Endless road

[Merc]

Hey guys ! Kindly asking for some outside thoughts

im a 21yr old male and have suffered from anxiety/depression for most of my life. I think it started in primary school always having an issue with other kids in school (bullying) and being caught up In the 2001 South Coast bushfires didn't help either Changed schools in year 4 not knowing anyone in the school and bullying continued on and off till I finsihed year 10 im a qualified mechanic and during my apprentiship I found my anxiety/depression to calm right down with minor hiccups. October last year I left my first and only job and started somewhere else. Days before I started my new job I felt my anxiety building, Nervs and thoughts of What to expect. My first day was terrible making it to half a day and breaking down in tears, the first day at a new job and anxiety going crazy just was too much and I just couldn't hold it in. Since then I've had a rough time gettin back to normal. 

[geoff]

dear Merc, thanks for coming to the site and welcome on board, and I'd like to congratulate you on being a mechanic, but even this isn't strong enough to keep you going.

You can see that slowly through your life that this illness has been establishing itself, laying it's awful foundations, building to a stage where something has to give, and unfortunately it has broken.

 Starting a new job is always frightening, but then you add on another many more anxious thoughts it has to finally give way.

Now Merc remember you're had this illness for a very long time, trying to push it aside, but you can't handle it by yourself, because all your life you have tried, but now you need some help.

I'm not sure if you are still working there, but you need to go and see your doctor, so that they can get the ball rolling, it's imperative that you do this, otherwise it's going to keep pulling you down. Geoff.

[Neil_1]

Hi there Merc

Great to see that Geoff has responded with an excellent post back to you and I agree with all that Geoff has said.  From what we have read, it sounds like you’ve been battling your depression/anxiety on your own and this is just so hard to do and really, from a fellow sufferer’s perspective, it’s something that we simply cannot handle by ourselves.

So, yes, getting off to see a professional in this field is the best option for you at this time.  And it may well take more than one or two appointments as well;  but only your counsellor will be able to advise you about that.   But this is necessary so that they can know and understand your condition and from that they’ll be able to provide you with coping strategies and ways to deal with your anxiety and depression.  To recognise symptoms and hopefully supply you with solutions to manage your anxiety.

You mentioned that you commenced at a new job, but had a break-down – are you still working at that job?

Thanx again for posting Merc, and I do hope you can get back to us with how you’re feeling and further updates.

Kind regards

Neil

[Elizabeth CP]

Hi Merc, Hope things are improving for you. I know it is a while since this was posted but it struck a cord with me so I'm writing to say you are not the alone. I was bullied badly in primary school particularly grade 3&4. Moved schools to a lovely place where I felt safe. That lasted 18 months until we were burnt out in a bushfire. I was in the house so was left with lots of issues re fires. I was then very isolated at high school with no friends and while not physically bullied there was a lot of emotional bullying. I never sought help until recently when multiple issues have stirred up things. (I am 61 so it is a long time since I was a child.) I encourage anyone who experiences trauma to get help early rather than waiting for decades like I did as the negative thoughts & low self esteem is so entrenched. The Black Saturday fires really affected me and brought back lots of bad memories. Being bullied as a child has really affected me badly. 

If anyone can suggest ways to deal with long term problems I would appreciate it.