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[Guest_5241]

Greetings. I have generalised anxiety disorder. This was caused by being subjected to horrific physical and emotional child abuse.

i had a health scare in 2011, low blood sugar. My mother passed away from cancer in 2014. Previously, my great aunt died of cancer, my great uncle died in a motorbike accident, my second cousin committed suicide: I'm only 30 and all this has happened to me but I am putting in the past

I am recovering from this mental health issue but I'm wondering if people on here have the same thoughts I do.

i am obsessed with my health, avoiding jail, not touching strangers, not having people harm me.

i have been looking over and over at moles on my skin, checking them every morning to see if they've changed which is useless because moles change over a period of 3 months or so and I have no family history of skin cancer.

does anyone else do things like this? Thanks remember guys and girls we are not unwell, we just think differently to some other people. A lot of us are highly intelligent and such kind people

[CMF]

Hi,

first of all welcome and I'm so sorry you have had to endure so much sadness in your life. Have you spoken to your gp to a counsellor re your anxiety? I suffer anxiety on and off which stems from different things but what struck me in particular with your anxiety is the checking of moles on your skin. What I have learnt from the wonderful people on these forums is that this is more likely a health anxiety.

I had something similar recently, mine was in regards to my teeth and seeing the dentist. I needed to go to the dentist and was petrified. I do have some gums issues (manageable) however I was obsessed with checking my teeth and gums every time I was near a mirror and was convinced I was going to lose my teeth. I worked myself up into such a state that I didn't want to eat do food wouldn't touch my teeth. I was constantly looking up things on the Internet and reading up on dental implants, false teeth etc. at one stage I honed and spoke to my hygienist who was happy to see me to quickly check everything and reassure me again that things are not as bad as I think.

if you haven't already a visit to your gp to discuss your anxiety and have the moles checked may help put your mind at ease. You could even get it in writing that the moles are ok o you have something to refer to if you start to feel overwhelmed.

i hope this has been of some help. Please post back with your thoughts and let us know how are going.

cmf x

[AverageAusGuy]

Hi mate

It sounds like you have been dealt a pretty bad hand of cards but good on you for playing it the best you can and trying to move forward.

I to have struggled with anxiety for most of my life. That anxiety has manifested itself in various forms over the years and in different irrational thought patterns. As soon as one irrational thought is disproved, my mind clings frantically to the next thing to worry about. It has pretty much become my default state of mind.

Like you, I am often obsessed with the thought of going to jail. The crazy thing is I have never done anything illegal! I have barely even gotten a speeding ticket and yet I am fearful of being wrongfully sent to prison and having my freedom taken away.

What helps me is keeping mindful of the fact that anxiety is essentially irrational and not based on the facts at hand. The worst case scenario that we play out in our heads rarely, if ever, actually eventuates. I have banned the phrase "What if?" from my internal dialogue because I know that going down that rabbit hole is counterproductive to my goals of being a happy, healthy person who is capable of interacting with the world in a meaningful way.

Regular, vigorous exercise has also helped me tremendously as I get to "burn" some anxious energy. I try to get some fitness in most days and as early in the day as possible. So to has reading up on existentialism and philosophy in general. Listening to music and prioritizing self care.

My irrational thoughts sometime pop up but I can silence them pretty quickly with these strategies and they are becoming less frequent.

I hope this helps

[BballJ]

Hi mate,

I too have Generalised Anxiety Disorder and the symptoms and "worries" associated with it are endless... and your ones are more common than you might realise, most people are worried about their health and I can see how you would be so concerned considering how much as happened to you before 30 years old (My condolences for all your losses as well) One thing i will point out is you seem very strong willed which is a great trait, you haven't let anxiety or your past beat you down which is a tremendous achievement. I like to think i do the same.

As the people above posted, are you seeing a GP or counsellor regarding your GAD and worries that you have? I am very health conscious as well, i have a bad liver so i am always on edge wondering if the pain i am getting is because my liver is getting worse.... i remember one time for ages i was checking my eyes every morning to see if they were "yellowing" as that is a sign of a failed liver apparently so I got really bad anxiety worrying about. So you are no where near alone with that... I am working through my GAD as we speak but and these forums have helped heaps.

My best for you,

Jay