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[joezep]

Not sure about the process but will try and describe my queries...not even sure if this is the right area to post?...where to begin...i have just officially reached age pension status and this should be the best years of my life but for the last few years i have been suffering from a type of anxiety, GAD as diagnosed by a couple of doctors, have tried different medications, psychologist, psychiatrist, but all to no avail..it is as bad today if not worse than when first diagnosed, my symptoms are quite simple as it relates to every aspect of my life, from brushing teeth , cooking shopping...all these things just overwhelm me which causes loss of breath, i am at a loss to try and find some sort of solution so any help wpold be appreciated...

[james1]

Welcome to the forums joezep!

I'm sorry to hear you are suffering so much from anxiety. As many here will also be able to attest to, it's a really debilitating condition and I hope you can find some way to enjoy these years where you don't have to work anymore.

I understand your anxiety is something that affects a lot of different aspects of your life, and is something that has come in stronger these last few years. You mentioned seeing some other health professionals which hasn't been helpful. Normally that would be my first recommendation, but it can be quite tricky to find the right person. If you don't mind me asking, do you know what was it about your doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists which you felt wasn't helpful?

In my own experience, my psychologist is kind of the foundation upon which I build the rest of my mental health safety. I know she's there for me and that gives me a really safe space, but I also know I need other people to support me and provide general social interaction, I need routines and hobbies, and I need a lot of time on my own to just mentally relax. So it's quite an extensive 'system' I've got to keep myself healthy and happy, but it all stems from originally having someone who I could count on, and then building from there.

James

[Petal22]

Hi joezep,

Wellcome to our forums!

Im sorry you are feeling this way I understand.

Sometimes when we reach retirement age everything seems to stop…. There’s no routine….. before retirement we had a routine and got up every day for work and we’re kept busy at our jobs.

Have you tried to put some routine back into your life?

Maybe you could write a list of the things you wish to accomplish the next day and as you do them tick them off the list.

I understand that anxiety can be exhausting………… sometimes just going for a easy walk can help with the symptoms or just being around people really helps.

Has any type of therapy been recommended to you?

Meditation is also very useful for anxiety.

Your not alone we are here to support you.

[joezep]

Hi James thank you for your reply, in relation to your query regarding my medical treatment the problems i found seemed to be lack of commitment, for example the timing of my psychology was when covid was rampant so the appointments were via telephone so no face to face, and even though she was upbeat and encouraging i could tell she was otherwise occupied doing dishes or other things, and the advice was more like referring me to the internet for solutions, mind you the sessions were bulk billed so maybe you pay for what you get?, the psychiatrist was face to face but just kept asking the same questions about family etc which has nothing to do with my situation, again it was bulk billed, as far as the doctors go the only positve was the dietician who helped me with my weight loss

[james1]

Hey joezep,

Really sorry about my late reply. It's been a crazy week with potentially moving house again and I haven't had a chance to log in.

I'm sorry to hear you didn't really feel like there was much commitment from your previous medical appointments and doctors. Internet sessions really do feel a lot less personal and I think that inadvertently comes through in how people now deal with each other. Then it sounds like you also didn't have much luck with the psychiatrist either and they didn't do a lot of listening! I remember going to a psychiatrist once and they somehow managed to mistake my talking about depression with needing to have panadol for headaches. No idea where they got that from.

From my own experience, and from what I've read here on the forums posted by others, finding the right people can be really tricky. I wish it wasn't so hard because I think a lot of people get put off and miss out on the care they need. I gave up briefly when I was looking, and was lucky enough to find someone after my break during the Christmas holidays some four years back - I'm still seeing the same psychologist and she's been very important for me.

Are you still looking around for different medical support, or is that something you're taking a break from for a while?

James