Hi there, im new and hope to meet new friends here.

[Ly20]

Hey, my name is Lyall, im a 26 year old Australian guy who suffers from pretty bad anxiety, it can be really difficult for me to talk to new people and make new friends so i thought i would try to introduce myself here and hopefully meet some like minded people who can understand an individual like myself, i find it difficult to relate to anyone else alot of the time and have little to none friends. I was told this might be a good place to start finding understanding people.

Not sure what else to write here, but i do like to talk, help others and learn, and i hope to explore my metal health more too.

Thanks for reading in advance 🙂

[Starwolf]

Hi Lyall, good to meet you.

Welcome to the forums. You have come to the right place.

Many of us at BB will relate to the difficulty of making friends. Conditions like depression, anxiety etc... set us up as "different". Due to wide-spread ignorance of mental matters, the stigma attached to them doesn't help. Social isolation is unfortunately a common by product.

Here you will find caring and understanding people, ready to share thoughts, stories and tips. And also non judgmental support when needed.

As we all sometimes need to get away from mental/emotional issues, there's even a Social Zone to discuss any topic, play games, let creativity loose or just kick back and relax in good company.

Your contribution here will be much appreciated. Great to have you on board.

[Zeal]

Hi Ly,

Welcome to the forum! Thanks for the introduction 🙂

I am a 23 year old female, and I've suffered from anxiety (OCD) for 10 years. I'm doing my last semester of psychology undergraduate study at uni right now, and I hope to be a counsellor in a few years' time.

Do you have any particular interests or pastimes? I love reading and watching new movies.

If you'd like informative information on anxiety, go to The facts, then Anxiety on the top blue menu bar. To read about others' personal experiences, you can look in the different forum categories under All posts, such as in the Anxiety and Staying well section. Like Starwolf, I also recommend checking out the BB Social Zone, where you can talk about fun topics, like your interests.

If you don't mind me asking, have you sought help in the past for your anxiety? Whether you have or not, seeking help now is a good idea. I sought help this year from a psychologist for the first time in three years, and I'm glad I did that. Going to your doctor (GP) first can be a good start. If you want to talk to someone at any stage, you can call beyond blue's 24/7 helpline on 1300 22 4636.

Best wishes,

SM

[Ly20]

Hi, Starwolf and SM, thanks so much for your nice replies and kind words, these forums are such a good idea to breakdown barriers and really talk about issues that go unspoken, i will be sure to check out more, i can understand what you are saying Starwolf about wide-spread ignorance of mental matters and the stigmas, i wish more people were mindful of such things, but such is life, sometimes it cannot slow down for your level.

And yes SM i have many interests, and i too was studying, but i just recently finished a diploma of events so that has been a very positive thing lately, but it was very hard for me to make any friends there, that is interesting what you are studying i commend you on that, well done, im sure you will be very good at that job knowing what you have been through, i had taken a course in my earlier years to be a youth counselor but i did not end up completing that coarse i found it very confronting and difficult, i don't think it was for me unfortunately, my interests include, movies, games, comics, animation, tv series and comedy, i try to read from time to time but find myself distracted easily. I had help in the past but i would often slip away into my old habbits, and my so called "friends" at the time would not help either. Anyways thats a bit about where i have come from. I have alot to say.

And yes, i am seeking support for my condition currently, i have regular contact with my GP and a therapist, and i also have my family support, i am lucky. But for a long time i had kept silent about this issue, i had some negative people around me that caused me to perhaps alter my thinking, but my anxiety continued to grow and grow overtime, i also feel depressed at times too but the anxiety is what really worries me, it has been affecting me sleep also, its very difficult to switch off my brain sometimes, i think very fast and overthink alot.

Id like to learn more about anxiety and someone here told me about behavioral therapy that might be able to help me and it has never occurred to me before.

[blondguy]

Hello Lyall

Starwolf and SM have replied with great advice and support.You have taken a huge step by posting and well done!

Anxiety is a pain Lyall...and I understand where you are coming from as I had my first 'mega' anxiety attack when I was 23 in 1983.....I was ashamed and terrified when 'it' started (which only built up my anxiety)

The good news...the anxiety does dissipate over time and more so with regular visits to a understanding GP/counselor.

I am happy that you have posted Lyall. If you have any questions re anxiety you are more than welcome to post as many times as you wish

My kind thoughts for you

Paul

[Zeal]

Hi Lyall,

I'm glad you've finished your Diploma of Events. I have a friend who studied event management, and she loved it! Thank you for your kind words! I am very glad I have found an area that interests me so much 🙂 It's good that you worked out early that counselling wasn't the right fit for you. I did training to be a behaviour therapist for young kids with Autism, but I did not take on work as an in-home therapist for families because it was making me quite anxious and unhappy. I decided to discontinue, and my boss thankfully understood. She's had other trainees discontinue training or work for similar reasons. I am glad that I stopped just before getting my first client, as that way I didn't directly let down the kids or families 🙂

It's great you have so many interests! I share your enjoyment of movies and comedy. My favourite comedian is Wil Anderson.

I am so pleased you go to your GP, see a therapist, and have strong family support.
Beyondblue has fact sheets on anxiety - on the top blue menu bar, go to The Facts, then Anxiety. I also recommend the resources on this trustworthy site (which health professionals recommend): http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/consumers.cfm Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the most widely used treatment for conditions like anxiety and depression. You could ask your therapist about this. CBT is often completed with the help of a psychologist, but your therapist may be able to use this technique. For info on CBT, check out this page: http://www.mindhealthconnect.org.au/cognitive-behaviour-therapy-cbt

There are some useful resources, including sleep tips and online tools, on this site: http://www.mindhealthconnect.org.au/

Thanks for the reply!

Best wishes,

SM

[geoff]

hi Lyall, welcome to the site and now instantly you have made many friends, that's something we don't usually get straight away, but here that's what happens.
With depression comes anxiety or vice-versa, it doesn't matter which one comes first or perhaps they both happen at once, never the less they seem to take away your life and then control you, but you can't fight against any of these issues because as soon as you do, it then becomes a quagmire of difficult thoughts which you won't be able to overcome.
I know that's exactly what you want to do but you will be continually fighting with these issues, because our brain can't be switched off, even when we dream it's still going, sure when we do relaxing exercises our mind is focused on exactly what we are thinking of, and how many times have you thought about 'what if', this won't allow you to make a conclusion.
Stand in front of a mirror and watch yourself as you worry about these anxious thoughts, give yourself time to do this, it's important, then walk away, because is there ever any answer to your 'what if', maybe or maybe not, but allot yourself time each day if needed to have 10 minutes in front of the mirror where you query these anxious thoughts and try and unravel what they actually mean in your life, but if you can postpone this 10 minutes then that's an achievement.
Read up on the links that Starwolf and SM have given you and remember it doesn't matter how well you are or how successful you are there will always that portion in your mind that does worry.
People with depression are able to push all those negative thoughts aside so that they get on with their life, even though these negatives thoughts are still with you but you have learnt on to control them, realise that this could happen with anxious thoughts. Geoff.

[Lost_Girl]

Hi Lyall,

In the BB Social Zone you will find a thread called BB Cafe. Drop in and say hi and you will be met with a warm welcome.

I share your interests with movies, games etc. I am a big sci fi/fantasy fan which I will guess you are from your profile pic. There are a couple of us who frequent the BB Cafe. Hope to see you there.

Cheers,

Carol

[Ly20]

Hi again guys, im back and thanks heaps for you replys and advice as usual i am trying, and yes lost girl, i am a huge sci fi fan! Hahaha you can tell from my profile pic that Data is my favorite! I will be posting there soon, thanks again, take care.

And geoff, i am in the process of trying to train my brain and going good so far, just had a hicup with some medication side effects but i keep on going ahead, thanks again for all the advice.

[geoff]

hi Ly, thanks for getting back to us and can I say that with depression/anxiety we can improve so much and learn on how to cope with our day to day issues, but we can't expect any hic-ups not to happen, where you might have a great few years or months but then something happens which could make you fall backwards, but you have to realise that you will bounce back, that's the strength you have made for yourself, but more importantly know that that's a great achievement by you. Geoff.