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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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Shannon1 Confused
  • replies: 1

I am anxious about so much, my work, my relation with my partner (even though we're fine, great actually) how much I want to change my mother because she is where all this anxiety has built up from. 21 years of total anxiety. But now that anxiety has... View more

I am anxious about so much, my work, my relation with my partner (even though we're fine, great actually) how much I want to change my mother because she is where all this anxiety has built up from. 21 years of total anxiety. But now that anxiety has turned to me just getting angry, I'm furious about stupid things these days. For example, when I'm eating and the cat reaches its paw close to my food, I flip out, screaming and get so desperate to kill the cat. All because he put his paw near my food. It's cant be normal. I don't know what going on, I'm so confused. I feel angry all the time and anxious that everything will fall to pieces if I don't have control. what do you think?

Jenjen86 Need to be positive help!
  • replies: 4

I'm recently going thru a stressful time medically. I've had to have surgery. And of course it takes time to heal! My anxiety and depression has gone. Thru the roof ! I'm stressing and freaking out I have stressful thoughtsvthat it won't heal althoug... View more

I'm recently going thru a stressful time medically. I've had to have surgery. And of course it takes time to heal! My anxiety and depression has gone. Thru the roof ! I'm stressing and freaking out I have stressful thoughtsvthat it won't heal although my doctors have reassured me that the tissue will take time! But I'm suffering from all this anxiety I'm having trouble trying to control it I just dnt know what to do where to turn to help me thru this' on top of ll this my bf has decided he needs a break and isn't hear to support me! How so I stop my mind from all these negative thoughts? I've ha depression for 8 years or so on and off

ImScared1 Anxiety is taking over my life
  • replies: 4

I'm 16 years old and I'm scared. Of what, I have no idea. The anxiety started in around October last year. The panic attacks and depression came later. I don't know what started it, the whole thing was sudden. I remember waking up one morning and fee... View more

I'm 16 years old and I'm scared. Of what, I have no idea. The anxiety started in around October last year. The panic attacks and depression came later. I don't know what started it, the whole thing was sudden. I remember waking up one morning and feeling like I could barely breathe. I honestly thought I was having a heart attack and that I was dying. This didn't stop for another two weeks and during that time I think I made around 4 or 5 trips to the doctor and I went home from school early twice. I was so scared, especially since I'd heard that a 15 year old boy had died from a random breathing problem just a week before. The next two week period was better but I still had trouble breathing. The symptoms of barely being able to breathe came back for another two week after that. Ever since then, I've had a constant 'heavy' feeling in my chest. I started getting panic attacks in around February this year, and that's also when I started becoming depressed, mainly about school. I hate feeling depressed, I know there are so many other people out there that have nothing and yet they still smile, but I can't help it. A few of my teachers started to notice me getting distressed in class (when I'd have panic attacks) and told me to go see the councilor but I only get to see her once every 2 or 3 weeks because there's other girls that need to see her and she's only in on Mondays. Because my stress levels rise as it gets later at night, I find it really difficult to do my homework. I'm starting to fall behind in my VCE and I wish I could just leave, I hate it. If anything, I just want to be home schooled so I can get away from the people that go to my school. I feel invisible there and like I'm worthless. I just want my old life back. I used to be so carefree and now I feel like I'm trapped in my own body. Sorry, I know I write a lot but I really just needed to get this out.

cubicalpanic Are personal space issues part of anxiety?
  • replies: 1

I have always had personal space issues, even with my partner and daughter. I tend to get panicky if someone is in close or holds me and won't let go straight away....I don't go out of my way to touch people affectionately, unless I have had a few dr... View more

I have always had personal space issues, even with my partner and daughter. I tend to get panicky if someone is in close or holds me and won't let go straight away....I don't go out of my way to touch people affectionately, unless I have had a few drinks. I worry about my daughter all the time and worry about who my partner talks to...insecurity at its best!

1963 Puzzling timing of anxiety symptoms
  • replies: 1

At Easter, I finally came off an antidepressant after a number of years treatment of depression. I have a history of anxiety & depression. Felt fine for over 2 months [I'd been reducing my dose from 3 mths previous to stopping], then, in late July , ... View more

At Easter, I finally came off an antidepressant after a number of years treatment of depression. I have a history of anxiety & depression. Felt fine for over 2 months [I'd been reducing my dose from 3 mths previous to stopping], then, in late July , 2 weeks of a few abnormal stresses & I feel like I've crashed. My symptoms are much more from Anxiety than depression, but what absolutely puzzles me is how I wake up with anxiety symptoms, struggle through the morning, but by early/mid afternoon they DISAPPEAR completely?!?!? Overnight, when waking up in the middle of the night and from 6/7am to about 2/3pm daily, the tiniest thought will set off horrible anxiety for me. I also have the general buzz of anxiety going on constantly during this time too. After that time,eg; from 3 -11/12 pm I'm fine; I couldnt trigger any anxiety then if I tried. I know some people will read this & think, 'wow, I wish I could guarantee an anxiety-free part of the day for me.' I have been there before myself, but my nights & mornings are hell at the moment. Does anyone else suffer anxiety in this way/ or know [any links?] what the best way is to treat this type of anxiety?

worriedrachael panic attacks 5 -6 times daily
  • replies: 3

I didnt think it was possible to have panic attacks 5 or 6 times daily...mine have always been maybe once a week or fortnight. Dont get me wrong Im very anxious most days at some point... I have been having panic attacks where I feel like a cant brea... View more

I didnt think it was possible to have panic attacks 5 or 6 times daily...mine have always been maybe once a week or fortnight. Dont get me wrong Im very anxious most days at some point... I have been having panic attacks where I feel like a cant breath,or that its hard to breath...I take too many deep breaths as I feel like Im not getting enough oxygen ,then I start feeling dizzy or course..and then my chest starts feeling tight. I have allot going on in my life that I'm trying to work through...but these panic attacks are really scaring me. Does anyone else have troubled breathing when having panicking? It helps me knowing other people go though what I do. xxx

dan_16 How to cope with Anxiety?
  • replies: 19

Hi, I'm Dan and I'm 16 years old. For as long as I can remember, my mum has been horrible towards me. She doesn't like me, she picks on me, she yells at me for literally no reason and blames me for everything. Basically, I cannot say anything around ... View more

Hi, I'm Dan and I'm 16 years old. For as long as I can remember, my mum has been horrible towards me. She doesn't like me, she picks on me, she yells at me for literally no reason and blames me for everything. Basically, I cannot say anything around her (good or bad) without getting a negative reaction. I think she has depression and she sometimes admits it to try and get sympathy but when we encourage her to get help she says she's fine. My younger brother has autism and it has always been hard living with that. Up until about 7 or 8 weeks ago I had been fine. I had thought about seeing a counsellor but decided against it because I was coping well. Doing fairly well in school and in sport, and enjoying life. However I got sick and had to have an extended period of time off school. We were finally able to find part of the problem, but we think another part of my sickness was me having anxiety. I have always been kind of a perfectionist, and have worked hard at school. Its in my personality to worry a lot and be constantly thinking and I have tended to get nervous often in the past but have been able to keep myself calm. I think any anxiety I have, got a lot worse during the 6 or so weeks I was away from school as I had to stay home, with my awful mother, abusing me all the time. Sometimes I randomly get nasty headaches and even become dizzy. These can last anywhere between 60 seconds to all day. I get extremely sore stomachs, sometimes my whole abdomen area and again, that can be very up and down and come when I'm least expecting it. Also, over the last 3 days, I've felt at times my chest tightening up, my heart beating harder (I could really feel it pumping in my chest) and having a feeling in my throat as if I have to vomit. Sometimes I can be sitting there and not feel stressed out, not feel nervous or anxious about anything, yet I will still experience these pains. I'm not sure if any of them have been panic or anxiety attacks, its not as if I have fainted or anything like that. I am struggling to get back to school, I have been for 2 periods at a time for 3 days last week but even that is hard. Apart from my mum, and my brother and the problems I have to deal with there, school is always stressful as I'm in year 11 and I have missed a lot of school so catching up is going to be very hard. I am booked in to see a counsellor this Friday and have also told my year coordinator at school that I need to see the school counsellor, and I believe that I will be able to. Is there anything I can do in the meantime to help? I am considering using these "rescue pastills" that my younger sister uses as she gets nervous about catching the bus. For anyone that may not know, they are similar to a lolly and you chew them. Apparently they calm you down and have worked in my sister's opinion, but I wouldn't want to become dependent on them. Does anyone have any advice on this or other things to take or treatments to have to help? Any help is much appreciated and I thank you so much if you have read all of this!

GreyDonkeys Someone please help me! Feeling trapped!
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone. i have posted before on here but i really just need to get something off my chest and need your advice. these last few years i have had these so called memories come to me of when i was young. They are not happy ones. i have a feeling i ... View more

Hi everyone. i have posted before on here but i really just need to get something off my chest and need your advice. these last few years i have had these so called memories come to me of when i was young. They are not happy ones. i have a feeling i could have been possibly sexually abused when i was younger but i'm not 100% sure and i don't know what to do. in recent weeks i cannot stop thinking about it. it makes me sick to my stomach that it is a possibility and due to this my anxiety and depression have become a lot worse. i spent all day crying yesterday just thinking about how much easier it would be if i just went to sleep and never woke up. the more i think about it the more i feel it happened. i have these memories and i have always hated people touching me, i cant stand to look people in the eye. I've never had a boyfriend and i struggle with intimacy. i get distracted and cannot concentrate. i have had anxiety/depression for the last 7 years with no real trigger. it is effecting my life massively. i feel that i am always going to be alone and it really scares me. Please HELP!! i am going crazy.

BrodieJayne Just a quick question.
  • replies: 2

I'm going to keep it as simple as possible, because it even confuses me at times. I first started to have anxiety/depression when I went into year 8 (first year high school). I had little understanding of what a mental health problem was. I met my fi... View more

I'm going to keep it as simple as possible, because it even confuses me at times. I first started to have anxiety/depression when I went into year 8 (first year high school). I had little understanding of what a mental health problem was. I met my first ever person who has depression, and I'll admit that I was jealous because of all the sympathy and attention. I didn't understand this wasn't something he could control. I then started to retaliate back and show the same symptoms he did and tried to win some of the sympathy and attention he got. 2 years later, I was diagnosed with extremes anxiety and depression. Because I forced myself to have this. I didn't realise that thinking like that all the time would ever had such a negative impact and I did all this to myself. I know now (and some years ago) that I was completely in the wrong, but I do not beat myself up for this. It was a silly mistake that I was un-educated about. My question is,though, is to ask anyone,at all, if they have discovered they have too done this to themselves, or know of anyone that has? And if so, how was the best way they coped with it? I mean, surely if the mind is strong enough to get me into it, it could get me,out, right? Thanks

hoz 10 years with no help
  • replies: 4

10 years ago I was doing many hours of studying and hurt my back from all the time spent sitting. The back pain eventually caused chest pain. I went to my GP and he immediately said that it could be my heart and I was rushed off to tests in the follo... View more

10 years ago I was doing many hours of studying and hurt my back from all the time spent sitting. The back pain eventually caused chest pain. I went to my GP and he immediately said that it could be my heart and I was rushed off to tests in the following days. That night after the Dr said about my heart I was laying in bed when it suddenly started racing like I had done a marathon. I went through a series of tests over the next few months where they found nothing serious. Only that I get occasional skipped beats which is considered "normal". However ever since this time I have almost always been aware of what my heart has been doing. I started to ignore it and started full time work. At this stage I started going out to night clubs and drinking lots regularly on weekends. It seemed to almost go away for a number of years, but I always felt something was there. I think it was more I just did not care at this stage in my life. As time went on my life circumstances changed. I bought a house, got engaged, and basically stopped drinking. As my life style has become more settled, I care more about myself and care deeply for my partner, my feeling of something wrong has increased dramatically. I was having constant neck pains, and my irregular heart beats became even more noticeable. The skipped beats feels like I am being hit from within my chest. I can be sitting watching tv, or at work, totally relaxed, then suddenly bam i get hit. I then am overcome with a feeling that I am about to die. I have been back to see Dr's over the years. Most recently I was sent back to a cardiologist and had further tests and comparisons to the previous ones. The cardiologist says that he thinks it's anxiety related. My GP also sent me to a Gastroenterologists about the chest pains. All tests showed nothing. They all agree that it's probably just anxiety and that's where its been left at. It has affected me because I find myself worrying about my heart stopping and how an ambulance would get to me if I am somewhere with no easy access. Eg in remote places I start getting chest pains, in crowds I get chest pains, and even areas I am not familiar with. I am not in fear of death, I am in fear of pain, not being in control and leaving people behind. I also get periods where I just feel agitated for no reason. I just can't sit still. I think about things lots and sometimes get cold sweats and feeling of passing out. I have constant tension throughout my back and neck which a physio also thinks is anxiety related. More recently I have been feeling like I am constantly tired. I can't concentrate at work and lack motivation. I feel like I can no longer perform my job properly anymore. I am not sure what to do to make myself feel normal, because I am not sure what is normal anymore, and multiple Dr's just saying "oh its just anxiety" doesn't help. I am also concerned that if I push to get further help then I will be permanently labeled with anxiety it will be harder to have life and travel insurance.