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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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28_and_not_sure Relationship Anxiety, or just Anxiety?
  • replies: 3

I’ve always known I’ve been somewhat anxious. Pretty highly strung day-to-day, but I’m a corporate boy - busy, high pressure days. So always thought that’s just part of what I signed up for. Growing up I always strived to fit in. I’ve got my life und... View more

I’ve always known I’ve been somewhat anxious. Pretty highly strung day-to-day, but I’m a corporate boy - busy, high pressure days. So always thought that’s just part of what I signed up for. Growing up I always strived to fit in. I’ve got my life under control. I’m educated, moneys not an issue, I have a good career, I have a close group of good friends. But I can’t develop a healthy intimate relationship. I’m a relationship sabotager. My mind always goes to the worst, always. If they go out without me I think they’ll cheat. If I notice they’re online on messenger I assume they’re messaging someone else intimately behind my back, then to get rid of these feelings I’ll look for another reason to end the relationship. It’s only just occurred to me that I have a problem. I thought this was normal and I just hadn’t met the right person you. I went to the doctor yesterday now that I’m dating an amazing guy and don’t want to ruin this one. I’ve been referred to a relationship psychologist. reading into anxiety, I’m not sure if it’s relationship anxiety or more broadly anxiety, and I’m not sure if I should get broad help, or specific relationship help. Reading what anxiety truly is, I definitely have it - but I can manage it day to day. I just really don’t want to destroy another relationship with my negative thoughts. I’m desperate for help. I want to be happy in a relationship.

Gretskiez_ Trying to accept anxiety
  • replies: 3

I first got diagnosed with anxiety in August. And since have been seeing a psychologist, I try to use the techniques they’ve given me to cope. But I find it so difficult. There are different levels of anxiety, sometimes I just have mild and I can cop... View more

I first got diagnosed with anxiety in August. And since have been seeing a psychologist, I try to use the techniques they’ve given me to cope. But I find it so difficult. There are different levels of anxiety, sometimes I just have mild and I can cope with the techniques I’ve learnt. Then I suffer major anxiety and nothing seems to help me. I suffer panic attacks, and what I think is health anxiety because my brain tells me there is something wrong with my heart, or that I have MS. On Tuesday I decided to try antidepressants that my GP prescribed, but they sent me into a major panic, and I almost went into hospital, I was sick for two days. This was incredibly upsetting for me because I have a 3 year old and a 19month old. I hate that they have to see me struggle, crying, vomiting, having no patience, etc. since Tuesday my anxiety has been eating me alive, I have felt derealisation. I can’t eat, I feel so lightheaded and dizzy. I don’t want to live life like this, I hate anxiety, I hate that I can’t control it, and it really scares me that it’s going to have a terrible impact on my young children. I just am finding it so hard to accept that I have anxiety, and that it’s here to stay. I’m so scared that medications aren’t going to be able to help me, I’m just fearful of so much, and that’s because of my anxiety.

44Max44 Tips on how to be less awkward and socialize more in social settings
  • replies: 5

So I've just gotten back from holiday celebrations with my family, and I honestly couldn't be more relieved. I am so so bad at socializing, I can't help but think that I'm constantly being awkward, and I just don't know what to talk to people about. ... View more

So I've just gotten back from holiday celebrations with my family, and I honestly couldn't be more relieved. I am so so bad at socializing, I can't help but think that I'm constantly being awkward, and I just don't know what to talk to people about. For a lot of people socializing comes easy, but for me it takes 110% of my brain power just to have a 5 minute long conversation. I don't know what to do with myself, I don't know what to say, I just don't know what to do at all. In all honestly I'd rather have nobodies company but my own, but I also love my family and want to interact with them to show them that. I'm 21 years old yet I feel like a child. Because of all of the above I've just become super withdrawn and try to socialize as little as I can. In the rare occasion that I'm out socializing I'll just be sitting by myself, not talking at all unless if I'm spoken to first, and just looking around the place pretending like I'm absorbing the scenery or something when in actual fact I'm just constantly worrying in my head. Instead of enjoying myself I'm just patiently waiting to get back to my room and be by myself again so I can relax. I think I have ASD or maybe ADHD but I'm yet to get a diagnoses, so that could explain my behaivour, but it could also just be a lack of social 'training' and my anxiety. I also injured my eardrum as a kid so I think I'm partially deaf in one ear so I'm constantly having to ask people to repeat themselves, or I pretend like I heard what they said and just agree/laugh/whatever else and hope that was the right response to what they're saying. It's eating away at me. I hate it. I just want to be normal in social settings but I don't know how to be. Online I am completely fine with talking to people, but face-to-face I'm almost always silent. If anyone else is like this or was like this, what are some helpful tips you could provide? What's something I could do to get better with my social skills? I've never gone to a psychologist but I'm thinking I will in 2021. Thanks guys.

Whatsinaname Social media and anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi all, Apologies if this has been touched on before but a quick search didn't show up much. I've always had anxiety around people to some degree, but with social media it's really hard because its always "there." I used to have a fake name on my Fac... View more

Hi all, Apologies if this has been touched on before but a quick search didn't show up much. I've always had anxiety around people to some degree, but with social media it's really hard because its always "there." I used to have a fake name on my Facebook but felt like I was hiding so have since changed it back. Today I was scrolling through tictok and a random live video from someone I dont know came up, which I usually skip, but it said "you are mentioned in this live video" the lady then proceeded to say "hi xxxx" which really freaked me out. Odds are its some kind of add because I quickly scrolled on but then went back and it seemed to start from where it did the first time but in my panic I closed it and will never see it again (unless it an add haha). I've also never done a live video so it potentially just tells them who has just started viewing. But just wondering if anyone else finds it hard to be available online for anyone to find. Not even sure why I dont like it but its something that always makes me uncomfortable. Thanks as always,

riddle95 Anxious about the beginnings of a relapse
  • replies: 2

Hi. I'm not really sure how I am feeling at the moment. The past couple days have been a little weird and I say that because I am feeling anxiety in my chest out of the blue and having real negative/depressive like thoughts/feelings that have come on... View more

Hi. I'm not really sure how I am feeling at the moment. The past couple days have been a little weird and I say that because I am feeling anxiety in my chest out of the blue and having real negative/depressive like thoughts/feelings that have come on suddenly. It sort of started around Christmas I would say. Nothing bad has happened that I can identify as a trigger but the other night I got really drunk with some friends at a get together. I had an amazing night and i'm a happy drunk. And then when everyone went to bed I just got really sad and was wide awake and I ended up contacting a helpline because I kept crying about past trauma memories came up and I felt like dying and such. I just remember talking to the counsellor over message and then I eventually went to sleep. Now the past couple days I have felt little bits of sadness and like something is wrong for what seems like no reason. Last year I had major depression / suicidal tendencies and it has been a year (just over) since I was in hospital and I haven't had any real depressive like episodes since. I'm scared I'm about to relapse and I feel like I have done something wrong and like it is my fault that this is happening. I don't know what I should do.

Manalishi Anxiety is becoming debilitating
  • replies: 48

Hello, first time poster here, been suffering from anxiety for around 6 weeks now, I haven't received a formal diagnosis yet, but I've arranged an appointment to set up a mental healthcare plan, and over the course of multiple GP and Emergency Room v... View more

Hello, first time poster here, been suffering from anxiety for around 6 weeks now, I haven't received a formal diagnosis yet, but I've arranged an appointment to set up a mental healthcare plan, and over the course of multiple GP and Emergency Room visits we've ruled out just about everything else. During the last week it seems to have gotten particularly bad, with my anxiety/panic attacks increasing in frequency, along with more occurrences of symptoms such as chest pain, and tingling in my extremities and around the base of my skull. Most recently, a new symptom has appeared which is giving me significant trouble sleeping. I'll go to bed, and then start to nod off, and then seconds later I'll get what feels like a massive adrenaline rush, and be completely unable to sleep, even when I was dead tired moments before. Despite the all-clear from the ER and my GP, it's hard not to be scared when symptoms such as this appear, any help you folks can provide would be greatly appreciated.

MyGordon Is anyone up?
  • replies: 6

My name is Matt and I have a terminal illness I am 43 years old. I have no friends and no family the keep contact with me, And the only people I see how the salvos and Uniting go drop the food off to me once a week. Early this morning on Christmas Da... View more

My name is Matt and I have a terminal illness I am 43 years old. I have no friends and no family the keep contact with me, And the only people I see how the salvos and Uniting go drop the food off to me once a week. Early this morning on Christmas Day my best friend in the world and the only thing that keeps me going, my 2 year old carer dog “Gordon” was poisoned when he ate the Christmas hamper that was delivered to me by a kind nurse the other day. The hamper had fruit mince pies in it which contained sultanas, and because I have had brain surgery which failed badly, I have a left with many side-effects from the surgery such as one which is similar to narcolepsy where I just “Black out“ Asleep without notice. That was what happened when Gordon ate the fruit mince pies - (I normally keep an eye on him like an eagle, not because he needs it, because he’s my boy and my best friend and my only companion - but because I was blacked out asleep and hadn’t fed Gordon yet early this morning, The little fella found a way of jumping up onto my kitchen bench and getting into the Christmas hamper. I woke up some seven hours later, at around 11 am, and saw what Gordon had eaten, and immediately rushed him via taxi because there is no one who can help me, to an emergency vet. He is currently on some kind of dialysis machine which flushes his kidneys to get rid of the toxins from the sultanas, and is in a very very bad way. so I have spent Christmas today on my own without my best friend who might die, and of course I think its all my fault even though it’s over and done with now, that he manage to jump up onto the kitchen table and ate these things which poisoned him. Gordon is in the right place and is being looked after, and I have just finished scrambling to find someone who will take me to the vet tomorrow morning because I am out of money now, so that I can check on Gordon because they have given me special permission so that I can stay with Gordon as long as I want to tomorrow however I’m definitely not doing well so I just did a google search for “Xmas lonely live chat Australia”, and this forum was the only thing that pretty much popped up. so I’m just wondering if there’s anyone out there who wouldn’t mind saying hello as I’m extremely traumatised and lonely and missing my best mate more than you could believe right now.

thehalocline Panic Attacks
  • replies: 2

I've been struggling with panic attacks recently, specifically late at night. Ive tried breathing techniques but I always feel the need to do something physical. Usually I will got for a run to get out of a panic attack but am unable to do that when ... View more

I've been struggling with panic attacks recently, specifically late at night. Ive tried breathing techniques but I always feel the need to do something physical. Usually I will got for a run to get out of a panic attack but am unable to do that when its so late and dark. Do you have any suggestions of what I can do to help with my panic attacks?

Rach93 Health Anxiety! Pls help
  • replies: 6

Hi, I really would like some others to talk to about health anxiety - at the moment I am so distressed I can barely cope I don’t move out of bed nothing ! I feel every sensation in my body and I keep obsessing over the fact that I have MS, it’s like ... View more

Hi, I really would like some others to talk to about health anxiety - at the moment I am so distressed I can barely cope I don’t move out of bed nothing ! I feel every sensation in my body and I keep obsessing over the fact that I have MS, it’s like I read the symptoms then they start happening to me or it feels like I have every single one. I know I have anxiety but I’ve never experienced it like this before and that just makes me think even more I have MS, I ended up in emergency last night he did a full exam on my body like reflexes , pushing and pulling away with my legs and arms and he said everything seemed normal but to still request MRI at the drs. I am so scared I am going to the drs tomorrow but it feels like the longest wait I’ve ever experienced.. i feel so alone even though I’m not and im so so scared

Kay8305 Struggling to concentrate
  • replies: 8

Hi everyone, Iʻve just been having a hard time of concentrating when trying to do my work, and it just cycles into me struggling to get things done which then causes more backlog and overwhelm. Iʻm just so tired of it. Any tiny thing that goes wrong ... View more

Hi everyone, Iʻve just been having a hard time of concentrating when trying to do my work, and it just cycles into me struggling to get things done which then causes more backlog and overwhelm. Iʻm just so tired of it. Any tiny thing that goes wrong in the day and thatʻs my concentration done; itʻs just brain fog and no motivation from there. Iʻve tried lots of the usual strategies, but nothing seems to be working. Itʻs hard, and Iʻm sure many of us have experienced this, but itʻs just so isolating. Everyone else can just get their stuff done and go about their day and it feels like Iʻm just dragging behind, barely able to just focus on one thing. Are there lots of people who experience this and if so, what has worked to help? Thanks so much for all of your time!