Anxiety

Health Anxiety getting the best of me

replies: 5

Hi all, Hope everyone is well. i just came seeking advice/reassurance. I am 33 years old, have suffered from anxiety for a long time, was seeing a psychologist until this year as I thought I was better but I think covid lockdowns got the best of me. ... View more

Hi all, Hope everyone is well. i just came seeking advice/reassurance. I am 33 years old, have suffered from anxiety for a long time, was seeing a psychologist until this year as I thought I was better but I think covid lockdowns got the best of me. Anyway, recently my health anxiety has spiked big time, restless and constant worry set in that something was wrong with me, I decided i’d go and get a blood test and results came back today and one of my levels was elevated, doctor said mild but on the form she gave me it said high levels. Anyway I told her I am suffering big time with health anxiety and this was the last thing I wanted to hear, having anything wrong, she advised me not to worry and just wants to see whats causing this elevated level. I am now booked in for ultrasound and another blood test and won’t get results until Monday next week. As much as she told me not to worry, I am constantly worried, the doctor said to me she over investigates things anyway and also said I should be more concerned about getting Covid rather than whatever this is (weirdly that was somewhat reassuring to me) because I just don’t want whatever this is to be anything sinister. However like with anxiety we overthink and analyze everything that was said and worry about it and think what if they mean this or that etc - she giggled at one point as I asked whats worst case with this and she said I won’t tell you worst case cause that would stress me out - that in itself has stressed me out. My partner told me that if they thought it was really bad, they would send you straight to hospital or refer you to a specialist and not continue doing tests themselves as they are just GP’s. After all of this, I am just in a panic and worry! It’s really hard to cope with! As much as people say don’t worry about it, that is just as hard not to do.

Anxiety out of control

replies: 18

Hi all, My wife and I are (probably) separating due, ironically, to a bout with either anxiety or depression (or both) on her end which has made her feel numb. As a result, my own anxiety has been out of control....multiple panic attacks every day an... View more

Hi all, My wife and I are (probably) separating due, ironically, to a bout with either anxiety or depression (or both) on her end which has made her feel numb. As a result, my own anxiety has been out of control....multiple panic attacks every day and 'fight or flight' jitters the rest of the time....to the point that I cannot even eat, let alone do anything to distract me. I've been on medication for dysthymia, MDD, GAD, and ADHD for quite a while, but medication isn't really cutting it. I have never in my life experienced anything like this. I'm trying so hard to be there for her and to give her the time and space that she needs, but I feel as if I am failing in that regard as she can see right through me. I know I need to get my head right before I can be of any real comfort to her. I've been working at using mindfulness techniques, but much of the time I can't even identify the offending thought. I have had a few moments of respite here and there, but I can't seem to identify a pattern there. Does anyone have any techniques or strategies that I could use to calm my head/body down enough to be able to use mindfulness? I've been like this for well over a month, which simply can't be healthy and is definitely not helping me support my wife.

Depressed about my appearance

replies: 3

Why is it that I constantly compare my appearance to other people. I am a male that is 5 foot 8. I’m 22 years old. At 75kilos. Just today I saw a man that looked better than me, he had a v shaped chest with a six pack abs. He gets plenty of attention... View more

Why is it that I constantly compare my appearance to other people. I am a male that is 5 foot 8. I’m 22 years old. At 75kilos. Just today I saw a man that looked better than me, he had a v shaped chest with a six pack abs. He gets plenty of attention especially from the ladies but I get ignored. No matter how I try too look good I always feel ugly when I go outside. Is there something wrong with me. How do you feel when there’s someone better looking than you? I’m just obsessed with the way I look.

Not good at anything

replies: 4

Hi All, Me again! Ive now been out of work for over a month. Im a registered nurse and finding it impossible to get a job. I feel like this time im more confident in my interviews but i keep getting rejected. Everytime i get asked "what made you leav... View more

Hi All, Me again! Ive now been out of work for over a month. Im a registered nurse and finding it impossible to get a job. I feel like this time im more confident in my interviews but i keep getting rejected. Everytime i get asked "what made you leave your previous job?" I end up breaking down in front of these people running the interview because of what happened at my last job, the harassment, the stalking. I dont know if thats whats bringing me down but i cant help but react that way. Lately the interviews ive been having, after them i just feel incompetent at even being a registered nurse. That feeling intensifies when i get the call or email to say i havent been successful. Im struggling to put more applications in for a job because i just dont feel joy at all doing it. Its a stressful job, and looking back i just have no passion left for nursing. I feel depressed at the thought of going back into nursing, i havent been happy at all working as a nurse. Ive been working in aged care which is the opposite end of where ive always wanted to work(midwifery). Its impossible to get a job in the hospitals when you dont have any hospital training. I just feel too stupid to be a nurse. And after doing some of my midwifery course(undergraduate), i even feel too stupid to be in that. I feel like im severely lacking in something. I hear of people working fulltime and really succeeding in their careers and i have no idea how they do it. I went into nursing thinking a job would be easy to come by and id have a heap of support and further education opportunities but its been the complete opposite. I got extremely burnt out working fulltime, it didnt work with my medication for bipolar. I moved on to part time night shifts and was severely lacking support which lead to the harassment and stalking by another staff. I would love to work in family/child health nursing but thats a 3 year course... even then i feel too stupid for it.. Its like theres no job out there for me, that im too stupid for it all. The guy im seeing has suggested going into hospitality where he works but that scares the crap out of me. Yeah theyre in major need of staff but i know for sure id end up breaking everything or something majorly going wrong and then with so many people to see it. I do those job quizzes to see what i might like but that changes on an almost hourly basis depending on my mood or energy levels. Just feel like i have no fight left. I really dont know what im doing anymore.

Comparison is the death of happiness

replies: 1

Why is it that I constantly compare my appearance to other people. I am a male that is 5 foot 8. I’m 22 years old. At 75kilos. Just today I saw a man that looked better than me, he had a v shaped chest with a six pack abs. He gets plenty of attention... View more

Why is it that I constantly compare my appearance to other people. I am a male that is 5 foot 8. I’m 22 years old. At 75kilos. Just today I saw a man that looked better than me, he had a v shaped chest with a six pack abs. He gets plenty of attention especially from the ladies but I get ignored. No matter how I try too look good I always feel ugly when I go outside. Is there something wrong with me. How do you feel when there’s someone better looking than you?

Feeling out of place

replies: 2

Hello all, Let me give a short clarification ; I have always been what most would call a ‘solitary loner.’ Sure - I’ve had friends! Although I have never HAD A BEST FRIEND REALLY. Although many were not exactly my age. More of the older demographic, ... View more

Hello all, Let me give a short clarification ; I have always been what most would call a ‘solitary loner.’ Sure - I’ve had friends! Although I have never HAD A BEST FRIEND REALLY. Although many were not exactly my age. More of the older demographic, if you will. I just feel incredibly lonely and like such a misfit. I feel like a sore toe that is sticking out, quite hideously and badly. When I finally find someone who I genuinely think could make a great ‘best friend’ I then shortly find out that they already have someone that they call - a best friend. I have never been someone’s best friend. And it really stinks! I suppose, I don’t really like the term ‘best friend’ anyway...come to think of it! I feel so out of place. So disorientated. And even more so utterly devastated and confused. Recently, I was diagnosed with high functioning autism by my psychologist. I proud of myself for getting a proper diagnosis. And above all of that it was a bit of a relief for me. Finally I could identify the problem.. not that autism is a problem as such. I just finally knew that my brain was not wired like a non-autistic person’s. So I think a lot differently to most people. I just feel trapped and heavily misunderstood. I feel like I am just there in the corner and people don’t want to understand me because I am a little eccentric (personality and appearance wise) I feel misunderstood, overlooked and quite honestly a little invisible! Signed a sad, PF

OCD?

replies: 13

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could help me point me in the right direction to get help about my irrational behaviours. The one that affects my life the most at this moment is the number of times I need to vacuum clean a day. To me, it doesn't feel l... View more

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could help me point me in the right direction to get help about my irrational behaviours. The one that affects my life the most at this moment is the number of times I need to vacuum clean a day. To me, it doesn't feel like a big task (as I just use the stick vacuum) to sweep up any crumbs or pet hairs I can see on the floors. But the problem is that it drives my partner crazy. He says it's excessive the amount of times I vacuum (I probably use the stick vacuum about 4-5 times to pick up things from the floor). I know it probably is unreasonable but if I don't do it, I can't relax and feel comfortable. I feel like I'm not even a 'clean freak' because there are other filthy places of the house I won't bother cleaning, it's more the visible things on the floor that I can't stand. I also noticed more recently I can't stand the way the carpet pile goes in different directions and I need it smoothed out. I'll step over uneven patches to make them smooth again (I know this is irrational but I can't stop doing it). During my high school years I had also experienced excessive hand washing that was very detrimental to the skin on my hands - they were always cracked and sore from overwashing. I couldn't get rid of the 'dusty' feeling on my hands and it could only be relieved from washing them with soap. I have no idea how or when I left that behaviour behind but I don't do that anymore. This was more for some background information but I'm more concerned about how I can actually stop the urge to vacuum so often. I KNOW it doesn't need to be done more than once a day, but how do I leave it alone? I feel hopeless because these behaviours are beginning to impact others. Does anyone know whether it sounds like OCD? Because recent articles I've read keep saying that 'OCD isn't about cleanliness etc' so I'm confused as to whether it is. Thank you to anyone who has bothered to read this extremely long post.

My insomnia has insomnia

replies: 5

Well I haven’t been on here in ages. I gotta be honest I’ve been degrading month by month. I normally don’t like talking about stuff lately. You know the old talk positive and she’ll be right attitude - Yea I’m just not feeling it. my ocd is soo bad ... View more

Well I haven’t been on here in ages. I gotta be honest I’ve been degrading month by month. I normally don’t like talking about stuff lately. You know the old talk positive and she’ll be right attitude - Yea I’m just not feeling it. my ocd is soo bad now I’m literally battling mental rituals in my head constantly. Trying some meds but they ain’t helping. I yell things out to shut things down but that barely helps. It’s beyond ridiculous now. I know they are phantom fears, some one tell my brain that. it’s hard to shut down the thousands of negative thoughts I get and even harder to process normal thoughts or tasks whilst these other negative thoughts are in my head. my insomnia is so bad I literally sleep an average of 3 - 4 hours a night and the sleep is crap as. I feel like a crack head but I don’t do drugs. it’s been 18 months now. I am seriously considering the dsp but I only have a clinical psychologist who can help me and a registered psychologist. Is this enough. to be fair I don’t like meds so I do not want to see a psychiatrist again. Meds are too risky for me, I don’t even like the feeling I’m getting currently on my meds. I will persevere for awhile tho on them. Gp meds they are. I know meds now sound like my only option but I was actually doing better seeing my psychologist more regularly. I know I can get out of this without meds but I need time and a hell of a lot of it. Worrying about Centrelink and even the next cert expire is not helping. Cbt from my psychologist will work, I just haven’t seen him in 2 months. Seeing him in 3 days. I will need a dsp for 2 years to sort myself out. If anyone can help me that would be much appreciated. the bladder thing kinda settled down but then all this other crap came up. To be honest I preferred the bladder thing (psychosomatic not anatomical). I have a psychical disability too but I barely even care about that. I would chop off both my legs and 1 hand if it meant having a normal brain. Mental health is soo important it’s not funny

Fearing the fear

replies: 3

I’ve recently begun having panic attacks I’m slowly learning to de escalate myself from them. I’d love some insight on fearing the fear or living in a state of apprehension as this is how I can best describe my anxiety at the moment. I think subconsc... View more

I’ve recently begun having panic attacks I’m slowly learning to de escalate myself from them. I’d love some insight on fearing the fear or living in a state of apprehension as this is how I can best describe my anxiety at the moment. I think subconsciously as I’m not always aware what I was thinking when it happens that I may be sort of stuck in this state of anticipation of something happening. My anxiety was centred mostly around the vaccine oddly it peaked after having it and I started fixating on the physical symptoms of what I assume is the anxiety… the scariest one for me being the heart palpitations and chest pains. I also experience muscle twitches and tensing and shooting pains all over my body. I’ve seen my dr and I have a psychologist appointment next week… I have had some tests and they have come back ok but I can’t shake the invasive thoughts that I have some underlying illness. I want to break free from these thoughts. I’m also finding places I’ve had the palpitations triggering. For example the bath or the shower.. I just got out of the shower and my heart was racing. I busied myself getting dressed etc and it continued I find going outside to sit helpful so I did that and it settled but each time it happens brings me back to the thought cycle. Is it really anxiety? Or do I have some awful heart condition? Any help would be greatly appreciated xx

Anxiety and Muscle Weakness/Shaking/Spasms

replies: 8

Hi all, I'm still fairly new here, but just need to explain what i'm feeling as i currently feel like i am going insane. I've had anxiety/OCD/health anxiety for most of my life, but recently this has escalated a lot. For the past few weeks, for most ... View more

Hi all, I'm still fairly new here, but just need to explain what i'm feeling as i currently feel like i am going insane. I've had anxiety/OCD/health anxiety for most of my life, but recently this has escalated a lot. For the past few weeks, for most days, i feel so incredibly weak and shaky in my arms and legs. When i stand they tremble, i get muscle spasms, i feel like i cannot hold myself up properly and this just sends me into a spiral. Of course i've googled and googled and googled and have made myself believe that i have every condition out there, but i just want to know if other people experience this? The weakness and trembling is particularly in my upper legs and forearms and tends to get bad when i go to bed and right before i fall asleep. I know anxiety can cause many physical sensations, but these are not letting up and i am so concerned. Please let me know if you have felt this way before! Super distressed Thank you!

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