FIFO Intense anxiety

[Makeitgoaway]

Im not really sure how this all works as i just joined.

I have been struggling with anxiety for a year and a half now. I never even knew what it was and how it can rip your life apart but i can see by looking back in my life now that i have had it all along but very very mildly. Now it is obviously acute.

It all started when my second child reached one and a half, my other child was 4 and my partner worked away in the mines. One day it was just like 'click' intense anxiety out of no where. Within 4 weeks i was having panic attacks everyday. Off to drs, hospital etc and dropped so much weight i was just a skeleton. People that havent experienced this have no idea how lucky they are. My man had to quit his job and we almost lost our house due to no income. After working very hard with councilling, yoga, mindfulness i got off the horrible medication i was on and had manageable anxiety. Still definitely there but could live a relatively normal life. So now my partner had returned to work and has been gone only 2 weeks and i can feel my switch has clicked back on and i am terrified of what may come.

I guess am looking for advice for things that have worked for other people, other peoples similar stories etc

Giving up mining is not a financial option atm. I am considering moving to a mining town so the family can be together. Just not sure how the isolated dirt environment will affect my mental health. Being separated is obviously not doing much good for my health as it is. Living in a city may be a busy social place but i withdraw without him.

[blondguy]

Hi Makeit

Welcome to the forums and good on you for having the courage to post too!

Free Floating Anxiety is an awful feeling to have. It can rip our lives apart. You are still in the relatively early stages at 1.5 years. The early years are the strongest where attacks are concerned.

My first mega anxiety attack was in 1983 when I was 23. I still remember it like it was yesterday.

The attacks lasted for 13 years even with natural remedies, meditation. I was already really fit and ate well but this illness sometimes doesnt seem to care. The anxiety was acute and had a significant effect on the quality of my life.

My female GP really had a go at me in that 13th year and gave me a small dosage of an antidepressant which worked very well. My personal and professional life improved a lot.

The meds are great but arent a fix all. They only provide us with a solid platform on which we can recover more effectively using all the various coping techniques (and counseling) available to get some real peace of mind.

Anxiety is no different to a serious physical illness like heart disease or diabetes. Its partially chemically based which makes it a physical illness as well as a psychological one. I wasted 13 years thinking that 'happy thoughts' (natural therapy) could cure it. Its like asking a diabetic to think happy thoughts to lower their blood sugar levels.

For me, it took

* Weekly counseling with a mental health care worker (Psychiatric Nurse) for 7 months (no charge)

* A good GP with a realistic medication program

* A good support network..even a couple of friends is a huge bonus

* The various coping tools that are available....Including Acceptance Therapy...Mindfulness..

* Commitment, patience and a strong determination to heal

The Good News is that the severity of anxiety does lessen over time once we use calm & genuine acceptance instead of fighting it. Anxiety cannot exist in a mind that finds the feelings 'boring'.......acceptance.

There are many gentle people on the forums that can be here for you MakeIt that suffer in similar ways that you do. I really hope you can stick around the forums 🙂

please be gentle with yourself

Paul

[Moonstruck]

Hi Makeitgoaway

If it seems like your anxiety and panic is directly connected to your partner's FIFO situation - you may find something of help or of interest on the website www.miningfm.com.au. It's Mining Family Matters, an award winning website that covers all sorts of problems and lifestyle related to the mining industry. A regular team member is a psychologist who has discussed the problems related to FIFO and how to cope.

Perhaps have a look around on Mining Family Matters, or contact them, it may be worth a try. In the meantime, keep talking to us - there maybe another FIFO Mum here on Forum who can empathise with your pain more closely.......very best wishes, take care now......Moon S

[geoff]

hello Makeitgoaway, anxiety is horrible, that's why I have had OCD for 57 years, but I want to thank Paul for his comment, as he says it will get better, but that depends on what help you can get, who you are able to talk with, and if you accept that medication may assist you, but that's up to you after a discussion with your GP.
People can travel along living a normal life but as soon as something is mentioned that conflicts with your own ideas then anxiety hits you, because you know full well that you wouldn't be able to do what is expected or asked of you, it goes against your ideas of being safe, because if you are safe then anxiety may or may not occur, but then if you are told to something you maybe frightening of doing then it hits you full on.
I wonder if you have considered this to be PND and excuse me if this is wrong, however FIFO jobs do create a lot of problems for the family, but if you can move over there, then a big hole of lonelness and making decisions will be filled, but this still doesn't mean that you should get some counseling, because I think it would be of great benefit.
To overcome all the hardship that has happened to you and the family, you should try and learn different techniques of how you can control anxiety, that is never easy, but be aware of anything that could spark an attack, then that's what you have to avoid, that's something which you have to learn from experience. Geoff.

[Makeitgoaway]

Thanks Geoff. I think medication is definitely a great option for a lot of people and i would love to take it. I took it as a teenager after my mother died and responded well however these days I have an extremely sensitive body and have not responded well to a variety of different Anti depressants they have tried me on. They basically blow my head off and i can't remember anything etc. I can't even really drink alcohol because it hits my hard quickly. Just a sensitive person physically and mentally.

In response to your PND comment. The hospital actually said that's what they thought I had so you are correct there.

Thanks for your comment and to the other comments on here too. They are all useful so thank you.

[Makeitgoaway]

excellent comment, thank you