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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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bohobabe10 Anxiety about University
  • replies: 1

I was diagnosed with general and social anxiety in early high school. I did well but struggled when I got emotionally tired, needing support to finish high school. I began university straight out of high school. My first semester did not go well, I e... View more

I was diagnosed with general and social anxiety in early high school. I did well but struggled when I got emotionally tired, needing support to finish high school. I began university straight out of high school. My first semester did not go well, I ended up deferring half way through after I found out about some personal health issues which sparked my anxiety and depression. I returned in semester 2 and out of two courses I only passed 1. The next year I actually did okay while balancing a brand new relationship with someone who had depression and was admitted to hospital right on exam time. This semester has been a disaster again. My partner got admitted to hospital again, I have been unwell with different things all semester and have been in hospital around crunch time, pushing my assessment further. During this semester my social anxiety has been extremely high. I manage to have friends but they go out and I don't go out with them. I leave university early because I feel so tired, self conscious and I just want to go home so bad. I've had to drop one of my courses and now I have to frantically salvage my other two courses. This on top of my partner being in hospital for depression. I've begun to question if I am even capable of doing university, will I ever finish? I can't part time work so my parents have to support me which makes me feel so guilty. Eventually my partner and me would love to live together but what if I can't work till I graduate in 2020? Of course he says he'd pay for me but I feel like I'm mooching of everyone around me. Have you been able to complete university with anxiety? Are any careers compatiable with anxiety?

Ace6913 Health anxiety and constantly need reassurance
  • replies: 23

Hi there, Im not new to health anxiety I suffered horribly about 4 years ago when I found lumps in my neck wich triggered anxiety and panic attacks at the time I was absolutely convinced I had cancer of course I googled and I had all the symptoms of ... View more

Hi there, Im not new to health anxiety I suffered horribly about 4 years ago when I found lumps in my neck wich triggered anxiety and panic attacks at the time I was absolutely convinced I had cancer of course I googled and I had all the symptoms of the illness it just snow balled onto constant visits to the Drs and emergency because I felt no one was listening to me. It was just the one last dr I saw made me realise I had anxiety and everything I was feeling was anxiety itself not some life threatening illness . In time I moved on and accepted I had to make the change and I did . Now 4 yrs on I'm suffering again and once again found a hard small lump on my wrist whilst I was washing my hands straight away before I could take my next breath I fell straight into panic mode and then onto anxiety I was proactive straight away went to the Drs got X-ray done everything came back clear but alls I've been left with is fear that they missed something or the X-ray just won't show what it really is meaning I think it's cancer I can't believe I'm putting myself through this again I feel extremely disappointed in myself

DN129 Do you find your anxiety is causing you to 'invent' medical issues all the time?
  • replies: 14

I think I've dealt with this most of my life and only recently acknowledged it. I never really confronted my anxiety until I started to get panic attacks, but the more I look back the more its always been there to some degree. I think for me one of t... View more

I think I've dealt with this most of my life and only recently acknowledged it. I never really confronted my anxiety until I started to get panic attacks, but the more I look back the more its always been there to some degree. I think for me one of the hardest hit symptoms I've always faced is 'health anxiety' or 'inventing' medical issues. To me, in my mind they're real. I can even feel the symptoms. But to doctors, they seem inexplainable, vague or simply excessive relative to the 'injury' or my general health. Now this isn't to say that doctors are always right or what you're feeling isn't necessarily true. But I've always found I suffered from the type of illnesses that have symptoms overlapping with anxiety. For instance I've had stomach and IBS issues my whole life. This started when I got punched in the gut and started obsessing about it. It seems very possible to create mental situations.

Guest_9632 Stuck in a rut and can't keep my emotions stable
  • replies: 5

Hi all, this is my first post so please bare with me. I signed up to BB because I thought i'd give a forum a go as a ways of releasing the problems that I have and just seeing if it will hopefully give me some kind of benefit. So in a nutshell: i've ... View more

Hi all, this is my first post so please bare with me. I signed up to BB because I thought i'd give a forum a go as a ways of releasing the problems that I have and just seeing if it will hopefully give me some kind of benefit. So in a nutshell: i've been battling anxiety on and off for about 5 years have a wife who's suffered from depression but does have it under control comes in waves (my anxiety) and is usually at its peak when I have several things to stress about at once in recent times i've had to juggle living at my parents place (with my wife who suffers from depression) whilst our future home gets built. This home has been at a stalemate with the developer and council disagreeing over certain issues for over a year with now with no end in sight. In other words i'm trapped at home. In August my father whom i was very close to died suddenly. It has caused major stress among my family especially mum My wife and i have been trying to have a child for 12 months with no success. I have gone through many avenues to deal with the points above. I openly communicate with my wife and some people close too me. I try to eat well, try not to drink too much and am about to see a psychologist. I just thought putting my story out there may resonate with others. Don't get me wrong, I know there are others out there with much worse problems than me and I feel guilty putting my supposed problems out there for others to see. I just thought I need to start looking out for myself and maybe get a response that will have a positive effect on my wellbeing right now. FYI im a 36 yo professional male Kind regards ​

Louise10 Need some advice!!!
  • replies: 4

Hi guys, Am totally new to this and not sure if it's for me but I suppose I've got nothing to lose! I have a bit of a problem and it's an embarrassing thing for me to talk about it to those around me so thought I'd try my luck for some advice on here... View more

Hi guys, Am totally new to this and not sure if it's for me but I suppose I've got nothing to lose! I have a bit of a problem and it's an embarrassing thing for me to talk about it to those around me so thought I'd try my luck for some advice on here. Ever since I was young I have had this fixation about my loved ones drinking. Growing up my dad liked a drink, nothing negative ever happened and I wouldn't say he was an alcoholic but I always just felt like he was drinking too much and it worried me! I can't pinpoint why.. I'm not sure if it was an anxiety about something happening to him or just because his drinking was out of my control. Whenever my parents were having parties I would just dread it because I knew that dad would have too much and it would stress me out (even though I can't explain why!). I used to make snide comments like don't you think you've had enough? Or how big is that wine glass.. surely you don't need to drink all that? anyway.. I've now been in a relationship for a couple of years and my partner is rarely a drinker. However when I know that we have something coming up where he might get drunk, I get so anxious and stress about it for weeks beforehand. He's not a cheater, he is an amazing guy and I have NO idea what my fears are or why they are there but it's really starting to overcome me. It's gotten to the point that when we go out I try and drink more than him so that I'm not noticing what he's drinking.. but then I can't hold my alcohol very well and I just end up starting a fight with him over nothing so that we can leave! I know this sounds absolutely ridiculous and probably like such a trivial problem but the same thing happened yesterday and we are now on the verge of breaking up because of it. i guess I'm looking for some advice on WHY I could be feeling this way. I know my fears are irrational but that's not enough to switch them off! And maybe how I stop feeling like I need to control everything? And how to deal with my feelings appropriately when they are NOT under my control! can anyone relate to this or am I completely crazy?!!!

ci I have something to say!
  • replies: 3

I have a mental health disorder it does not make me weak it does not make me defective it does not make me less of a person! It makes me strong it makes me a fighter! Today I need to look at the positives

I have a mental health disorder it does not make me weak it does not make me defective it does not make me less of a person! It makes me strong it makes me a fighter! Today I need to look at the positives

poida1 self sabotaging my own progress...
  • replies: 3

Hey, Name's Pete, I'm 25 years old. I've posted on here a few times a while back and the support I received was helpful so I thought i would share this new formation of anxiety that I've been experiencing. It would be nice to know that someone else h... View more

Hey, Name's Pete, I'm 25 years old. I've posted on here a few times a while back and the support I received was helpful so I thought i would share this new formation of anxiety that I've been experiencing. It would be nice to know that someone else has suffered from or knows a little about this new emergence in my condition. To start I'll give some history. I've been suffering from anxiety, panic attacks and depression for about 8 years now, in the last year it had become unbearable so i decided to quit work for the time being, fly home and try and get some help. I started a mindfulness program called ACT that my psychologist put me on to and it was quite helpful, although i found that i kept falling into the same traps and that infact my anxiety, panic and disfunctional thoughts got a whole lot worse. So much so that about 2 weeks ago i suffered 5 days straight panic attacks that sent me to the hospital after passing out in the shower. Since then I've been ok some days even great, but sure enough i end up falling back into the same old hole. Anyway, last friday i was having one of my good days so i decided to take off for the weekend, just me and my backpack out for a walk, the way it used to be, and i was doing ok. Then something inside me emerged that is scaring the absolute hell out of me. I had just calmed down from a slight state of panic just before bed, when instead of relaxing and trying to go back to sleep, something inside me actually brought on another one. Almost as if i were testing myself, so naturally i tried pulling away, asking myself why i would do something like that, but i kept stirring the pot (so to speak) and the panic attack and fear grew much greater. I managed to calm down from this, event, but the next day, infact every day since, I have not been able to relax, because i now know that at any time, this part of myself could totally self sabotage me. It could make me feel extreme fear or panic or think ungodly thoughts that only fuel the cycle. The obvious response would be, ok well if it's you causing this panic, then just stop, but the strange thing is I can't. It's almost as if there's this really evil part of myself that knows exactly what will scare the begeezes out of me, how to make me hurt etc. and is trying to see how far things can be pushed before i break. It is terrifying, why would i ever want to do this to myself? I've already been through so much recently, so why this? Anyway I hope someone can shed some light

Adrian2014 I'm back again after two years
  • replies: 2

After a period of relative stability in keeping my general anxiety under control, it's back with a vengeance. I was living in Australia when I first joined this forum, and received some great support in that time I needed it. Since then, I have moved... View more

After a period of relative stability in keeping my general anxiety under control, it's back with a vengeance. I was living in Australia when I first joined this forum, and received some great support in that time I needed it. Since then, I have moved back to the UK, quit the career which was causing stress and felt much better for it. After 8 months of being back here I met the girl of my dreams, and we were together four months before last weekend she decided we should split up. It came completely out the blue. She has her own issues she needs to work through. Since I got the bad news on saturday, I've hit rock bottom. I wake up, and at 8am I drink wine to make me feel better. I drink a fair amount each day, just enough to keep me mellowed, not drinking to get completely drunk. It's not a normal reaction and my coping mechanism is a disaster. I have barely eaten for 3 days, my stomach is in bits, and I'm full of worry / dread. Constantly feel like I'm going to lose my mind and have a breakdown, yet I never actually do. I'm functioning whilst under the influence of alcohol all day and none of my family or friends realise. I went to my GP this morning and he prescribed me sleeping tablets to assist with my bad sleep and beta blockers to help with the panic, both of which I've used in the last few years. The irony is my girlfriend thinks we should potentially give it another go, but that has still not made me feel better. The thing is, whilst I think my break up has triggered it, my anxiety problem has always been their in the background and I need to get to the cause of it. Why am I so susceptible to bad news like this? It seems I can't cope with stress.

Guest_2345 Anxiety about having anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hey everyone. I was diagnosed with severe anxiety at the start of 2016, possibly brought on because I was meant to head off to uni. I've become a lot better during the year and intend to go to uni next year. But I'm very nervous about what my anxiety... View more

Hey everyone. I was diagnosed with severe anxiety at the start of 2016, possibly brought on because I was meant to head off to uni. I've become a lot better during the year and intend to go to uni next year. But I'm very nervous about what my anxiety might do. For me, my main fear and main issue that causes me to have panic attacks is that I'm going to go somewhere and feel anxious. Like, on a good day I'm keen to move and go to uni, but I'm scared that my anxiety will be shocking again when I go. It's such a crappy cycle. Basically, I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to get more on top of this before I move? Also, I expect to have some nerves when moving as most people do, but what advice does anyone have for moving away and starting new things with mental illnesses such as anxiety?

Huff Hello Everyone! Just reaching out a little bit.
  • replies: 4

I don't know if I have anxiety really. I've self diagnosed that I have. I've done quizzes and tests online and I've been diagnosed from none to mild to medium to severe, so I don't really know. I don't have panic attacks or many physical symptoms rel... View more

I don't know if I have anxiety really. I've self diagnosed that I have. I've done quizzes and tests online and I've been diagnosed from none to mild to medium to severe, so I don't really know. I don't have panic attacks or many physical symptoms related to anxiety at all. I function in the world. I have a job, I can talk to colleagues and strangers and I have a few friends. But I carry around with all the time - a feeling I can't quite define. I guess the closest word is 'unease'. Most times I can push it back, but sometimes its front line and centre and then I am paralysed. I need to retreat and not talk to anyone. Sometimes I wish I wasn't here at all. I fantasize about being in an fatal accident, but I am actually very safety conscious. I am not suicidal. I love my family too much. I haven't seen anyone professionally. I just can't bear the thought of talking to someone in case they tell me I'm imagining it, or that I've been reading or watching too many things about anxiety and if I stop doing it, I'll get better. I guess I'm actually anxious about not being anxious enough. I’m not very articulate anyway, and find it difficult to talk to any health professional for any reason. This is why I'm writing to this anonymous forum. I worry that I'm just diagnosing myself with something, so I can account for the fact that I'm a little bit weird and don't quite fit in. The only person I tell when I'm feeling very bad with this unease is my husband and that's to give him insight into my current behaviour. He thinks I analyse everything too much and should just get on with things. And he's probably right. In fact - in some ways he fits in less than I do..but doesn't seem to care. Maybe I just care too much about what other people think. I can tell from this forum that people are truly suffering and I feel a bit fraudulent by posting. But I thank you for listening anyway.