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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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Christie123 I don’t know what to do (quite a drama Queen aren’t I😂)
  • replies: 6

I make these fake scenarios in my head. I become so invested in them I find myself forgetting where I am and who I am with. There is one I usually have where I lose my entire family at a young age and I do it purposely to cry and justify how sad I ca... View more

I make these fake scenarios in my head. I become so invested in them I find myself forgetting where I am and who I am with. There is one I usually have where I lose my entire family at a young age and I do it purposely to cry and justify how sad I can get. I also imagine be being widely successful at the things I do because I have never done that and I enjoy the feeling it gives me. I imagine how smart I can be or how pretty I am and I read somewhere that is might be anxiety but I don’t know.I use these scenarios to deal with issues that in my real life, I fail to deal with properly. I fail a test or say something stupid and these scenarios help be see what I could’ve done and for some reason they make it better. I was great for a while but every now and then the scenario breaks and I am back to reality. I lose it and it hurts. I don’t have those same feelings and I am just sad. It was my own world to escape and express myself and I lost it. I don’t know what I need. I am anxious all the time and I feel terrible all the time and these things where just the way I coped and now they’re gone and I don’t know what to do with myself.

Sweesoft Anxiety and COVID-19
  • replies: 18

We're you able to adapt to the changes during the lockdowns? What did you do to cope up? This has been a stressful year and there's just no sign of hope I guess. Everything's still crazy!

We're you able to adapt to the changes during the lockdowns? What did you do to cope up? This has been a stressful year and there's just no sign of hope I guess. Everything's still crazy!

JontyC Should a mental health hospital be providing emotional support when needed for GAD?
  • replies: 2

Hi, After 8 weeks struggling with anxiety and depression (tears/tremors/nausea), my 75 y.o mother entered a mental health hospital yesterday on the advice of her GP. Although one day is too early to draw any conclusions, my mother has been finding th... View more

Hi, After 8 weeks struggling with anxiety and depression (tears/tremors/nausea), my 75 y.o mother entered a mental health hospital yesterday on the advice of her GP. Although one day is too early to draw any conclusions, my mother has been finding there's no staff for emotional support she can call on when she's crying and shaking bad and just needs to be comforted, be told things will be ok etc. At home she at least had emotional support from myself (came to stay with her over the last 6 weeks), and neighbours would constantly call in. She would do housework and potter in the garden distract herself - but all this is gone. With Covid, she's not allowed to leave the premises. Talking to other inpatients, they unaminously tell her about the lack of emotional support there compared to other places they have been. She's now very concerned. So I find myself in the position of not knowing if this is an intentional, cold-turkey, break dependence on others part of the therapy, or it's just not a good hospital for her.

Guest_342 Feeling anxious
  • replies: 4

Hello, Having a bit of an anxious day. I needed to get a massage today so searched carefully online for a nice place and chose one because they had an open (ie transparent glass) shop front, it seemed clean and they said they are COVID safe. i was ru... View more

Hello, Having a bit of an anxious day. I needed to get a massage today so searched carefully online for a nice place and chose one because they had an open (ie transparent glass) shop front, it seemed clean and they said they are COVID safe. i was running about two mins late and google maps said I had arrived and pointed to the parlour. I noticed the name was different and the whole window was not transparent (had pictures on it). Because I was late I didn't question it too much - I said I'm sorry for being late and asked if this is [abc] massage - the lady said yes and I asked have they got a new name and she said yes. She might not have understood me - English was not good. She didn't seem to understand I had made an appointment. The place was a little dingy and she did not wear a mask and when I asked to sign in for COVID at the end she didn't understand - I wrote my name and number on a post-it note. I didn't know what else to do. I feel fairly safe here in Melb with our low numbers but I got very anxious leaving. That was made worse when I drove away and down the rd about 100m I passed the correct place. I felt terrible for them. And it looks like a beautiful place. I noticed a missed call and called when i got home to explain - I don't think they understood vey well and said they waited a long time for me but thanked me for my call. I don't know why but I felt dirty and felt the need to scrub when I got home. Now I feel like I shouldn't see anyone for a few days? But then the rational me says masks are only required in a small list of places here now and there are so many close interactions we all have without masks now - eg beauty therapists, hairdressers, cafes, etc. and we can't isolate from society every time we do these things. And I did my bit to record my name and number and used hand sanitiser. I felt the same anxiety when I travelled my plane interstate and a person behind me had their mask hanging from one ear and continued to wipe their nose and sniff the whole flight - I didn't see any friends/family on my return until I knew I didn't get sick. This is exhausting if I do it every time, because the pandemic will go on for a while yet. I know I have given support to some people here about health anxiety, but I too occasionally fall into difficult times where for some reason my anxiety is OTT. i suppose I'm just looking for some opinions or reassurance.

Guest_1573 I'm Falling Apart!
  • replies: 8

Hi all Yes me again. Going around in circles with my multiple symptoms that plague me night and day. Some history since August 2020. I had severe pain in chest and thoracic region. I had full bloods taken and xrays. All clear except I do have a herni... View more

Hi all Yes me again. Going around in circles with my multiple symptoms that plague me night and day. Some history since August 2020. I had severe pain in chest and thoracic region. I had full bloods taken and xrays. All clear except I do have a herniated disc in thoracic spine. Have been undergoing physio for that. That abated somewhat then in November I started having pain in my throat and ear. Since then I have seen three doctors; an oral surgeon and a dentist. Had a scan of lymph nodes; all clear. Had another full blood count; all clear. Doctor says I have TMJD, Glossopharyngeal neuralgia and 'health anxiety' (who wouldn't when one has so many symptoms?!). Nobody has given me any idea of what to do about this. The dentist said I have 'elongated styloid processes' which can cause Eagle Syndrome. The symptoms of which are what I am suffering from . To add to this I now have globus and a severe pain in neck. Going to chiropractor tomorrow and will ask GP for a ct scan as it feels like my neck is out of alignment; which too can cause all of these symptoms. Surely if there was something sinister the bloods or lymph scan would show something? I am in pain from my entire head to my mid back. Everything hurts! Ear, neck, throat, eyes, head, shoulders......I am also peri menopausal so I doubt that is helping me. Deep down I think my symptoms are worse due to the worry I feel all the time. Again; I am pursuing further tests to find out what is going on with my neck and styloid processes. I feel totally let down by the health care system. I am sure they just think I am a middle aged hypochondriac. My entire life is spent going to doctors, physio, acupuncture; trying to stay off google....it is driving me mad and my 'quality' of life is severely compromised. I guess I just wondered if others have had the same kind of situtation; where everyone seems to palm one off and one is expected to just get over it. Thanks for reading.

InQuestOfPeace Help With MRCP (Pancreas)
  • replies: 1

Note to the moderators- I am new to the website and thought this is the relevant section to post my query. Please accept my sincere apologies in advance if this is not the right section. Hello guys, My wife has been struggling on the health front fro... View more

Note to the moderators- I am new to the website and thought this is the relevant section to post my query. Please accept my sincere apologies in advance if this is not the right section. Hello guys, My wife has been struggling on the health front from last 1 year and has gone through series of tests. Today I took her for MRCP (MRI of Pancreas, Bile Ducts, Liver etc) and after the scan we were told to wait for the reports. After 15 minutes of waiting we were handed over only the images and no “report”. By report I mean the summary and diagnosis. When we asked about the report we were told that our referring doctor will interpret himself by going through the images. We asked the technician/radiologist if test was ok. He politely replied that they are not authorized to discuss that and we should see our doctor. This is really new to us. For all the ultrasounds, CT scans , xrays etc in the past we were handed over the images along with a paper which will detail the findings. This incident is making my anxiety worse. Can someone please tell me if this is a standard operating procedure for MRCP? Is it because they found something serious and wants our doctor to discuss with us? We have never been to this imaging centre before. Can this be their policy? Please help as I am feeling dead worried. Earliest I can get hold of the doctor is after 10 days. Looking forward for some help. Thank you

HarriettG I feel like something is always wrong
  • replies: 6

Hello, ive never done one of these so I’ll just jump right into it. recently I went to the emergency room with fast heart rate of 150, hot flushes, dizziness and shortness of breath. I’ve had blood tests and a full CBC and a chest X-ray, all which ca... View more

Hello, ive never done one of these so I’ll just jump right into it. recently I went to the emergency room with fast heart rate of 150, hot flushes, dizziness and shortness of breath. I’ve had blood tests and a full CBC and a chest X-ray, all which came back normal, so it was put down to anxiety. Since I have been anxious that they were wrong as symptoms are still appearing. I have recently noticed I am very nauseas, have a cough and still feel dizzy every now and then. I also wake up in the morning with an extremely fast heart rate. I know that tests have been done by many doctors and are normal but I still worry something is wrong. I have trouble sleeping at night worrying that I won’t wake up in the morning and worry during the day that I will end up in hospital again.

Mike194578 Not sure if I have anxiety or not?
  • replies: 1

Hey guys, I have never been diagnosed with anxiety or anything like that before. The past decade or so, I have noticed at times, when I have a conversation with someone, I get a shortness of breath. It is quite rare, maybe a few times a year? It has ... View more

Hey guys, I have never been diagnosed with anxiety or anything like that before. The past decade or so, I have noticed at times, when I have a conversation with someone, I get a shortness of breath. It is quite rare, maybe a few times a year? It has happened to me in job interviews and even over the phone. The weird thing is though, that it happens most when talking to my brother or mother, who I am extremely comfortable with. Getting shortness of breath in a job interview or at a random breath test or something like that is understandable, but why with your immediate family? This also happens very rarely, as I talk to my immediate family almost on a daily basis just fine. The topic of conversation doesn't seem to have an impact, as just today my brother called up to tell me about a new cafe that opened which had an arcade machine in there. We are both into video games. Does anyone know if this would be classified as anxiety or something else? I have never had a panic attack, hot and cold flushes or any of the classical symptoms of anxiety.

Snez Scared l have seriouse illness.
  • replies: 5

Hi i have some strange blood results that cannot be explained, and the doctor doesn’t seemed concerned, even though l have strange symptoms. I want to ask more questions but am so afraid of the answer and the anxiety over this is ruining my life. I j... View more

Hi i have some strange blood results that cannot be explained, and the doctor doesn’t seemed concerned, even though l have strange symptoms. I want to ask more questions but am so afraid of the answer and the anxiety over this is ruining my life. I just don’t know what to do. I have tried CBT and it’s not working.

Icey Car travel
  • replies: 3

When travelling in a car I have an strange urge that I am going to fall out of the side I am sitting on. I also have a compulsion to want to open the car door. So far I have successfully managed to talk myself down everytime this occurs. I have no re... View more

When travelling in a car I have an strange urge that I am going to fall out of the side I am sitting on. I also have a compulsion to want to open the car door. So far I have successfully managed to talk myself down everytime this occurs. I have no reason to want to hurt myself. I do not want to hurt myself. But the compulsion stays. I have panic attacks whilst travelling in a car, and end up covered in sweat and feel as though I am going to pass out. It has only occurred the past 10 months, I have been to Dr, Optometrist, Eye Specialist, had holtier monitoring, an MRI of the brain and nothing has given an answer of what is occurring. I feel as though I am going crazy as how can such a normal day to day thing cause me so much panic and anxiety. I also feel so alone as anyone I talk to just dismisses it or has no understanding. I just feel so lost and don't know what to do. Please has anyone else experienced this at all I can't keep going like this, I'm so afraid I am going to become housebound.