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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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Nightwing81 Living with anxiety
  • replies: 4

Hi all! I wanted to get some tips from people on what you do to reduce your anxiety. I'm doing remedial massage and exercise. I'm trying meditation but I'm finding it hard to focus because my mind doesn't stop racing. Any suggestions welcome!! View more

Hi all! I wanted to get some tips from people on what you do to reduce your anxiety. I'm doing remedial massage and exercise. I'm trying meditation but I'm finding it hard to focus because my mind doesn't stop racing. Any suggestions welcome!!

Shelton Anxiety and panic after stopping smoking
  • replies: 18

I've never suffered with anxiety or panic attacks before but after finally stopping smoking four months ago, I've been struggling with insecurity. All the books say the anxiety from nicotine withdrawal should have stopped by now so what am I left wit... View more

I've never suffered with anxiety or panic attacks before but after finally stopping smoking four months ago, I've been struggling with insecurity. All the books say the anxiety from nicotine withdrawal should have stopped by now so what am I left with? Im seeing a psychologist and working closely with my GP but just wondered if anyone else struggled with this.

AverageAusGuy Anxiety- waiting for my test results
  • replies: 8

Hi all, So I struggle with health related anxiety as well as generalised anxiety and depression. In fact I usually try to avoid going to the doctor at all costs (due to my anxiety) but recently I decided that I want to take better care of my health a... View more

Hi all, So I struggle with health related anxiety as well as generalised anxiety and depression. In fact I usually try to avoid going to the doctor at all costs (due to my anxiety) but recently I decided that I want to take better care of my health and get regular check ups. Recently I had a skin check and the doctor removed a tiny suspicious mole (that I didn't even realise I had) to send away for a cancer test. Now I am a wreck waiting for my results. Like alot of people who have health related anxiety my mind is immediately going to the worst case scenario. I almost wish I didn't get the check done as I have been mostly in control of my anxiety lately and I hate this feeling. My life has been great lately and my anxiety hasn't affected me at all until I had to do this test. I am sure that almost everyone who lives in Australia has had to get a mole removed and a cancer test at some point in their life. I keep telling myself that this is a normal part of life but my health anxiety keeps affecting me. I just assume that whatever can go wrong will definitely go wrong for me. If anyone has had similar experiences or tips I would be glad to hear them. Especially if it relates to waiting on health related results or skin cancer checks. Thank you.

Guest5734 Escalating anxiety over social expectations at new job
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, I started a new job a month ago. I always find work pretty stressful, especially new jobs. This time it's worse, because this follows a period of unemployment and I've had to move for the job too. As a result, I find work really tiring. ... View more

Hi everyone, I started a new job a month ago. I always find work pretty stressful, especially new jobs. This time it's worse, because this follows a period of unemployment and I've had to move for the job too. As a result, I find work really tiring. Everything is objectively going well, and my immediate team and supervisor are really nice. However, at the end of the day and especially the end of the week, I'm exhausted. The rest of the cohort who started with me (it's a grad program) always go out for Friday drinks. Sometimes I can drag myself out until 7-8pm, though I don't really drink, but at that point I become so exhausted that I can barely keep my eyes open, and feel like crying. The other people seem to stay out until after midnight, and as a result seem to be bonding better. I just feel like everyone must think I'm really unsociable, or even undedicated to my job or unambitious. There seem to be extremely high expectations of people who start in the grad program. I'm pretty intimidated by other grads who openly talk about how to become CEO, etc (and their advice usually seems to involve saying you should go out with colleagues all night every Friday). I'm too scared to intimate that that's not really my goal. I just want to find an interesting/challenging role where I can contribute and apply my skills, but I don't think I'd be good at nor enjoy managing a lot of people. Unfortunately, it's getting to the point where I am more and more anxious as Friday approaches, as I simultaneously want to find excuses not to go out, and feel bad about doing so. I keep having insomnia because I am so worried about this. I have even started cancelling most other activities outside of work, that I enjoy, to try to have more energy, but this just makes me sad. I enjoy other social activities, especially in smaller groups, so it's not that I'm a misanthrope or anything. I don't even think I really have social anxiety, though I've been diagnosed with other anxiety disorders including GAD, OCD and panic attacks (this situation seems to be setting off the GAD, but haven't had any panic attacks thankfully). I just find it stressful being around a lot of people for a long time, so by the time it's 8-9pm and I've been in the office (open-plan) and then out for drinks for 12+ continuous hours, I really can't stand it anymore. But I'm getting more and more stressed that people will perceive me negatively for not going to drinks, or always being the first to leave.

ReachOut83 Trying to move forward
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, thank you for taking the time to read my post. I have had depression and anxiety most of my life. I struggle with shyness, but at times I become very lonely. I’m trying to move forward with my life. At this point in time I am unemployed.... View more

Hi everyone, thank you for taking the time to read my post. I have had depression and anxiety most of my life. I struggle with shyness, but at times I become very lonely. I’m trying to move forward with my life. At this point in time I am unemployed. I am trying to get on top of my mental and physical health. I have multiple appointments coming up with diabetes educator, diabetes specialist and a psychiatry appointment. It’s a lonely road doing it all by myself, but I’m a survivor and I will do it! At this point in time, I have a lot of anxiety about getting back into the workforce. I was in a job where I was constantly bullied, humiliated, and threatened with dismissal almost on a daily basis. My fear is, is that it could potentially happen again. I’m a shy person. I suppose I am what you might call a people pleaser. My previous girlfriend really wanted me to take this job where I was constantly bullied everyday, so I could get her this expensive engagement ring. I have hopefully learned my lesson about sacrificing my own happiness for someone else’s isn’t worth it. A lot of the the time I get quite lonely, and will take myself out to the beach, or to a cafe somewhere. At this point in time my focus is my mental and physical health, then I will start looking for work. Hopefully in the second half of the year I can enrol myself into Tafe to do a course in metal fabrication. I got the meetup app today and found a shyness group that meet for coffee on Sundays. I still have struggles with my sleep, I am awake most of the night and sleep right though to midday. At times I struggle with suicidal thoughts and anger with all of the bullying that I have experienced. Not just in the workplace, but during my adolescence also. Hopefully after my appointment with the psychiatrist tomorrow, I can start to heal and make some positive changes in my life. Thank you for stopping by to read my thread. kind regards.

phillips__ frequent chronic overthinking about whether i've been rude or offended somebody- please help
  • replies: 3

Basically, I have a habit of going to bed and then thinking through what I did and said that day, and then getting caught up in little bits of conversation or my actions and whether they offended somebody, or made me come across as rude. I usually en... View more

Basically, I have a habit of going to bed and then thinking through what I did and said that day, and then getting caught up in little bits of conversation or my actions and whether they offended somebody, or made me come across as rude. I usually end up finding some little thing to fixate on and then obsess over whether I was out of line, and I'm tired of it. It takes a lot of energy, but I can't stop doing it until I'm sure that the other person has forgotten about it or was not offended in the first place (which are both very hard things to find out), or until I find something new to fixate on and let that fester in my brain instead. For example, last week, my teacher asked me to answer a question but addressed me by the name of one of my classmates, instead of my actual name. I stared at him for a few seconds (I remember not really knowing what to do) until my classmate (whose name was called instead of mine) told him that he had called her name instead, and then he went to check the class list and finally said the right name. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but now I'm really worried. I feel like I overreacted a lot, and now he probably thinks I'm rude. Names are important and all, but he IS a busy man and probably has to remember a ton of names, plus it's an honest mistake that everybody makes. I should've just corrected him politely and then carried on, but nO I had to stare at him, and now I've spent two hours panicking over it. I'm trying to console myself that he probably has forgotten by now, but even so, I feel like it was really rude of me to do that, and I have no way of contacting him to apologise. This happens too frequently to be healthy. Please help me out and be honest- was I rude??

Weaponsofmassdisstortion Well that's it, the support I once recieved is finished
  • replies: 2

I am now officially on my own. Cast adrift once again. As of the first of March I am no longer a member of the support group that helped me get through the lockdown. No more in depth talks. No more long emails back and forth. No more going to art gro... View more

I am now officially on my own. Cast adrift once again. As of the first of March I am no longer a member of the support group that helped me get through the lockdown. No more in depth talks. No more long emails back and forth. No more going to art group. I wish I had a time machine. I wish I could go back to about 8 years ago; When I was holding down four crappy jobs. When I was part of another support group. When I had friends who had mental health problems like me. Before the NDIS came along ruined everything. I was living in a crappy share house. I was hated by a large group of people because of vicious rumours. I was broke. I was always tired. But I didn't care. I felt as if I was where I belonged. That was a high point of my life. Back then I was almost happy.

2981Froggy Anxiety about a girl
  • replies: 2

Hi Everyone, I've been seeing a girl that i have developed feelings for, on most weekends (only when drunk) and she's been coming back to mine every time. We have a bit of fun, where she usually leaves anywhere between 5-9am. I like her and want to p... View more

Hi Everyone, I've been seeing a girl that i have developed feelings for, on most weekends (only when drunk) and she's been coming back to mine every time. We have a bit of fun, where she usually leaves anywhere between 5-9am. I like her and want to potentially take her on a date, but creating plans are hard and just never eventuate, yet we are still seeing each other on nights out. I recently found out she went on a date with a friend of mine a little after we had met (not an issue), but now i feel like she's going on dates every weekend with guys (except me). Obviously i dont know if this is true and I've been getting anxiety about her which is ruining my day to day activities. We still speak here and there during the week, but see each other when drunk. How did you guys overcome these types of situations and deal with the struggles of wanting someone, who although seeing them, hasnt confirmed they wanted you? (even though they were still seeing you and being intimate, multiple times on a weekly basis). The Anxiety levels are high and i obviously imagine the worst (that she's with/dating/kissing others), even though its probably not true. Thanks in advance

Riche Anxiety and panic attack
  • replies: 1

Hi I am 27 and 16 weeks pregnant. I used to work full time before and due to my worst first trimester I had to quit my job and stay back home. My husband works double and I am home most of the time. I get panicked waking up in the morning finding no ... View more

Hi I am 27 and 16 weeks pregnant. I used to work full time before and due to my worst first trimester I had to quit my job and stay back home. My husband works double and I am home most of the time. I get panicked waking up in the morning finding no one in the house as well couldn’t sleep with lots of headache. i don’t know what am I supposed to do. I really want to involve myself somewhere but I haven’t found anything around. I live in Perth, not much friends and family it’s me and my husband. Please help me and any suggestions are acceptable.

Atmraanedgaer Anxiety disorder symptoms
  • replies: 2

Hi Ive been suffering aniexty symptoms for more than a year now. I had it under control and then bam it came back. I'm getting the tingling sensation in my body, it feels like something is crawling under my skin sometimes. My neck and shoulders are a... View more

Hi Ive been suffering aniexty symptoms for more than a year now. I had it under control and then bam it came back. I'm getting the tingling sensation in my body, it feels like something is crawling under my skin sometimes. My neck and shoulders are always sore as I clench my teeth alot and cause pain in my jaw and neck, I'm constantly at the osteo trying to realise the pain. It also gives me headaches and blocked ears and sore teeth. I can't help clenching my teeth I don't realise I'm even doing it half the time. I'm extremely irritable and am always yelling at my children to the point I just want to scream and get in my car and drive off ( which I could never do). I'm sick of the dizziness and feeling light I'm going to faint or fall over. I'm exhausted everyday and struggle with doing normal day to day activities, even cooking dinner is such an effort and I tend to not eat healthy as I don't want to cook. My husband is unwell he is over worked and overweight and was told if he doesn't lose weight he won't have a future as he is close to getting heart disease and only has one kidney and that's not doing well. This makes it feel like my fault as I am struggling with my mental health I struggle to help him with his and providing healthy meals. I'm trying to eat better, exercise and meditate but I just struggle and getting help is too expensive and we really can't afford the psychology appts. I'm lost and feel like I'm stuck like this and it won't get better, and struggling with the aniexty symptoms is really hard. Does anyone else struggle with these symptoms and how do you cope. Please help, some days I feel like giving in to it as it's just so exhausting fighting aniexty