Long-term support over the journey

Managing chronic anxiety in the final stretch of pregnancy.

replies: 1

Hi everyone, I’ve been a quiet reader here on the forums for a while, but as I’m getting close to my due date, I’ve found myself back in the weeds with my anxiety and really wanted to reach out to this supportive community. I've lived with generalize... View more

Hi everyone, I’ve been a quiet reader here on the forums for a while, but as I’m getting close to my due date, I’ve found myself back in the weeds with my anxiety and really wanted to reach out to this supportive community. I've lived with generalized anxiety for most of my adult life, but being in the final stretch of pregnancy has brought up a whole new level of panic and physical exhaustion. The pressure to have everything 'perfect' for when the baby arrives, combined with the lack of sleep, has really been triggering some of my old panic loops. I find myself lying awake worrying about labor, worrying about being a good mum, and just feeling completely overwhelmed by basic daily tasks. I'm trying hard to practice self-care and actively find ways to reduce my daily triggers. One small win I had last week was learning to stop forcing myself through situations that I know will cause a panic spike. I needed to get a medical certificate for some rest days off work, and normally, the thought of driving to a busy medical centre, sitting in a crowded, noisy waiting room, and dealing with the sensory overload would have pushed my anxiety over the edge. Instead of forcing myself to go, I decided to try telehealth to keep things low-stress. I used an online service like Hola Health to get the certificate sorted from my couch. Honestly, just being able to bypass that waiting room trigger and stay in my safe space made such a massive difference to my mental health that day. It taught me that it’s okay to take the 'easier' path sometimes if it protects your peace. I’d love to hear from other mums or parents who have navigated chronic anxiety or depression during late pregnancy. How did you manage to quiet the mind during the final wait?Sending love to everyone else who is currently struggling.

Planning on driving a car with ASD part 2

replies: 2

Hello,James here (21 years of age)My support person and I are still trying to find an OT and trained professonal to start driving only on private roads at a driving school or some other places Because I still don't have my learner's permit yet Is the... View more

Hello,James here (21 years of age)My support person and I are still trying to find an OT and trained professonal to start driving only on private roads at a driving school or some other places Because I still don't have my learner's permit yet Is there any support for this? Kind regards,James

Pmdd Journey

replies: 2

I guess you could call Pmdd a journey. I'm 54 and have been recently diagnosed with Pmdd and have started Hrt. I have lived with depression/anxiety most of my life and had recently started psychological help with working through that. I've never real... View more

I guess you could call Pmdd a journey. I'm 54 and have been recently diagnosed with Pmdd and have started Hrt. I have lived with depression/anxiety most of my life and had recently started psychological help with working through that. I've never really experienced PMS symptoms, then this hit, oh boy I didn't know what was going on. I live with my husband and 26 year old son who has his own mental health issues. I have a 20 year old daughter who lives away from home but is going overseas for 3 months to work. I'm going to miss her so much as I see her as my shining light. I'm feeling it hard at the moment as I don't have friends to talk to and you have to support yourself between psychology visits, which is hard as sometimes you just don't want to think. Are there any good online support services for pmdd. Or is anyone else going through a similar situation. Thanks for reading.

study

replies: 1

iv just applied 4 study with cert iv peer wrk if i get in feel theres mre of a sense of direction 4 me as i finished 5yrs study 2 yrs ago yet still havnt landed paid employment as a peer iv been volunteering with care line 4+ yrs if i get in2 the cer... View more

iv just applied 4 study with cert iv peer wrk if i get in feel theres mre of a sense of direction 4 me as i finished 5yrs study 2 yrs ago yet still havnt landed paid employment as a peer iv been volunteering with care line 4+ yrs if i get in2 the cert mite b able 2 get credits frm previous study i Pray it wrks out as iv been feeling directionless at times & hav been doin xtra voluntary wrk

its my birthday

replies: 2

its my bday 2day my mum just visited which was nice its sad though also a friend decided 2 take his life this time six years ago i thankfully have healed since then its still sad & still miss him i think as they say time heals wounds he was my inspir... View more

its my bday 2day my mum just visited which was nice its sad though also a friend decided 2 take his life this time six years ago i thankfully have healed since then its still sad & still miss him i think as they say time heals wounds he was my inspiration 4 being vegan he spent much time trying 2 convince me 2b vegan & then i became vegan its difficult at times bt ive stayed vegan seven yrs

The exhausting guilt of needing a "mental health day" (Burnout relapse)

replies: 1

Hi everyone,I’ve been reading the posts in this section for a while, and it brings me a lot of comfort to know I'm not the only one on this rollercoaster. I’ve been managing chronic anxiety and depression for a few years now. For the last six months,... View more

Hi everyone,I’ve been reading the posts in this section for a while, and it brings me a lot of comfort to know I'm not the only one on this rollercoaster. I’ve been managing chronic anxiety and depression for a few years now. For the last six months, I genuinely thought I was doing well. I had a routine, I was managing my triggers, and I felt like I was finally moving forward.But this week, I just hit an absolute brick wall.Yesterday morning I woke up completely paralyzed by anxiety and that heavy, dark fog of depression. The mere thought of getting dressed and going to work made me want to sob. I knew I needed to take a mental health day, but honestly, the "admin" of being sick is sometimes the hardest part. I couldn't even face the thought of getting out of bed to sit in my local GP’s waiting room just to prove I was unwell. I ended up just using Hola Health on my phone to get a quick telehealth medical certificate for work, turned my phone on silent, and slept for most of the day.While I know I physically and mentally needed the rest, today I am just drowning in guilt.I feel like I’ve let my team down, and worse, I feel like I’m failing at my own recovery. I know logically that "recovery is not linear" (as another member so beautifully posted recently), but when you are back in the weeds, it feels like all that progress was a lie.How do you all deal with the guilt of taking time off when you have a relapse? How do you accept that you need a break without your brain telling you that you are just being "lazy" or taking a step backwards?Thank you all for always being such a safe, understanding space. Just typing this out makes the burden feel a tiny bit lighter.Sending strength to anyone else having a rough week.

Here again

replies: 3

It’s been a while. The last time I posted here was after my suicide attempt in 2023. I was okay, but recently, I’m not.i was diagnosed with CPTSD, I have a history of anxiety, depression, social anxiety and eating disorders. I feel like I’m getting b... View more

It’s been a while. The last time I posted here was after my suicide attempt in 2023. I was okay, but recently, I’m not.i was diagnosed with CPTSD, I have a history of anxiety, depression, social anxiety and eating disorders. I feel like I’m getting better, I’m okay on the outside but there is just something wrong with me and I don’t know how to fix it. I don’t want to die. At the same I time, I feel like I don’t belong, I feel so out of place all of the time. I’m in my head all the time and it’s either going too fast or too slow. i know that no one says they feel like they’re “in place”. No one feels like how I feel, being so uncomfortable with who I am.I know that I am kind, empathic and funny most of the time. I still don’t feel good enough. I just always feel like there’s something wrong.I’m scared that feeling will never change. the last post that I made 3 years ago was about hope, and regret. I’m older now, and I do feel like there has been progress. Just not enough

Morning Inglorious

replies: 4

I wake up after yet another restless night, disappointed that another day has dawned, another day to get through, yet another day I don't want to get through. I groan and roll my eyes as I stare at the ceiling. "Oh, God, why?", I say to the empty bed... View more

I wake up after yet another restless night, disappointed that another day has dawned, another day to get through, yet another day I don't want to get through. I groan and roll my eyes as I stare at the ceiling. "Oh, God, why?", I say to the empty bedroom, a room that is always empty, as empty as I feel.But there is no god and there is no why, there just is.. nothing, an invisible plane we exist on, a fruitless journey that leads to nowhere. I am merely living an existence of futility. Maybe tonight I'll sleep and dream of a better place, a place of peace, a place where I can sleep forever.

Burnt out again

replies: 2

I suffered from severe burnout at the end of 2023 and took 6 months off. I returned to work and have been back for a year and a half. I am now seeing signs of breaking again. And I am terrified of pushing myself too far. Today I had a meltdown and co... View more

I suffered from severe burnout at the end of 2023 and took 6 months off. I returned to work and have been back for a year and a half. I am now seeing signs of breaking again. And I am terrified of pushing myself too far. Today I had a meltdown and couldn’t stop crying. I have booked myself into see my GP. What should I be asking for? Who should I be speaking to at work about this? What can I ask for? Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Feeling well enough at last to find my voice again

replies: 1304

Hi everyone! I have known for years there was a forum here and was too afraid to join because it would mean admitting I needed medication and just couldn't fix this by myself. So here I am at last! I hope this helps even one person if they are feelin... View more

Hi everyone! I have known for years there was a forum here and was too afraid to join because it would mean admitting I needed medication and just couldn't fix this by myself. So here I am at last! I hope this helps even one person if they are feeling like I did. Ok here goes..... I'm a 32 year old mum of 2, 15 months apart. I'm happily married, love my job, love my family and friends. I have support. Nothing bad has happened to me. So I thought I had no right to feel depressed. I have always been an anxious and emotional person. Mood swings were normal for me. I made every excuse to myself and the doctors to explain away my poor scores on the postnatal depression checklists. I admitted I constantly thought about suicide but that had been normal for me for years so it didn't feel like a big deal, it didn't mean I'd do anything. I was angry all the time and my moods were unpredictable. Hubby said constantly I don't care what the doctor said you perform for them and I know you. Something is wrong. After my second bub and the start of a new health condition (psoriatic arthritis) I saw a psychologist who said I was dealing with chronic pain and two small children and what I felt was normal. I practiced mindfulness. Family and friends gave me rest. Eventually I got medication to help my joints. I talked. I ate well, I went back to work. Everything was supposed to be better.... But I felt worse. I'd see the doctor and they'd say I was ok but I'd stand at the sink washing dishes and plan the steps of how to kill myself. If I wasn't busy I would find the thoughts repeating. They'd all be better off without you. You're worthless. They'll only put up with so much of your issues and then they'll leave you. So I'd plan how to die. And I was TERRIFIED. My husband told me to write down exactly what I felt on a bad day and he put it in an envelope and made me an appointment for the psychologist. We made a plan. I would go in and say I need you to read this. I don't feel like this now but this is how I've felt most days for years but I can't seem to communicate it to a doctor and get help and I'm so frightened. And finally! A crisis plan put in place until I could see the psychiatrist! Apparently I have had major depression for over 12 years. Only after starting an antidepressant did I notice how anxious and self destructive I had constantly been. I don't have suicidal thoughts anymore. I am happy again. It's the start of my journey but there is hope at last.

Long-term support over the journey

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Welcome, read this if it's your first time here !

replies: 0

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Managing chronic anxiety in the final stretch of pregnancy.

replies: 1