only suppress those feelings, they won't cure you, any cure has to come from within and learning to handle situations through various techniques which takes a long time to find which work for you as there is no one solution fits all. 
Anxiety is not an infection which antibiotics can cure. 
Pharmaceutical companies might tell you different, but I'm not the one profiting from dispensing pills.

What, again?

I see your Rucksack wearers and I raise you Baby Wearers. Parents who carry their babies in a 'Sling' which is basically a huge length of fabric which wraps the baby to their bodies.
Now I don't care how people choose to cart their kids around, none of my business, but what does annoy me is how superior these Sling Wearers think they are to other parents. They walk around the park with baby Hugo strapped "naturally" to their chests tutting at buggy users and feeling sorry for all the children that aren't getting the same level of spiritual bonding and closeness.
Hippies in Range Rover Sports.
Now Mrs Parsnip was a baby wearer. We had the slings, (I always carried the kids around in my arms because if I'd have tried to figure out how to wrap a sling i'd have broken necked kids) and the interesting thing is that I was actually the poster boy for a very popular (and ridiculously expensive) sling brand. Mrs Parsnip took a photo of me wearing a sling - sent it in to the company - and for the next 2 years if you went to their website, there was me and baby parsnip, homepage banner... 
Little did the website visitors know how much that good looking dad on the website hated them all.

Bobby, I tend to believe that taking that first step or two,  and being able to recognise you need help, and then say to someone that you need help, are the massive steps to overcome and start coming to terms with who you are.
Some people will make a total turnaround, others will develop a coping mechanism. Awareness however is massive. Realising "you are not alone", and "it's okay not to be okay", for the clicheness that they are, they are true.
I hope you get the benefits of the counselling you're due. But if you ever feel down, it's important to remember that you're allowed to feel down, and then sometimes you can find a quick way to level off your mood naturally. 
One thing this thread impressed on me is exercise is massive, not necessarily weights or that, but doing something to release the endorphins.
If you do slip back, which happens to many people around winter time, please come back and post on here. Hopefully we can help you cope.
All the best pal.

How can that possibly be a good thing?

Thought I'd post here as I had a Doctors appointment yesterday after quite a long spiral downwards to my current state.  For around 18 months I have VERY slowly slumped.  As each month ticked by I didn't really realise what was happening. 
I stopped going to the gym, I've put on 2.5 stone, and I drink too much.  I also rarely sleep well, maybe get 3-4 hours of broken sleep a night.  I'm very irritable, I don't have a social life, I prefer to just go home, turn my phone off and be alone.  
Depression is weird.  I feel like I'm floating around most of the time and an observer rather than a participant.  Even driving, it's like things are blurry and I'm like a zombie just sitting in a car which is moving along somehow. 
For the last 4 months it's got really bad and I did then notice that something wasn't right.  I've booked a counselling session for next Wednesday so I'm hoping that helps me.  
As I said I went to the GP yesterday.  I rarely ever have a good experience at the Doctor's, usually I find they are too busy, they don't really listen or I feel they want me to just leave so they can see the next person.  However, the Doctor I did see was fantastic.  Spent about 25 minutes with me, got me to complete a questionnaire thing and basically understood my current issues.  He said I would benefit from medication but it may be best to see how the counselling helps me, and he also gave me the number for their telephone counselling service where you get an hour phone call with someone per week.  
 
 
 

Sharp as a lemon.

Man at a funeral goes up to the widow....
Man:     "Do you mind if I say a word?"
Widow:    "No, of course not".
Man:     (Clears throat) "Plethora"
Widow:    "Oh, thank you, that means a lot".

No but some of them have eyes
 

Celebrating the first proper rain in weeks.

Just a good old reliable Leffe Brune tonight.
Tomorrow and Friday will be spent at the Smithfield beer festival
 

On these at the moment, plenty of leftovers from brothers wedding. All very nice.
 



 

We can still laugh at him for having one though, right?

Of course!

Moustache Bar Innsbruck
 

Burano.  Little island in Venice lagoon.
 

Murano island on Venice. Not a bad beer.
 

Just for you. 

No right knee. Fake news

Smoggie!!

Pull yourself together.