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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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Sadie243 Anxious thoughts
  • replies: 3

Hi all, I have lived with anxiety and OCD for 10.years now. I usually manage it quite well each day. As of late I've has relationship anxiety. My boyfriend and I have been together for 1.5 years now and we have a pretty strong connection and foundati... View more

Hi all, I have lived with anxiety and OCD for 10.years now. I usually manage it quite well each day. As of late I've has relationship anxiety. My boyfriend and I have been together for 1.5 years now and we have a pretty strong connection and foundation. Lately I've noticed i get anxious about mixing friend groups. I'm the type of person who gets along with everyone so it doesn't bother me. But I'm constantly worrying about keeping my partner happy when he attends events that my friends have invited us to. My best friends boyfriend has a 30th coming up and we are both invited. His friends are a little different and I.guess considered weird. I'm anxious that the impression that his friends present will.reflect on me and my boyfriend will suddenly decide that my friends are weird and dump me. I know it sounds irrational but it genuinely worries me

Dibbles_23 Hi all
  • replies: 4

Hi guys , I’m new here and need help with anxiety. I’ve never been to a therapist because of anxiety and fear of judgement, even writing this thread I’m tear up , so seeing a professional is a little terrifying tbh . my anxiety is next level lately a... View more

Hi guys , I’m new here and need help with anxiety. I’ve never been to a therapist because of anxiety and fear of judgement, even writing this thread I’m tear up , so seeing a professional is a little terrifying tbh . my anxiety is next level lately and is starting to effect my relationship , everything was okay until 3 months ago when my partner said they weren’t in love with me due to their own mental health issues , and even though we have sorted everything out , it’s left me anxious and stressed feeling like it’s going to happen again . Anyone out there have advice at all ?

SallyB99 Do I have anxiety or is this something more ?
  • replies: 3

Hey guys, I'm currently having issues with thinking too much about things. Previously, I did have anxiety (like the jumpy, cries all the time, my stomach hurts, my chest hurts, etc.) But for the past 2 years, I haven't experienced it anymore thus far... View more

Hey guys, I'm currently having issues with thinking too much about things. Previously, I did have anxiety (like the jumpy, cries all the time, my stomach hurts, my chest hurts, etc.) But for the past 2 years, I haven't experienced it anymore thus far. However, lately, I have been feeling like I don't want to talk to people anymore, everytime I try to talk to people I become very negative and nervous, and feel like they might judge me or smth. And every preaching (bcs I'm a Christian) that's being delivered to me makes me irritated. And I feel like I'm very hateful towards everything. I am very sensitive to loud noises, if I hear them I would flinch or gets angry. Every night, I'm having trouble sleeping (if I'm not extremely tired), I have to watch something until I fall asleep, otherwise my brain is wandering too much. It thinks about the future, what I said today, did I make mistake for not doing something, and thinking about the work that I have not done yet (am I procastinating, etc.) I feel like my brain thinks TOOOO MUCH, and I'm so irritated by it. Is this a normal behaviour for a person to have ? Does this happen to everyone ?

MissJ94 Workplace Harassment
  • replies: 1

I work night shifts. The last few nights ive been on at work have been quite traumatic for me. It began sunday night where the staff member was on a facetime call and switched the camera onto me to engage in the conversation. I had made it very clear... View more

I work night shifts. The last few nights ive been on at work have been quite traumatic for me. It began sunday night where the staff member was on a facetime call and switched the camera onto me to engage in the conversation. I had made it very clear i wasnt willing. Monday day time the staff member seems to have made an instagram account to stalk me. He had liked a photo of mine, the profile has literally nothing on it. Tuesday night back at work and things go next level creep. Asking for my number then using the reason he is applying for a job and asked if i could be a referee, initially thought thats fine with me but now regretting handing over my mobile number. Then asking personal questions, some i was ok to answer, others i didnt answer. It was at this point i made it very clear i already have someone and am not the slightest bit interested. But he persisted. Continued to stating he looked for me on social media pages and found my profiles. Then he started asking me if i know why hes asking so many questions as though he wanted me to fall head over heels for him and say because he likes me???? All i said was no whats your reason. And he would just reply "i think you must know the reason", i refused to answer and got back to my work. Later that night he stated the car i drive and where i park at work, not that there were at least 5 other cars in the carpark and he doesnt arrive or leave work when i do. Not long later he send me a message request on one of my social media accounts. A completely random message where i asked him what the hell hes talking about. He said to just watch the video under that message and it was a really disturbing video that could be taken sexually. I ignored. Then he said hes going to swap his monday shift to work on wednesday(i dont work mondays but i do work wednesdays) and he commented that i didnt ask him why so i turned to him and asked why just for him to reply with "i think you know why". Again ended that conversation. I had told my mum, guy im seeing and a friend all about this. When i got to work wednesday night he turned up and i went into a panic. My mum got worried and called the police to my work. After speaking to them they really just made me feel like im over reacting but may be able to get an APVO out on him but i need more of his details. I spoke to them crying and shaking uncontrollably, was that panicked i even took my mask off and not fearing ill be fined for that! Am i overreacting??

Bibbetyboo Intrusive nightmares
  • replies: 3

I have always had really vivid dreams and really vivid nightmares the kind that could be made into films. Before i became pregnant I smoked a lot to block these bad dreams out even at the expense of the good ones. I dont watch movies anymore or liste... View more

I have always had really vivid dreams and really vivid nightmares the kind that could be made into films. Before i became pregnant I smoked a lot to block these bad dreams out even at the expense of the good ones. I dont watch movies anymore or listen to much music so as not to stimulate my overactive imagination. after my child was born (12 month ago next Sunday) it took a while but the nightmares are back. They are so draining i have not had a good night sleep for a while and they put me in horrible moods in the morning. Often they’re related to the past, things i regret and feel guilty about and things i wish never happened. They’re exaddutated and very triggering. Sometimes my nightmares make me feel physically sick and loss of appetite they re so vulgar. I dont smoke anymore and wont go back to that life but it did cancel out my dreams for years. I turned to weed because i kept having dreams about angels telling me about the future and dreams about real dead people passing on messages, no kidding it made me really isolated I was so disturbed by them however couldn’t tell anyone out of fear of reaction. Some of those dreams came true, some are now just coming to pass. When i was in high school my nightmares were so bad i had a mental breakdown and constantly contemplated suicide. This type of lucid vivid dreaming has nearly destroyed my life, driven me to drink excessively through my 20’s and caused so much of my depression and isolation. I am so anxious about sleep, i dont look forward to it anymore but as a single mum my body is aching for sleep. What can i do about this? I am terrified these nightmares are going to start getting really bad again.

Here2Talk Compulsive behaviour of running tongue over teeth
  • replies: 2

Hi all, I think a couple of my bottom front teeth moved slightly or removed some plaque when I was flossing last night and caused a sharp edge along the gum line behind the two front bottom teeth, now my tongue has been grinding against it for a whol... View more

Hi all, I think a couple of my bottom front teeth moved slightly or removed some plaque when I was flossing last night and caused a sharp edge along the gum line behind the two front bottom teeth, now my tongue has been grinding against it for a whole day whenever I am conscious. I went to the dentist thinking they could remove it but they gave it a clean and basically said they can’t see anything else... just concerned that I won’t be able to stop this.... haven’t been able to so far... anyone else had a weird compulsive habit that spontaneously developed and got over it? Sounds stupid but I can’t seem to think about much else .. Cheers.

user9463728 confused
  • replies: 11

hi. ive been really wondering if somethings wrong with me and its stressing me out. i think that i might have ocd but not sure if this is a symptom. every month or so ill read a book, watch a tv show, see a new person or discover a new sport. i becom... View more

hi. ive been really wondering if somethings wrong with me and its stressing me out. i think that i might have ocd but not sure if this is a symptom. every month or so ill read a book, watch a tv show, see a new person or discover a new sport. i become so obsessed with that something that i feel like my whole life revolves around it. i start feeling really guilty (i have no idea why) and like i cant live without it. for example, right now its a tv show. i want to be in the tv show so bad that i start hating my life. (sounds stupid, i know). i was feeling perfectly fine since my last obsession until this one started. i cant do anything without thinking about the show or comparing everything i do to it. i hadnt cried for a long time but these past 2 days i cant stop the feeling of wanting to cry. i keep crying about it but i physically cannot stop myself from watching it. it was like my last obsession, which was figure skating. i discovered the sport and decided right then and there i wanted to be an olympic figure skater. then of course, i spent hours researching everything about the sport and found out most olympic figure skaters started at an extremely young age. i felt so sad i couldnt stop crying and thought that my life had to be based around this. (i didnt even know this sport existed a few hours before this.) i signed myself up for a private figure skating lesson. then 3 days later i woke up and was really confused about what i saw in the sport and cancelled the lesson. that was the end of that obsession. it doesnt sound like much but during the obsession i feel so paralyzed and like i cant escape it. really. is there something wrong with me or is this normal? it is seriously annoying. anyways this was kind of long sorry. thanks.

Gabby_Neill Panic attacks - feeling like not belonging
  • replies: 2

Hi there. This is my first time posting on this forum. I am 31 years old and living with Autism. I recently had 2 (now 3) panic attcks where I felt like I didn't beling/live in my own home, like I belonged/lived somehwere else. These attacks had come... View more

Hi there. This is my first time posting on this forum. I am 31 years old and living with Autism. I recently had 2 (now 3) panic attcks where I felt like I didn't beling/live in my own home, like I belonged/lived somehwere else. These attacks had come out of nowhere. I had tingling in my hands, feet, and mouth, my chest tightened and I felt like I couldn't breathe. It is difficult for me as an Autistic person to calm down and think positively. Anyone else felt like this?

geoff Name your Trigger Points
  • replies: 33

Hi Everyone, interested to know what your trigger points are, and knowing the warning signs that may foreshadow a relapse, can help you to avoid it. These may differ from day to day and in different situations but each one is important to know. -movi... View more

Hi Everyone, interested to know what your trigger points are, and knowing the warning signs that may foreshadow a relapse, can help you to avoid it. These may differ from day to day and in different situations but each one is important to know. -moving house is never good for me, and that's just for starters. All the best. Geoff.

Bibbetyboo What future?
  • replies: 18

Long story short I didnt do well in school at all. I just wasn’t very good at anything. I could write stories but they were hardly readable due to dyslexia that remained undiagnosed. That also affected my ability to tie my shoes, read a clock and tel... View more

Long story short I didnt do well in school at all. I just wasn’t very good at anything. I could write stories but they were hardly readable due to dyslexia that remained undiagnosed. That also affected my ability to tie my shoes, read a clock and tell the difference between left and right as well as limited me to a grade 3 education in Mathematics. Don’t ask me how i got to year 11. I had a mental breakdown due to some seriously bad nightmares that went on for a few years in year 12 and dropped out. I was withdrawn and terribly depressed, my family made fun of me. Fast forward I’m now 36 and have never improved. I’m smarter but i am a recluse. I had a addiction issues with alcohol through my 20’s and due to bad anxiety didnt hold down a job. My family have all but disowned me but were never very loving anyway its where the bulk of my pain comes from. Now i have left another abusive relationship but this time I have a son. He’s 10 months and doing very well but i am the shell of a person. I was homeless and pregnant and have only just managed to claw up a roof over our heads. His father is on an IVO and contributes nothing. I’m saving for a car finally but never learned to drive after many attempts. I dont know who I am. I have no super, no house or assets I’m nearly 40 and have no idea how to get work without family to help take care of my little boy. I have no idea what I am going to do now that i care about someone else. If it were just me I wouldn’t even care but I look at how other family’s at least have pets or siblings or a future and i cant even provide that for him. I love him so much it hurts. I wish i wasn’t such a loser, he deserves better and it’s breaking me into pieces. I am so tired i hardly laugh or smile I’m always sad or angry. I just feel like i wasn’t meant to be for anything and don’t fit anywhere.