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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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Rod_NR93 First post. Having a tough time with anxiety and depression.
  • replies: 4

Hi all, this is my first post. I have diagnosed sensorimotor OCD, major depression and (subtle ADD). I see a great psychologist who is giving me ERP treatment and a psychiatrist for medication. He says I'm progressing well but I doubt him as I still ... View more

Hi all, this is my first post. I have diagnosed sensorimotor OCD, major depression and (subtle ADD). I see a great psychologist who is giving me ERP treatment and a psychiatrist for medication. He says I'm progressing well but I doubt him as I still feel just as anxious much of the time. Over this 'festive' break I've been doing it tough. A couple of days ago I had a meltdown or panic attack which is still leaving me unsettled. I cried uncontrollably at the time.There are three issues that are really stressing me at the moment. Firstly is my medication. I'm on a medium dose of medication for the ADD and OCD, which my psychiatrist says are related. I've tried pretty much all other anti d's without much luck. The medication is knocking me about a lot lately because of its 'rebound' affect. It's a great mood lifter and helps me focus my attention positively but it can wear off quickly which leaves me feeling highly agitated. There's the longer acting version of it but that causes me insomnia. I feel I can't win and which left me panicking the other night cos I felt 'there's no way out'. (I have no self harm ideation.) I'll phone for an appointment with my psychiatrist on Monday but I feel I'm running out of options.Secondly is the OCD. I've had it of sorts for over 20 years and my fears feel SO certain and real, despite there being no logic to them. I know the OCD happens despite me, not because of me, due to part of my brain firing incorrectly, which causes the 'something's wrong' feeling. The obsessions feel logical to me but all objective evidence says they are not. It just feels too tough, like a can't win this, particularly when I have setbacks. My psychologist is adamant I'm progressing well but it doesn't feel that way to me much of the time. This fuels my depression.Thirdly is the meltdown/panic attack I had a few nights ago. It was so awful and I dread it happening again. I can feel it lurking. The meltdowns are the worst feeling and when I have them my whole future seems black. It's just misery with a sense of there being no way out. Thanks for reading this.

MisterM I feel like a basket case - feel like I will not be able to cope in any job or uni course
  • replies: 12

I made a post somewhere a few weeks ago about considering nursing as a career. After deep consideration, I don't think night shift work would be good for managing my depression and anxiety. I am very sleep sensitive. Plus I am not keen on other thing... View more

I made a post somewhere a few weeks ago about considering nursing as a career. After deep consideration, I don't think night shift work would be good for managing my depression and anxiety. I am very sleep sensitive. Plus I am not keen on other things that come with the job of nursing. I have also had teaching in mind for a while, I almost enrolled over a year ago. After talking to teachers I know I am very keen to pursue this career. I will need to go back to uni obviously. I just worry that my mental health will prevent me from being able to fulfill my studies in a teaching degree. Will I be suitable to teach after graduating? I am filled with fear, doubt and uncertainty. Every job I have considered I see myself as not suitable, I feel like a loser, a failure, a basket case. A voice in my head tells me I cannot do that job and I picture family members laughing at me for considering such jobs such as when I considered becoming a police officer (I was rejected in the recruitment process due to my mental health history). My mum laughed when I told her I wanted to be a police officer. I can only imagine what my sister was saying behind my back as she sees me as a weak little mouse. My sister is a teacher and she has often told me such and such career is not for me as I am too shy, not confident enough, a mute, can't shake hands firmly. When I was studying marketing she put me down and caused me to cry. I feel like the biggest useless thing in the world, a joke, what am I good for? Being a cleaner in a shopping centre? I've tried a trade (electrician) and had my dad and brother in law say that isn't for me as I am not a physical type, I dropped out of a pre apprenticeship course in tafe as I realised I was struggling compared to others. I was too weak, shy, not confident for real estate, got bullied then fired for not gelling with the team. I was too slow and clumsy, uncoordinated to be a cafe worker, I worked as a waiter and kept getting told off for being slow but I couldn't go any faster, and I spilled drinks as I couldn't balance them on the tray as I served, so embarrassing to smash glasses and spill drinks on customer's tables. I got fired in the end after not managing to pick up the pace. I often struggled in the corporate world, I didn't know what I was doing and got treated like crap when approaching others as part of my job. I just feel like I am not fit to work in any job that I am meant to be an unemployed welfare recipient for life.

Bluey_moon Is this anxiety too?
  • replies: 2

Hi guys, Can I ask you guys a question? Again I'm sure this is anxiety related! Have any of you experienced the feeling that your kinda not connected to your body? This morning I woke up was looking at my hand resting on my little boy, it just didn't... View more

Hi guys, Can I ask you guys a question? Again I'm sure this is anxiety related! Have any of you experienced the feeling that your kinda not connected to your body? This morning I woke up was looking at my hand resting on my little boy, it just didn't seem real!! It was weird! And thay start my mind off panicking with the same thoughts!

Bec2002 Just want to talk to people like me...
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone my name is Bec, i'm new to BB and pretty confident I suffer from anxiety even though I haven't been professionally diagnosed. I have had anxiety attacks since the birth of my first child nearly 10 years ago. I tend to over think things an... View more

Hi everyone my name is Bec, i'm new to BB and pretty confident I suffer from anxiety even though I haven't been professionally diagnosed. I have had anxiety attacks since the birth of my first child nearly 10 years ago. I tend to over think things and worry excessively over things. I'm currently working through an attack which started just before christmas which was triggered by vertigo that i've been experiencing for a few months prior, plus Christmas on top of that and here I am. I just hate feeling like this and just want to feel normal again. I feel like i'm not coping with looking after my 3 children (9,7 & 2) as they can be full on most of the time and my husband does his best but I feel guilty passing that stress onto him. I'm hoping I can find some kind of comfort here at BB to ease my worries and help with my anxiety. Thanks for reading B

Shineshineshine Starting new job tomorrow
  • replies: 13

Hi I have come onto this forum in the hope of gaining some support and strength. I start a new job tomorrow and am super nervous! I haven't worked in 4 years due to anxiety issues. Have been offered and accepted jobs during that time, but after going... View more

Hi I have come onto this forum in the hope of gaining some support and strength. I start a new job tomorrow and am super nervous! I haven't worked in 4 years due to anxiety issues. Have been offered and accepted jobs during that time, but after going for the first day, or half a day, I always found an excuse to leave and reject the job, it has become a bad habit and I don't want it to continue into this year. I know that this is a bad cycle and I need to break it, otherwise my life will remain at a standstill like it has the past 4 years. I see other people achieve so much in these past 4 years,and all I have done is stay in my comfort zone at home and on Centrelink. I don't like that I'm wasting my life like this. Tomorrow is my first day at the new job and I am worried that I will find some reason to quit the job before even starting. It is a part time job, 25 hours a week, Mon-Fri, so I think it will be a good way to ease myself into working again. But I just fear that my anxiety will once again get the better of me and I will self sabotage like in the past. Any tips on how I can break this bad cycle so that I can reclaim my life back?

Kengy Anxiety won't let me go
  • replies: 10

Hi there I suffered a massive anxiety attack in September, to the point where I was hospitalised for a week. Since that time, my anxiety has been up and down, but mostly up. However, this last week, my anxiety has been dreadful. I had Monday and Tues... View more

Hi there I suffered a massive anxiety attack in September, to the point where I was hospitalised for a week. Since that time, my anxiety has been up and down, but mostly up. However, this last week, my anxiety has been dreadful. I had Monday and Tuesday off work, went yesterday, had a good day, then spent last night have strange dreams and hot flashes. I feel awful, and I'm at work. I don't know if I'll last today. I feel like I'm going crazy.

jenlee86 The last year has found me almost a complete agoraphobe
  • replies: 4

Hi I'm new to beyond blue and I need help. I have never been officially diagnosed with anxiety but I have been suffering with it for about 8 years. The last year has found me almost a complete agoraphobe. I live in the blue mountains and I dont have ... View more

Hi I'm new to beyond blue and I need help. I have never been officially diagnosed with anxiety but I have been suffering with it for about 8 years. The last year has found me almost a complete agoraphobe. I live in the blue mountains and I dont have any friends. I cant find a doctor to visit me at home and my partner and mother have had enough. I'm tired all the time and havr had enough. I need and want help I just dont know where to look. Please help me.

Teeko Living with social anxiety and body dysmorphic disorder
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone. I am new here, so I thought I would tell my story as an introduction. I am in my early 30's and I have been living with severe social anxiety for around fifteen years. It is hard for me to do simple things such as go into stores to buy t... View more

Hi everyone. I am new here, so I thought I would tell my story as an introduction. I am in my early 30's and I have been living with severe social anxiety for around fifteen years. It is hard for me to do simple things such as go into stores to buy things, as interacting with strangers gives me a lot of anxiety. I also hate myself intensely, and I think I have body dysmorphic disorder. It all became a bit too much to handle, and I dropped out of high school and ultimately gave up on everything. I have no qualifications and have only have a small amount of work experience. Because of this, I believe that nobody will hire me, and it causes me to lose even more motivation to turn my life around. I should of sought help a decade ago, but it was just easier for me to hide away from the world. Now I am paying the price for taking the easy way out.

Bluey_moon I just want to feel better
  • replies: 9

Hi guys, I'm just having a rough time at the moment and it's scaring me! As you guys that have read my posts before know, I've been diagnosed with GAD and obsessive thinking. My current obsession is a fear I'm getting scizophrenia! (Before it has bee... View more

Hi guys, I'm just having a rough time at the moment and it's scaring me! As you guys that have read my posts before know, I've been diagnosed with GAD and obsessive thinking. My current obsession is a fear I'm getting scizophrenia! (Before it has been ms, melanoma, bi-polar, you name it, I've thought I've had it). So, at the moment my sleep has been awful, it that light dream state, I've been having weird thoughts and it scares me. Last night my mind was racing! As per normal. But as I was thinking/ half asleep, I swear in my mind I saw a lady saying to me my thought. Well it freaked me out! I was like, that's it I'm hearing voices, seeing things. I'm going nuts! This obsession has been going on a while! I've been to see a psych, a psycologist and am on an SSRI. I have to admit though, this week, I have been having 2-3 alcohol drinks a day (we are on holiday). and loads of caffiene! Im scared my husband says I'm destroying myself and my family!

Elea Anxiety + Uni nursing placement
  • replies: 5

I start a 2 week nursing placement in the surgical unit of a hospital on Monday and I'm seriously questioning if I can do it. I've had anxiety and depression for years and until recently I thought I had it under control with medication, but lately I'... View more

I start a 2 week nursing placement in the surgical unit of a hospital on Monday and I'm seriously questioning if I can do it. I've had anxiety and depression for years and until recently I thought I had it under control with medication, but lately I've been feeling myself slipping back into feeling awful. Now I'm questioning whether I should even be doing this course and whether I can be a nurse. I've just finished my first year of my nursing degree and this will be my first real placement, where I'll be expected to do injections and administer IV therapy to patients. I'm so nervous and feel physically sick already. I keep asking myself why I thought I could do this. If I make a mistake I could hurt someone. I don't know whether I'm seriously questioning whether I want to be a nurse, or whether it's my anxiety making me want to run away when things get hard, which is my usual reaction to anything remotely stressful. I've dropped out of 3 Uni degrees and I can't do it again. But there is so much responsibility that comes with being a nurse, and I don't know if I can handle the stress. Thanks for listening xx