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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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allan07 Existential Thoughts and DP/DR.
  • replies: 2

For the last 5 Months I have experienced Existential Thoughts as well a sense of detachment from the world. Stressful/Anxious situations bring on this sensation as well when i have existential thoughts. These thoughts differ but are generally unanswe... View more

For the last 5 Months I have experienced Existential Thoughts as well a sense of detachment from the world. Stressful/Anxious situations bring on this sensation as well when i have existential thoughts. These thoughts differ but are generally unanswerable and intrusive. For example, How are we even here? What is the purpose of Life? Is Space endless? When i used to have these thoughts i was intrigued and astounded by the questions, yet nowadays it terrifies me. Making me feel great Angst and hopelessness. As well as these feelings it brings on a sense of derealiztion whereby the world feels like a dream world. This includes not Recognising myself in the mirror, a sense of disorientation and not feeling grounded, Questioning everything and imagining myself in situations of distress. Its as if my mind decides to put me into a state of anxiousness even in carefree situations like sitting watching TV. I have been trying Mindfulness techniques including breathing exercises, Meditation, and Yoga. And i have been doing everything i possibly can to alleviate these symptoms yet it feels as though i'm in a vicious cycle, that is spiralling out of control. When i was younger i experienced similar feelings of derelization and Anxiety in certain situations such as school assembly's, plane flights, heights, tunnels. Yet this only occurred during the experience and disappeared once i was out of those situations or i calmed myself down. Yet in my current state of mind, it is more generalised and obsessive in nature and takes up a lot of my daily thinking. I learnt to deal with my anxiety when i was younger through understanding it, facing the anxious situations and making it seem more normal. Yet my current situation is a whole new beast. Just wondering whether anyone else has experienced this, and can relate? Has any tips ideas for coping? Or can share successful inspiring stories to assist in helping myself and others battling.

jordsmamords Anxiety over travelling and cannot reason with myself, how do I help myself?
  • replies: 2

I’m travelling the the USA in a few weeks for a holiday. Leading up to travel I should be excited but instead I’m full of anxiety. The news is constantly full of awful stories of people doing horrible things there (without specifics I’m sure you know... View more

I’m travelling the the USA in a few weeks for a holiday. Leading up to travel I should be excited but instead I’m full of anxiety. The news is constantly full of awful stories of people doing horrible things there (without specifics I’m sure you know what I am referring to) and I’m terrified of the ‘what ifs’. Even though I try and reason with myself, I can’t - I constantly fear the worse and wind myself up until I’m shaking, my heart races, I can’t sleep etc, assuming the worse case scenario. I don’t know how to relax, stop the anxiety and just look forward to it without constantly worrying or thinking the worse. Any suggestions on how to stop the anxious thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

becca_k Really Bad Health Anxiety Please Help Me
  • replies: 7

Hi My name is Rebecca... Last year i went through horrible anxiety and depression which was brought on by birth control pills. The symptoms i experienced were tingling in arms and legs, dizziness, heart palpitations, weakness in arms and legs, shortn... View more

Hi My name is Rebecca... Last year i went through horrible anxiety and depression which was brought on by birth control pills. The symptoms i experienced were tingling in arms and legs, dizziness, heart palpitations, weakness in arms and legs, shortness of breath, headaches, stiff neck, loss of appetite and muscle twitching. I was so scared that i was dying that i went to emergency nearly 3 times a week for 3 months. I was being reassured by doctors that i was fine but i still get anxious about my symptoms and feel like i have ms, als or that i am having a stroke. My Health anxiety is completely ruining my life. I am so scared that i am going die, i hate this feeling and i keep having body aches because of my anxiety. I am suffering and i have been on antidepressants and have seen psychologists, counsellors, neurologist and to no avail. I feel lost and worried that i will never ever be back to normal. I have started feeling depressed because of this. I really hate myself and i think i am so ugly inside and out. Please someone tell me i am not alone. I feel so, so overwhelmed and crippled. Even as i am writing this i cannot stop crying and i'm only 20 but i feel like i'm 80. I go uni and i work but i hate going because of my symptoms. I have no quality of life. I cannot afford a psychologist or psychiatrist anymore. I don't know what to do. I keep praying and trying to meditate. I am so worried that i am going to be left disabled. please someone help me...

dare12 I Don't think I can live like this.
  • replies: 3

Hey, so like I wake up in the morning and my brain instantly goes to thoughts of existential dread and what not which more often than not leads into a panic attack, and this cycle repeats through the day. Its often brought on by anxiety just about ge... View more

Hey, so like I wake up in the morning and my brain instantly goes to thoughts of existential dread and what not which more often than not leads into a panic attack, and this cycle repeats through the day. Its often brought on by anxiety just about general life like school and stuff but when it hits its this great panic that forces me to scream and run, like a fight or flight instinct. I couldn't tell you why this is but its getting to the point where I can't actually function and I'm not sure there's an answer to my problem. Sorry for the ramble complain.

Fording What's wrong with me - is it anxiety?
  • replies: 1

So for a while now I've been in a state of constant worry about everything in life, but to a point where it is no longer rational. Every day I fear that something random will happen which throw me off balance and upset any plans that I might have in ... View more

So for a while now I've been in a state of constant worry about everything in life, but to a point where it is no longer rational. Every day I fear that something random will happen which throw me off balance and upset any plans that I might have in my life - both things that are in my control and things that are not. I worry that my car will suddenly break down and I'll have to shell out a huge amount of money to fix it, and I won't be able to get to work for instance, and they'll think of me as a bad employee, and I'll never again get a job, etc. I worry that my computer will stop working and I won't be able to do any uni assignments, and I'll fail and drop out, and anything I've previously done is all moot. I worry that my 'friends', such as they are, are saying bad things behind my back and secretly hate me, and that I'll never get a GF or any close friends. Every time I go out, I'm worried that I dropped an important card or document somewhere, and that someone will pick it up and find out stuff about me, and that it'll all spiral out of control from there, etc. I can't even bring myself to make any plans more than a few days in advance, as I fear that something will come up to disrupt my schedule and that in the end, it'll all have been for nothing - maybe I'll get sick, or people will cancel, or the weather will turn bad and so on. This is where it's begun to affect my everyday life, as I struggle to bring myself to take any risks, or make commitments, or try anything new for fear of all the possible ways that it might be wrong. Now not only are my fears themselves exaggerated, but they are all things that one can bounce back from. And yet it continues to pervade my everyday life. I understand that everyone has stresses in their lives (and relatively speaking, mine are not that bad), but I can't help but worry and fret about everything. I don't know whether this qualifies as anxiety but it's something I really need to address, even though I haven't told anyone yet. Where can I go from here? Any advice is much appreciated.

Sixty2 Should I Tell Her?
  • replies: 4

Hi there My fiancee ended our relationship about 4 weeks ago after a 2 week break period. We'd been together for 3 1/2 years and engaged for the last 2. We're both in our mid 50s and, although we've both had previous long-term relationships, neither ... View more

Hi there My fiancee ended our relationship about 4 weeks ago after a 2 week break period. We'd been together for 3 1/2 years and engaged for the last 2. We're both in our mid 50s and, although we've both had previous long-term relationships, neither of us have been married, or engaged, before. I've been carrying a few negative aspects in my life, family/business combined (take my word, don't do it!), my relationship was always, I thought, a great positive. When the relationship ended that was the straw that broke the camels back - I was crushed. I went to see my doctor who has referred me to a psychologist. I've had 3 sessions and she has diagnosed me with anxiety and I've started a course of treatment starting with Diaphragmatic Breathing and Progressive Relaxation. My ex is unaware of this diagnosis. I've caught up with my ex a couple of times and she's assured me that, while we currently are not in a relationship, the door is not closed on resuming it. I'm thinking she's looking to see I'm making improvements in the area that broke us apart. The last time we met, on Saturday, I went a bit over the top on the 'give me some time to sort myself out' routine. To the extent she texted me afterwards to say that she thought we shouldn't see each other until my mind becomes a bit 'stronger'. She said that, while she understood I wasn't doing it intentionally, I was giving her a guilt trip and it's not a place she wants to be. I had, unfortunately, been carrying on like a dude with anxiety who's relationship had just ended . I'm wondering if I should let her know of my diagnosis to a. give her a 'heads up' of any repetition of similar behaviour in the future and, b. give her some understanding of the root of the issues we had. From conversations we had just before and after we split I found out she had seen a doctor and was getting couselling and the symptoms also sounded a bit anxiety-based. She is quite a compassionate and empathetic lady and I'm hoping if she knew where I was mentally it may be the basis of a reconciliation, of course based on the fact I continue the treatment to learn how to manage anxiety.

MelStorey New job, little training and a ton of anxiety.
  • replies: 5

Hi all, I’m feeling pretty terrible because I started a new job in a field of work that I have no experience in. I was upfront about my lack of experience during the interview process and they assured me that that was fine. I asked about a training p... View more

Hi all, I’m feeling pretty terrible because I started a new job in a field of work that I have no experience in. I was upfront about my lack of experience during the interview process and they assured me that that was fine. I asked about a training plan, of which they told me they would provide. The job requires me to cover a maternity contract for 6 months of which I would be working two days a week for six weeks prior to the 6 month contract. These two days would be spent training with the girl that I’m going to cover whilst she is on maternity leave. I started two weeks ago and it’s clear how little this girl wants to train me. She pretty much gives me the most basic of information and then leaves me alone and expects me to be able to complete the work she has assigned me. It’s all so new and she doesn’t give me any context into the role or allocated tasks. This leaves me with a huge degree of anxiety, to the point that I can’t sleep and my mind is racing all the time and I just want to leave. This girl who is training me doesn’t make any effort to follow up on my work or even ask how I’m going. She always seems exasperated when I ask for help and I believe she thinks I should be further along with my training. So far, I’ve only completed four days but I feel like I will struggle to undertake this job due to a lack of support. Ive asked this girl to set aside time to answer my questions and spend time with me going over my notes. She said she would help but is yet to follow through. Don’t know if I should just quit due to lack of training and support.

Mads_ Anxiety?
  • replies: 4

Hi. So basically ive got this feeling of constant nervousness and dread. I find my heart pounding all the time, and constantly not being able to catch my breath. Ive also noticed that ive started to distance myself from my friends, because everyone j... View more

Hi. So basically ive got this feeling of constant nervousness and dread. I find my heart pounding all the time, and constantly not being able to catch my breath. Ive also noticed that ive started to distance myself from my friends, because everyone just seems to irritate me really easily now. My grades are decreasing. School is getting harder and harder to attend. I havent felt genuinely happy all week. Does this sound like anxiety to anyone? Sorry if I rambled. Thanks.

Whispa Anxiety, zero friends and sick of pretending it’s all ok...
  • replies: 1

Hi all, im a mother of 2 awesome kids, great partner, house, everything I could want... but im so fed up with not having a single friend, and not knowing why. I have anxiety and depression, mainly social anxiety, and recently health anxiety which is ... View more

Hi all, im a mother of 2 awesome kids, great partner, house, everything I could want... but im so fed up with not having a single friend, and not knowing why. I have anxiety and depression, mainly social anxiety, and recently health anxiety which is a massive pain in the butt, but I keep all those battles to myself, and put on a face to everyone around me. I’m friendly, polite to everyone and helpful but just don’t have a single friend. I’ve never had a huge lot of friends and I lost a few due to abusive partner a few years ago, so I’ve gotton use to being alone, but for the past couple of years I’ve got tired of having no other females to talk to or hang out with so I’ve been trying to make just one friend. Not sure what it is about me but I just can’t. I’m fully prepared to admit it’s my fault somehow, but no one will tell me what I do wrong. Most people talk for a while then stop talking. I’ve tried messaging friends from school and the 3 I messaged have not even opened the messages (fb, so I know it sent) I’ve ran into 2 of them who have just given me dirty looks and walked away. Everyone else I find is friendly, but that’s it. Never interested in hanging out or talking unless there’s a reason or need. My partner says I’m too nice and become a doormat very quickly. I don’t gossip or backstab, but most people act like I’ve either said something horrrible (maybe I sleep text ) or like I’m that over eager clingy type. Which I never ever invite myself in on anyone’s activities as I’m not stupid enough to set myself up for rejection, but I accept offers if they are ever made. Trouble is I’m so fed up and hurt over it, I can feel myself becoming very bitter and cynical, and spend hours each day sitting around just down over it, and checking for messagesthat never come. I guess I’m just asking who else feels like this and did you find a way to drag yourself out of it and accept it? I love my kids and partner and life but just feel I’m missing out on something that is suppose to be a normal part of life, and it’s making my other issues far worse...

highhopes Being haunted by self created PTSD moments without even wanting to
  • replies: 1

Hey all, I was looking for some advice, I suffer from OCD (in particular a big fear of cigerettes, anything that has touched a cigerette or someone that smokes) to the point where someone could touch something of mine that smokes and I would want to ... View more

Hey all, I was looking for some advice, I suffer from OCD (in particular a big fear of cigerettes, anything that has touched a cigerette or someone that smokes) to the point where someone could touch something of mine that smokes and I would want to replace it. I have suffered for years with obsessive behaviour relating to repeating the same unfortunate processes which I didn't realise were related to OCD, depression and PTSD. I have an extremely good mental image memory, to the point where I could instigate a PTSD moment that I will remember for years to come that will make my life very uncomfortable. At the same time I actually have a fear of creating a 3 years ago I managed to put myself in 60k debt with my partner through 2 personal loans and 2 credit cards. This was fed by my Obsessive characteristics with OCD. I would buy a car (project car) and find a fault (or someone will point out something) such as a bad dent or something that would cost a lot to fix but for anyone else would seem minuscule and would brush it off and enjoy the car. This became expensive as I had 22 cars now and I am 34 years old. I feel like I am afraid of many things in life, in fear that I will not do a good enough job or will make a bad memory which I will not be able to forget about to move on in life. This can affect things like not washing my hands after getting petrol, then knowing I was going to bring the petrol smell into the house if I don't shower before coming into the house. As a result I often wear a sandwich bag around my hand when I get fuel. Other examples include fears of finishing painting the inside of the house that I will leave marks or imperfections, and after the bed is moved in I will be scared I will have to move all the things out again (unnecessary work that I don't feel like doing). If I found a cigeratte butt on the new property I bought, I literally dig up the soil around it (with a separate shovel that I would want to throw away) and still it will take a while. even without touching the soil or cigarette butt I would want to shower afterwards (even wearing gloves) Just wondering if anyone else has any experience in these abilities to create PTSD moments which seem so small, but have the ability to haunt me for the rest of my life. This got worse with time and I feel