Ask Anything Monday!

[AllAboutMissy]

I was initially diagnosed with Depression by a GP then referred to a psychologist. She then diagnosed me with Bipolar Type 2 and I was medicated accordingly.

It wasn't until I moved cities and changed Doctors that I was then re-assessed by another psychologist and psychiatrist who gave me the correct diagnosis of BP1 and I was then treated based on that.

Psychiatrists can prescribe medication unlike psychologists - a great analogy I was once told really helped me distinguish between the two. If our brain was a car.... the Psychiatrist would teach you about the mechanics and the psychologist teaches you how to drive.

I've seen a couple of different psychologists over the last 5 years or so, mainly because they left for maternity leave and although they were all using CBT they all had different methods, some i responded to, others really made me quite distressed.

One psychologist used to come and sit next to me in parts during the session which really made me uncomfortable, and tried to "relate" to me a bit too much which was really freaky lol.

I think you have to find what is best for you and what works for you, sometimes you have a try a few on to get the right fit!

[NikNik]

HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!

It's that time of the week again. I hope you all had a great weekend. Thank you to @AllAboutMissy @Former-Member @kenny66 and @Jacques for your wise and insightful responses last week.

Here is this week's question:

I have some trouble with feeling inferior/ vulnerable and feel depressed from time to time, anxious etc. I figured this out last year with a few things that happened and opened my eyes, but I  have courage to do anything.
don't
When I want to speak up about it fear gets the best of me.  I wait for fear to decrease and it doesn't. I can't even get the first word of the first sentence out.

I just need some advice how to face your fears, what to do, how to think, what mindset to have.

Thanks.

I think all of us have had to face that fear at some point. What advice or tips do you have for this member?

[Jacques]

Well, when i am forced to face my fears i go numb, nothing around ne registers and everyone seems to be moving a million miles an hour. I feel like i am frozen in time. Luckily for me leaving the house is so traumatic i don't really remember the event after it happened unless something triggers another panic attack while i am having one already.

Maybe a way to handle it is don't dwell on it that night. Over time (a few days) the event becomes less vivid and i am able to calm down. Try to do something to tired your self out so you sleep better that night.

Another way do deal with it is listening to music. I have to listen to it loud to drown out the negativity. And it works sometimes.

@NikNik thank you for making us think about how we deal with anxiety and depression.

Jacques

[Mazarita]

A couple of ways I deal with anxious feelings, especially in the social world:

. Try to accept and be gentle with myself inside rather than spinning out about how I'm feeling. 

. Breathe slower and deeper to help relax my body, which can help the mind relax too.

When I do these things, they are usually helpful. Wishing you well. 🙂

[kenny66]

I think most of us feel fears, vulnerability and inferiority at one time or another. The difference is having these feelings disproportionate to the reality of what is actually happening.

For example my OCD is always present but is not so much an issue until it escalates to  an obsession which affects my daily quality of life.

Confronting fears is one way to deal with them but if you are in a vulnerable state this may not be possible.

Self worth can be a difficult concept when you are feeling depressed but it is worthwhile convincing yourself of your better qualities in a process of self assessment.

My natural inclination is to be invisible in a crowd but I have friends that actively engage me in the conversation.

If you have someone you trust try and hold a conversation with them in comfortable surroundings, talking about topics you are interested in.

Most people have a point of view on general topics. If you can cultivate your knowledge on one or some of these you may feel comfortable in discussing them.

When i go somewhere new I go with a support person to give me confidence and support.

I tyry to put myself in non confrontational situations with understanding people.

Being honest with people you trust does enable empathy6 which of itself can be a support.

A bit like hearing voices, controlling your fears is really a matter of control. I find once I trust the situation the rest will follow.

[NikNik]

HAPPY MONDAY ALL!!

It's that time of the week again; an opportunity to help a new member who is a bit apprehensive about posting their question. Thank you everyone who has ever responded to one of these Ask Anything Monday questions. I know that your responses have made new members feel welcome and given them the confidence to post under their real usernames.

Thank you @Jacques @Mazarita and @kenny66 for responding to last week's question. They were all so insightful and supportive.

This week's question is an interesting one!

I'm trying to get on with life after being diagnosed with anxiety. I want to keep a job, maintain my friends, my sport and a heap of other responsibilities. My issue is that I can't follow through with commitments. What I mean by that is that there are times when I commit to a coffee with a friend, or a project at work, and I just can't follow through because of my anxiety. I have every intent to follow through on these commitments when I make them, but then I might have a particularly bad week, so the work doesn't get done or I can't leave the house to meet a friend. This then has an impact on what people think of me and their relationships with me (ie: my boss, my team mates, my friends)

I really want to get back to maintaining an anxiety free life - but I have found myself withdrawing a bit because I don't want to dissapoint anyone.

How can I continue to get back to 'normal life' while managing the consequences of my anxiety?

[Former-Member]

I think maybe, you have far too many responsibilities, yes?
How about deciding to replace the ones that can be replaced?.....
When comfortable with your choices, start to fill the gaps with relaxing, more enjoyable times, maybe with a pet, music, are some ideas. Laugh more, eat healthy food, drink a lot of water, &/or be around just one, nice, calm, & supportive person, who smiles a lot! 😉
Anxiety can be like, a nasty enemy, that sneaks up & attacks, while distracted with too much responsibility. DON'T OVER LOAD yourself, why hurt yourself like that, you are precious.
I know, as I get Anxiety, if I take on too much, even if I get over active mentally.
Withdrawing is depressing, so having a new way to live your life, with less stress, & more joy, is my survival message.
I hope this helps?
Bye 4 Now! 🙂

[Ellie]

This is exactly what's happened to me. Actually it's been going on forever, but has become much worse over the past couple of years to the point whereby it's badly effecting everything I do.

Sorry I can't help, but am interested in the responses.

Ellie.

[Former-Member]

Gosh, I feel I could have written this!

Although I'm not sure I have a lot of solutions either. 😞

With your friends, you need to let them what's going on, otherwise you end up looking flaky and rude. My friends are pretty good when I'm feeling unwell. For me I often find the getting ready and getting out of the house an issue so often my frends meet me at my house and depending on how the day's going we either chill at mine with a tea or we head out. They know things might not always go to plan and they are pretty understanding (even when I'm still in my pj's and haven't brushed my hair).

With work, I would say that it's best to let your boss know what's going on otherwise things could get sticky too. But I've had my own issues regarding letting bosses know about MI. I think it's something that you'd need to decide on an individual basis.

I was also taught some relaxation exercises that helped me keep my anxiety down. My old psychologist has some audio files on mindfullness and progressive muscle relaxation available:

http://capitalclinicalpsychology.com/client-handouts/

(I hope I'm not breaching his copyright, but they are on his public website, so I hope it's okay.)

I did his PMR everyday and after a while I got to be able to doing it without his voice direction, so I would do it to some relaxing music. I then found that if I listened to that music when stressed I would instantly feel more relaxed and in control. Really helped when I was panicking in public places.

Hope that helps. 🙂

[NikNik]

HAPPY MONDAY ALL!

It's that time of the week again - Ask Anything Monday 🙂

Thank you to @Former-Member @Ellie @Former-Member for responding to last week's AAM. Even if you felt like you didn't know all the answers, just responding with support and sharing your experiences is just as helpful.

This week's question is about memory loss:

My brain just feels like a sieve. I'm becoming forgetful and I think it's due to my anxiety. I notice it more then I'm having a bad week.

I'm not sure if my anxiety is reducing my ability to remember or if there is real damage happening. I want to know if anyone has had this experience? Also if anyone who has had this experience has any tips or strategies to get around the memory loss (ie: write notes, reminders etc)?