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Chris_B Forums etiquette: give support to receive support
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newb... View more

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newbies are welcomed when they first post, and we understand that it’s a big step to post for the first time on a forum like this, especially if you aren’t feeling great. It’s important to remember, though, that these forums are a community of real people, just like you, not a one-on-one support environment like going to see your psychologist. To get the best out of being here, one of the best tips we can offer is give support to receive support. Being a good community member means: participating in different threads (not just your own), replying to people who have taken the time to reply to you (even if it’s just to say thank you), and... posting words of emotional support and encouragement when you see others who are hurting and reaching out. You don’t have to feel obliged to solve the problems of others: that’s not what we’re here for. But you can offer empathy and what you’ve learned from your own life experiences, even if it’s just a line or two, eg. “I don't know what to say, but I want to give you my support and tell you I care about what is happening to you and hope life will get better soon.” Try to develop an interest in the journeys of others here on the forums. You may be surprised at how good being an active, caring member here can make you feel. For those of you who have had good experiences giving support here on the forums, please post in this thread here and let us know how it has helped you on your journey.

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jcjc06 I I think I have accidentally made myself bad at my job
  • replies: 2

I've been employed at a cafe for approximately three months, and overall, my performance has been pretty good, especially considering my limited experience compared to my colleagues. The managers/ owners have consistently expressed their satisfaction... View more

I've been employed at a cafe for approximately three months, and overall, my performance has been pretty good, especially considering my limited experience compared to my colleagues. The managers/ owners have consistently expressed their satisfaction, praising me for being 'switched on' and even surprising me with cash bonuses on multiple occasions. However, recently, I've noticed an increase in my mistakes, and I believe it's linked to a self-fulfilling prophecy I have created for myself. When I make a simple error and receive feedback, I tend to dwell on it, overshadowing the positive feedback and compliments I've received. This focus on the negatives has led to heightened nervousness about work, and I've started viewing myself as an inadequate worker prone to avoidable mistakes. This mindset even extends to my personal time, where I find myself contemplating self-punishment for the day's errors. At one point, I considered returning the cash bonuses, convinced I didn't deserve them and had let down my employers.How do I stop these thoughts? How do I stop making these dumb mistakes? How do I stop letting myself down? This is really impacting my mental health, work is all I can think about it, I can't help but look up the cafe on Google just to make sure there are no bad reviews.

Anthony_a 24/7 muscle twitches and my story
  • replies: 4

For the last 5 weeks I’ve had 24/7 muscle twitching mainly in my calves and occasionally in other body parts. This started after having the most intense anxiety of my life for a period of about 2 months straight. Prior to the twitching I wasn’t sleep... View more

For the last 5 weeks I’ve had 24/7 muscle twitching mainly in my calves and occasionally in other body parts. This started after having the most intense anxiety of my life for a period of about 2 months straight. Prior to the twitching I wasn’t sleeping. I was having multiple panic attacks a day. Barely hydrated. Just in panic mode 24/7. I went to the ER on 3 seperate occasions because I thought I was having a heart attack. I was then convinced I had heart issues due to consistent heart palpitations and a very fast heart rate that came out of nowhere. I had 3 ECG’S & a 24 hour heart monitor. It came back clear every time. I then started having severe stomach & digestive issues. I then became convinced I had colon cancer because of the ongoing symptoms I was displaying. I had a CT Scan of my abdomen & organs, X-ray. Everything came back clear. Blood work was fine but tested weak positive for celiac disease. This lead to me having a complete mental breakdown, more regular panic attacks & I even ended up in ER 4 times because of it. This was the moment when the twitching began. I did a Endoscopy & colonoscopy. Biopsies were taken to confirm celiac. Everything came back fine and got cleared from celiac. Gastro diagnosed me with IBS. Huge relief but now I’m dealing with these twitches which is another problem on its own. I spoke to 8 different doctors and they all said it’s a result from my anxiety. I still wasn’t convinced so requested to have a brain MRI scan. Everything came back clear. I’m a 29 and married man and I feel like my anxiety is destroying my marriage. I’m scared of the twitching now. Has anybody had a similar experience to me ? And has anybody dealt with these 24/7 twitches before ?

Red-Rex Reality of anxiety and social health
  • replies: 1

Hi All, I would like to discuss the best options to deal with panic in situations that revolve around conflict. I don't want to get into the details but it is having a huge impact on my social health and relationships. I had previously worked with a ... View more

Hi All, I would like to discuss the best options to deal with panic in situations that revolve around conflict. I don't want to get into the details but it is having a huge impact on my social health and relationships. I had previously worked with a councillor to work on trauma and family issues but I did not get to the point where I could deconstruct subconious beliefs which is causing these panic mindsets. How did you achieve freedom from panic? Are there other forms of therapy which could help me? Who should I read or watch for additional guidance while looking for the therapy I need?

RCWolf Anxiety after being hacked
  • replies: 2

Back in November. I was compromised by a virus and had a social media account stolen since then I have felt like I’m being watched, even though I’ve taken every single step and measure to resecure everything but I’m so scared that this person will sh... View more

Back in November. I was compromised by a virus and had a social media account stolen since then I have felt like I’m being watched, even though I’ve taken every single step and measure to resecure everything but I’m so scared that this person will show up somewhere else, continue to have nightmares Just don’t know how to cope or deal with it every DM ping increase my heart rate…I keep trying to convince myself that I’m back in control but I just don’t know what to trust…i don’t know how to move past this without looking over my shoulder

Clover9312 Becoming more anxious after seeking outside guidance
  • replies: 9

Hi everyone, I'm struggling today and wasn't able to get out of bed. I have anxiety and I often second guess myself and overly seek guidance from other people instead of trusting myself. I'm embarrassed to say this, but I've reached out to a number o... View more

Hi everyone, I'm struggling today and wasn't able to get out of bed. I have anxiety and I often second guess myself and overly seek guidance from other people instead of trusting myself. I'm embarrassed to say this, but I've reached out to a number of psychics over the years obviously to get answers and feel more hopeful about things. Not one of them has made an accurate future prediction. There is one of them who I've gone to see many times, and not one thing she has said has come true. However, she claims that predictions aren't always set in stone. She tends to give insights about current situations. For example, if I ask about someone at work she will say "I get the feeling that this person really values your presence and will be with you along the way whenever you need them". Things like that she will say really confidently and it's made me believe that she is able to read other people's thoughts, energies and opinions. I got a reading from her yesterday that has made my anxiety absolutely spiral. I asked her about my last relationship that ended. I felt like it was the healthiest relationship I had so far in my life, but we ultimately had different goals for the future. I told her the story and she dismissed the guy I was with as "immature" and that he had red flags because he was "immature" and wanted a "good time". All of this contrasts with how I perceived him and how I experienced him. It's made me really worried that she has some special intuitive abilities and she was able to read the situation and tell me how it REALLY was. Now I'm questioning everything - my ex, my ability to pick partners. I don't feel like I can chat to my ex about this, as I asked for some space because him wanting to be friends with me proved to be difficult for me. I felt safe with my ex and we both didn't want to have casual relationships. Her saying he wanted a "good time" feels shocking to me. My anxiety had improved at the start of this year and I was doing less overthinking and enjoying reading books more. Now I feel like I'm going into that overthinking mind again and I'm putting this woman on a pedestal, thinking she knows better. She is well known in our local community and has been in business for more than 10 years. My common sense tells me that a stack of tarot cards don't have the power to give someone the ability to "read" into a situation, but I'm also becoming terribly anxious about everything again. I feel like this is going to overpower my week.

Andre_cbr Where is the actual support for those that can’t afford it??
  • replies: 6

Severe anxiety and depression has paralysed me. Lost my job, no energy, no hope, no goals.. same thoughts and worries daily.. all day.. They say get help, see a doctor. Well I did and all he can do is write medication for me and give me a referral to... View more

Severe anxiety and depression has paralysed me. Lost my job, no energy, no hope, no goals.. same thoughts and worries daily.. all day.. They say get help, see a doctor. Well I did and all he can do is write medication for me and give me a referral to a psychologist, which I cant afford! I’m not working and have no saving. How can one actually get real help when one doesn’t have the money?? They keep telling men to reach out for help. Then when we do, we talk to someone online or by phone, or answer questionares, in the end, it all goes back to needing to see a professional psychologist, which is out of one’s reach to afford?? it seems like there is many places to assist you in letting you know that your badly sick, yet not many places to actually help you unless you have big money. We are quick to point out issues.. but everything else after that, it’s “your in your own mate” So if we are a modern, open minded country and cares for its mentally ill, that gives a fair go, that looks after its community… then is there not a way for a man that has had enough of a crippling mental health issues to seek help to get his life back on track?

HisOwn Health Anxiety - How Do You Manage?
  • replies: 32

Hello I am 59 years of age - I have had awful health anxiety for 22 years after a series of past medical traumas. Initially I was always going to doctor looking for reassurance whenever I had any symptom but found this just added to my anxiety so now... View more

Hello I am 59 years of age - I have had awful health anxiety for 22 years after a series of past medical traumas. Initially I was always going to doctor looking for reassurance whenever I had any symptom but found this just added to my anxiety so now I am a total avoider of doctors or medical tests now - will only go in case of emergency now, if at all because I just find the medical environment so triggering and traumatic. My last visit I had to take a valium just to get through the appointment. So just wondering if anybody else has similar anxiety and wondering what strategies you use to cope or manage?

Mel... Anxiety and the weather
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, I am wondering if anyone else anxiety worsens in the hot weather? I have recently moved to a more humid place and have found my anxiety to be unbearable on the hot, humid days. It also seems to worsen my IBS symptoms which in turn makes ... View more

Hi everyone, I am wondering if anyone else anxiety worsens in the hot weather? I have recently moved to a more humid place and have found my anxiety to be unbearable on the hot, humid days. It also seems to worsen my IBS symptoms which in turn makes my anxiety worse. I had a gastroscopy and colonoscopy 2 days ago and today I feel hot, anxious, irritated and upset in the stomach. I want to sleep but it's too hot. Thank you.

stell_a178 I feel like I’m falling behind
  • replies: 10

Today I (20F) had a chat with my younger cousins (16F and 14F) at Christmas lunch about hookup culture and underage drinking. They were talking about how there were people their ages who were regularly drinking underage, hooking up at parties and eve... View more

Today I (20F) had a chat with my younger cousins (16F and 14F) at Christmas lunch about hookup culture and underage drinking. They were talking about how there were people their ages who were regularly drinking underage, hooking up at parties and even having sex. This conversation triggered me a bit, because I am a 20 woman who never drank underage, I have never hooked up with anyone which includes never having sex. It’s weird because I feel a sense of FOMO even though I really don’t want to be a part of drinking culture or hook up culture. I have nothing against people who do so, but I just don’t enjoy such things.It makes me feel like I’m broken, and that I am so unusual and weird. Finding others like me has been incredibly difficult, and being surrounded by people who love to drink and who are in relationships has worsened mindset. Should I be worried that I didn’t drink at all underage and that I don't like hookup culture?

KMF Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
  • replies: 22

Struggling today. I was diagnosed with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder last year (it took over 20 years to really narrow down what was happening). The anxiety I’m experiencing today is difficult. I am constantly having thoughts that I’m not good enou... View more

Struggling today. I was diagnosed with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder last year (it took over 20 years to really narrow down what was happening). The anxiety I’m experiencing today is difficult. I am constantly having thoughts that I’m not good enough and questioning my existence in this world. Managing this chronic health condition (the main symptoms are depression and anxiety) is taking its toll. I’m currently on a waiting list to see a PMDD specialist - I’ve been on this list for almost two years. I just needed to reach out today to vent. Thanks for reading my post.