A new kind and level of anxiety

[Fielder]

Hi. I suppose this is also a way of introducing myself, as I would like to spend more time in these forums in general. It is a bit hard for me to narrow down what I want to say and what I'm after, but I suppose that even the decision to "officially" make my own thread here is significant.

I have had some anxiety, especially social, possibly all of my life, but about 4 years ago I had a cannabis-induced bad trip and since then I have had occasional flashbacks and what seems to have been a gradually growing general anxiety which kind of seems like it's exploding recently. I've just come back from seeing my GP and he calmed me down considerably in saying the anxiety I am describing is very unlikely to be neurologically based, but I still can't quite shake the anxiety about the anxiety, which can easily create its own loop, and the physical manifestations are troubling because they are new.

I am a full-time student (online) and a part-time disability support worker, and recently the anxiety is compromising (or at least threatening to compromise) both, which makes me worry it will become functionally and financially disabling even if nothing about it is physical.

This is coming at something of a bad time because I am just about to move from Sydney to Melbourne, where I have relatives but not much else going (I have only moved to Sydney a year and a half ago).  My uncle and aunt are doctors and I have decided to ask their advice too, but I figured I would try here too, because otherwise I would be choosing pretty much at random. Perhaps there is a good web resource with people's recommendations?

I am not quite sure if my trouble qualifies as PTSD, or if I inflate the significance of my flashbacks and it is still just an anxiety (and hypochondria) problem, but there remains the stubborn factoid in my head that PTSD can lead to psychosis, and the psychotic bad trip experience is what I fear, so that doesn't exactly help.

Lastly, Googling my symptoms (as I probably shouldn't), it seemed to me I was experiencing a lot of the symptoms of low blood sugar much of the time. I take glucose sweets for my IBS, and it's seemed to me the past few days that grabbing a few of those can sometimes help, and I wondered if anybody else had similar experiences. I suppose if it's an effective placebo I should keep at it anyway.

[Fielder]

Another question has occurred to me. Does anybody have a better understanding than I about the medicare safety net? Specifically, I have a healthcare card, and I do not really understand if the increased rebate is relevant to consultations with psychiatrists or psychologists.

[Birdy77]

Dear Fielder,

You've had to wait a long time for someone to reply to you and I'm sorry that has happened. Sometimes posts slip through when it's busy. You are very welcome here.

It's so good that you want to spend time on the forums, I think you will find it beneficial talking to others who understand, and not feeling so alone in those anxiety-loops.

I am glad your doctor was able to calm your worries somewhat, but I understand that you are still feeling like the anxiety is ballooning out.

Moving cities is a pretty big anxiety induced in itself, and on top of the flashbacks you've been having, it might all start to feel too much. So it's good that it sounds like you might be considering talking to a psychologist? I can't answer your safety net/healthcare question, but others here may be able to.

I agree that if your IBS sweets are helping your symptoms, why not have them, even if it is a placebo effect.

It's good to have you here Fielder. Please feel free to join in anywhere that interests you, and continue to lay your worries down here in your thread.

🌻birdy

[Fielder]

Thanks for your response Birdy77. I am not sure I have much more to say except that there had been an improvement and now I had a pretty bad flashback again. I am seeing my new Melbourne GP again to talk about medication and psychologist referrals and such.

I always have rather too much floating around my head in the aftermath of these. I signed up for Mindspot just now and am a bit curious if others have had experience with these. Their questions make me wonder if what I am experiencing is fullblown flashbacks, health anxiety about developing psychosis (my brother had two episodes, but we know of no other relation who has) or if these are just particularly bad panic attacks fuelled by anxiety about panic attacks. Maybe all 3 options are basically the same and maybe the terminology doesn't matter so much, but I wonder. When it isn't active it kind of feels like it's mostly hypochondria, but when it's back it's more terrifying than anything I could imagine before it started.