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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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Coco18-8 Big step
  • replies: 5

Hi, a bit of backstory I have had some form of anxiety surround me for the past year. So I decided to take the step and tell my mum that I think I may need to see someone. Her reaction was mild she was ok with it but it was a brief conversation. I ca... View more

Hi, a bit of backstory I have had some form of anxiety surround me for the past year. So I decided to take the step and tell my mum that I think I may need to see someone. Her reaction was mild she was ok with it but it was a brief conversation. I can’t help but feel even worse and more alone then I did before I told her. It took everything in me to tell her and now that I have I kind of regret it.I feel stupid and I feel like she thinks I’m being dramatic. I just really thought a weight would’ve been lifted of my chest yet I feel like more pressure has been placed on me.

n2k12 Wondering if anyone would like to read my back story, and shed some light into what might be going on
  • replies: 5

Hello all, i don't post here very often. I am shy, have communication difficulties, due to the fact i have autism. Today is one of my better days for functioning. so i would like to ask a question. Wondering if anyone would like to read my back story... View more

Hello all, i don't post here very often. I am shy, have communication difficulties, due to the fact i have autism. Today is one of my better days for functioning. so i would like to ask a question. Wondering if anyone would like to read my back story, and shed some light into what might be going on? I have made several txt documents, which contain parts of my childhood trauma and into adulthood. I have been wanting to share these documents with a licenced therapist / psychologist. I Have been unable to get to one, due to my financial,and issues using public transport. and i cannot drive. Its not an easy place to be in. Would anyone be interested in this? are their any professional therpaists / psychologists in these forums? i really am in need of assistance / feedback. I am lost to be honest. For those who may agree to read said documents, i caution you, their are some sensitive things in the documents that may upset some people. please, let me know and thanks!. sorry to ask here. i really do not know who else to share these with and get feedback. I have no family or friends to speak of. Getting mental health support now days is quite difficult, in my case. However, i am working on getting there, via my GP.

Metal_kitty Ruminating and obsessing about a mistake I just made.
  • replies: 15

Hi everyone I'm new. I'm extremely tenses right now. I know my jaw is locked and my shoulders and neck as well. My mind is going a million miles and hour. I cannot distract myself from analysing a mistake I've just made with my new job. MY client has... View more

Hi everyone I'm new. I'm extremely tenses right now. I know my jaw is locked and my shoulders and neck as well. My mind is going a million miles and hour. I cannot distract myself from analysing a mistake I've just made with my new job. MY client has emailed and ask questions which has lead me to recognise my mistake. I've tried to research to figure out the correct answers but am still at a loss. So I forwarded the email on to my boss and told him everything. His replied by saying he would pen me a response in the morning. I cannot figure out if he is annoyed at me or not. I've been with them a month now. Part time. I'm juggling 3 jobs as I've recently separated from my husband and had to move out of the house and now renting. I also quit my major career just before we broke up. I know I can do better then this. I just need to focus and have time to learn all the systems and processes. I want to quit 1 of my jobs but a worried about money and these trying times of covid and lockdowns. Plus I need the references for me to build a house. I'm so annoyed at myself for making this mistake. I've tried the deep breathing and sleep meditation app. I just can't let it go. I need this job. I really like this job. But I don't know what my boss is thinking. Will he fire me? Why didn't I remember that this job was different and had to look at different equipment? There are too many "why's" rattling in my head. I'm so tense. Why am I so stupid???? I really need to do better.

cacti running low on motivation and self-esteem
  • replies: 11

I am having tremendous difficulties getting over failure and unsatisfactory work results. Me being that one hardcore academic who performs poorly in every aspect of life except for academics and arts makes it easy to develop an obsession for academic... View more

I am having tremendous difficulties getting over failure and unsatisfactory work results. Me being that one hardcore academic who performs poorly in every aspect of life except for academics and arts makes it easy to develop an obsession for academic achievements. I've been failing my own standards pretty hard for the past months even though I study for hours. My social anxiety grew exponentially and my odd temper has been driving my friends away. I'm worried that I won't be able to pursue an ideal career if this carries on. I doubt my intellectual abilities every second minute. I always am apologetic towards the people around me whom I've been nasty to so I would avoid them more. I can't sleep nor eat normally. I wake up mid-night and cry in our backyard like . Nothing I do seems to satisfy me as long as my performance isn't perfect. I got another score back today and I am falling behind on ranks, used to be top of the year in chem and bio but currently I am hardly top 10. I loathe myself for having absolutely zero talent in anything besides studying, if I'm like this now what am I going to do in the near future? Am I supposed to give it all up and aim for an ordinary pathway instead because I am just mediocre? I have no one to talk to on these problems as by doing so it'd put pressure on them or in some ways sabotage their mental health. Now I'm lying down not willing to do anything useful, there's another exam coming up and I can't even bring myself to study for it, I'm just so done, it'd be easier if I just cease to exist one day. As a kid I've always dreamed of becoming a pioneer scientist but now it'd sound like a joke. Is it all inside my head or is it already too late

SP22 COVID Anxiety
  • replies: 2

I am terrified of returning to work after lockdown. It is clear how COVID is being spread. I teach and many of the students do not wear their masks or wear them under their chin. I am scared of going back to the classroom. There is nothing to support... View more

I am terrified of returning to work after lockdown. It is clear how COVID is being spread. I teach and many of the students do not wear their masks or wear them under their chin. I am scared of going back to the classroom. There is nothing to support us out there either from the AEU or anywhere else. There is auditing regarding ventilation but what about students who don't wear masks. What do we do?

Coco18-8 Social anxiety?
  • replies: 4

Hi, this my first ever thread so idk how this will go but we’ll see I guess. I am a highschool student who has been really shy most of my life, but the past year I’ve just felt a huge weight of anxiety come onto me, especially when it comes to social... View more

Hi, this my first ever thread so idk how this will go but we’ll see I guess. I am a highschool student who has been really shy most of my life, but the past year I’ve just felt a huge weight of anxiety come onto me, especially when it comes to socially interacting. I’m fine to order a meal or talk to my friends. But I have massive amounts of anxiety when I go to work, a place I’ve been at for a year. I get nauseous, “stress” rashes and hot flushes everytime I’m about to leave for it. And I guess that obviously can get exhausting for a while. I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily a loner at work but I don’t have a huge group of friends and idk it just makes me anxious for the future , like am I not capable to make more friends? I feel like this kind of sounds stupid but I’ve had anxiety or panic attacks idk which one it is before hand where I loose my breath and I’m in uncontrollable tears and have to calm myself down. But I just feel like I’m in this constant panic and I want to feel relaxed and just want to feel like it’s all going to be ok. Even typing this I’m anxious .

user9463728 still confused
  • replies: 9

I posted something on here a while ago and I'm honestly still confused. I just feel like something isn't right with me. I have no idea how to explain how I feel. I'm constantly searching around trying to find some kind of condition or something that ... View more

I posted something on here a while ago and I'm honestly still confused. I just feel like something isn't right with me. I have no idea how to explain how I feel. I'm constantly searching around trying to find some kind of condition or something that sounds like what I'm experiencing but nothing. It feels like I have a mix of a bunch of different disorders but that's not right. I feel like I've always thought of people and everything, in general, a little differently than others but it wasn't anything crazy. I've noticed, every month or so I get weirdly obsessed with something. And by weirdly obsessed I mean WEIRDLY OBSESSED. I can't stop thinking about it, whether it be a tv show, a person or even an illness. Ill do hours and hours of research and won't be able to think about anything other than it for a few days usually. However, sometimes the "obsession" lasts a few weeks or more. Last year I became obsessed with blindness. (No idea where it started. I probably saw an article on it or something.) So obsessed that I wanted to be blind. Like really badly. I was stupid and did research on how I could make it happen. I ended up staring at the sun for about ten minutes in one eye and less in the other. Told my parents I was "seeing a weird dot" in my eye so I could get it checked out. Had scans done and they asked me whether I had looked into any bright lights, of course, I said no. Was diagnosed with some other eye condition that presents similarly and to this day, I'm the only one who knows what really caused it. Not even my parents know I caused it. (cost them a shit ton of money too lol). I did it just for the attention. I got extra attention at school and loved seeing everybody's reactions to finding out I had a "rare eye condition." I pretend to be sad when my friends ask me about it but really I love their reactions and attention so much. I LOVE it. The "eye condition" reactions have mostly died down now. Everyone has forgotten it exists. Been having obsessions like this for a few years now but that's the furthest I've been with one. I've had a lot of smaller ones but still very annoying. When searching for answers I've been leaning towards the possibility of some kind of personality disorder. I saw an article talking about obsessions in borderline personality, but had only one other symptom. Even leaned towards antisocial personality disorder, as I have a few symptoms but it doesn't seem right. Any idea what this sounds like?

Santa_P How to make panic attacks go away
  • replies: 12

I’ve been experiencing what I think are panic attacks for the past few weeks. They come on without warning. I start to breath faster, struggle to breathe, start coughing to clear phelgm, burning sensation in the middle of my chest, radiates up into m... View more

I’ve been experiencing what I think are panic attacks for the past few weeks. They come on without warning. I start to breath faster, struggle to breathe, start coughing to clear phelgm, burning sensation in the middle of my chest, radiates up into my face. Feelings of fear, guilt, worry, engulf me. My main fear is that I have some issue with my heart. After the first attack, I went to the doctor, who did ECG and Blood tests. Both results showed I was OK. My problem is that although everyone has assured me that I’m OK, I still get these panic attacks. They happen several times per day, without warning. I also am worried about going to sleep at night, with the fear I will not wake up because my heart will stop. I have started a course of anxiety medication and intend to see a psychologist as soon as a can. So far, the medication does not seem to have had much effect on the panic attacks/anxiety. I have been taking the medication for 3 days. Just looking for advice on how to address the panic attacks until I can see the psychologist.

harry2222 Recent problems I’ve had
  • replies: 4

Checking in again after over a year. Far out its been up and down since. Can’t believe I’m almost 18, and the big day is the day of my first yr12 exam. How funny. Regardless, this year has been worse than most for me, and just like a lot of other peo... View more

Checking in again after over a year. Far out its been up and down since. Can’t believe I’m almost 18, and the big day is the day of my first yr12 exam. How funny. Regardless, this year has been worse than most for me, and just like a lot of other people too. But in particular, I’ve developed things over the past few months that have been detrimental to my mental health and consequently my physical health. Panic attacks. It’s honestly the worst thing I’ve ever experienced. There has been times where I suffer from these panic episodes for multiple days at a time, always at night for some strange reason, and it’s always the same symptoms every bloody time; tight chest, shallow breathing, tingling in the limbs… Awful stuff. I’ve thankfully discussed these problems with my psychologist and have been working to suppress it. But more recently I think these arising issues I’ve had, in combination with the stress and anxiety of school and not being able to see friends, has really broken me down this time. Like I think I’ve given up on school at this point, when it’s the home stretch; the time of year when yr12s are meant to be picking up the pace to smash out their exams. I’m done with it to be quite frank. I’d probably say I’m a bit of a hypochondriac, I’m always doing the research when I feel a slight alteration, creating links to diseases and all that crap for no reason. I know it’s all in my head. But what if it’s not, you know? I guess that’s the stress I’ve had quite a bit in recent times. But if anyone actually knows, every time something happens to me, I always get the fear in my heart, the tightness, the shallow breathing (pretty much ALL the time), is it some sort of heart problem? If some kind person would let me know I’d like to discuss it with my psychologist. That’s probably enough of me ranting, as I could honestly go on and on (sincere apologies to the moderators), but I appreciate whoever took the time to read this, and perhaps could relate to my situation. Just had to get things off my chest, that’s all.

sk8ergrl My extreme (?social?) anxiety related to getting a job is crippling me
  • replies: 5

In May 2019, I attempted suicide for the first time. I lost my job and since then haven't moved back into the work force per usual. Sure, I was at maccas for a couple shifts but even though it was much easier than my first job, I was too scared to as... View more

In May 2019, I attempted suicide for the first time. I lost my job and since then haven't moved back into the work force per usual. Sure, I was at maccas for a couple shifts but even though it was much easier than my first job, I was too scared to ask my manager for more shifts and just ended up leaving. I've applied for hundreds of jobs online, been to a handful of interviews and job trials - but the whole thing is so anxiety inducing that I don't know what to do. The problem is I feel like I complete and utter worthless failure for being unemployed, but every time I take the steps to get there, like prepare for an interview today - I feel so anxious like I'm going to throw up or someone's gonna kill me and my armpits get all sweaty, and my mouth gets so dry and my mind goes completely blank, How the heck am I supposed to be charming and employable with stomach problems so bad that I can't eat and the driest personality in the world, that probably makes think I probably hate them when in reality I'm just so anxious that I cant function properly. Side note 1: at my first job I got in trouble for my sweaty issue and it was the most embarrassing shameful thing in my entire life. Side note 2: I've also missed also social events because of my anxiety. like a couple months ago I travelled 2 hours to get to a class, arriving an hour early cause idk why, sat around by myself in a park for literally a whole hour, actually saw the venue and freaked out, then went all the way home again. A waste of money and time and a really dope opportunity to gain new skills. Its freaking exhausting, absolutely stupid (logically it makes no sense to my brain) and I don't want to be a worthless burden to my parents forever.