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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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healthanxietylou Health Anxiety- What was your Original trigger? PTSD related?
  • replies: 1

I had the worst health anxiety almost 2 years ago after my baby died- I thought I had everything and would google symptoms all day long- I went to emergency and the doctor a lot and had physical symptoms (heart palpatations, tingling hands and feel, ... View more

I had the worst health anxiety almost 2 years ago after my baby died- I thought I had everything and would google symptoms all day long- I went to emergency and the doctor a lot and had physical symptoms (heart palpatations, tingling hands and feel, muscle twitches, IBS) so I would latch on to everything. It was a living hell and I thought I knew what anxiety was as I never liked flying and the occasional social anxiety but compared to health anxiety those were mild worries. I'm so grateful to not be as bad now thanks to the right antidepressant. It still comes up occasionally and I just wondered what everyone else thinks their triggers for their health anxiety were originally? I honestly never knew it existed- I'd heard of hypochondria but I didn't think it was as bad as what I was going through. I live in a regional area so the support was pretty lacking- it took 5 months to get me to see a psychiatrist and that was only after I got private health care cover back. What do people who can't afford that do? don't be crazy and poor? It's appalling and heartbreaking that access to services aren't up to scratch in regional areas or to people who can't afford it.

Crawf95 Anxiety or Asthma? Thoughts..
  • replies: 5

Hi All, First post here - I’ve had anxiety and panic disorder since I was 17 (now 22). I’m wanting to see other people’s experiences with anxiety and asthma. Im currently experience chest discomfort - breathing tightness (not severe but mild). I do h... View more

Hi All, First post here - I’ve had anxiety and panic disorder since I was 17 (now 22). I’m wanting to see other people’s experiences with anxiety and asthma. Im currently experience chest discomfort - breathing tightness (not severe but mild). I do have asthma and use a preventive inhaler and ventolin when needed. Currently not helping. I went to my doctor today - who is actually really good, he had a listen to my lungs and narrowed it down to anxiety. I am not experiencing wheezing, shortness of breath at all. I keep taking a deep breath and forcefully coughing to try and clear my chest but nothing is there. Peak flow readings are at 700, quit smoking 2 months ago for this exact reason and my doctor believes I may be over medicating myself with ventolin and the preventive inhaler and wants to take me off both. Any advise or personal experiences would be great.

Anxiety_newbie Health anxiety
  • replies: 22

Hi, I have been diagnosed with health anxiety and depression in Feb this year. Anxiety is such a strange thing. It can create so many different physical symptoms. In my case, the symptoms keep changing. I am seeing a psychologist

Hi, I have been diagnosed with health anxiety and depression in Feb this year. Anxiety is such a strange thing. It can create so many different physical symptoms. In my case, the symptoms keep changing. I am seeing a psychologist

Arnold26 Anxiety mixed with purpose in life
  • replies: 4

Hi there. I will try to write down all my nightmare shortly. So Im a 29 year old guy and struggling to find some meaning in life. Four years ago I moved to Australia and been trying really hard to settle in, create something nice for the future. This... View more

Hi there. I will try to write down all my nightmare shortly. So Im a 29 year old guy and struggling to find some meaning in life. Four years ago I moved to Australia and been trying really hard to settle in, create something nice for the future. This time I thought I will make it,I will get a good grip of life,I will find out what I have to do while on this earth, I will create myself.. But time flies fast and here I am, almost 30 years old.. Still with the same questions every day, every hour of my life.. But the worst thing here is the anxiety because of all those questions. Its really hard to describe.. Usually I can feel it pretty much all the time and it drains me quickly. I want to sleep after couple hours after im awake, hard to concentrate. The worst anxiety is in the morning and it wakes me up early. And then it hits the hardest.. all those thoughts about my life,of what I supposed to be done till now, career path to which I supposed to chose years ago just goes as an auto pilot.. And after I get out of bed every morning - I am the same person without passion,direction or plans for the future. And oh my... I tried many things to calm myself down and listen.. Even vipassana retreats, meditations etc..I thought I need to go deeper into myself and maybe I will learn and understand something or at least will reduce anxiety. Eventually nothing worked out And I always came back to where I was. And nowadays its so hard to be interested into something for a long periods of time. If theres a sparkle of motivation and interest to begin something - it fades away quickly. Probably for some of you I sound like a child who never had a real problems. But its just a tiny piece of mind. Everything is much darker and more painful. Ive been diagnosed GAD,depression etc but i try not to concentrate on those things. Im really an active person,have some hobies,trying to help fellow humans as much as I can and do good things in life. And meantime im trying to hold that negativity and pain for myself that would not affect people around me. And all this tragedy began about 8 years ago. Ive been thinking to go for a therapy which costs hell of a money and not sure if it would help.. to cry and whine for an hour to a stranger for 200 bucks while probably he pretends he’s care and eventually will pump you up with a happy pills.. I tried to help myself but it seems to me that Im not gonna make it. And every day this pitiful existence becomes even more agonising.

Guest5643 Is it moraly right to talk about others on here?
  • replies: 3

Hi I didn't know what section to write this in. Since i wrote my latest post about my neighbour, ive been starting to think is is moraly ok too talk about others in a negative light on a public platform? I'd be mortified and furious if someone did ab... View more

Hi I didn't know what section to write this in. Since i wrote my latest post about my neighbour, ive been starting to think is is moraly ok too talk about others in a negative light on a public platform? I'd be mortified and furious if someone did about me so does that make it wrong for me to write about someone else? Does anyone else at times have a niggle feeling of guilt? And wonder if its moraly wrong or right? Lynne

ranz73 Anxiety symptoms
  • replies: 2

Today I been experiencing hearing my heartbeat in my ears and feeling all over my body.... I am not sure this is a symptom or not ? Sighs...

Today I been experiencing hearing my heartbeat in my ears and feeling all over my body.... I am not sure this is a symptom or not ? Sighs...

Celery Insomnia
  • replies: 3

Hi, I have complex ptsd, depression etc. When I get a bout of depression I succumb to insomnia. I have tried many sleep medications over the years unsuccessfully. Changed t he environment in my bedroom as well. Stopped drinking coffee and abstain fro... View more

Hi, I have complex ptsd, depression etc. When I get a bout of depression I succumb to insomnia. I have tried many sleep medications over the years unsuccessfully. Changed t he environment in my bedroom as well. Stopped drinking coffee and abstain from tv, phone etc. Is insomnia more related to the ptsd or the depression...has anyone any experience with this? I am getting 3 hrs of sleep a night and this is the forth week and it starting to affect many aspects of daily living including not being able to remember.

geoff OCD-OCD-OCD How do you cope?
  • replies: 6

Hello Everyone, there have been so many comments regarding this demanding illness, but it goes deeper than 'checking the lock', it involves counting to a specific number and each person has a number, mine is 4 but that doesn't mean I just have to cou... View more

Hello Everyone, there have been so many comments regarding this demanding illness, but it goes deeper than 'checking the lock', it involves counting to a specific number and each person has a number, mine is 4 but that doesn't mean I just have to count to that number, because we feel that certain numbers have a special significance, and therefore specific actions must be performed a certain number of times. This obsession/compulsion, however, could be performed not only once but several times so you may do a habit 10 times but only count to 4. Certain things need to be done on a specific day and if it does happen on another day then our anxiety increases. It also involves lots of other small habits, like when we go to bed, and certain obsessions we have to perform and even our own idiosyncrasies that happen throughout the day. People may check their locks, 'better safe than sorry' but there's a huge difference between that compared to someone who has OCD because 'there is a lot at stake' and if not performed, 'something will go wrong.' I could go on but interested in other people's comments. Geoff. This is such a complex illness that we can't explain it anybody else

bkc98 Physical Symptoms Anxiety
  • replies: 4

I've been struggling with various symptoms over the past four months. Most of them I can attribute to anxiety, but one particular symptom has been scaring me. I've felt off-balanced and heavy when I stand up and walk around. It feels like someone is ... View more

I've been struggling with various symptoms over the past four months. Most of them I can attribute to anxiety, but one particular symptom has been scaring me. I've felt off-balanced and heavy when I stand up and walk around. It feels like someone is pushing down on the top of my head, overall just a very heavy feeling/pressure in the head. I'm wondering if anyone feels this? I'm really concerned about a brain tumor, and I want to get an MRI. But, I have health anxiety and frequently fear different ailments.

ArthurB Anxious every morning, self medicating
  • replies: 5

Does anyone else feel this way? I am fine for the first 2 hours in the morning, I go to gym and I am fit, but then terrible anxiety sets in. Every day. The only thing that calms me down is booze. This is my life now.

Does anyone else feel this way? I am fine for the first 2 hours in the morning, I go to gym and I am fit, but then terrible anxiety sets in. Every day. The only thing that calms me down is booze. This is my life now.