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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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Kkgirl something so small making me so anxious
  • replies: 3

I am always finding myself become irrationally and unnecessarily anxious over small things, and I end up feeling so stuck for days even weeks without being able to get out of constantly thinking about it. This mainly happens when a situation occurs t... View more

I am always finding myself become irrationally and unnecessarily anxious over small things, and I end up feeling so stuck for days even weeks without being able to get out of constantly thinking about it. This mainly happens when a situation occurs that leaves me feeling embarrassed or ashamed. For example this most recently happened with a silly situation, where I have been parking my car in the public carpark at my workplace, because i haven't gotten the permit to park in staff parking ( because, also i have been to anxious to just ask the office for one). just recently the security guard noticed it, and approached me about it, and (i think) he was telling my colleagues about it. It's really no big deal, because i know no one really checks the parking and other staff members park in the public area too. But for some reason the conversation with the security guard keeps playing in my head and i keep worrying about what the other staff might be thinking of me. And now i'm too scared to go back to work, especially because i still haven't rectified the issue and asked for a parking permit, also as a result of my anxiety, thinking about how to answer to where i have been parking for all this time without the permit. This same cycle happens with so many situations where my anxiety constantly reminds me of a problem but makes me too scared to fix it. It always happens with really small and insignificant situations such as this one, where i wish i really just didn't care because it is no big deal. Does anyone have any advice on how to control these feelings of worrying for nothing, and stop being stuck in constantly reminding myself of a minuscule situation and blowing it out of proportion, and just get on with life? Thanks

pete62 Health anxiety, a long lonely road
  • replies: 10

HI All that read this, although I have posted on another thread, I hope posting on here may help others, I know for me it feels good to get things out of my head and share with others, I have worked in the emergency services for 24 years and have fin... View more

HI All that read this, although I have posted on another thread, I hope posting on here may help others, I know for me it feels good to get things out of my head and share with others, I have worked in the emergency services for 24 years and have finally realized that things aren't so great and I am struggling with work, over the past years I seem to have developed a severe case of Health anxiety to the point where it cripples me at times and I feel I don't want to leave the house, I have gotten to the stage where I think every ache pain or feeling I have is life threatening and maybe I have an incurable or lingering disease such as cancer or something, even writing the word sends shivers own my spine, I have been seeing health professionals for sometime now and have been on different types of medication that have worked but by no means has any of them been a magic cure, my sleep patterns were terrible so I now take medication to remedy that although I dream vividly and find morning comes way too quick and then when I wake those intrusive thoughts are there again and so the day starts all over again, I realize in myself that I am obsessive and also compulsive and a perfectionist but this does nothing in my mind to help me through my anxiety, I find going to see the Doctor an anxiety attack in itself and cant stand the thought of tests or the like as waiting for results would be days of super high anxiety, I find I need constant reassurance that I have nothing wrong with me, late last year I ended up at hospital feeling very anxious and unwell and had a heap of tests etc only to find nothing was wrong but still I go on thinking the worst, I try to break the cycle with positive thinking but find that for me it does not always work and so I sink back into depression knowing that this anxiety has a strong hold of me and so the vicious cycle continues, as soon as I feel anxiety building an icy hand goes up the back of my neck and I feel nauseous and unwell ,I suffer acid and bloating in the stomach and then cant eat so I begin to lose weight and immediately imagine the worst again and again the cycle continues, I know what is happening but somehow feel powerless to stop it, the things I find happening to my body when I have an anxiety attack, which by the way lasts days at times, is bad enough in itself, I sweat , I feel sick I have aches and pains and any other usual aches or pains etc become magnified tenfold, I think in the end I am aware of what is going on and that is a small comfort but not a magic cure, I know I need to exercise and keep busy but again that at times seems impossible to do and so it goes on, at times I feel I cant go on feeling like this and I contemplate the alternative but again for the love of my family and those around me I will battle this and keep going, I am hoping that anyone else reading this , like me reading others problems, finds they are not alone and there is help and something to look forward to, if you haven't found help please push your self to do so and talk it through, hope this helps others in some small way, it has me

Bo11 Anxiety about my body
  • replies: 1

I have anxiety about my body. More so much about how I don’t feel certain parts of my body. I am constantly scanning my body to make sure I can feel it and i can’t stop thinking about that I can’t feel my bones and organs. I can’t feel the shape of m... View more

I have anxiety about my body. More so much about how I don’t feel certain parts of my body. I am constantly scanning my body to make sure I can feel it and i can’t stop thinking about that I can’t feel my bones and organs. I can’t feel the shape of my body like my arms and legs and because I can’t feel my body as a whole and just the part i move it freaks me out. I’ve now started to freak out about my body as a whole as if I can’t accept it. I don’t want to move cause it weirds me out that I can move it without feeling all of it. I’ve spoken to so many drs and spychatrists who say it’s normal not to feel these parts of my body but I can’t stop. Has anybody had this. It’s starting to get worse where i think I don’t have a body. They said dp can be a symptom of anxiety but I’m having it when I’m calm. How can I accept that I move my body with out feeling it all the time and how it works. I have this 24/7 and it’s affecting my life. I feel like I’m going crazy.

Kristie_8 Generalised anxiety ptsd agoraphobia and panic disorder with depression
  • replies: 1

Hey everyone so I just wanted to put some of my symptoms out there because I’ve rarely heard of a couple of them and had everything checked and always comes back to anxiety and it’s driving me insane bit of background info multiple ex’s with mental h... View more

Hey everyone so I just wanted to put some of my symptoms out there because I’ve rarely heard of a couple of them and had everything checked and always comes back to anxiety and it’s driving me insane bit of background info multiple ex’s with mental health issues eg skitzophrenia, bipolar etc i broke my back in a car accident which resulted in multiple surgeries had 2 miscargies which resulted in surgery stopped seeing a guy and he turned really bad got all his mates to follow me for over a year where ever I went tried to run me off the road to the point I got cameras in my car and house anyway they apologised 2 years later I dumped my boyfriend of 1 year after that who had alcohol problems and bipolar and he decided to get his friend to smash my car completely ride it off with a cro bar then smash my new boyfriends house anyway we moved he found where I lived again a year later then my anxiety began again I then paid out my lease and my partner and I moved back in with my Mum so after moving in with my mum it was only panic attacks here and there the usual heart racing, sweating, pacing around the house , thinking I was dying, couldn’t breathe tight throat and chest. Anyway we then moved to a bigger house as we had two house fulls my anxiety continued to get worse I couldn’t leave the house without my Mum quit my job couldn’t work couldn’t do anything I was trapped I had to go to every appointment with my Mum and still do, I started seeing a physiologist and psychiatrist who prescribed medication but currently am to scared still to try it I don’t know why I use to take it and I no it won’t hurt me at most it just wont help but I’m still scared ! I just want to get better I’m paranoid about food being poisoned or contaminated so find it hard to eat recently I’ve started seeing floaters constantly and went to hospital I started seeing Black like I was staring at a light but I wasn’t and then it looked like I was staring through a kaleidoscope then couldn’t see anything on my right couldn’t put sentences together or type properly I couldn’t remember simple things or get words out and at hospital they put it down to anxiety or sensory aura migraine anyone else experienced this symptom at all? honestly thought it was a stroke got given medication then got a massive headache and went home six hours later please tell me I’m not the only one and tips on starting medication please !!!

Touvhe Severe hyper sensitisation of body / constant anixety /physical anxiety
  • replies: 7

I have an extreme focus on my body sensations to the point where I cannot function anymore, at least not properly if anyone can relate to these symptoms or give any advice I would be grateful - im on anxiety medication and I still feel like this and ... View more

I have an extreme focus on my body sensations to the point where I cannot function anymore, at least not properly if anyone can relate to these symptoms or give any advice I would be grateful - im on anxiety medication and I still feel like this and i've never had anything tougher in my life to get over - I always google symptoms that I have ( that im sure I get from anxiety ) and think I have a terrible underlying problem - I always go to the doctor worried about whats going on - I constantly CONSTANTLY feel my heart beating in my chest, and how fast and hard its beating (ive had an ecg my heart is healthy) - I am constantly fatigued and cannot seem to stay awake during the day, and sleep if I can 12+ hours, anything less than 10 I cannot function - I always feel as if there is a weight on my chest and a knot in my stomach, even the littlest thought can trigger a physical sensation of overwhelming anxiety - I cannot seem to detach myself away from the physical sensations of anxiety and its ruining my life, I can not stop thinking about my heart or anxiety and I cannot live my life anymore because I am just constantly anxious and the physical sensations are constant and overwhelming please help or at least relate Im seeing a great a psychologist but I still cannot change these physical symptoms.

jcat really at a loss as what now
  • replies: 10

hi all, this is my first post, i am a 53yr old woman living in sa its a rather long story so please bear with me about 3 years ago i was diagnosed with ectopic heart beats (pvc's) which was completely checked by a cardiologist and is benign, totally ... View more

hi all, this is my first post, i am a 53yr old woman living in sa its a rather long story so please bear with me about 3 years ago i was diagnosed with ectopic heart beats (pvc's) which was completely checked by a cardiologist and is benign, totally harmless and is generally bought on by stress, for the last 2 years my health has deteriorated to the point i have no life at all. i get head spins and dizziness (dr said its vertigo), i get major head pressure as in my head wants to explode but not very many 'headaches', my ears are constantly full or blocked (ct scan shows nothing abnormal), i get chills or tingling up and down my body, vibrations in my feet, i start to sweat and despite heart medication my heart occasionally races (my dr diagnosed menopause) , i have major stomach issues (specialist diagnosed ibs) almost every day around 9-10am all these symptoms start and build up to the point all i can do is go to bed, have a lay down or go to sleep, after i get up usually early afternoon, almost all the symptoms are gone and i feel pretty normal, i cant make any plans or appts for the morning as they are just a wipe out. i spent several months going to the er on nearly a weekly basis until i just gave up as it was always 'anxiety' i am generally to scared to go out for a drive etc as i get very stressed when i leave the safety of medical assistance, when i told my doc i had enough, wish i was dead he sent me to a psychologist who told me there was nothing wrong with me, i have a good life, she did not need to see me again, got sent to a 2nd one who told me i was basically wasting his time, lose some weight and ill be right, i have my life all buttoned up in a pretty bow, finally got sent to one i like and ive only seen a few times but seems to be helping today i saw a specialist gp for the 2nd time with blood results which are slightly off but he does not know why, has diagnosed me with chronic anxiety and borderline agoraphobia and menopause (as per bloods) started me on medication and told me to come back in a month how can all of this be from ANXIETY i just dont get it thanks for listening

Wen1976 work and social anxiety
  • replies: 4

Hi ... for the past few years I've been living the anxiety/depression roller coaster and I'm so tired of this ride. It all started from experiences of emotional/physical trauma as a child and then experiencing emotional/physical trauma again as an ad... View more

Hi ... for the past few years I've been living the anxiety/depression roller coaster and I'm so tired of this ride. It all started from experiences of emotional/physical trauma as a child and then experiencing emotional/physical trauma again as an adult and not being able to talk about it. I feel like I cannot cope with the everyday life experiences in my professional, social and personal life. I'm either coping personally at home, socially or at work. Trying to cope with all of these is just too much to deal with. i constantly feel like I'm failing or disappointing the people i care about and work with. I feel guilty about wanting seek help for the way I feel. I wish it could be fixed with a pill but its just not going away. I'm going to counseling about this but sometimes it feels like I'm never going to be me again. How does other people manage? Just want to be how i used to be.... a strong, dependable me. Wen

Tash_Lea Anyone else with an axiety disorder tried to quit smoking?
  • replies: 5

As a long time GAD & OCD struggler, smoking has always been something of a comfort to me. Anything to calm the nerves right? I just wish I had chosen a different coping mechinism all those years ago. Not only are cigarettes terribly unhealthy but the... View more

As a long time GAD & OCD struggler, smoking has always been something of a comfort to me. Anything to calm the nerves right? I just wish I had chosen a different coping mechinism all those years ago. Not only are cigarettes terribly unhealthy but the little buggers are sending me broke. I've seen my GP and have some patches and whatnot. Just seeing if anyone out there who struggles with aniexty has successfully given up the smokes. Any tips/advice? Any advice(no matter how strange) that helped in giving up cigarettes for good without exasperating your aniexty completely would be appreciated. Cheers.

alma17 Social anxiety makes it so difficult for me to connect with people
  • replies: 6

Due to a lot of trauma, I've been mostly secluded for the past 2 years or so. Apart from my partner, and sometimes his family, I don't meet with people. I basically have one friend in this world - my partner. There is a part of me that would like to ... View more

Due to a lot of trauma, I've been mostly secluded for the past 2 years or so. Apart from my partner, and sometimes his family, I don't meet with people. I basically have one friend in this world - my partner. There is a part of me that would like to form meaningful relationships with more people, however, I feel very guarded, scared and generally distrustful of most people. I've had some recent trauma and a very recent disconnection with a toxic family, and these experiences honestly made me disillusioned about people in general. I also just feel different to people; different in my experiences and different in terms of values. I can't say everyone is bad, but I often haven't had very good interactions with people. Due to my social anxiety stemming from trauma, a lot of people have judged me, and think me to be weird for acting anxiously like I do. They don't understand why I am the way I am and so react negatively to me, which leaves me feeling hurt a lot, although, I don't always admit it to myself. I have an accumulation of a lot of hurt from others. If I were able to act more calmly, in order to not make others react, I guess I would, but it's hard for me at this stage. I feel like barely anyone likes me or sees me. Like I am not wanted in this world. I suppose I would like to meet people who could understand me, but it seems difficult at this point.

notwonderwoman What sort of therapy will I ask for?
  • replies: 5

I have been on a rollercoaster ride with depression and anxiety for the past few years, and when I look at it honestly I've had concerns with anxiety and social phobia for most of my life. I have always been one for self medicating, tried all the nat... View more

I have been on a rollercoaster ride with depression and anxiety for the past few years, and when I look at it honestly I've had concerns with anxiety and social phobia for most of my life. I have always been one for self medicating, tried all the natural remedies, started drinking a glass or two of wine to help sleep or relax more. Anyway things seem to be coming to a head these past 12 months for me, I am quite well respected in our team, however there are two bullies in my workplace who yell at me in front of my colleagues and I just go to pieces and cannot defend myself, I am going through menopause and empty nesting, I left a job that I was happy in and comfortable in for a promotion and it has been a horrendous experience, now the organisation is trying to force me and three of my colleagues to change to a temporary contract, after we have just bought 3 acres to set up our dream of self sufficiency, I have elderly parents to care for, kids in uni to support, trying to complete my masters now so I can secure a job and compete with the younger set out there. I feel guilty that these things are causing me anxiety, as I have healthy family, strong marriage and people say I can get another job so why does the change bother me. I have just been diagnosed with GAD and adjustment disorder and have started on medication about three weeks ago, I noticed a change in that I can sleep, and kind of felt more ambivalent and stopped over thinking things, but today had a panic attack after being yelled at by one of the two bullies. I was surprised that this happened but kind of relieved that the medication didn't numb me. The bullies just tell me I am too sensitive. A plus is one is leaving next week because she acknowledged she wasn't up to the job. No way will I share with them my condition, but I have told another two members of my team and they are great support. Any way, just asking what is the best therapy? It looks like just meds won't cut it, the psychologist I saw from work was very nice and she listened and was supportive and just told me "don't think about work at home" and "make sure you do something nice". I'm seeing my GP Friday who has offered to put me on a mental health plan, I feel I need some therapy to go with the meds, as today I feel those horrible thoughts and feelings coming back at me. Tonight I just feel like I want a few glasses of wine or something so I just get bombed and can just hide.