Baby steps

[Stef_23]

Hey guys Im new here to posting! Im 24 and 5 years ago my anxiety started, my doctor at the time did the standard checks which were all fine (which freaked me out even more at the time lol), he told me i have anxiety and to just try and relax. Nothing i did worked because i was anxious at all times and the physical symptoms were so scary, after going back the second time he suggested antidepressants. See the thing is I wasn’t really depressed at the time and all finishing the month cycle did was make me actually depressed to add on top of the anxiety i was battling with nonstop. I decided to figure it out myself and not rely on meds, it wasnt easy but over time i just got used to it (which looking back at it probably wasn’t good after all lol) the anxiety was still there but i just didn’t entertain it as much. Things got to a point where i would say i was doing good with my life and handling everything on my own. Until my recent spiral that brought me back to what felt like day one of my first anxiety attack, its been a month and im still in the spiral. I haven’t been myself. My friend noticed that something was up, i poured my heart out about everything and came to the conclusion that i need help . I found a new gp that i feel super comfortable with and am in the early stages of organising treatment for what he’s saying is GAD, he’s recommended a psychologist which i should be starting sessions with in a few weeks. It took me 5 years but i finally built the courage to admit that i cant do this on my own and i need all the help and support i can get! Its all baby steps for now but im trying everything i can to get better, i just wanted to share my story and i hope you’re all doing okay 🙂 reading these forums give me reassurance that im not alone. Meditation/mindfulness helps as well! Ive just started journaling/scheduling. Do you guys have any suggestions on things that help you day to day that i can try?Looks like my journeys just begun…

[Sophie_M]

Hi Stef_23

Thanks for starting this discussion. We think there's a lot here people will relate to, and we're really glad you could share what's going on for you.

We're sure the community will spot your post soon. In the meantime, we're just popping in to let you know that the Beyond Blue Support Service is here for you, if you'd like to talk through any of this with our team. We're on 1300 22 4636, and you can reach us online here. 

Please feel free to share a bit more about what's going on for you, and what you'd like to hear from the community. They're a lovely bunch and we're sure they'd be really happy to hear a bit more from you, Stef_23.

Thanks again for your bravery and openness in sharing here, Hope. 

Kind regards, 

Sophie M

[Bob_22]

Hi Stef_23,

Welcome to posting! Thank you so much for sharing your story and inspiring myself and others I'm sure. It is amazing to hear what you've been through and the steps to wellness you have made. As you said, you're journey has just begun and it sounds like you have a very bright future ahead so thank you again for bringing us some hope. 🙂

I have major depressive disorder which comes along with a lot of anxiety also. For me personally, I found particular success with CBT and using thought challenging/structured problem solving to help with my anxiety. For example, I would have anxiety over chest or shoulder pain I used to get and would try to challenge my anxiety by asking what happened the last time I felt this? What would I suggest to a friend in my position? If it is something physical will I be able to cope anyway? From there I would use structured problem solving which involves by problem focused solutions (e.g. going to the doctor) and emotion focused solutions (e.g. mindfulness, journalling etc as you mentioned).

Perhaps this is something you could raise with your psychologist. It is certainly something I found useful and a huge benefit of CBT specifically! Hope that helps.

Please keep us updated an thank you again for sharing. 💙

Bob

[Mark Z.]

Hi Stef_23,

Thank you for sharing your story, and WOW you're SO BRAVE to face all the challenges.

Even your anxiety was triggered again recently, you've still managed to do all the things in a right way including talking to close friends and seeking professional help. You should be proud of you for the wise decisions, brave actions and continuous efforts, simply amazing.

Our way of recovery won't be linear. So what you need to keep doing is to give yourself more love, more patience, and more resilience. 

Happy to hear that meditation/mindfulness works for you. I'd encourage you to stick on it and it'll be more and more helpful. And I have two more suggestions based on my experience.

1. Let he nature heal you. For me, every minute I put myself in the nature is healing, no matter having a walk in the morning in the park nearby, or being a weekend warrior to attend hiking, kayaking or camping.

2. Equip yourself with more mental health knowledge. I have attended Cert IV in mental health and found it super helpful. I did it not for my career but just for my own health, and I can tell you that it'll bring you a lot of professional knowledge, as well as help you be more prepared for different situations. Most of your classmates are with lived experience and communication with them is also very inspiring. Moreover you'll know there're many supporting resources out there and you're not alone. And it's free TAFE course in many states.

Hope it helps a bit.

Mark

[smallwolf]

hello.

welcome  and  ... yeah ... the journey does start. The one thing I have learnt is the GPs etc. are just people and we may or may not click with them. And we also don't know react the people when talking about mental health. But I also think that telling someone to try to the relax is quite unhelpful. So while your GP at that time might not  been helpful, it sounds like you have a wonderful friend who listens and you can talk to.

You said you built up the courage ... whether you try to do it on your own or with professional help does not matter. It is a brave person that actively seeks to find ways to manage or get back to normal (whatever that is - something my psychiatrist says when I told them I just wanted to the normal again).

So thank you for your story and telling what you are doing. The people here are nice and will help you while you are here.