New member

[Shay94]

Hi, new member here 🙂 little bit about myself - I was diagnosed with anxiety years ago back when I was in primary school, I've had it for as long as I can remember. Its frustrating and mentally exhausting to constantly fight yourself with this mental illness. Some days I don't even know what triggers it to return, I'll just suddenly feel anxious about everything & find it hard to do things. 3 years ago, I was diagnosed with depression after Mum had cancer for 2nd time. I was very stressed (also had work issues going on at previous job), put my younger sisters' needs above my own & started neglecting myself in order to keep the family going. I now don't go out anymore as all the friends I thought I had ditched me when I called for support 😞 family stuff is much better now but I still feel anxiety creeping in everyday and I dunno how to deal with it. Please help, any advice would be great

[jaz28]

Hi Shay,

I am sorry you are feeling anxious. I too was diagnosed in primary school with anxiety. I get you! A big warm welcome to you.

First, have you seen a mental health professional at all for your anxiety? This was really helpful for me. CBT helped me to assist my anxiety so that I rarely experience it now. This is my first suggestion! It can also help you figure out your triggers. 

Call on who you do have for support (including us here at BB) and please never hesitate to reach out for professional help.

I hope things improve,

Jaz xx

[Shay94]

Hi 🙂 thank you for reaching out! Yes, I have recently started online therapy with a professional counsellor as I find speaking in person too daunting (maybe one day that'll change). I used to be on meds couple of years ago but I felt like I wasn't in control of my body anymore, like I became a mere puppet instead. It scared me so I went cold turkey off the meds, which I know I shouldn't have done but I felt at the time it was best choice for me. Haven't gone back on them as I'm too worried of feeling the same as last time so I'm trying to find different ways to cope.

New job I've been at for 2 years now is amazing, the environment is a massive improvment compared to last job. I work with animals so that also helps decrease my stress daily, helps me get outta bed each morning. Only recently we've had a staff member leave to do work in the mines & she's asked us to take over her pet taxi business for little while, which was sorta all last min thing. My boss, I think, felt obilgated to help her as she's done so much for us & we took her for granted little bit with how much driving she does to pick up/drop off clients to us. Its a little stressful trying to figure out who's gonna do most of leg work as most of them cant - I'm nervous as well coz its not my car & I've never done anything like this before, I already stress out of meeting new people so I'm not sure how I'd go

[Petal22]

Hi Shay94,

Wellcome to our forums.

Im sorry you are feeling this way, I understand anxiety can be hard to deal with.

Have you been able to discuss with your gp about the way you are feeling?

I have a lived experience of severe anxiety OCD I have now recovered thanks to the professional help I received.

You really can learn to manage your anxiety with the correct professional help.

I found meditation and mindfulness to be helpful with anxiety.

im sorry your mum had cancer I understand this would have been stressful for you to deal with.

A phycologist would be able to help you with many strategies to help you to manage your anxiety.

[sbella02]

Hey Shay94,

I warmly welcome you to our forums, and thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. I'm so sorry to hear about everything that's going on with your mental health, your mum, your work stress, and your friends leaving you. The compounded stress from these triggers can be really taxing, so your feelings are understandable. 

I struggle with panic attacks/feeling anxious myself so I can understand your frustrations from that standpoint. Therapy, counselling or seeing a psychologist may be useful if you're seeking professional advice on how to manage your anxiety, and it can be therapeutic to just have a chat with somebody too. I find that distractions can be a big help, whether it's engaging in hobbies, watching relaxing YouTube videos (like ASMR) or chatting to loved ones. 

In terms of social support, I find that online friends can often offer some great advice or moral support. Safely exploring places like Reddit or Discord can lead to finding some great connections with likeminded people, with no real-life obligations beyond online friendship. You may find people who are struggling with similar situations too, which can help you feel less alone in your experiences. We're here to support you on the forums too.

What are your hobbies or passions? Is there anything that you like doing in your spare time? Making time for yourself is so important, as self-care can be very healing. Even something like journalling can be so helpful for consolidating difficult feelings or expressing how your experiences may be affecting you. 

Take care, and please feel free to chat with us some more.

SB 🙂

[Shay94]

Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate the time you took to write this 🙂 work is still bit stressful as currently working overtime due to not enough staff but hopefully that'll change next week. Things with Mum has gotten better, she's not feeling as ill anymore/has been able continue doing her normal routines etc so I'm no longer needing to help out as often as I was, which has relieved me little bit. I am speaking to a therapist online as in person I'm not the best at opening up/not very good talking face-to-face so I find it easier that way, sometimes even video calls give me little anxiety as well depending on who the person is.

I do have discord on my phone/laptop but haven't yet managed to find any group to join to chat in. I'm not always online so it can sometimes be bit difficult to keep in contact with others & I'm also cautious of chatting online with others unless its people I know, I don't really wanna be spilling my guts out to random strangers as that kinda makes me feel bit awkward. I've been currently binge-watching Star Wars series on Disney+ as I've not seen all 8 seasons yet, but I do also game, listen to music, read books etc. Don't really have friends now aside on the girls I work with, which I only see them during shifts or work-related events anyways 😞

[Mark Z.]

Hi Shay94,

Thank you for sharing your story, and sorry for your challenge.

Happy to know that your family stuff is much better. While it might be one of the root causes of your mental health conditions, there might be still other causes still there. Even all causes are gone, when your mental conditions become certain level of mental illness, it won't disappear automatically.

My suggestion is, first of all, don't blame yourself, it's your mental health issue not you. And then don't fight it on you own, you need your family and professional support. Starting from seeing your GP for a referral to a psychologist, or calling Beyondblue hotline (24/7) is a good idea.

Hope everything will be better.

Mark