Impending Doom

[fitzfitz]

I am convinced that since having the covid vaccine, a side effect is increased anxiety, to the point its now affecting my daily life.  The heightened level is just getting worse, and the feeling of impending doom is constant.  Nothing has changed in my life, to cause this, and I don't know how to stop it.

It's triggering panic attacks, which I have multiple times a day.  Help 

[Ggrand]

Hello Dear fitzfitz,

A very warm and caring welcome to our forums…

I am so sorry this has happened to you….I think the covid vaccine has effected everyone differently….

Maybe, a good idea would be to reach out to your Dr. and talk to him/her about your thoughts and feelings associated with your heightened anxiety….and how you’re thinking it’s been brought on by your covid vaccinations…..just to rule out anything else that may have been triggering panic attacks….

I know with each covid vaccine I had, I was super alert to the feelings and sensations of my body and mind….I did reach out to my Dr…and she reassured me that it was my anxiety causing my symptoms….which have now gone….Please fitzfitz, when you can and when you feel up to it….please reach out to your Dr…..

Here if you feel up to talking..

My kindest thoughts with my care..

Grandy..

[white knight]

Hi, welcome

As Grandy mentioned some of your symptoms needs to be discussed with your GP and they are very important developments in your health. Prevention is better than cure for mental issues.

Catastrophising is something I used to do a lot as my childhood household had my mother ramping up the most minor issue, seemed she wasnt happy until we all panicked. Subsequently we kids all ended up with bipolar, anxiety etc and anxiety quite easily develops into depression and you'd wished you never had that.

Seeking out other professional guidance is important but your circumstances might not make that possible and then appointments are far apart, hence this forum is a great fill in, in times of need even for a chat, present a topic and we will answer as best we can based on our own experiences. A good example is the thread below, written by me after 22 years of my challenge to eliminate anxiety. I did it and am anxiety free. I must say that the learning curve was steep, even distinguishing between anxiety and adrenalin was a challenge.

https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/anxiety/anxiety-how-l-eliminated-it/td-p/183873

Some of the things you can learn-

• Accepting reactions that are normal. eg you're nervous before an exam... normal! -you cry uncontrollably before an exam and trash your room- not so normal. Hence learning limits which discounts normal behaviour amongst the not so normal. Thats worry.   https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/anxiety/worry-worry-worry/td-p/87808
• Accepting some parts of your personality like anxiousness is part of you and you might not reach the level of calm other people are at
• By all means have suspicions on the source of your anxiety however it is also fair to seek out judgements with facts eg Covid being responsible. It could be that without that vaccine you could have entered the same phase.
• Reduce news into your life along with extreme events. EG anti Govt and anti vaccine, anti war etc can steer you towards extreme sections of society. Thats ok for many but like anything in life when we enter extreme beliefs and behaviour our health can suffer.

I hope you feel better soon.

TonyWK

[fitzfitz]

I have reached out to my G.P, he is helping me find yet another psychologist, one that will help me through this and not try and cure me, with treatments that simply do not work on me.  Believe me I've tried them all.  I've accepted a long time ago that this is who I am, but never to the extreme level it is now.  I'm basically paralysed, by thoughts of dying and when that will be, being around people, talking to people, ie on the phone etc, getting old, people judging me or ignoring me and not taking me seriously, and guilt.  I cry all the time and I cannot figure out why, I loath myself but I have so much to be grateful for.  I've never been fearful of covid or the vax but like I said, this is when my feelings of anxiety and impending doom, started to become worse and not being able to manage it like I had previously.  My GP has increased my medication but to no avail and has given me a set of techniques like box breathing and headspace apps to work on which im trying, but my mind always comes back to everything above.  I'm so fed up feeling like this and guilty because im burdening others with it aswell 😪  this is why I joined the forum, to see if anyone had a better way of helping and also see if im not the only that feels like this.   It truly is becoming to much..

[Ggrand]

Hello Dear fitzfitz,

I was saddened when I read you loathe* yourself…which really is so sad…please try hard to give yourself some self care, especially while your feeling this way…

I can relate to the way your anxiety is causing you to not be comfortable around people, in r/l, on the phone, shopping trips, telephone etc…also getting old….being judged and ignored…and it all hurts deep within our soul….I am sorry you are going through all this…

I only recently was transferred from dsp to aged pension and now I feel I’m in the bracket of I’m too old to be of concern to professionals for help with my mental health, I am thinking this way because my support organisation dropped me from their program just before the transfer…and now I’ve no support outside of these forums…

I use to hate myself…but since I’ve been volunteering at a charity shop…I do feel better about myself and began to not be so scared around people…I think because I’m giving my services for free to help  people in need…plus while I’m working, my minds to busy to think of negative thoughts…

Do you have something that you really enjoy doing…something that needs your full concentration?….that will keep your thoughts away from anxious negative thoughts..I know this isn’t a cure…(I don’t think their is a cure)…but it will give your mind a little break from those constant thoughts of doom….

Please don’t ever feel guilty here about talking and reaching out to the wonderful and amazing community members…we are all here for you, the best we can…

You are not alone, with what your struggling though…

My kindest and most caring thoughts are with you..

Grandy..