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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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brendaa151 Anxiety/Depression after coming off the pill?
  • replies: 5

Hi, I’m just seeing if there is anyone else out there thats going through the same thing. Im 24 years old, and have kind of always struggled with mild anxiety and random panic attacks but not that often. Basically, I starting the pill to clear up my ... View more

Hi, I’m just seeing if there is anyone else out there thats going through the same thing. Im 24 years old, and have kind of always struggled with mild anxiety and random panic attacks but not that often. Basically, I starting the pill to clear up my skin- I as on it for 3 months, but noticed my anxiety spiked and had a really bad panic attack, probably the worst of my life. So after the first pack (3 months) I thought I would stop for a month and give my body a break and see if anything changed (in regards to my anxiety) A month passed, and there was no real difference. I as still very anxious, more so than ever, and kept breaking out in these panic attacks that were so awful- So I ruled out that it was the pill because nothing changed after a month and assumed it was other factors. So I went back on the pill but another type- I lasted another two months before I could take it no more, and people suggested that it may be the pill and that only coming off it for a month to see if it was that was not long enough and just basically that the pill was not for me. So I jumped off after 2 months on it and it has been 1 month now pill free. I guess my question is, is this normal? How long does it take for your body (mental state) to regulate back to normal? Should I give it a good 2-3 solid months? Does anyone think the anxiety and panic attacks spiked because I was so up and down with the pill?? It’s almost unbearable now, because I am just so sick of the feeling. This is most definitely the worst I have ever felt. I’m constantly worrying, always break out crying, and get to a point of feeling sick because I’m so anxious. Anyone else going through this or have some advice?

gluckspilz Nearly 30 and I Feel Lost
  • replies: 2

I’m almost thirty and it’s made me realise how little I’ve achieved in my life. I thought of having a party but I don’t have anybody to invite. I’ve never dated anyone, I work in a dead-end casual job and I still live with my parents. I’m too scared ... View more

I’m almost thirty and it’s made me realise how little I’ve achieved in my life. I thought of having a party but I don’t have anybody to invite. I’ve never dated anyone, I work in a dead-end casual job and I still live with my parents. I’m too scared to drive a car and it’s getting very frustrating. I thought I would do a lot better than how it’s ended up. I feel so sorry for my parents because I’ve been such a big disappointment to them. I’m very unhappy with my life. I’ve tried to join groups this past year to make friends but it’s not really working. I don’t want to live like this for the rest of my life. I hate being so lonely and I feel like a child not an adult. Any advice would be appreciated.

TheAnxiousTinyHuman_ I dont understand..
  • replies: 1

Hey, I just wanted to come on here because I really dont know what to do anymore. I recently started working but ive stopped because its really hard to get up and get out the door due to my anxiety. I dont really know how to explain my anxiety, but i... View more

Hey, I just wanted to come on here because I really dont know what to do anymore. I recently started working but ive stopped because its really hard to get up and get out the door due to my anxiety. I dont really know how to explain my anxiety, but its gotten to the point where my anxiety makes me physically sick. My parents keep telling me I'm a disappointment because apparently I'm f****** up my life along with theirs. I get that they just want the best for me but I cant help it, my anxiety just makes me feel like absolute s*** and I just really dont know what to do, ive tried working, I really have but I just cant anymore.

Summer05 Stuck!
  • replies: 1

I’m nearly 40 years old, living with my partner of 11 years and 7 year old daughter. I have had agoraphobia and PTSD for 15 years, some days are good, some days are bad. I’ve learnt to live with this and be as independent as I can, I have my own busi... View more

I’m nearly 40 years old, living with my partner of 11 years and 7 year old daughter. I have had agoraphobia and PTSD for 15 years, some days are good, some days are bad. I’ve learnt to live with this and be as independent as I can, I have my own business and the best mother and partner I can be. I try to make their life as easy, loving and as fun as possible. Lately though, my relationship with my partner has been sour. My partners moods change very quickly. He’s been extremely stressed out at work and then comes home and talks to us like absolute crap! Then the mood will change though and he’ll be friendly like nothing has happened. It’s eating me up inside and I have moved into another room, it’s like walking on eggshells. He never wants to talk about anything, but I can see his jaw clenched most of the time and he’s angry inside. He will never open up to me. He’s actually scaring me as I have been in a domestic violence relationship before. It’s only verbal but it hurts and not like him.To be honest I’ve had enough but with the rental market being the way it is and don’t forget the agoraphobia I’m struggling to get out of here. It’s his house and he’s always made it quite clear that it is his and also told me if I ever left he would go for full custody because of my mental illness. I don’t know what to do, I feel so sad, lonely, defeated, stuck and it’s not fair on our daughter as well. Ive tried so hard but I can feel myself giving up, my stomach is constantly in knots and I’m so tired of living like this. I’m writing this to get some things off my chest but also for advice. My family mean everything to me but some days I feel like if I wasn’t here it would be easier for everyone and I don’t want those thoughts. I have no friends or family members that I can talk to either. Has anyone been in a similar situation? I desperately need advice. Thank you

Kerr1 Anger issues are going to kill me
  • replies: 4

Hi I'm 23 and completely crippled by my anger. When I get angry I can't hide it. I literally have to leave the situation I'm in otherwise I might genuinely hurt the people around me that have angered me. I'm not an unreasonable person and know that I... View more

Hi I'm 23 and completely crippled by my anger. When I get angry I can't hide it. I literally have to leave the situation I'm in otherwise I might genuinely hurt the people around me that have angered me. I'm not an unreasonable person and know that I'm a good person at heart. It really hurts me when I hurt someone I love friends and family. My anger can be vocal and physical. It feels like I'm on a spectrum of completely unhinged to slightly hinged at times. I generally get super angry over friends disrespecting me to some extent or for putting me situations that I am extremely anxious or uncomfortable in. I just want to be happy. And I can't let it go even if I know that its not worth it, that it means nothing and that I should just move on. I go from genuinely caring about that person to wanting to watch them suffer. I feel so trapped by my emotions in every facet of my life. I have sought help from so many different sources I'm not sure if breathing and mindfulness is going to cut it l. I really need help.

Saiba How to deal with severe loss of appetite during anxious periods
  • replies: 2

Two of my biggest most prominent symptoms whenever I get anxious or have anxiety attacks, are stomach cramps/pain, and an extreme loss of appetite. This has gone full-blown ever since I started living on my own a week ago. At most all, I can stomach ... View more

Two of my biggest most prominent symptoms whenever I get anxious or have anxiety attacks, are stomach cramps/pain, and an extreme loss of appetite. This has gone full-blown ever since I started living on my own a week ago. At most all, I can stomach in the morning is a cup of tea and a piece of vegemite toast. Most of the time I have to eat the toast with the tea because the anxiety also makes me thirsty.During the day is a real struggle, I try to take a simple lunch of a sandwich, apple, celery sticks, a muesli bar. At most I can eat 3/4 of the sandwich, the apple, half the celery sticks, and the muesli bar.When I get home, I still need to wait a while but I eventually get around to cooking dinner. I can't look at anything with sauce, cheese, cream, or fried foods, without feeling nauseous. At most I prefer simple foods like beef stir fry and rice. Or a frozen fish fillet and veggies. I can't bring myself to have the dinners I've enjoyed in the past. I am worried that the lack of food will cause me to have a sudden health scare like passing out/fainting, or a long-term worry like lack of strength, decreasing my muscle and mass, or cause even more constant pain in my stomach that I'm already getting from my attacks. Has anyone had to deal with a sever loss of appetite during anxiety/depression? How did you work around it and what is some advice that you can share with me?

Susan2227 Being yelled at by my partners family member
  • replies: 2

My partners friend of the family yelled at my one day when we went over her place it had been raining and we walked in her house and dirtied the floor so I grabbed the mop and cleaned the floor I opened the glass sliding door to let air in to help dr... View more

My partners friend of the family yelled at my one day when we went over her place it had been raining and we walked in her house and dirtied the floor so I grabbed the mop and cleaned the floor I opened the glass sliding door to let air in to help dry the floor for safety she yelled at me because she didn't want the door open I don't feel like going back to her house.

TMaree7 Anxiety and Sadness when family leave me at home for holiday
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, Never used this before but thought it might help give me some advice! I am 21 and for over 5 years I have suffered with anxiety. It comes on when I go away from my family or when they leave me at home for a holiday for an extended period... View more

Hi everyone, Never used this before but thought it might help give me some advice! I am 21 and for over 5 years I have suffered with anxiety. It comes on when I go away from my family or when they leave me at home for a holiday for an extended period of time. My younger sister has also just moved back to America for college and it has been hard. I eventually get used to her being away and it eventually doesn't become an issue. In the few days before they leave and a few days after they leave, I get anxious and cry a lot. Usually at night when I think about it. I do meditation and it doesn't always work and I do breathing exercises but they don't completely help. The night they leave is always the worst. I get very little sleep and wake up in panics and cry a lot. I have an urge to get out of bed and wake my mum up each time (I resist waking her up most of the time). Once they are gone I can just start crying randomly when in the quite house and I really try and be positive and enjoy the time alone but I get too anxious and don't enjoy it. I am not afraid of anything happening to them or me, I think I have placed the anxiety around the fear of missing out and being alone in the house that usually has my mum in it every day. I have been distracting myself by going to stay at a close family friend house a few nights here and there and making a calendar and trying to fill it with as many activities as possible. I suppose I am just after someone who goes through the same thing or has any solutions to calming the anxiety at peak time (during the night) and how to reduce crying. I am someone who always speaks my mind and I tell my mum everything that I feel. My father suffered from a similar thing as a child and I was also wondering if that is why I do? Thanks in advance

Angelite78 Misophonia & Intermittent Explosive Disorder - we're not alone!
  • replies: 23

Hello world! I have started this thread to connect with other people who suffer Misophonia and IED. I used to think I was the most intolerant person and the way I saw myself was depressing (and embarrassing!) but now that I know that it's not somethi... View more

Hello world! I have started this thread to connect with other people who suffer Misophonia and IED. I used to think I was the most intolerant person and the way I saw myself was depressing (and embarrassing!) but now that I know that it's not something that is just limited to me, it's not an "evil" trait and that there are others who feel similarly - this is where I would like us to come together to feel safe and hopefully a little comforted. I would love to hear from anyone out there who can relate.....

OCD Health Anxiety
  • replies: 7

Hi there,I am a 29 year old female and have had health anxiety for as long as I can remember. About 2 months ago, I started to pay attention to a spot in my mid back. It hurt when I touched my spine in this area. I was worried that this spot may be a... View more

Hi there,I am a 29 year old female and have had health anxiety for as long as I can remember. About 2 months ago, I started to pay attention to a spot in my mid back. It hurt when I touched my spine in this area. I was worried that this spot may be a spinal tumour. I went to a physio who assured me it was nothing, probably just tender from the way I do certain exercises. Two weeks passed and I was convinced I could feel my mid back pain in the gym. I went to a GP who also assured me it was not a tumour but ordered an X-ray to check for mild scoliosis as well as bloods to check for arthritis etc. When I left from getting my X-ray, I was flooded with anxiety when the thought that I had only just had an X-ray last year popped into my mind. I started to panic that I had too many X-rays too close together and this would affect my body in some way. The next day I woke up with shooting pains all over my body and random aches and pains in my joints. My scan and bloods came back clear but with the onset of all this pain I demanded an MRI of my spine. By this stage I started to get muscle twitches all over my body (particularly in my calves and feet). My MRI showed that I had a minor disc bulge at the L5/S1 level and this made me feel both relieved and despair, as I'm in the gym 6 days a week and felt I needed to pause my membership and take it easy. Then came the tingly and burning sensations in my legs. This is a constant pins and needles feeling. My GP had enough of me and said "just go to the ER", so I did. I had a neurologist give me an examination checking sensation, reflexes, strength etc. I was honest about my health anxiety and shared my concerns about my disc bulge and possible neurological disorder. He ordered another blood test. The doctor came back and said that neurology team said that my symptoms did not align with any neurological disorder and that they had looked at my MRI and even if my disc bulge was pinching a nerve it wouldn't be causing the symptoms I was explaining. They were simply stumped as to what my symptoms could be caused by but said they were confident it was MS or anything like that and did not need to refer me to a neurologist or for an MRI. They said that if I had MS or anything similar my inflammatory marker would be up, which would suggest possible lesions. Despite this, my anxiety is horrendous and my symptoms are relentless. Could the constant burning, pins and needles and twitching be anxiety?