Who has severe anxiety?

Yes I have really bad anxiety. Had a couple attacks already. :/

I'm in a similar position as you guest-wise, @animallover2017, it's pretty much not posible to elope or have a small wedding since both of us have a large family (our guest count is in 300, where 250 are just family) and the hard part is that we're so close to our families that we actually want them with us on our day, and mom has been a stressful part of the planning for me. So, when my dad asked us why not hire a planner, we took that idea and it was the best investment we could've done. I strongly reccomend it!!, it will help you SO much

To all: I do have a wedding planner. She's great and she's a family friend. My mother is a trigger to my anxiety (long story). I was (abused in all ways) hurt a few years ago which gave me ptsd. My family knows, but they don't know they can be a trigger to my complex ptsd. I just hope it doesn't catch up to me, I hope I can make it to the honeymoon and not have a breakdown. Had one last night but I'm okay today. I wonder if I need therapy twice a week instead of once. Ugh I just want to hold it together.

I have severe anxiety and panic disorder. I struggle with every day things, such as ordering food in restraunts, making calls, going to appts, and even the check out line in stores. I struggle to hold down a job because of this, and I currently stock groceries overnight to avoid as many people as possible. Five years ago I could not do anything listed above, but therapy has me managing them almost 50% of the time. All that is the reason our wedding will have a very casual back yard BBQ feel, with only very close family. I'm preparing for the short time that I'm in the spotlight by mental rehearsing every scenario with every possible response or outcome. This way I'm prepared enough to have a fall back stance. Sounds crazyb and it is so crippling.

I have generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks. I find that the headspace app is GREAT. I also practice yoga 2-3x a week and run 2-3x a week. Exercise is key for me. And, I did take meds for a time in college when I was having attacks multiple times a day.

I had a fairly large, fairly expensive wedding, and the stress definitely triggered my anxiety. I highly suggest letting someone else take the reigns, or evaluate as to whether a big wedding is the best idea for you. My biggest fears were financially driven, enough though we easily afforded it. I sort of wish we would've shortened the guest list to reduce the cost/my stress. But it all worked out in the end!

I have anxiety and take Lexapro daily and Xanax on an as needed basis. Wedding planning was very stressful for me in the beginning because I felt overwhelmed and like I just wanted someone to take care of everything for me. I'm lucky to have a very helpful mom when it comes to planning, and we hired a DOC. Even the DOC wasn't enough reassurance to relieve stress until FH said he wanted to be the point of contact for them on the day-of in case there were any emergencies we needed to be aware of.

I know it is not recommended but I have taken Xanax and drank before. If it's on an empty stomach I've gotten hammered. If I eat and am conscientious of slowly drinking, I am fine. Just something to consider.

I have anxiety, but it's not incredibly severe. I'm so sorry for what you're going through. They say that caffeine and a lack of sleep exacerbates anxiety symptoms. So I'd suggest getting as much sleep as you can in the weeks leading up to the wedding, and avoiding caffeine on wedding day. But I'm not a doctor. Do you have a doctor you can talk to about how to ward off negative symptoms on your wedding day?

I'm a student, just finished grad school apps, and planning a wedding in 8 months! My anxiety has been the worst it's ever been. Luckily I have good emotional support from friends and FH.

Also, I understand that it's hard to "just cut the guest list" like some have suggested. Then it's like you get the anxiety related to guilt, fear of regret, etc. Hang in there, and try to be open and honest about your emotional state to the people around you.

@MrsKristenS - YES the headspace app is my jam.

Oh my. I suffer from a panic disorder and Im terrified of having a panic attack durring the ceremony and have people wondering why i am running away. I have decided I am going to take Xanax to get through it. Because I have been getting intense anxiety just thinking about walking down the isle, let alone saying vows

I have anxiety and depression. I'm keeping my wedding on the smaller side. I also have found that doing most of the planning has actually helped keep my anxiety at bay. I've created a lot of checklists and timelines that I keep updating.

When it gets to be too much I take a few days off planning and breathe

Yesss, my anxiety totally ruined my life for a few years, making me nearly non-functional as a human being. I was lucky and found a treatment program that worked for me and reduced my anxiety to a constant low-grade worry that I can press through most of the time, as long as I give myself frequent breaks.

Sending virtual hugs, I hope you're able to find some peace and get through the planning calmly. I had a full-on meltdown the day before my first wedding but then was calm to the point that it was surreal the day of.

My mother is really getting on my nerves and so is my father. I'm doing this for them but they are acting like its what I want. I wanted a smaller vintage wedding but now we are having a grand ballroom wedding. My mother thinks I don't work and constantly messages me all day long. She's abusive but I cannot say anything about it. I'm about to flip out on her if she bothers me one more time today about addresses that she lost... ugh

I have anxiety and I understand what you are going through. But your mother should understand this. You need to sit down and have a conversation with her. An honest conversation about your mental health and how it is effected by the wedding. If they don't know that they can trigger anxiety how can they help? Also anxiety meds can be a god send

I'm very concerned that you typed the sentence, "She's abusive but I can't say anything about it." If that is really how you feel, you do need to say something.

FWIW, I also have severe anxiety. I'm not experiencing any related to the wedding day itself, but it's been stopping me from contacting vendors. And then of course I get anxiety about the fact that I am "behind." It's no fun.

I do have social anxiety and a history of depression. For me the very idea of having a ceremony was paralyzing. I know I want to be with my FH as his wife, but why is all this craziness necessary!!

The only way I have been able to manage and be okay with this is deciding that IT IS MY DAY! Period and I do not have to follow, abide, worry about anyone else's expectations or wants (except my fh) regardless who gets butt hurt about it. It does not matter if your mother wants a big wedding or people think you have to invite 300 people, you mil wants it to be a black tie affair or your dad who be sad you eloped in vegas... It is about what you and you fh want, what you can look back on with happy memories (not fear/exhaustion/panic). What would make you happy?

For me I decided the size and unfamiliarity of it was the scariest part. So we opted for a more intimate, more casual ceremony in our backyard. Family bbqs don't usually freak me out too bad, with outdoor activities and games it isn't as though we are the sole focus of the reception (I imagined everything in a regular event space would be about us: dancing, bouquet toss, toasts, etc). Or even if you want a big guest list, keep the ceremony small but recption big.

I have severe anxiety and ptsd too along with Bipolar disorder and ocd. My anxiety is being kept low because I am taking it one thing at a time, my MoH is looking into things and giving me a top 10 choices list to help keep levels low and FH is being very involved and helping which helps too cause then I am not making all the decisions on my own. I am also looking at a venue that does ceremony, reception, food and dessert so it is less I have to stress out about.

Mindfulness, mindfulness, mindfulness, mindfulness! Practice it every single day. Practice it all throughout your wedding day. Ground yourself to where and when you are. When you start to feel overwhelmed by all the to-dos, chunk your day into bite sized pieces. Don't think, "I need to finalize the guest list and find my caterer and book my hair and makeup, etc etc." Just think, "I'll add a couple of names and addresses to my guest list and if I feel tired, I'll stop." If you feel good, move on to the next tiny baby step. Also, delegation is KEY I can't say it enough.

Other things I do for my severe C-PTSD and anxiety - I see a therapist weekly, but I also use betterhelp.com in addition so that I have someone available at all times and she can help me through the week until my next in person session. I'm also on Wellbutrin, Prozac, and Xanax which seems to be the magic combo for me personally. It was hell trying to find that magic combo, lots of trial and error, but now I function much better. I also keep a gratitude journal which helps a lot with my depression. And mindfulness!! So much mindfulness.

I have generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks, OCD traits, and major depression. I'm on a cocktail of pills for my issues, including Pristiq, Rexulti, and Xanax (as needed). My doc is also considering adding bupropion.

I manage my anxiety and depression by listening to my heart and what I need in the moment. I take things one step at a time, and if I'm feeling too down to plan, I wait until tomorrow (because I want to have fun planning my wedding). It's also important to see a therapist to help you with this type of thing. I've learned a lot about self-love, re-mothering myself (since my mom had BPD and was... difficult to deal with growing up), and re-framing.