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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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_ravenclaw_poe Worsened anxiety due to recent news stories
  • replies: 2

Hey guys, i don’t know if this is the best place to put this but I don’t know what else to do. This month has been really hard. Thankfully, I have not been directly affected by the fires nor by this new virus. However, as I have OCD with massive fear... View more

Hey guys, i don’t know if this is the best place to put this but I don’t know what else to do. This month has been really hard. Thankfully, I have not been directly affected by the fires nor by this new virus. However, as I have OCD with massive fears surrounding illness/germs and danger to my family, my anxiety has been the worst it’s ever been. im too scared to leave the house and too scared to sleep at night, leaving me to sleep all day instead. I’m just so scared all the time and I don’t know what to do. I start uni soon so I need to get better. I feel like the only thing that will solve this is for the virus to be cured but idk if/when that will happen. any advice? Anyone experiencing the same or similar thing? thanks xx

Mumsy3 Social anxiety, thought of leaving the house is terrifying
  • replies: 5

I have been dealing with anxiety on/off for the past ten years, most of those Unmedicated. Last week I had a panic attack at a relatives party and since then my anxiety is ridiculous. I took myself off to the doctor 5 days ago and he prescribed me me... View more

I have been dealing with anxiety on/off for the past ten years, most of those Unmedicated. Last week I had a panic attack at a relatives party and since then my anxiety is ridiculous. I took myself off to the doctor 5 days ago and he prescribed me medication. I’m finding everyday I’m feeling better but I’ve just been staying home and resting as the dr said my body is still recovering from the panic attack. My digestive system is anxious and knotted. I’m hungry but the thought of eating makes me nervous. I’ve taken a week off work just to gather myself. Today I ventured out, just with my teen daughter to a shop she wanted to look at and the supermarket. And that’s when the anxiety kicked in big time. I couldn’t get out of there quick enough but forced myself to stay and try and deal with how I was feeling. I’m exhausted now:(. I’ve noticed the side effects of the medication are slowly getting better, I don’t feel as lightheaded as I did initially. How has everyone else coped with this medication? I have had an attack like this in the past so I know I will get through it but I’m such on overthinker. I imagine in my head that I have every sickness possible, check my pulse every few minutes and my blood pressure all the time (it’s stable) .

tpman Reducing my medication always makes me anxious
  • replies: 4

hi... its not rebound from meds anxiety, its just anxiety I create in my own head. Because you see I have such a horrible history from anti-depressant withdrawal and also really really bad memories from a severe bout of depression a cpl years ago whi... View more

hi... its not rebound from meds anxiety, its just anxiety I create in my own head. Because you see I have such a horrible history from anti-depressant withdrawal and also really really bad memories from a severe bout of depression a cpl years ago which led to me being sectioned. I have improved soo much when I think about how bad I was, but I am having sleep issues and have had them for some time now which is really affecting my overall recovery.. So on the advice of my treating psych we are trying do lower the dose (slowly of course). I already have a ton of anticipatory anxiety just at the thought of changing my doses even though its so small. I guess I just want to know if its ok to take things slowly during this period. I have a history of avoidance behavior when I feel anxious which as we all know is a big no no, and I feel I am going to do some avoidance (social mainly) during the change in doses. I mean is it ok to avoid a little bit and just slowly build my courage up again ? I guess thats what I want to no .. Anyways, wish me luck team ! Anxiety sux =(

Sunshine981991 Anxiety hard to cope
  • replies: 1

I’m finding it really hard to go no contact with my abusive mum, it is heart breaking my heart but she has always been very nasty and makes me feel awful about myself so I feel it is the best decision to never talk to her again but I don’t know how t... View more

I’m finding it really hard to go no contact with my abusive mum, it is heart breaking my heart but she has always been very nasty and makes me feel awful about myself so I feel it is the best decision to never talk to her again but I don’t know how to cope with that. Feeling extremely anxious, sad and mixed emotions. Does anyone have any suggestions to get through this and to cope? Feeling isolated and like no one of my friends understands as their mother would never do what mine has. Getting constant anxiety every day and don’t know how to calm down as I left home very recently, Thank you

lmath56 I'm so lonely :(
  • replies: 3

Hello, this is my first time posting. I am not feeling too well at the moment. It is a long weekend and I am not enjoying it. I don't like normal weekends as it is, because I don't have any friends. I moved to a new city by myself about 9 months ago ... View more

Hello, this is my first time posting. I am not feeling too well at the moment. It is a long weekend and I am not enjoying it. I don't like normal weekends as it is, because I don't have any friends. I moved to a new city by myself about 9 months ago and I didn't realise that I would find it so difficult to make friends. I haven't made a single friend. Yesterday I went for a bike ride, but today I did nothing except sit on my phone, walk to the kitchen and look in the fridge, and then go back to my phone. I spent a lot of the day trying to find something to do, but I couldn't find anything I wanted to do. I don't really have a hobby. I try to think about something that I would like to do and nothing comes to mind at all. I still have tomorrow before work. I don't really enjoy my job at the moment. But it keeps me busy. I'm so bored and lonely. I feel like it is making me not think straight sometimes. I don't know what to do. I have been seeing a psychologist, and I am on medication. But I am still so lonely. The thought of going out and meeting people scares me, but I am fine talking to people at work. I can go to a store or make a phone call just fine. I don't understand. I don't want to be lonely anymore. I want some friends, but I'm scared. I don't understand what of.

Missberri How to make new friends
  • replies: 4

Hi there, I'm posting as I'm feeling kind of lonely at the moment. Last year was a super busy year for me and somehow that has lead me to losing a lot of friends. I spent the whole year working and studying and not making as much time for people as I... View more

Hi there, I'm posting as I'm feeling kind of lonely at the moment. Last year was a super busy year for me and somehow that has lead me to losing a lot of friends. I spent the whole year working and studying and not making as much time for people as I used to because I felt I didn't have the capacity to do so with the heavy load of priorities. While I thought my friends would understand, they've almost completely stopped inviting me to things and some have even started ignoring my texts. It's not like I never saw anyone at all. If I ever had a break from studies or a day where I had the time to make it I would, but I guess it hasn't been enough and now I'm feeling pretty upset and kind of like a mess. I've been on my break from studies since December and while I thought this would be my chance to finally see them a lot more none of them have really bothered to reach out to me, I'm constantly seeing them post things they're all doing together on social media and when I reach out to them it's almost like they're not interested. Anyway, instead of dwelling on all this I've realised it's time to move on. I've been there for a lot of these friends so many times for many years and if they can't be supportive of me trying to achieve my goals in life and work towards my future then I just don't want to bother anymore. I'm not going to jeopardise my studies to get drunk every weekend and I want to work so I can save for my own house. It's not as if I don't turn up when it's important I'm always there for birthdays and I'm always there as soon as I have the time to be there. I guess at this point I'm just hurt. So I guess I'm just wondering how do people even make new friends? I've never been good at this kind of thing. I have pretty bad social anxiety and I'm terrible at just going up and talking to people. I just feel really silly like I don't even know what to say if I walk up to someone and I just find the hardest thing to be going out and meeting new people. Then if I did that how would I maintain the connection with people and actually become friends? I'm terrible at this. My new years resolution this year was actually to try and be more social as I gave myself such a heavy load last year. It wasn't that fun and I really want to enjoy myself this year so I want to improve my social life and make time for people. I don't want to feel lonely and down in the dumps this year. Any advice would be so appreciated!

Carwash Social anxiety - struggling with assertiveness training
  • replies: 2

Hey guys, I'm having a lot of trouble with assertiveness training recently. Here's the short version: I'm having trouble making it a consistent habit since the situations that require assertiveness for me often happen days/weeks apart and I find it e... View more

Hey guys, I'm having a lot of trouble with assertiveness training recently. Here's the short version: I'm having trouble making it a consistent habit since the situations that require assertiveness for me often happen days/weeks apart and I find it easy to slip into old habits because I'm not practicing daily. Also, the situations that require me to be assertive most often need me to jump into the deep end, which causes so much anxiety and is really hard for me. Here's the long version: I've been "sharing" a car with my sister for a few months now (read: she uses it most of the time, usually without asking). The last few months it was ok because I was studying and didn't need it as much - but now that I've graduated I really need a car so I can see friends, exercise more often, apply for jobs, etc. She's started looking but she really isn't that committed, she usually goes out to see her friends/boyfriend instead. Every time I try to tell her things need to change I need to jump straight into the deep end with being assertive and it causes so much anxiety. I want to work up to that level slowly... but I'm struggling to make progress to begin with because most of the time I don't feel like I need to be assertive... and so it's hard for me to make assertiveness a habit if I don't encounter these kinds of situations every day. How do I make it a habit so I can actually progress?

Rob13579 Diagnosis of ASD/OCD/Anxiety/Phobia/Depression for adults
  • replies: 1

Dear All I am not officially diagnosed with ASD, but I suspect that I am on the Autism spectrum and I may also have OCD. I always feel disconnected with others, even family members. Also I think differently than others. For instance, my sense of humo... View more

Dear All I am not officially diagnosed with ASD, but I suspect that I am on the Autism spectrum and I may also have OCD. I always feel disconnected with others, even family members. Also I think differently than others. For instance, my sense of humour is often only understood by myself only. In my understanding, ASD, OCD,..., and depression are all related and I certainly cannot distinguish all the differences between them. I was born in the 90s, so it's likely that doctors in the past overlooked my condition when my mother had suspicion of me being autistic or on the autism spectrum. My main struggle is to maintain a conversation, especially with strangers. It's not natural for me to make eye contacts and have chats with anyone. Most people describe me as a serious person. Now I think that is because I find it extremely difficult to let go of certain things or issues. When I was a child, I could only talk to my mother softly. After years of struggles with socialisation, I managed to graduate from my Master's degree in Physics. I can have conversations with others now if the conversations are not chats. Although I can talk to strangers now, I still feel uneasy in conversations. I am looking for work right now and it has been difficult to stay calm and be confident in job interviews. I also don't hang out with friends much, partly because I don't have many close friends. Logically in the perspective of people not on the Autism spectrum, I should feel lonely, but I don't. I want to get a ASD/OCD/Anxiety/Phobia/Depression diagnosis, but I don't know where to start because I am an adult now. I also think my GP is not trained to diagnose ASD for adults. Does anyone know how an adult can get a diagnosis of ASD/OCD/Anxiety/Phobia/Depression? Kind regards

SquireHarbour State of identity crisis
  • replies: 1

Hello, everyone on Australia Day. Or other names if feel compelled to. I feel insanely anxious and scared right now. At least for one day out of one year where we are supposed to reflect and respect our history, but all I see is anger, divisiveness a... View more

Hello, everyone on Australia Day. Or other names if feel compelled to. I feel insanely anxious and scared right now. At least for one day out of one year where we are supposed to reflect and respect our history, but all I see is anger, divisiveness and polarisation of our society into two camps. As this January 26 saga continues on, the more and more I feel like my home, my identity and my entire story is going to be taken away from me and shoved into some easy going narrative and I just can't stand it anymore. I feel like my entire identity will be used to bash me over the head on why I can't be pure. My entire Australian story will be taken away from me and I can't do squat about it. Its really cheap to say it honestly, but both sides of the debate, at least in my view, will twist the story me and so many other immigrant born Aussies are experiencing into pigeonholed narratives, the counter rally people will say that somehow tolerating the existence of Australia Day means that I support genocide, and the government will say that not supporting the day to the hilt means I am not a true blue.... what can I do? Help.

Jessiesgirl Stressed and over anxious
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, i feel like I have been bottling this up for so long. My anxiety is getting worse and worse. I no longer feel like me. im 30 years old, a mother of two beautiful children and a supportive husband. the past two years for my family hasn’t ... View more

Hi everyone, i feel like I have been bottling this up for so long. My anxiety is getting worse and worse. I no longer feel like me. im 30 years old, a mother of two beautiful children and a supportive husband. the past two years for my family hasn’t been the greatest. Last year we lost my mother in law, who I was really close to. My family misses her, and my husband still isn’t coping with her lose. In 2018 we almost lost everything because If a court case. My husband and I almost got divorced because of this. We went from living a lavish life style to having to sell all the furniture in our house to eat. In amongst all of this my little family were involved in a serious car accident where our car was ridden off. Then my own mother got sick and almost lost her kidneys. Even though all these bad things happen my family still pulled though. Unfortunately, due to all these events I have been left with extreme anxiety. I worry constantly that something bad is going to happen to my children ie illness, car accident. I always worry that something bad will happen to them and I end up over thinking everything they have. I worry about my appearance, I feel embarrassed of myself. I worry about money but I can’t stop spending it. Because it makes me feel better about myself, this causes a lot of arguments with my husband. I worry about what everyone thinks about me. my husband gets upset with me because I get used a lot. For example; I was made to work 60 hours in one week, and only got paid for 38 hours. They told me the rest was Time in lieu. My husband is upset with me for not speaking up and telling them to pay me properly. Im mentally and physically exhausted. I yell and scream at everyone, because I feel like a failure. im at a loss. I’m struggling and I’m always sad (I don’t want to self harm).