Would any one like to join in an anxiety support thread?

[Heatherandmoss]

I’ve seen lots of posts recently about people having a bad time with their anxiety and I thought an on going thread might be good do people can bob on and offer and receive support, share tips and just generally empathise with some one going through the same thing.

I’ve had anxiety since I was about ten ( I realised after my psychiatrist was able to help me pin point my earliest memory of it)

I think there is a bit of misconception of anxiety as some people think it’s just general worry - but it’s not.

When my anxiety rears her head it’s so physical. I sweat, my face can go numb, pains in my chest. I have a feeling like some one is kicking my front door in and I’m scared for my life and I could just be hoovering. Anxiety jolts me awake when I’m asleep and it rolls down my body like thunder. It makes me catastrophize at 3am and my feet start rubbing against each other ( weird) My anxiety makes me walk in to the kitchen with my kids empty dinner plates and suddenly feel so so over whelmed I struggle for breath and tears leak out in a gasp of raw emotion - all done silently so my kids can’t hear me.

I’ve had to give up drinking alcohol because Jesus the anxiety the next day was shocking and lasted days until I suddenly stepped out the anxiety room.

My anxiety has been bad since November as I’ve got some things going and I’m worried my heart is going to pack in because of the extra ‘thud thud thud’ overtime it’s being doing!

Exercise does help me take the edge of sometimes. I nearly went to the GP the other day as it was rotten but at this moment of time I need to be switched on.

Today has not been to bad. I’m considering it a win.

So I’ve you’d like to join in or have some where to say ‘holy fuck it’s bad today’ hopefully more people will be here and you will know some one knows how bad your feeling.

Thank you Paralysedbyinertia 🙂

Love it loki! That's a nice last thing to see before I get into bed. Thank you for sharing.

Thanks WL, glad you liked it 🙂

Loki: that is a beautiful picture. I particularly like the poppies in the front. And the trees far away.

Home today as feel completely wiped out and achey after the vaccine combined with my UTI. I think everyone at work will hate me now. Especially the admin and my bosses. I texted one, but haven't hear back, so my paranoia is running amok.

I love having time off work (for obvious reasons), but I also hate it, as I am sure the bosses are talking negatively about me, right now. I wish I didn't have this paranoia.

How's everyone else's day?

Thanks DuckingMel, the flowers and trees were hard to do. I find water colouring tricky.

Sorry you're feeling awful . Hope you're feeling better soon 💐. Try not to worry about work ( I know it's easier said than done).

Hi, hope it's ok for me to join.

One of my biggest anxiety areas is driving, like some of you. I find driving somewhere new especially scary as well as not being able to go on motorways. I also get anxious when the petrol is getting low! It's been a while since I filled up (DH has done it for me lately) but I managed to get some myself some this morning. Only after driving away from the pumps and back in because I didn't remember how to open the petrol cap or my card PIN numbers . Luckily it wasn't that busy.

I'm seeing the school nurse about DD's health problem today. We've been dealing with it for several months and it doesn't feel like there's an end in sight. Not that serious now it's being treated but stressful day to day and for me each time her medication is running low. I've got a cold too so would really rather be in bed!

Finally she's got an after school club later that I need to drive her to. I've done it twice now but I'm not used to it yet and still feel worried.

Hope those of you who were ill are starting to feel better today. Thank you for reading.

Morning HelloMist, welcome to the thread. Driving anxiety sounds really difficult. I'm too anxious to drive. I has some driving lessons but it didn't work out for me. I used to get really anxious about getting public transport to new places. Years of doing agency work and travelling to lots of different places, gradually helped me with this.

Hope your DD gets the support that she needs. Hope your cold gets better soon. Mine's nearly gone .I'm only coughing a little bit today. My chest hurts from all the coughing that I've done over the past 5 days.

Hi, Mist, and welcome.
I know the driving anxiety is really disabling and frustrating. Mine just settled in one day (possibly linked to buying a new car and (X)DP being a critical and fearful passenger) and I've been fearful ever since.

I'm glad I don't have to drive any more, but I do miss the convenience and sense of freedom driving had given me. The anxiety just was too much, so the bad things outweighed the good things about driving. (X)DP lives in the middle of nowhere. I need to go on two buses and a train when we go visit.

Also, hope that your appointment with school nurse goes well. When our children suffer, we suffer, too. DD has ASD and mental health problems, so I know how hard it is to get real help, instead of nonsense suggestions.

Thank you for the welcome!

@Lokikitty glad your cold is nearly gone but sorry your chest hurts. Glad you are managing to get about using public transport now.

@DuckingMel I understand that balance of feelings, glad it's been possible for you to not drive any more. Sorry that it got so bad. Not an easy journey at all though to your XDP. buses here are infrequent and slow, some journeys they are an option for me when I'm too nervous (motorways) but others they wouldn't help. (School run, doesn't run at the right times or frequency. We can walk it but only when we can leave early enough).

Thank you! Nurse appointment went well, wasn't sure how knowledgeable she would be but she was on my wavelength and helped reassure me we are on the right track.

Hi how is everyone doing? X

I'm feeling a lot better today. Met a friend for lunch at a local pub. I rarely socialise, so it was a nice treat.

The sun's out today. Done a bit of gardening. Been meaning to do it for ages but the weather has been so miserable.

I'm glad you're feeling better, Loki. The sun always helps! And gardening is good for mental health.

I am feeling like crap. Very anxious and not looking forward to another day at work. I have an idea for an online shop, but would need money to start. Also, finding it hard to concentrate on anything for a longer time. I guess there is depression mixed with anxiety, there...

Sorry you're having a bad day DuckingMel. I've often wondered if being self employed would be the best thing for someone like me. I don't think I'd be very good at running a business and I imagine it would be pretty scary financially.

Financially, yes, but I'd like to out my business degree to good use. Also, I'd still work regularly alongside for the first year, at least...

@Lokikitty - love the drawing.

@DuckingMel - I think you should give the online shop a go!

It's funny how my anxiety can suddenly come and go. I've been learning new things this week so I've had a good distraction. I'd been doing lots of exercise and felt resilient. Then the anxiety descended this afternoon. I've got lots of time on my own this bank holiday and I'm feeling a bit down.

Popping in to wave to everyone. X

Morning everyone xx

I had a really tiring but good day yesterday. I did agency work at a nice nursery. I spent 3.5 hours travelling on public transport which was the tiring bit. It should have been 2 hours but all the buses were late.

This weekend, I'm spending time with family that I haven't seen since summer. Really hoping it goes well. Family gatherings can be a bit complicated as I have a lot of severe mental health problems in my family.

Hi, everyone!

Sounds like you're doing well, at the moment, Loki. And I hope your family gathering goes without incident! I avoid trouble with my family by steering off topics such as immigration, religion and politics. Needs must, although it does make me sad that they are so bigoted and backwards.

I have a very small party tonight and I have asked my bosses to come. I don't know why I thought that'd be a good idea! Full of anxiety. Numerous trips to the loo this morning and had to pop 2 diazepam, already. I hope I won't make a drunken arse out of myself. (DD will be at her dad's tonight)

I hope to start the business, as soon as I get some up to date advice on setting it up, getting capital sourcing suppliers, storage, marketing, etc. (my degree is from the stone age, when eBay and Amazon were just a wee companies, and SM and smartphones were not yet conceived). I just can't work for other people much longer. I am much more sanguine about letting my self down than letting other people down...

I so want

Oops...

That should have been, I so want to feel more normal and not full of anxiety about the slightest thing!

@DuckingMel good luck, I hope tonight goes well. Sorry you are feeling anxious. Is there something nice you can do to distract yourself for a while? Out in the sun maybe.

@Lokikitty glad you had a good day. Hope things go as smoothly as they can with your family.

Did your party go well DuckingMel? Good luck with your business. It sounds like a great idea.

The party went fine, although one of my bosses cancelled. I think he doesn't like me much, so was expecting it, tbf. There were a few awkward silences and I was slurring my words a bit towards the end as was drinking much faster than anyone else (due to anxiety). I must have a party for non-work people, so I can enjoy it. This was too stressful!

Today I mostly feel depressed about the weight I've gained in the last few months, due to my eating disorder. I refuse to buy a new wardrobe (couldn't afford it, anyway!), so getting dressed is uncomfortable and anxiety provoking.

How are you today, Loki?

Hi, DuckingMel, I'm trying to tackle the housework. I got a bit behind with it all because I've felt so run down. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all but will hopefully get my flat clean and tidy in a few hours. Then I am going to go out and enjoy some sunshine.

That sounds like a good plan. Just tackle what you feel up to and then go out. The tidying doesn't all need to be done in one day and there will be plenty of rainy days to do that on!

I'm also hoping to do some garden work later today. The flat is tidy and clean, so can try tackle the utter mess that is the garden. There are some drainage issues, so won't be doing too much, in case the garden gets dug up, but it would be good to get the lawn mower assembled and the lawn mown. It's meant to be a very warm day, even here, up north, so weather won't be an excuse to not do it!