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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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Barkieboi Anxiety and depression leading to intrusive thoughts.
  • replies: 8

First of all, I'll share a little about myself and how I've got to the stage I'm at now in regards to my anxiety. So, like many people, my anxiety is hereditary. It's wreaked havoc through generations on my mums side of the family and to a lesser ext... View more

First of all, I'll share a little about myself and how I've got to the stage I'm at now in regards to my anxiety. So, like many people, my anxiety is hereditary. It's wreaked havoc through generations on my mums side of the family and to a lesser extent, my dads side. Unfortunately due to binge drinking in my earlier years, my anxiety has snowballed over the last few years. Recently though, I've had very severe episodes of anxiety and depression which, in turn, sets off the intrusive thoughts. Some episodes have risen after a big night of alcohol, others, simply because I've seen an advert about bowel cancer on tv or a post on Facebook about HIV. It sets the ball rolling and I can't stop the thoughts. I'm on medication and seeking therapy but at times when i have an episode, I'm too overwhelmed by guilt and grief to implement my strategies. It rock's me to my core. As I speak now, I'm currently battling the worst intrusive thought's I've ever experienced. I stupidly missed my medication for 3 days which subsequently sparked my anxiety and intrusive thoughts. My medication has been upped and I'm going to my psychologist on Wednesday. I'm just wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar and how you got through it? I'm so petrified that it won't pass and that my psychologist will think I'm a monster because of these thoughts I keep having and the anxiety I keep battling. I have a loving partner who supports me and family that have been my rock but I feel I just need to love myself too. I care for everyone around me, I'm a kind and caring person but I'm just struggling to feel this way about myself. I avoid going places and doing things that might trigger my anxiety. This is tearing me apart... If anyone has any suggestions or advice, it would be much appreciated. kind regards, Adz

DaphanyReynolds panic disorder coming back after traumatic event
  • replies: 2

Hi all, Im new to this forum stuff. I have panic disorder and have for a couple of years. I was healing it well and then I developed a pnemonia and had to stay in hospital isolation for 15 days. The whole ordeal was so traumatic and I'm still physica... View more

Hi all, Im new to this forum stuff. I have panic disorder and have for a couple of years. I was healing it well and then I developed a pnemonia and had to stay in hospital isolation for 15 days. The whole ordeal was so traumatic and I'm still physically recovering from it but now I think my anxiety has come back full swing. Has anyone experienced a complete relapse like this after something traumatic? I'm always on the verge of an attack now after 8 months of not having one at all. I know panic stays with us but to come back so suddenly is really uncomfortable. Thank you in advance to any responses xx

Emma77 I went shopping!
  • replies: 9

I have put myself through such torture this morning. I’ve had increasing anxiety about the thought of shopping spaces, and I had myself freaked out and convinced I couldn’t do it before I even left the house. I’m kind of lucky that there’s a corner s... View more

I have put myself through such torture this morning. I’ve had increasing anxiety about the thought of shopping spaces, and I had myself freaked out and convinced I couldn’t do it before I even left the house. I’m kind of lucky that there’s a corner shop that so far hasn’t given me a panic attack (I have no idea what the difference is). Of course it has no variety, and is super expensive, but it’s an option for me so that at least I know I won’t starve. Anyway, the only way I could get out of the house was by telling myself that if I couldn’t cope at Coles, I was ‘allowed’ to go to the little shop. But I went to Coles, and wandered and wandered around the registers, too scared to go too far in. I’d walk halfway up the meat section, but couldn’t get to the back where the chicken is (of course it’s at the back) and then halfway up the pet isle, but not to the back where the cat food is (of course it’s at the back, I’m starting to take it personally, lol). And I just kept walking and walking, getting a little closer each time. Took me ages just to buy six items, but I finally did it. I feel good that I was able to do it, and was tempted to share this in the positive story thread, but there is still a voice giving me such a hard time. Telling me that it shouldn’t have been so hard in the first place, and I shouldn’t be patting myself on the back just for doing what most people do every day. Why does panic have to be so all-consuming?

Byltim Feeling overwhelmed
  • replies: 5

Hi all, im kind of new to this kind of thing but im hoping it will help in some way. Im 29 and i suffer from GAD with a few other things thrown in (depression, PTSD, OCD. In the past 5 years specifically i feel like i am just keeping my head above wa... View more

Hi all, im kind of new to this kind of thing but im hoping it will help in some way. Im 29 and i suffer from GAD with a few other things thrown in (depression, PTSD, OCD. In the past 5 years specifically i feel like i am just keeping my head above water. I lost my son in 2011, my dad in 2013 and my mum was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in 2014 and has approximately 6 months to live. My life seems to have fallen apart. I have a gambling problem, i am not able to have anymore children, i did have the best job in the world but have lost interest in everything. I even lost interest in my art which used to be my out time. My childhood was full of crummy happenings and i have never been one to dwell too much on that. But some of the past happenings have resurfaced and are affecting me and the way i do things. I am suffering at the moment from serious insomnia. I am scared that something is going to happen and i will lose everything. My daughter, the things ive worked hard to get. Its just overwhelming. Everytime i go to a counsellor i cant even get through the newest issues to get to the older ones without some other major horrible thing happening. I am a strong person... but i feel like everything is starting to crumble.

kbh anxiety stops me from living.
  • replies: 1

Hi I am new to this I have just learnt to accept I have anxiety and depression, my biggest problem with it all is I feel trapped like I can't enjoy my life I'm scared to exercise due to heart pulps and the fear of ending up back in hospital because e... View more

Hi I am new to this I have just learnt to accept I have anxiety and depression, my biggest problem with it all is I feel trapped like I can't enjoy my life I'm scared to exercise due to heart pulps and the fear of ending up back in hospital because every time I first had a panic attack I thought I was dying, I can't go for a walk with my family or even a bike ride. I hate being in this position my life is wasting away on this up and down roller coaster, I listen to calming noises and do breathing exercises which do help to a degree, until I have a panic attack while out then i'm back at the start any tips n what else I can do.

Claddam My health anxiety feels hopeless
  • replies: 4

Hey all,I'm new here. I woke up about 2 months ago with a racing heart and unable to sleep more than 1.5-3 hours a night. I had blood tests done, ECG and it all came back fine. I hardly ate, stomach always felt bad, weird bowel movements and dropped ... View more

Hey all,I'm new here. I woke up about 2 months ago with a racing heart and unable to sleep more than 1.5-3 hours a night. I had blood tests done, ECG and it all came back fine. I hardly ate, stomach always felt bad, weird bowel movements and dropped 5 kilos in 3 weeks. I kept thinking that my body is shutting down and every symptom I had lead to "heart failure" or "MS" on the internet. Even my head feels funny, intermittent headaches - like tension headaches, chest sensations. I've stopped googling and checking my pulse now.I'm on medication now and feeling better but still notice that my weight fluctuates up to 2 kilos a day. Yesterday morning I was 83.2 kgs. This morning I was 82.2kgs. How could I have lost a kilo a day? Everytime I pass a movement, my stomach churns and gurgles. I keep thinking there is something wrong with my insides yet the doctor feels my lower area every week and says it all feels fine. He may refer me to a gastro person.Has anyone else experienced this? I just feel a little tired all the time and want my stomach to calm down. I've been off dairy, alcohol and coffee for 8 weeks but just wanted to see if anyone else has experience weird stomach and bowel movements during their anxiety. Should I be really concerned? Even typing upset stomach into Google comes up with every cancer, brain tumour - ugh, why does anxiety do this to you...Thanks in advance and sorry for sounding like a hypocondriac.

hamlex Panic Attack Hangover??
  • replies: 1

Hi all!I am new to the forum.I thought I had panic attacks before but they all seem pretty mild compared to the horrible attack I had last night. My thoughts were so erratic. I was thinking about things that are so irrelevant to my life and stressing... View more

Hi all!I am new to the forum.I thought I had panic attacks before but they all seem pretty mild compared to the horrible attack I had last night. My thoughts were so erratic. I was thinking about things that are so irrelevant to my life and stressing about them. I would think about one thing and then in the blink of an eye, think about something else. My mind was in overdrive. I tried breathing exercises and grounding methods but none of it seemed to work. I had medication and was able to sleep, although very restlessly.Today I still feel a bit jumpy and "hungover". Any tips on dealing with this aftershock? Thank you all!

Ireth Anxious to go to class.
  • replies: 2

Hi there, This is my first time doing this kind of thing so I... don't know what I'm doing really. But I'll try. This year I was accepted into uni, to do a course that would lead to a dream job should my stuff be amazing and all that jazz. There are ... View more

Hi there, This is my first time doing this kind of thing so I... don't know what I'm doing really. But I'll try. This year I was accepted into uni, to do a course that would lead to a dream job should my stuff be amazing and all that jazz. There are lots of people younger and more talented then I am and that gets rubbed in my face a lot. About 2 months ago, I lost my father. Someone who I wasn't very close to but still hurt. The maybes and what ifs are now nothing. My school was supportive. They gave me extra time and everything like that. But towards the end of the semester, I felt they were just pushing me aside and wanting me to get my assignments in just so they didn't have someone fail or leave the course. I'm not very social, lots of people make me very anxious to the point I shake. I always think that I'm not good enough with everything I do. So after a weeks break from uni, semester 2 has started. At first, everything was ok, I could go into class and listen to my teachers. But then the second week came around and I skipped a few classes. Now I'm in the 4th week and am getting emails about not attending. Meanwhile at home being told off by my mother and my boyfriend. Both know I suffer from anxiety but am just told to get over and go to class. I'm worried that if I go back now, the time I've missed will make me behind, therefore make me stupid and not as good as everyone else. I hate asking for help, I don't have any friends in my class to kind of help me. I feel to my teachers I'm just another number and thinking of going to class makes me want to cry and curl up in a ball and be sick. But then the disappointment on everyones faces around me makes me want to do the same thing.

BubblesIsMyDisplayName UPDATED: Struggling with opening up/talking.
  • replies: 12

Hi everyone. So as you read from the 'title' bar I have trouble opening myself up and talking. Ive had a lot on my mind, like trapped in my head for about three years. I can never get anything out. This is the first time I will tell a big audience th... View more

Hi everyone. So as you read from the 'title' bar I have trouble opening myself up and talking. Ive had a lot on my mind, like trapped in my head for about three years. I can never get anything out. This is the first time I will tell a big audience that. I was wondering if anyone else was suffering from this. I don't know if it is a mental illness or not, probably. At times it's really hard. Things like being bullied makes it harder. Especially when in hard/difficult situations I tend to forget almost immediately what happened, which then makes me not even tell anyone that someone was being a big bully. I really don't know what's going on in my brain. I also feel that I have anxiety and depression but have never been diagnosed because I do not want to see or talk to people. I don't know if that is related to that fact that I have experienced traumatic bullying for nearly all of my schooling life. Its a new year and I need to try and focus on the positives in life. But I really can't find a positive. I don't know what good complaining to you all about myself is but at least I did it. What do you all suggest I do? If anything. Thanks from the girl that like to hide in the shadows.

Leafyman stuggling with social anxiety and depression
  • replies: 4

Hello everyone, this is my first time doing anything like this but desperate times call for desperate measures. I've struggled with depression and social anxiety for most of my life and have recently been trying to gain some real world friends to no ... View more

Hello everyone, this is my first time doing anything like this but desperate times call for desperate measures. I've struggled with depression and social anxiety for most of my life and have recently been trying to gain some real world friends to no avail. I'm in my early 20s and I'm trying my hardest to push through my anxiety to make some friends, but I have had zero luck so far.I'm desperately craving close friendship from males and females of my age group. I am finding myself extremely lonely and anxious in my downtime from daily routine. I would be extremely grateful for some advice on gaining new friendships, dealing with powerful loneliness and any insight you can provide will be appreciated.