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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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404notFound muscle and joint pain caused by stress and anxiety?
  • replies: 9

I believe this has been covered before. But as I am currently very anxious and stressed I just want to try and connect with people who may have experienced this themselves. Ever since a friend of mine told me they were unwell and have had some blood ... View more

I believe this has been covered before. But as I am currently very anxious and stressed I just want to try and connect with people who may have experienced this themselves. Ever since a friend of mine told me they were unwell and have had some blood tests, I have felt intense stress and anxiety that something may be wrong with them. They still haven't received the results. Since they told me they were going to the doctor, I have been experiencing the following: Muscle pain and spasms (moves around my body) Joint pain (moves around my body) racing heart tingling feelings in hands and toes. I find it gets worse as they day goes on. I remember feeling similar symptoms when I was waiting on blood results last year. I don't remember it being as bad as this (or maybe I just don't remember). Is this relatable at all to anyone else out there?

EC123 Anyone Else Dealt with Undiagnosed Health Issues?
  • replies: 15

Hi all, I have mentioned in some previous posts I have some undiagnosed health issues (doctors have ran multiple tests and found some abnormalities but don’t know what is causing them). Everyday I am struggling not only physically but mentally. I am ... View more

Hi all, I have mentioned in some previous posts I have some undiagnosed health issues (doctors have ran multiple tests and found some abnormalities but don’t know what is causing them). Everyday I am struggling not only physically but mentally. I am so worried something serious is wrong. My mental health has taken a massive plummet. I try to push myself to do some sort of exercise and talk to people but I mainly find myself at home by myself crying all day out of fear. I am not vaccinated yet as I have been advised not to until we find out what’s going on and can’t go out and see people (for that would be risking my health). I feel so alone. My uni grades and studies are falling apart, my family is sick and tired of seeing me this way, I barely see my boyfriend and don’t see friends, and I’m struggling to see this getting better. Things are getting really dark now Is anyone going through or gone through a similar experience? Xx

Kane_ I don't know
  • replies: 6

I don't exactly know what I expect to achieve from this maybe some kind of answer or closure I don't know. I feel like I shouldn't even be writing this as I know there's people out there way worse off and deserving than myself. But I figured I've bee... View more

I don't exactly know what I expect to achieve from this maybe some kind of answer or closure I don't know. I feel like I shouldn't even be writing this as I know there's people out there way worse off and deserving than myself. But I figured I've been constantly visiting this site for I can't even remember how long now in the hope to talk to someone but never end up getting there before I back out. For quite a long time since my early teen years actually I've been a anxious person always looking over my shoulder feeling judged, worthless, nervous, crying for no reason etc. that has seemed to stick around and progress as I've gotten older. The last 2 years I feel like I'm getting worse I no longer enjoy doing things I once used to love, it now feels like a chore. My eating patterns seem to be all over the place, one moment I can clean out half the house of food and the next I won't touch anything food related for a couple days or so. Sleeping has started to become an issue sometimes I'll sleep fine and other times I won't sleep at all I'm constantly tired no matter if I've had 8-9hrs sleep or 3hrs sleep. Everything in general has started to feel like a chore really I'll come up with any excuse not to leave my house apart from work and food shopping which even with food shopping I'll leave until the very last minute. I used to like getting out of the house on the weekends and exploring, but now whenever I go out I just feel exhausted and start to freak out at random times around groups of people. Which is my main concern just randomly my chest gets tighter my breathing sometimes becomes heavier and my whole body just goes into a very hot flush. Which freaks me out as I feel like people around me notice this happening thinking I'm some sort of weirdo which tends to make it worse. By that point I usually just bail on whatever it is I'm doing and I leave to go back home. I probably shouldn't have bored everyone with my whole life story but I guess I kind of wanted to paint a picture so I can get some sort of answer or closure as I don't want to feel like this anymore. I just want to know whats wrong with me, why do I feel like this? why does it feel like my mind/body is controlling me and not the other way around? Is it something I'm doing? can I fix it?

BM_John Exam help
  • replies: 4

is there anyone who can help to manage the exam stress? I am about to finish my studies and so much stress in my head. Can't focus and do the studies for the exam.

is there anyone who can help to manage the exam stress? I am about to finish my studies and so much stress in my head. Can't focus and do the studies for the exam.

LittleBlueWren Self esteem and anxieties
  • replies: 3

Hey all, I'm new to this and don't know much about threads. Just wanted to see how others have felt and dealt with self esteem issues. Long and the short of it, I am engaged and about to buy a house with my fiance. We have a long history. Like realll... View more

Hey all, I'm new to this and don't know much about threads. Just wanted to see how others have felt and dealt with self esteem issues. Long and the short of it, I am engaged and about to buy a house with my fiance. We have a long history. Like realllly long history, dating back to school friends. We also had a long time apart but found ourselves reconnecting after solo travel etc. We moved interstate together. To start a life we had been dreaming of. I thought things were great! Apparently he may not have. I found out he was advertising himself on a dating site. Trying to meet women for a hook up. He didn't meet anyone and deleted the account but my anxiety is through the roof and now I am doubting everything and myself. Am i not good enough? What is missing? Why cant he come to me about this? Am i not who he wants? Just a safe option. Do we get married and continue to buy a house or not? Do I walk away? If so, where to? We moved 1500kms away and i know no one. He wants to move through it as do I but how do i feel better about myself when this has happened? How do we rebuilt us and how do i rebuild me? Helllppppp

DaffodilDarling I just got diagnosed with OCD
  • replies: 19

Hi everyone, I'm always a little nervous to post in these forums and haven't done so often so please bear with me. This week I received confirmation of what I had been suspecting for a few months-- I have OCD, 'Pure O' to be exact. I was expecting to... View more

Hi everyone, I'm always a little nervous to post in these forums and haven't done so often so please bear with me. This week I received confirmation of what I had been suspecting for a few months-- I have OCD, 'Pure O' to be exact. I was expecting to feel relieved once I got this diagnosis, because I thought that once I knew what was going on, I could start working towards feeling better. But instead I felt the opposite? It kind of felt like this huge weight on my shoulders, like a big heavy label on my forehead that meant things would never be the same again, and I'd always be carrying the weight of my OCD with me. Did anyone else feel this way at first? I have great support from my family, but I'm struggling to explain it all to my partner. How do you tell someone about the awful, horrible, intrusive thoughts in your head without them looking at you differently? These thoughts go so against who I am and what I stand for as a person, that it's just so hard and embarrassing and terrible to explain. Any advice or words of wisdom would be so appreciated! Daffodil x

44Max44 Health Anxiety coming back (I guess it never went away?), feel like I'm a burden to my doctors, can't get a psychologist/psychiatrist booking
  • replies: 4

I thought I had my health anxiety under control, but over the past month I've gone into the doctors maybe 10 or so times for various reasons, and honestly, if I could go in everyday, I would. It all started up again around a month ago when I felt a s... View more

I thought I had my health anxiety under control, but over the past month I've gone into the doctors maybe 10 or so times for various reasons, and honestly, if I could go in everyday, I would. It all started up again around a month ago when I felt a small bump on the inside of my mouth, since then I've been to 3 different doctors to get it checked and all 3 of them said it was nothing to be concerned about, but I kept saying to myself "They didn't have a proper look at it. They aren't taking me seriously because they see my medical record and see that I came into the doctors a lot before for no good reason. They just think I'm imagining it again". On one hand I don't want to waste the time of these doctors if it is just my health anxiety acting up again and I'm just blowing it way out of proportion, but on the other hand I don't want to risk it if it is something serious and it goes undiagnosed. I just feel like I'm being a burden to them. I feel like every time they see me book an appointment they think "Oh boy, it's this guy again, what bs has he got for me this time?". I obviously need to see a mental health professional, but right now due to Covid (and even before Covid) every single psychiatrist/psychologist I tried to book with was booked out. It feels like a one step forward, two steps back type of thing. I finally get the motivation to better myself and work on my mental health issues, find a psychiatrist/psychologist, call them up, and get the same 'Sorry, we're at capacity' response and it throws me right back to where I started and I lose all motivation again. I don't know what to do at this point. I don't want to keep going to see the doctors if it's unnecessary to do so, but I also don't want to just go 'you're just imagining it, don't worry' and then possibly have something go undiagnosed because of it. How can I see a psychologist or psychiatrist (psychologist to deal with my health anxiety, psychiatrist to get what I suspect to be ADHD diagnosed) if they're always fully booked? I feel like at this rate I'll never get to see one. Thanks if you've read this far. I appreciate you.

Russian_Red_Foxx Freaking out because I can't find a job
  • replies: 2

I have nowhere to go. I have been looking for a job for ages because I'm broke but nobody is hiring me, probably because I am too idiotic. I'm not at risk of homelessness or anything (I live with my parents), I just feel that I may never secure any w... View more

I have nowhere to go. I have been looking for a job for ages because I'm broke but nobody is hiring me, probably because I am too idiotic. I'm not at risk of homelessness or anything (I live with my parents), I just feel that I may never secure any work since any applications that I submit are ignored or denied. There's also the fact that nobody wants to hire somebody who is autistic (such as myself). I'm just stuck and freaking out because I don't know what to do.

Glenncoco88 Headache
  • replies: 4

For the last few days I have been suffering headaches on and off. Is this something anyone else suffers while having anxiety? This is new for me and just curious

For the last few days I have been suffering headaches on and off. Is this something anyone else suffers while having anxiety? This is new for me and just curious

PolyVacuum Feeling bad more often and don’t trust my instincts
  • replies: 3

I’ve recently broken up with my girlfriend and trying to meet people on dating apps. I noticed that after I matched with someone, if I really liked their profile, I would start feeling anxious and worried that I would say the wrong thing and get reje... View more

I’ve recently broken up with my girlfriend and trying to meet people on dating apps. I noticed that after I matched with someone, if I really liked their profile, I would start feeling anxious and worried that I would say the wrong thing and get rejected. A friend of mine suggested that I should try and seek the fear of rejection feeling as shying away from feeling bad means that I will tend to avoid things that make me feel bad even if they are good for me. I’m trying to apply this approach to other areas of my life when something bad happens to not shy away from feeling bad and sitting in the feeling. I feel like I might have a lot of instinctual defensive mechanisms that stop me from feeling bad (e.g. rationalising things or telling myself I don’t feel bad) and as a result have less faith in my instinctual responses. I’m feeling bad more often and feel more lost when I’m feeling bad. I don’t really know if I have a question but thought it might be helpful to post here and see if anyone had anything they wanted to share. Thanks in advance.