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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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SpookyScooter Debilitating Health Anxiety
  • replies: 12

Hi, I’ve been a long time reader of the forums - it helps me to feel like I’m not alone ☺️ Background My dad died in hospital in 2017. We were on our way to see him, as we got the call that he was declining. I was the first one to enter his room and ... View more

Hi, I’ve been a long time reader of the forums - it helps me to feel like I’m not alone ☺️ Background My dad died in hospital in 2017. We were on our way to see him, as we got the call that he was declining. I was the first one to enter his room and found him deceased. The doctors and nurses hadn’t realized he had passed, so I wasn’t warned when I walked into his room. The following night, after getting home, I went into shock from seeing him deceased the day before. I had my first violent intrusive thought and it terrified me. At 2am, I bundled my child into the car and drove myself to emergency, because I thought I was going to lose my mind. They gave me Valium and sent me home. Luckily I had a wonderful therapist and over the next 2yrs I worked with her on my anxiety and intrusive thoughts. I was on medication for about a year, but weaned off and used the tools my therapist gave me to manage the anxiety and panic attacks. Current issue I am now suffering from health anxiety. Tonight, the sensations are overwhelming. I have a fear of suffocating and not being able to breathe. My throat feels tight and my nose feels blocked. These sensations have been building over several weeks and present themselves as my ultimate fear - suffocating. I am beside myself tonight. I’m on the verge of calling an ambulance, fearing I’m having an allergic reaction (I don’t have any allergies). Logically, I know it’s my anxiety that’s giving me these sensations. Im just so exhausted from constantly checking my symptoms and reassuring myself. Im emotionally wrecked I don’t want to go back on medication. I have a medication that I can take occasionally to ease my anxiety symptoms, but alas, my health anxiety is scared of taking any type of meds, even though I’ve used them before. I feel like I am running a constant marathon, I’m so tired of this fear of something happening to me 🥺

Wanti Burnout and returning to work. Heart palpitations
  • replies: 2

I have worked in the community development I sector for the same company for the past 12 years. I hold a senior position And over the past two years have started to be quite depressed. A few things came to a head a few weeks ago which lead to me taki... View more

I have worked in the community development I sector for the same company for the past 12 years. I hold a senior position And over the past two years have started to be quite depressed. A few things came to a head a few weeks ago which lead to me taking two weeks stress leave. Today was my first day back and I have had heart palpitations again throughout the day. My colleague/manager did not ask how I am going. Despite telling the directors I am burnt out and need to take leave however despite saying this verbally about five times they still haven’t listened I am committed to the company and people I work for however the toll is now too much. I am the main breadwinner of the family and my husband has been depressed for close to 9 months and has not worked. My kids are doing ok but need a present mum which I am not I am short tempered and over it all I know I have to leave but how? I feel trapped. I feel like I can’t keep this up but I have to

anxiousqueen Symptomatic 24/7
  • replies: 6

Hi all! I'm new to this space and am really struggling in life lately, so i thought I'd dive straight into sharing a bit of something tonight! The past 2 months have been intense for me medically. I am anaemic, i am in chronic pain and i am currently... View more

Hi all! I'm new to this space and am really struggling in life lately, so i thought I'd dive straight into sharing a bit of something tonight! The past 2 months have been intense for me medically. I am anaemic, i am in chronic pain and i am currently awaiting a diagnosis for an auto immune disorder as my white blood cells are also low. This past week has hit me especially hard. My Grandma's health is on the decline and i have past trauma when it comes to such a thing -> I watched my Grandpa suffer for 6 years with ill health and then i had a pet whom took ill as well. Both are no longer with me. My response to this current situation with my Grandma has me super on edge all the time! My Mum is my Grandma's carer, so every time her phone starts ringing I expect it to be something bad!! I now can't find a way to calm down at all! I keep clenching my teeth, i am tachycardic all the time, i have digestive pains and can barely eat due to being so wound up.. in the past 2 days i keep having bad dizzy spells.. I just haven't felt like myself in the longest time overall and it scares me but this also triggers my depression to feel as i do, both in my body and my mind all the time. The fatigue i feel is so bad as i write this! I'm currently early into a work break that i allowed myself to take (i do content creating online). I just don't like doing anything when i constantly feel no good emotions. I was so long overdue for this break too. I just kept pushing but nothing was (and nothing currently is) making me feel any better. Or rather i feel like what would usually brighten me up, is just stressing me out instead! So here i am writing this as i quite honestly just feel like i need to let this out. I do see my doctor again in a week's time, so we'll see how things go from there. In the meantime (and beyond) i do hope to check back here and interact with you all on other parts of this forum too. I thank you so much in advance for taking your time to even read this post! I really appreciate it! ~ anxiousqueen

Moonchild 11:11 Let’s talk about the physical symptoms
  • replies: 3

Hi there, I’ve recently been having suspected panic attacks and they have been full on and getting to the point of almost constant. After an ambo call out and 2 er visits with a couple days between each one I’ve Had 3 ecgs and 2 lots of bloods all no... View more

Hi there, I’ve recently been having suspected panic attacks and they have been full on and getting to the point of almost constant. After an ambo call out and 2 er visits with a couple days between each one I’ve Had 3 ecgs and 2 lots of bloods all normal. had a gp phone appointment with another dr as mine was unavailable and they prescribed me an antidepressant and benzodiazepine. I started them both today, I’ve had just the one benzodiazepine this morning. I did still have some slight physical symptoms on the benzodiazepine each time I’ve taken it including today. About an hr ago I thought I would try to lay down as I was feeling ok. I wasn’t feeling overly anxious at that moment I was just scrolling through these forums as I find them reassuring… suddenly I was very aware of my heartbeat… in kicked the palpitations, this time they were pounding like they were the night i was in hospital, I lay there and breathed through it until they stopped then I got up and sat on the lounge. These panic attack symptoms are so new to me I don’t know what to expect and it’s scary and I still have that nagging doubt that something sinister is the cause. I was potentially a little anxious when I first took the medication as I had some slight heart racing then but these palpitations were more of a thudding in my chest and back. I have some questions about the physical symptoms. 1. Can they come on unexpectedly like that when you don’t feel particularly anxious? 2. Can they come on as a result of medication wearing off? 3. Does anyone else have a sudden physical symptom such as this and are symptoms prone to change or can you develop new ones at random times? 4. Is there such a thing as residual anxiety or panic as in if you manage to subside it at the time can it sporadically come on later? 5. I know dr google is not our friend but if you went against your better judgement and googled anyway could your mind develop these symptoms and manifest them or overthink them into reality? And lastly is it common to have panic attacks Daily and even several times a day ranging in intensity especially if you’ve just started experiencing them? Thank you in advance for taking the time to read my long winded post… I intend to ask my gp for further investigation just to make sure it is just anxiety but I’ve got to make it through the weekend before I can speak to her so i was hoping if any of you had any advice or wanted to share your experiences that may help ease my mind xx

Elizabeth CP Anxiety related to treatment and medications
  • replies: 2

I'm not sure where I should post this. Background I broke my wrist in Jan. A few days later I went to my Gp complaining about my fingers and thumb which had not been injured yet were swelling badly and becoming numb. I believed the cast was pressing ... View more

I'm not sure where I should post this. Background I broke my wrist in Jan. A few days later I went to my Gp complaining about my fingers and thumb which had not been injured yet were swelling badly and becoming numb. I believed the cast was pressing on a nerve. My GP dismissed my concerns so it was a week later I went to ED after it became unbearable. A specialist has since confirmed that I now have nerve damage as a result of the cast with ongoing pain and loss of strength in my thumb. Lockdown has complicated things further as I can no longer see the hand therapist in person for treatment. I have changed GPs but avoid going so have not built up trust in the new one. I was prescribed one painkiller months ago but the side effects were so bad I had to stop after a few days and went without for months prefering to cope with the pain than side effects. Things became worse so I reluctantly went to the GP and was prescribed some new meds for nerve pain. I started then then googled side effects for the medication. Side effects included anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. I already suffer from depression & anxiety which then escalated after taking the medication. I don't know whether it is the medication or just me worrying about the medication. I'm now too scared to return to the GP in case he thinks I'm an idiot and non compliant. I feel I have nowhere to turn which just adds to my stress. I am a full time carer for my hsb so can't afford to not be capable of doing things

JulieS101 Anxiety non stop
  • replies: 3

My parents had a big fight after some uncomfortable truths came out. At the time my mum said she was going to move out which stressed me out tremendously. This brought back anxiety as my parents separated when I was 13-14 which was extremely traumati... View more

My parents had a big fight after some uncomfortable truths came out. At the time my mum said she was going to move out which stressed me out tremendously. This brought back anxiety as my parents separated when I was 13-14 which was extremely traumatising as both had mental breakdowns and as a young teenager I lacked security for a bit of time. My parents sorted out the recent alteration however my anxiety is not relenting. I wake up every morning experiencing a panic attack and am constantly worrying. I am wondering if anyone has any advice on how to deal with this constant anxiety.

loveyourself9 Need help with anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hi again, My anxiety has been really bad these days. My heart rate is higher than usual, and when I stand it feels like the ground is moving. I can't stop checking my heart rate and can't sleep or focus. I feel like I'm trembling constantly and my he... View more

Hi again, My anxiety has been really bad these days. My heart rate is higher than usual, and when I stand it feels like the ground is moving. I can't stop checking my heart rate and can't sleep or focus. I feel like I'm trembling constantly and my head feels like it's pulsating. Is this normal? I can't stop thinking there's something wrong with me physically and I'm scared

littlehopefulgirl Worrying about life after lockdown in Melbourne
  • replies: 3

So it has been almost 2 months since I left 10 km from my house. Dan Andrews, yet again announces another news that will let us know what we can't and can do. I've learnt so much about myself in this lockdown about my mental health and also the quali... View more

So it has been almost 2 months since I left 10 km from my house. Dan Andrews, yet again announces another news that will let us know what we can't and can do. I've learnt so much about myself in this lockdown about my mental health and also the quality of life I want to continue to have. But the problem is, lately, since the announcement, I suddenly have this worrying voice in my head. What happens to my life before lockdown? I don't know if I have a job anymore, I don't know if I can make a positive change. I definitely don't want to live in Melbourne and i don't like my living situation at the moment. But I'm surviving. Some days I feel so stagnant and just living for the sake of being alive, other times it's ok. The lockdown has been really hard for me, I feel so convinced that this is my life, and nothing will change. I gave up so much of what i want before the lockdown and rationalize that it isn't my fault. But now i feel like I've lost hope. Does anyone feel like this? I am trying to hard to stay positive and motivated, but I feel so exhausted. My world of doing what I love is outside these 4 walls and certainly out of my 10 km. I can't work cause of the lockdown. i cant move forward with the career change that I want to pursue. I just feel so helpless. I'm tired. Am i going crazy? I certainly cant find articles or news that no one is feeling like this.

PaulJF Positive thoughts not taking away the *feeling* of anxiety. Medication?
  • replies: 1

(My first post.) I'm wondering if this seems realistic, or if the desire for a magic-bullet cure is deranging my clarity on the issue: Sometimes I get anxious out of nowhere, sometimes a day or two after a strong coffee, and always a day or two after... View more

(My first post.) I'm wondering if this seems realistic, or if the desire for a magic-bullet cure is deranging my clarity on the issue: Sometimes I get anxious out of nowhere, sometimes a day or two after a strong coffee, and always a day or two after any booze. So I can reliably induce this awful feeling in the bottom of my chest chemically, but also it can apparently come out of nowhere. If I don't pay attention to the feeling, my thoughts are anxious thoughts, "what's going to go wrong/what if I get "found out" (even though there's nothing to find out)/what if I've not set my phone reminders correct and I miss something critical..." (etc etc... you know the drill). But if I then notice the feeling itself, and I choose to recognise this awful feeling of impending doom as a chemical imbalance in my brain, I'm able to calm myself a little and stop with the catastrophizing somewhat, but the feeling itself doesn't go away. So, if my half-baked theories are correct, a chemical imbalance in my brain is making me FEEL like there's a reason to be deeply worried, and then my thinking brain is struggling to find real world things to fit that feeling. It's not my thoughts that are creating the feeling, the feeling is engendering the thoughts. IF this is correct, then it would seem fixing the chemical imbalance with medication is a smart move (with eyes open to the side effects). And I feel like CBT and such can give me tools for dealing with the feeling, but medication might stop the feeling showing up in the first place meaning I don't even have to deal with it. Thoughts?

Glenncoco88 Chest pain
  • replies: 18

Hi everyone im just finding it weird that I’ll wake up with discomfort with chest pains. Like I’ll move my body and the top of my chest hurts. I’m guessing it’s from my anxiety as I went to the hospital to check it out and they said I’m healthy but I... View more

Hi everyone im just finding it weird that I’ll wake up with discomfort with chest pains. Like I’ll move my body and the top of my chest hurts. I’m guessing it’s from my anxiety as I went to the hospital to check it out and they said I’m healthy but I’m just finding it weird to be waking up with this pain. Any suggestions or ideas why this is being brought on when I wake up?