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Anxiety

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Chris_B Forums etiquette: give support to receive support
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newb... View more

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newbies are welcomed when they first post, and we understand that it’s a big step to post for the first time on a forum like this, especially if you aren’t feeling great. It’s important to remember, though, that these forums are a community of real people, just like you, not a one-on-one support environment like going to see your psychologist. To get the best out of being here, one of the best tips we can offer is give support to receive support. Being a good community member means: participating in different threads (not just your own), replying to people who have taken the time to reply to you (even if it’s just to say thank you), and... posting words of emotional support and encouragement when you see others who are hurting and reaching out. You don’t have to feel obliged to solve the problems of others: that’s not what we’re here for. But you can offer empathy and what you’ve learned from your own life experiences, even if it’s just a line or two, eg. “I don't know what to say, but I want to give you my support and tell you I care about what is happening to you and hope life will get better soon.” Try to develop an interest in the journeys of others here on the forums. You may be surprised at how good being an active, caring member here can make you feel. For those of you who have had good experiences giving support here on the forums, please post in this thread here and let us know how it has helped you on your journey.

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Believe Consistent Complaints
  • replies: 4

Hi, newly joined hoping to connect for support. I recently moved from a major city to a regional centre for work. I hold a senior role and despite addressing many issues for the organisation and achieving all that is required of me I am weekly having... View more

Hi, newly joined hoping to connect for support. I recently moved from a major city to a regional centre for work. I hold a senior role and despite addressing many issues for the organisation and achieving all that is required of me I am weekly having to address complaints about me that are unsubstantiated. I have no support system and feel a target for staff. I don’t even know who the staff are because all I’m ever told is we’ve had a complaint that you are disrespectful and nothing more. I’m not eating sleeping going out - except to work and feel highly anxious all the time. I’m at a stage that I have lost trust and don’t know who to believe anymore. I can’t be myself and this is further adding to anxiety. Seeking suggestions - support.

Atleigh Just need to get it out of my head
  • replies: 3

I'm having such a low moment I just need to get it out. I don't feel I can say it to friends or family as I can't deal with their reactions too. I feel so worthless right now. I put myself out there in two different situations where I would be judged... View more

I'm having such a low moment I just need to get it out. I don't feel I can say it to friends or family as I can't deal with their reactions too. I feel so worthless right now. I put myself out there in two different situations where I would be judged. A dancing competition and applying for a job at higher level in my team. Lots of ppl encouraged me to give it a go and I started to hope and feel I had a chance but then I failed at both. Didn't place at all in the dancing and didn't even get an interview for the job. So right now I feel like a useless waste of space. I'm disappointed and annoyed that I tried in the first place. I want to just be content at where I am at. I don't really want to advance or be recognised in dancing. But I feel like I need to be validated or something. Prove something to someone, I don't know. But now I feel so pathetic and wish I just didn't care. I know I will get past it. Just not tonight.

Guest_48990041 Overwhelmed
  • replies: 4

Hi there,I believe I am suffering from some sort of anxiety I haven't been to the doctor to talk about it as I am hoping to control it myself rather than them giving me medications this has been happening since the start of this year. At the moment d... View more

Hi there,I believe I am suffering from some sort of anxiety I haven't been to the doctor to talk about it as I am hoping to control it myself rather than them giving me medications this has been happening since the start of this year. At the moment dealing with lots of stress coping with doing full-time study at university and working part-time. Just feel isolated and let down to myself and feeling anxious constantly about what I am doing in general especially when I go out of the house example is when I go shopping which I used to like to do. Going out for dinner with my partner I get anxious about who is around me and feel self-conscious. I feel empty at times and want myself back. I feel isolated at times i have some support but not people who understand what I am going through some people think mental health is made up. I only have a few close friends but barely due to my overload of stress levels. Are there any strategies to help with panic attacks I get them a bit when I go out.

JEF15 OCD on holidays
  • replies: 2

HiMy OCD was very bad when I was younger, but it's usually pretty well managed these days. Except when I go on holidays. I hate holidays, because I'm staying in a hotel/apartment/villa etc and everything just grosses me out. My children lay and roll ... View more

HiMy OCD was very bad when I was younger, but it's usually pretty well managed these days. Except when I go on holidays. I hate holidays, because I'm staying in a hotel/apartment/villa etc and everything just grosses me out. My children lay and roll all over the carpet and I FREAK! I can't shower cause it's absolute torture. I can't live out of a suitcase cause I can't put dirty clothes mixed in with my clean clothes. It's just not much fun, its not relaxing, as holidays are meant to be. I want to take holidays cause my children love it, so I do it. But really, I just wanna be home in my comforts. Anyone else like this?

Guest_27923218 OCD help
  • replies: 1

My 9 year old daughter is seeing a psychologist who has diagnosed her as having OCD.Her obsessions at the moment are around germs and getting sick. She has come a long way with therapy. Tonight however she had a panic attack when her sister threw up ... View more

My 9 year old daughter is seeing a psychologist who has diagnosed her as having OCD.Her obsessions at the moment are around germs and getting sick. She has come a long way with therapy. Tonight however she had a panic attack when her sister threw up (influenza). She wet her pants and was screaming, crying, went white etc. I thought we could manage this with therapy but am beginning to think we need to consider medication, which the psychologist has suggested. I can’t control her environment any more. any parents out there medicating their young children for ocd? Just wanting some advice/ experiences. does the ocd medication also help with the anxiety attacks?Thanks

B-14 Health Anxiety
  • replies: 1

Please Help…Ive suffered from health anxiety for years but the last 6 months its got worse. I go from one health worry to another straight away, don’t get a break.This last week I felt a lump/bump area on my breast. Worried so much about it got a ult... View more

Please Help…Ive suffered from health anxiety for years but the last 6 months its got worse. I go from one health worry to another straight away, don’t get a break.This last week I felt a lump/bump area on my breast. Worried so much about it got a ultrasound all fine.The next day I was feeling around again as I do about 50 times a day and found another lump which was close to the other one I thought I could feel the day before.I only had a ultrasound on the Monday and Tuesday morning I could feel another one. what is wrong with me??

durintam Fear of getting long covid
  • replies: 4

Hello,It's been a good 4 years since COVID-19 has become a part of our society and culture. Though many people have forgotten it, with relaxed restrictions, less people wearing masks, it's still a prevalent thing that exists. I even got a little comp... View more

Hello,It's been a good 4 years since COVID-19 has become a part of our society and culture. Though many people have forgotten it, with relaxed restrictions, less people wearing masks, it's still a prevalent thing that exists. I even got a little complacent with all the relaxed restrictions, and though I had the passive idea that it is still going around, it didn't bother me like it is bothering me now. I got COVID last week, and very fortunately recovered quickly and without much impact. I think this is my third time since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Once in 2022, 2023 and now 2024. But this time round, what has stuck with me is this lingering fear of Long COVID. Something about being debilitated and unable to function, and that being outside of your control, has been frightening to me. I have managed to overcome a spiral by realizing the ironic fact that worrying and being anxious about becoming chronically sick is taking away from the time that I'm not! But I've noticed myself become a bit more conscious of having my hands clean, washing them a lot more often, and getting frustrated when I need to touch my face for an itch, because I don't want to build (or reinforce) a habit that might increase my risk of getting COVID again. Being clean and hygienic is good, but I feel like I'm slipping, becoming a bit obsessive and irrational about it, because it's all so much to maintain and it feels overwhelming, but at the same time I don't want to get COVID again. What I mean by hard to maintain is that, the recommended preventative strategies for COVID is to wash hands properly, cover cough and sneezes, try not to touch face, stay up to date with vaccines and boosters. But as much as I wash my hands, There are so many things I touch and interact with in the day, potentially something that could be dirty or contaminated, and I might need to itch my face or touch it without me realizing, then I'll have to go back to wash my hands so I can safely touch my face. What if I might touch my face subconsciously, or I might need to scratch an itch near my nose or mouth or eye? If I constantly wash my hands or hand sanitizing after I touch anything, I will have reassurance that my hands were clean and I've lowered risk of catching covid. But... that seems excessive, it feels like an unhealthy anxious behaviour, and I don't want to live with that image of constantly washing my hands... But... short of doing it means I wouldn't actually be sure that my hands are clean and lower the risk if I touched my face, so what's even the point? I've also been feeling selfish. That despite me being part of a low risk demographic (young, working immunity, no chronic illnesses) my main concern with getting COVID is not to reduce risk of spreading for people who are actually at risk, but rather my selfish obsession and fear for my own self-preservation. I hate that I am feeling like this. I feel so stupid for feeling like this. I have been unemployed for the past few months, and perhaps that has given me too much free-time to let these thoughts fester. Fortunately I have managed to get employment somewhere and these thoughts and this behavior has not been encouraging to my capacity to function at work when the time comes.

Chris1983 Holding down a job
  • replies: 6

I find it extremely difficult to hold down a Job for years. If I tell you about my past maybe this might help with someone trying to understand. I lived over seas for some of my child hood until coming down to Australia and being placed in a boarding... View more

I find it extremely difficult to hold down a Job for years. If I tell you about my past maybe this might help with someone trying to understand. I lived over seas for some of my child hood until coming down to Australia and being placed in a boarding school. I was diagnosed with ADD when I was very young and I also have a very low borderline IQ. So learning new information and keeping up with the speed of this crazy world is difficult for me. I've never been a selfish person or a greedy person. I just thought that if I could put my problems out there someone would be able to understand, or if they feel the same way towards my thoughts. I was only told of my limitations around 5 years ago by my parents (I'm now 40 years old) I find it difficult to read and retain information too. I've accepted my fate and I'm seeing a psychiatrist how ever the medication does not seem to be working so now we are trying psycho therapy soon. I get easily influenced by people as you can imagine, with having a low IQ so problem solving skills are not good. I've given up on the world and I've accepted my fate. I'm not adapting to this crazy world and I've struggled my whole life with absolutely everything. I hope someone out there is able to understand or share there experiences which are similar to mine. I've found the transition from childhood to adult hood absolutely crazy and I've been trying to keep up with the world, but frankly have given up.

Kay-1471 Health anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone Thank you for letting me join I wrote a post a couple of days ago But I didn't mention alot So here we go I am 53 yrs old I have suffer from health anxiety and PTSD OCD and general anxiety and I have done for years now and I thought I had... View more

Hi everyone Thank you for letting me join I wrote a post a couple of days ago But I didn't mention alot So here we go I am 53 yrs old I have suffer from health anxiety and PTSD OCD and general anxiety and I have done for years now and I thought I had an handle on it but not of late I feel really stupid and not sure what to do every time someone passes away that I know from what my mum did it triggers my health anxiety really bad and recently my friends partner died 2 Weeks ago I keep googling my symptoms and to scared to go to the doctors so I being living fear for about a while now not sure where to turn Thank you for reading

Bull What a last year
  • replies: 2

Hi first time for mei come fro a very violent childhood where I watched my dad bash my mum repeatedly we were always rescued by our grandparents finally mum met another man which was good for her but he lashed out on meLast year September….ive split ... View more

Hi first time for mei come fro a very violent childhood where I watched my dad bash my mum repeatedly we were always rescued by our grandparents finally mum met another man which was good for her but he lashed out on meLast year September….ive split up my wife after 29 years & going through divorce & settlement of property etcour sons 27&26 but still are upsetJanuary….my 14 year old dog diedfebuary….i met a lady march…a close friend of hers diedmay….my mum diedaugust…this lady who I fell in love with has told me to go away