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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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happyplace Are they judging me?
  • replies: 8

Hi I'm a newbie so sorry if I get it wrong. I have anxiety and OCD. I see a phsycologist and it helps heaps but I struggle with the thought people are judging me. I'm always reading any sign I can from other people, I assume they think the worst of m... View more

Hi I'm a newbie so sorry if I get it wrong. I have anxiety and OCD. I see a phsycologist and it helps heaps but I struggle with the thought people are judging me. I'm always reading any sign I can from other people, I assume they think the worst of me and take everything to heart. I find social situations very stressful which would surprise people as I always seem so outhoing but inside I'm worrying if I sound stupid or if I have offended somone or are they annoyed at me. Anyond else feel like this ?

tigers day to day battle with anxiety
  • replies: 2

hi my name is richard iam 48yrs old I have been married for 27yrs with three adult children and one granddaughter who I adore.i have lived with anxiety for more than twenty years and panic attacks which still affects my daily life.it started when I w... View more

hi my name is richard iam 48yrs old I have been married for 27yrs with three adult children and one granddaughter who I adore.i have lived with anxiety for more than twenty years and panic attacks which still affects my daily life.it started when I was in my twentys I thought I was having a heart attack at work I was taken to hospital and after a few hours they told me I have anxiety.after that day nothing was suggested to me to seek help or treatment.so as time went on my anxiety started to develop it was so bad that when I had an attack no matter where it was outside my home I would always flight instead of fight but I knew no better I had no knowledge of what was truly happening to me.it started to put a strain on my home life I would always ring my wife for reassurance when I was feeling anxious I did not understand or realize what pressure I was putting on her.as time went on the only thing I done to control my anxiety and panic attacks was to always stay in my comfort zone,and now I look back at that and realize how many things I have missed out on in life just so I could feel safe and comfortable.as I got older nothing changed until my sister started to fall ill with cancer and i was always on edge and very anxious battling the negativity and what ifs and the constant over working of my brain constantly thought after thought eventually it wore me down and I had a bit of a break down my wife had had enough so I was told I need help which I did get in the way of medication which iam still taking and I spoke to a councillor for several visits.she was so understanding on my first visit we sat outside so I would be more comfortable(this was because at this stage I could not even go shopping without fear or sit in a drs room unless I could make a quick get away if I needed to sometimes I would walk out of the drs surgery before my name was called because of feeling so anxious)with the help of the tablets and the sessions I got better and I understood that iam not alone..I returned to a normal life for me anyway and things did improve my confidence got better and I felt better within my self,i went through some tough stages with my life the death of my sister was very hard and still is but with the medication I got through it. my anxiety has returned not that it ever left me so with the help I have had and get and talking about me for the first time I wish to get better and enjoy my life instead of the daily battle. richard

JohnB9 OCD - dirt
  • replies: 4

Does anyone else have experience with OCD, primarily with fear of being dirty (particularly faeces/urine, animal or human)?

Does anyone else have experience with OCD, primarily with fear of being dirty (particularly faeces/urine, animal or human)?

Leelu General feeling of dread
  • replies: 2

Hi All, New to the forum. I have had GAD since I was a teenager. Recently I'm having a bad patch of anxiety, the constant feeling of dread that something awful is about to happen has returned and I find myself feeling too anxious and agitated to do t... View more

Hi All, New to the forum. I have had GAD since I was a teenager. Recently I'm having a bad patch of anxiety, the constant feeling of dread that something awful is about to happen has returned and I find myself feeling too anxious and agitated to do the things I used to enjoy. The thing thats really bothering me is I've also developed a phobia of driving, I can manage to drive short distances and stay local but I can no longer drive over a big bridge near my house or on any freeways, my panic and anxiety has convinced me that I will have a terrible panic attack whilst driving over the bridge or on the freeway and I'll pass out and hurt myself or someone else.. I'm really not sure how to get past it, even looking at the bridge or freeway entrance now sends me into a panic attack. It's really limiting the places I can go and really exasperating my poor partner.. has anyone else had a phobia like this? Thanks

Jaco25 Ive been struggling with anxiety and depression from as young as 14
  • replies: 3

Ive been struggling with anxiety and depression from as young as 14. My mum and bro also suffer from this. Ive been councelling and on high medication for the last 7 years. At times my mental issues have been managed but ive never been 100% happy In ... View more

Ive been struggling with anxiety and depression from as young as 14. My mum and bro also suffer from this. Ive been councelling and on high medication for the last 7 years. At times my mental issues have been managed but ive never been 100% happy In life and i dont think i ever will be. I have alot of self consious issues and self esteem & trust issues originally why i went and got assessed when i was 14. I was a big girl in the past size 16 but a size 10. Ive always seen myself as big and still do. I used to starve myself, or when i ate make myself sick. Things with that have got a little better but still need working on but my concerns are: I constantly worry about things way too much & am thinking non stop til i work myself up & i cant control it. It wont go away. Everything people say to me i dont believe as i have a mind of my own & if i dont think what they have said i dont believe it. I wake up with anxiety every day and lately since my work dropping my days and treating me like they have ive gone down hill more. Ive been in and out of hospital since due to having thoughts and attempting, and im starting back up to see a physiologist but im scared of being judged that maybe my problems are nothing or not as bad as others but i know to me this is like the end of the world to me. I feel so useless, worthless, lost and alone i dont see a point in living id rather not deal with this. My relationship is also getting affected by all this because im so insecure with myself & have trust issues i dont believe a word my partner says. I dont think i deserve to be happy or have someone like him so it makes me think his lying to me about every nice thing he says eg: he says im not fat, im amazing, im sexy but i dont believe a word cause i dont think that of myself so why would anyone else. He has stood by me the whole way, supported me, understood me but i just keep pushing him and everyone else away cause i feel like a burden and like i shouldn't put my problems on others. I dont wanna loose him but if i keep all this up I might. I need help please anxiety is ruining my life and my relationship. I dont know what to do. beyondblue's clinically-trained moderators often work offline (invisible to you) on issues relating to suicide or self-harm. At the same time, general supportive comments from the community are encouraged. If you have concerns around suicide or self-harm, please phone our support service on 1300 22 4636.

GreenDoor Eating when Anxious
  • replies: 2

Hello, I am going through a bit of a tough time at the moment with anxiety. It's been about 2 weeks and I feel I have the mental symptoms under control (turning negative thoughts around) but not so much the physical. It started when I was on holiday ... View more

Hello, I am going through a bit of a tough time at the moment with anxiety. It's been about 2 weeks and I feel I have the mental symptoms under control (turning negative thoughts around) but not so much the physical. It started when I was on holiday in Asia and got sick from the heat. This led to a few days in bed and into feeling miserable. I cut my trip short as a began to feel really anxious and have been back for about a week now. Whilst I was sick I wasn't able to eat much and I still can't. I feel this is what is holding me back now from a full recovery. Does anyone have some tips of foods to try and eat? The thought of eating makes me feel anxious and I just sit there with food in front of me staring at it. So far I am managing to eat a couple of bananas a day and a few crackers. Usually eating is my favourite thing! Any help appreciated. Thanks

Et1 Anxiety about my partner ? Help
  • replies: 3

hi im looking for help! i think I have have anxiety or rocd? i have been with my partner for 5 yrs and I'm very happy with my relationship but last few weeks I have had this thing in my head telling me I don't love her and she not good enough when sh... View more

hi im looking for help! i think I have have anxiety or rocd? i have been with my partner for 5 yrs and I'm very happy with my relationship but last few weeks I have had this thing in my head telling me I don't love her and she not good enough when she really is!! It just keeps going around around and if let go it digs deep and makes me over think everything makes me very scared that I will have to leave her, but I was very happy and I no I love her dearly. I have real bad chest pain, please what is this ???????? It bluddy hurts! It all new to me I was always happy go lucky person without a worry in life! Any info would be great pls!

Martii Not sure if I have anxiety/ocd or not... help!
  • replies: 3

It's only been the last few months that I have thought I might have some kind of anxiety disorder.. I always thought I had a bit of OCD but not I am thinking some kind of anxiety too, but not sure - I have read fact sheets and things and the things r... View more

It's only been the last few months that I have thought I might have some kind of anxiety disorder.. I always thought I had a bit of OCD but not I am thinking some kind of anxiety too, but not sure - I have read fact sheets and things and the things ring true but I don't know, thought maybe some people can help see if I do? I have always been a perfectionist, always unsure of myself, always need reassurance from someone, always have to do things a certain ways - my friends think it's funny how organised I am, I colour code things and everything in my apartment is in the right place and if anyone moves it or touches it I flip out and have to put it back where it was. I can never really relax, I am always thinking at night of all the little things I have to do, like move a book into a better place, or rearrange the food in my cupboard, things like that. The other day I flipped out at work for the first time - it's a new place where I am working - the CEO asked me to do some things and I had no idea what he was talking about, then someone else started asking me questions and all of sudden I was bawling and couldn't breathe because I was so overwhelmed. I just want to do a good job of everything I do, and the thought that I didn't know what he was talking about just sent me over the edge. I was so embarrassed because that has never ever happened to me before, I am always in such control and always have somewhat of an idea what is going on... These things aren't so bad that it makes my life hard, but I do worry alot and find it hard to just live life because I am worried about the damn book in my house that I have to move to a better place. It makes no sense. Does any of this make sense for anyone else?

Mintgiggles Social anxiety - tips for communicating better with others?
  • replies: 3

Hiya, I suffer from social anxiety and I would like to hear some of your coping skills or tips for connecting more easily with people? I recently got a job in bar solely for the purpose of improving my people's skills but I find it increasingly diffi... View more

Hiya, I suffer from social anxiety and I would like to hear some of your coping skills or tips for connecting more easily with people? I recently got a job in bar solely for the purpose of improving my people's skills but I find it increasingly difficult to even look another person in the eye... I would appreciate any kind of advice, thank you!

mizzy83 I'm in despair. GAD
  • replies: 6

Hi all, this isn't my first post here. Sorry if people are getting sick of replying to me. I had a health scare in January that terrified me to the point I went from being a normal young professional to a terrified person constantly feeling pain in m... View more

Hi all, this isn't my first post here. Sorry if people are getting sick of replying to me. I had a health scare in January that terrified me to the point I went from being a normal young professional to a terrified person constantly feeling pain in my chest, tingling sensations around my body, short of breath, upset stomach and unable to sleep through the night ever since. I think I've developed GAD with some OCD ish tendencies that are all focused on obsessive thinking of my symptoms and my lack of sleep. I've been in therapy 4 months but while I'd made some progress I have slipped in the past 2 weeks. Every night I either can't sleep or wake early and wind up googling anxiety, insomnia, medications, and medication reviews. Although most people on the medication review websites seem to have had positive experiences with medication I am terrified of trying it... And even more terrified, if not tormented at the prospect of trying them and potentially finding they don't work, and leave me stranded, all alone and with no way back, drifting further and further away from normality. My partner is aware I'm not right but is scared and doesn't feel they can handle the stress of knowing my issues and helping me so I'm kind of on my own. I want to try medication but don't feel like I can tell my partner as they would be terrified, and would think less of me for not being able to beat this naturally. I don't know what to do. What if antidepressents don't help me get better? Can anyone relate to my situation or reassure me that meds are the right way to go? Do they help make things better? thanks.