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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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jan_p How to contact and find a good doctor that I can trust
  • replies: 3

Severe anxiety makes me unable to talk or function in life I need help contacting a good doctor I can trust, I’m just so nervous and anxious and frustrated because I can’t communicate

Severe anxiety makes me unable to talk or function in life I need help contacting a good doctor I can trust, I’m just so nervous and anxious and frustrated because I can’t communicate

bill12345 Health Anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi i’m 17 and i’ve had bad health anxiety and OCD for the last 3 years. Recently i’ve been having trouble with my plastic retainers as it has some holes in and i worry that i swallow these pieces at night and that it could scratch my insides and i co... View more

Hi i’m 17 and i’ve had bad health anxiety and OCD for the last 3 years. Recently i’ve been having trouble with my plastic retainers as it has some holes in and i worry that i swallow these pieces at night and that it could scratch my insides and i could die. This has stopped me wearing my retainers and now i worry my teeth are going back to wonky even though i have work my retainers for like a year and a half now. How do i get over this

Margot265 Anxiety and PTSD from consumption of drugs
  • replies: 5

Hi everyone, this is the first time I am posting. I have a history of anxiety during school, which led me to have social anxiety disorder and became very self conscious about my appearance. I tend to feel embarrased for flushed when people talk to me... View more

Hi everyone, this is the first time I am posting. I have a history of anxiety during school, which led me to have social anxiety disorder and became very self conscious about my appearance. I tend to feel embarrased for flushed when people talk to me and constantly think my face is going red (sometimes it isn’t even). However, as some do , like myself, stupidly took illicit substances to make me feel invincible. Or make this embarrased anxious feeling go away and like nothing will let me down. However I have only taken them 6 times approximately over 2 years. 1 year ago I was peer pressured and in a horrible situation that led me to consume substances when I was intoxicated and this let me to overdose and go to hospital. I took an illicit substance recently at a party about 2 months and since then have regretted it. I’m not sure why I do it even though I have had negative experiences each time from consuming them. I have started to feel anxious before I go to sleep and my panic attacks have increased and sometimes I feel like I’m going to die. I link the feeling of panic to when I had consumed drugs as the same feeling as each time I freaked out when I did it and sweated profusely and couldn’t breathe. Each time I had taken a drug I regretted it, I’m not sure why I do it and I’m not sure if my panic attacks are like PTSD. I constantly feel like I have ruined my body from consuming drugs a couple of times and think my brain is ruined. I know these may be thoughts but please let me know if anyone has had simialr experiences or willing to help

Charlie2505 Surely this can’t be anxiety???
  • replies: 4

This started in February. I was walking to work, felt dizzy, heart racing, tight chest, left arm numb. Sat down, tried to recoup. 3 hours later, I was in the ED, convinced I was having a heart attack. Blood test, lung X-ray, ECG, blood pressure. All ... View more

This started in February. I was walking to work, felt dizzy, heart racing, tight chest, left arm numb. Sat down, tried to recoup. 3 hours later, I was in the ED, convinced I was having a heart attack. Blood test, lung X-ray, ECG, blood pressure. All normal, they said I had a panic attack. May, I had a routine Pap smear, high grade, pre-cancerous cells found, operation to have them removed. Anxiety level 100, consulting Dr Google every day, consistently worrying that they were going to find cancer. The symptoms started again (not related to high grade cells) - dizziness when I was walking, neck pain, headaches, brain fog, fatigues numbness and tingling down my left arm, twitching in my thumbs, cramp in my feet. But the dizziness and the floating sensations were debilitating; I couldn’t leave the house. I went to the GP; I had: Blood tests (full suite), brain MRI, full body CT scan, mammogram, breast ultrasound, cardio gram, ultrasound of my heart, lung tests, heart stress tests. All normal. This latest for months but the symptoms slowly went away, and I had a period of a few months without any symptoms. Then we hit September and I’m diagnosed with a very mild case of Colitis. The symptoms returned (not at all related to Colitis). Since then I’ve been experiencing; dizziness when moving, tingling in my arms and legs, confusion, muddling my words, fatigue, severe brain fog, lack of coordination, feeling like my legs and hands don’t work properly, neck pain, double vision in the mornings, eye pain, headaches. I have had the following tests: Another MRI brain Another round of blood tests Pelvic ultrasound Lumbar spine MRI Neck X-ray All have come back normal and my GP has prescribed me with an SSRI and referred me to a psychologist. I’ve been taking the medication for a week and haven’t noticed any difference in my symptoms. I’m having an MRI of my neck / cervical spine tomorrow... I have convinced myself I have MS or another neurological disease. My boyfriend has now banned me from googling my symptoms. Surely all of these symptoms can’t be from anxiety, I get them everyday, even when I’m just chilling at home and completely fine! Is anyone else experiencing anything like this???

Tugboat I feel broken and cannot be fixed
  • replies: 4

Hello everyone Feeling overwhelmed with Anxiety ATM. Always health anxiety, and I am getting to the point where I can no longer cope with it. Some months ago I started to have trouble breathing and started to panic , went to the Dr and he did a few t... View more

Hello everyone Feeling overwhelmed with Anxiety ATM. Always health anxiety, and I am getting to the point where I can no longer cope with it. Some months ago I started to have trouble breathing and started to panic , went to the Dr and he did a few tests which were fine and he said it is anxiety. I was ok with that for a while but now it’s escalated out of control and I’m thinking the worse again, heart issues, lung issues. I have been in bed all weekend with worry. I’m so sick of feeling like this and don’t feel I will get better. I feel broken into pieces and not being able to be put back together again

Misswren Binge Eating
  • replies: 5

I recently found out that a friend of a friend has told them they believe I am a binge eater. Years ago I was very badly bullied and used food as a coping mechanism. It was a an extremely sad, lonely time in my life. I've tried very hard to control m... View more

I recently found out that a friend of a friend has told them they believe I am a binge eater. Years ago I was very badly bullied and used food as a coping mechanism. It was a an extremely sad, lonely time in my life. I've tried very hard to control my food impulses and do enoy eating healthy food, but I still struggle every day coping with my emotions and not relapsing to relying on junk food when I'm depressed or angry. Hearing what this person thinks of me is disheartening to say the least. I can't say I now have a good relationship with food because I know I don't, there are some days I want to just give in and eat but for the most part I manage to keep my indulging in check and stop myself from overeating. On those days I give myself a little pat on the back, but on other days it's really hard not to allow myself to give in, especially hearing something negative from someone I thought was a friend. I guess I'm really confused about knowing what is normal eating and what's not.

HGC Panic attack on zoom
  • replies: 4

Hi all, Haven't posted here for a while, mostly it was about my wife/marriage previously, which is under control (kinda making me worried that things are so normal but that's another story). Anyway, I had a strange re-occurrence of my own anxiety thi... View more

Hi all, Haven't posted here for a while, mostly it was about my wife/marriage previously, which is under control (kinda making me worried that things are so normal but that's another story). Anyway, I had a strange re-occurrence of my own anxiety this week where I kind of had a freak out on zoom during a presentation. I started a new job recently and literally had to talk to a slide for a few mins to a couple of dozen people. But when it came up, I started to hyper ventilate and had to step away from the computer, no idea what people thought and it was rather embarrassing. I came back 3-4 minutes later and proceeded as normal. This had happened before, but not for a very long time (10+ years). I trained myself to prep and breath for in-person events which works well. It's also random as I am used to speaking to large groups on zoom/vc regularly. Anyway, my questions to the forum are: -Does anybody else suffer from this and if so, what are the triggers? -What type of techniques can be employed to avoid this? -Is it possible that the extended period of work-from-home and covid is eroding my ability to deal with people and my dominant introvert is messing with my mind? Just looking for general advice, no emergency here. So thanks in advance and take care all. Cheers, HGC

LittleCat Some insight needed after weird 'anxiety' like attack
  • replies: 1

I've never actively posted for myself before because usually I can find answer through others. I've made an account because I'm a little more concerned about a specific thing that has happened to me. I've been diagnosed with BPD Depression and Anxiet... View more

I've never actively posted for myself before because usually I can find answer through others. I've made an account because I'm a little more concerned about a specific thing that has happened to me. I've been diagnosed with BPD Depression and Anxiety back when I was 16, I am now 25. Today I had an experience I hadn't had since I was 17/18. It came out of no where and I'm not even sure it was my anxiety doing it. I'm curious if anyone has had something similar happen, as if it's not mental health related I'm worried it might be something worse. So I was putting together a shopping list with my brother, while my sister was washing dishes. I got a weird cramp, I passed it for an upset stomach as I had eaten KFC, it doesn't always agree with me. But about 1ims later suddenly my hands were shaking, then my body felt weird and jittery. About five minutes after I was struggling to form sentences without stuttering, something I hadn't done since I was a kid, or jumbling up my words. This lasted 20mins or so and I couldn't even write. Now, if I was anxious I'd know because it has mental and other symptoms I know to associate it as that. But I was thinking clearly, I wasn't panicked or scared. My breathing was normal. I did want to disassociate, like I felt that pull to shut off, but I didn't. I laughed about it with my siblings, especially my messed up handwriting, but I'm a little concerned and even becoming anxious now because it's not something I've had happen in so long. I don't like not being in control of my body, so being mentally alert but not physically able to control myself really bugs me. Is this something like an anxiety attack but without the mental thoughts and symptoms or something different? Could I be stress, both physical and mental. As things have been hard at home over the last year, even beyond the virus. Thank you for any insight.

SlipperySteps Please help me with my night time anxiety
  • replies: 3

Hi all, I’m posting this in hopes someone can help me. I’m 16 weeks pregnant and was diagnosed with anxiety many years ago. I worry about things that haven’t even happened which in turn keeps me up. For example, I woke up at 2am, 4am and 6am yesterda... View more

Hi all, I’m posting this in hopes someone can help me. I’m 16 weeks pregnant and was diagnosed with anxiety many years ago. I worry about things that haven’t even happened which in turn keeps me up. For example, I woke up at 2am, 4am and 6am yesterday worried about the glucose test I had to take that day. The test wasn’t pleasant and I managed to get it done. However due to the stress of waking up constantly during the night in a state of panic, I’ve now created a unsafe space in our bedroom. Moving forward to tonight and I woke at 1am in a panicked state. I don’t even know why I woke up feeling so panicked and anxious. The test is over. I don’t have to deal with it again for another 10 weeks. But now I’ve created a monster that isn’t letting me sleep. I keep trying to get to sleep but I start worrying about not being able to sleep and having to go to work tomorrow. Thus the vicious cycle starts. Try to going back to sleep, can’t doze off, panic that I’m not sleeping, heart starts beating incredibly fast, have to remove myself from the situation to calm down (the bedroom) walk around the house. Try going back to sleep. Repeat. If anyone has any tips I’d really appreciate hearing them. I’ve tried sleeping on the couch and in the spare room to no avail.

Weaponsofmassdisstortion I felt liking complaining to someone....
  • replies: 5

I have always struggled to make friends. I am a misanthropic introverted loner by nature. Many people think I am just putting on an act to get attention or just doing it to be funny. Then after a while they realise it isn't an act and try to "fix me"... View more

I have always struggled to make friends. I am a misanthropic introverted loner by nature. Many people think I am just putting on an act to get attention or just doing it to be funny. Then after a while they realise it isn't an act and try to "fix me". I don't require a lot of socialising. But I do need some, otherwise I get even weirder then usual. I was engaged with a support group for years, but they changed their policy and now I have to go somewhere else. I am now engaged with another support group but that is only short term. I really don't like meeting new people. I think it might be a combination of social anxiety and possibly a mild form of autism. I have never understood how people can just meet and become friends. I don't have a lot in common with most people. Truth be told I would rather interact with people who have been through hardship. The idea of having to go out and meet new people causes me a great deal of inner turmoil. Its hard to find people who will respect my personal boundaries. It makes me look forward to a time when I am dead, and all my trials are over. When I am in heaven and can chose to have interactions with a small number of people in a limited setting. God, that sounds even more depressing when I read it back to myself.