Anxiety

Blood Test Anxiety - Hemaphobia

replies: 6

Hi All, This may seem a trivial but it is a very real problem for me - i have hemaphobia which is a specific anxiety disorder relating to blood and in my case a very strong fear of blood tests. Even the thought of a blood test makes me feel queasy an... View more

Hi All, This may seem a trivial but it is a very real problem for me - i have hemaphobia which is a specific anxiety disorder relating to blood and in my case a very strong fear of blood tests. Even the thought of a blood test makes me feel queasy and feeling faint and i will noticeably go pale and my fingers and toes will feel funny and go weak. Needless to say that when i am faced with a blood test i will experience the above and i will freak out and i will go faint and black out. Thankfully i have only experienced four blood tests in my life with the last being a few years back but now that i am in my forties i understand that regular blood tests may become an unfortunate reality and for this reason i avoid going to the doctors. But unfortunately i will have to go soon for a workplace medical and i am fearful that because of my age and that i haven't had a check up in years that the doctor may order blood tests for me which freaks me out. I have tried to explain that i have a blood test phobia to doctors / nurses before but they just give me a perplexed look and suggest that i'm just being 'silly' and they will just down play it to a fear of needles. I am not scared of needles - i don't like them but i am able to cop them if necessary without drama. I can even go to the dentist no problem and not even flinch! It is blood tests and anything else that is intravenous (drips, epidurals etc) that really freak me out and cause anxiety. Apologies again if this seems trivial but it is a very real fear for me and i don't know how i can possibly overcome it. Does anyone else experience this? Does anyone have any advice? Take Care ignoP

Post clinic help

replies: 5

I have been staying in a mental health clinic for just over a week no. It has been great and have learnt some great coping skills and had time to refelct. The only issue i have is that the environment is so controlled i am anxious about going home. W... View more

I have been staying in a mental health clinic for just over a week no. It has been great and have learnt some great coping skills and had time to refelct. The only issue i have is that the environment is so controlled i am anxious about going home. Will i relapse straight away? Will i be triggered by something so small because of the lackof triggers in here? Will i be able to cope back in "normal" life? Does anyone have any tips or advice who has been through the same thing?

Imperfections and confidence

replies: 3

We can cross a river on stepping stones but if they are submerged we need to find out how to lower the water level so the stones reappear to continue our journey. With zero confidence it wont just appear, we need to analyse it further. For example, d... View more

We can cross a river on stepping stones but if they are submerged we need to find out how to lower the water level so the stones reappear to continue our journey. With zero confidence it wont just appear, we need to analyse it further. For example, do we fear other people? Do we worry about what others think? Do we risk embarrassment?, Do we get "foot in mouth" and say the wrong things? Were we criticised too much as children and were "never good enough"?So identifying the source is the first step. Then one can proceed. That next step could be hard work or could be easy with a "light bulb" moment. Just as an example. I was nicknamed "the worrier" by a teacher at school. Thats how much I worried. When around 50yo a friend asked me what benefits me when I worry? Ulcers? A while ago I started this thread. Use google Topic: worry worry worry- beyondblue So, returning to my point, worry was natural for me as I grew up in an anxious childhood environment. I thought it wasnt curable until (the obvious) was pointed out to me. Now my worry meter is 90% lower. Another example. It is a symptom of adhd and mania to put foot in mouth and embarrass ourselves by not thinking before we speak. So learning that we a/ dont need to reply everytime there is a gap in conversation, we can just smile b/ we can give one positive word answers "wow"..."great" c/ we can talk slower d/ we can ask questions which people love to answer about themselves e/ we can learn to talk less about ourselves. But if we didnt know about those options we could go through our whole lives saying wrong things and our confidence would never grow.If we add that learning technique (seeking the source)with a positive attitude of "I have a right to speak up and if others dont like it...its their problem" and "individuals like me that have these hurdles are not to blame for their imperfections, we all have those" then you will advance. One day you'll address someone for criticizing you simply for saying the wrong thing, a human mistake. A mistake that once was the reason for you being withdrawn.Then you'll know....you started loving yourself. We shouldnt go through life punishing ourselves for our imperfections. We should commend ourselves for doing everything within our capacity to counter them...by identifying the source and considering other options. Tony WK

Tips for managing physical symptoms of anxiety

replies: 1

Hi guys, So I've been waking up with pretty intense anxious feelings in my chest. I'm trying out body scanning and meditation, which help but then the feelings come back. Does anyone have any other tips?

Anxiety and Worry taking over

replies: 3

Hi Everyone, Don’t really feel comfortable doing something like this, but it’s a lot easier than verbally expressing my thoughts and feelings. I am really discontent with my life at the moment. It does not make sense – I am in my mid 20s, I have grad... View more

Hi Everyone, Don’t really feel comfortable doing something like this, but it’s a lot easier than verbally expressing my thoughts and feelings. I am really discontent with my life at the moment. It does not make sense – I am in my mid 20s, I have graduated from university, I have a good position for a good company, I am healthy, I have many friends and a large family. I have been feeling like this for numerous years now, however have never really tackled the problem and given it much priority (maybe because ive never felt comfortable expressing feelings and feel weak doing so). I always keep telling myself to go see a psychologist but I don’t even know where to start. I am frequently feeling anxious and worried and my heart is constantly racing. I am always unsure, I don’t have much confidence in myself and I always have negative thoughts in my head. I don’t do well in social situations with people I am unfamiliar with. I am afraid of public speaking, I don’t like going to meetings at work, and I will go to extreme measures to avoid situations which I am not comfortable with. This is really affecting my performance at work, even though deep down I know I am more than capable. I do not have close relationships in my life, conversations with my siblings and parents are very limited and never deep. I usually go on about my life like everything is okay and under control, but deep down only I know how I really feel. Some days are good and get a glimpse of happy feelings but most days I feel miserable, empty, tired and demotivated. If I could get any advice that could lead me in the right direction and out of this spiral I would be very appreciative.

I'm new here.... + Medication

replies: 18

SO... long story short, I've had a bit of a battle with Generalised Anxiety and Depression over the last few years. It took me a while to get the courage up to get to the point where I had to admit that I needed some help by way of medication. I've h... View more

SO... long story short, I've had a bit of a battle with Generalised Anxiety and Depression over the last few years. It took me a while to get the courage up to get to the point where I had to admit that I needed some help by way of medication. I've had some varying experiences with counselling etc prior, and I had some good patches after, but the cold, hard reality of GAD has come back to bite me time after time. My doc has me on medication. That's easy to manage, but I'm still coming to terms with the side effects. The first day or so, I had quite the headache. Since then, I've just been really vague, or "foggy". I can function and do what I need to do at work, at home with the family etc, but it's a conscious battle to force myself along, rather than to allow myself to procrastinate and "zombie out", so to speak. Is this kind of thing normal, and when should I expect to see some benefit? The doc told me that I'd feel a little off for 2-4 weeks while the medication "sinks in", and everyone is different I suppose. I decided to join a gym last night, so hoping that can help too. A bit of my back story... I was in a good paying job, but I really hated it. The work itself was just ok, but the management and red tape were ridiculous. I've managed to find myself a better paying job, in a slightly different field, but with a hell of a lot less stress, so that's great. On the home front, I have a 3, nearly 4, year old daughter an early-teen step-daughter. I really struggle with my step-daughter, she's really hard work. We are cut from different cloth, and the influence her father has on her means we'll probably always struggle. My youngest daughter is a daddy's girl, she's my shadow. I love her with all a father can, but yeah... she's hard work, as are all toddlers! There isn't a moment's rest when we are home together, meaning I get very little peace (which I thrive on), and I don't really have much of a sanctuary away from the home struggles. My partner and I have had an up and down relationship, especially the last 2 years. At one point, I was living out of the family home for a month, while we decided where we went from there. We are back together, and things are still up and down. When it's good, it's really good, but when it's not.... yeah, it's horrible. Anyway - any advice, ideas or otherwise are all greatly appreciated! Cheers, Nath

Social anxiety

replies: 3

Hey im 28 and having been suffering deppression for many years. A little history about my past. During my schooling years I got bullied constantly because I was short, didnt have any teeth and throughout ths years it has had a massive effect on my li... View more

Hey im 28 and having been suffering deppression for many years. A little history about my past. During my schooling years I got bullied constantly because I was short, didnt have any teeth and throughout ths years it has had a massive effect on my life. I have got implants for my teeth so that's a plus. However due to the constant bullying I suffer from a bit of anxiety and its very hard for me to make friends. I just dont want to be hurt anymore. So basically I have isolated myself and just keep to myself. However I cant do this forever and its getting very lonely. Please help

Worried about news

replies: 6

Hi everyone; Always online hardly ever post I have been diagnosed with GAD as well as depression so im no stranger to worry and PTSD after two very close people passing away! I have come far with CBT therapy but I just cant handle hearing any bad new... View more

Hi everyone; Always online hardly ever post I have been diagnosed with GAD as well as depression so im no stranger to worry and PTSD after two very close people passing away! I have come far with CBT therapy but I just cant handle hearing any bad news from people I love as in family and friends obviously i do get its the generalised anxiety taking hold. As an example my Sister called to let me know my nephew was not well and going to hospital and I immediately came close to panic and when i hung up the phone needed medication its like im waiting for my next big trauma and worry about my health should it ever happen again. I dont know if I could handle it again.

Having a lot of trouble sleeping

replies: 3

Hey guys, This is my first post here. I've been dealing with anxiety for about four years now, though I currently see a great therapist every few weeks who helps me. I also take medication when I feel I need it, which has been an absolute life saver ... View more

Hey guys, This is my first post here. I've been dealing with anxiety for about four years now, though I currently see a great therapist every few weeks who helps me. I also take medication when I feel I need it, which has been an absolute life saver for me. Over the past few weeks, however, my sleep has been poor. It takes me ages to fall asleep and I often wake up far too early without an alarm (4:30, 5, 6AM etc). Even if I go to bed late, I'll still wake up extremely early. This has been making me feel tired, irritated and sluggish during the day. When I go to bed, I feel like my thoughts are racing and rushing around in my mind and I toss and turn. I think about everything from the past, the present and future. I do try to breathe deeply and I even try to meditate, but nothing works. A few things have been on my mind, I guess. The first is that I begin a new job next week. I'll be with the same company I've been with for several years, but I'm getting re-located and will be at a new store with a different team of people. I have the exact same job, but I'll have to interact and get to know many new people. It was a hard decision to make the move, but my heart tells me it was the best choice, as the new store is five minutes from my house (as opposed to 45-50 minutes in heavy traffic). Secondly, I've been holding in my feelings for someone I've liked for a very long time. Her and I have worked together for several years (at the company above) and are of similar age, but because she was my manager I couldn't express my feelings. Though, we've recently been out together a few times - to lunch, and the movies (which has gone very well). I should mention we're both gay. Something tells me she might feel the same way, though I'm not 100% sure. As I've just left the store, we won't be working together anymore, meaning that I suppose I can now tell her I like her. I don't know why this is causing me so much worry or why I can't stop thinking about it. I guess part of me is a little afraid it won't work out. Anyway, thank you for reading. If anyone has any advice on how to reduce worrying before bed and improve sleep, it would be greatly appreciated. I'll be sure to bring it up with my therapist in our next session.

Looking for tips on 'calming my farm'

replies: 2

Hi, I need help. I am too highly strung at the moment and am looking for tips on how to relax and not let things get to me. i swear i never used to be like this and lately feel that i'm getting worse. I just want to go back to the care free person I ... View more

Hi, I need help. I am too highly strung at the moment and am looking for tips on how to relax and not let things get to me. i swear i never used to be like this and lately feel that i'm getting worse. I just want to go back to the care free person I used to be. I have a great partner, a supportive family and close friends that i can talk to about anything, i am very lucky in life and logical me understands this and swears she is going to let go and just enjoy life, but a day or two later irrational me appears and starts to worry about everything and feels that my world will implode if.... (the dishes aren't done, or the dog isn't walked at this exact instance...trust me i know this is irrational, i just don't know how to shut it off) which in turn creates stress and tension between myself and my bf. i know this is going to be an ongoing battle but any tips or advise you can give to get me started would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Pinned discussions

Hi! Check out this post if you're not sure how to start

replies: 0

All discussions