Triggering (SH): So my anxiety has gotten so much worse

[Doodle.]

I was an active member here like ten years ago and thought I'd check in to see how everything is doing here. It's kinda sad seeing my old posts and how much better I was doing ten years ago. I basically went through a full blown mental breakdown in December, I caught Covid which gave me a bunch of other medical problems and had to go into hospital overnight. I convinced myself I was dying (I'm terrifed of dying) so was having up to 5 panic attacks a day. I started SH'ing again which I hadn't done since I was around 15. I'm still having health issues (mainly stabbing pains throughout my body) and convinced something is seriously wrong. I'm on a waiting list to see a specialist but the NHS waiting times are abysmal right now.

I actually went to my first group anxiety therapy session yesterday which went okay. It was very much an introductory thing and I already knew most of it.

The non stop catastrophising thoughts I'm having are driving me insane. I don't know how to stop them.

[Arabesque- golfing girl.]

Hello,

It is wonderful that you came back to Teenhelp. I am so sorry that you are having a hard time and I hope that you will be okay soon.

I'm sorry about how you sh. The next time you get the feeling to do this or you have thoughts going on in your head, try finding something to help you get your mind off of this for a while. Going for a walk around your house or reading a book for a while or drawing or painting or writing or calling a friend or putting on a funny movie or TV show or listening to music or something else that you enjoy doing. Finding something to do can help take your mind off of this feeling for a while.

Good job going to your first group anxiety therapy session. I hope this was helpful for you and you are able to keep going for more help. I hope you will be okay soon.

[Doodle.]

Originally Posted by Golfing girl

Hello,

It is wonderful that you came back to Teenhelp. I am so sorry that you are having a hard time and I hope that you will be okay soon.

I'm sorry about how you sh. The next time you get the feeling to do this or you have thoughts going on in your head, try finding something to help you get your mind off of this for a while. Going for a walk around your house or reading a book for a while or drawing or painting or writing or calling a friend or putting on a funny movie or TV show or listening to music or something else that you enjoy doing. Finding something to do can help take your mind off of this feeling for a while.

Good job going to your first group anxiety therapy session. I hope this was helpful for you and you are able to keep going for more help. I hope you will be okay soon.

Thanks friendo <3 Everything has gotten so much worse these past few years.

[Everglow.]

I remember you from when you were here before! It's great to see you back.

My advice here would be, don't look for direct comparisons between 'then' and 'now'. The world has changed a lot since then and so have you, so new anxieties are normal especially with covid being a huge part of that. I can completely understand why getting sick has made your anxiety worse and I'm happy you're getting some help for that. I hope this works for you.

When covid first came about I was having major anxiety to the point of making myself unwell too. The things that worked best for me involved rationalising and taking myself away from the thing that made me anxious. For example, if you're in a situation where you're feeling anxious (e.g. waiting for medical results or something), try to find ways to take your mind away from that. You could go for a walk or put on some loud music, or do something escapist like playing games or reading. If you can't escape from it, then it might be good to talk to somebody. You can either discuss how you feel, or talk about something else entirely if it's helpful, but that way you're not alone, and having another person involved might help you to stay away from harmful behaviours.

I also found that saying things out loud help me to rationalise thoughts which are getting out of control. Reminding yourself that you're okay, and you'll get through this can be reassuring, and it can also ground you as you're focusing on your words rather than your thoughts. I don't know if this might be helpful to you too, but it's really helped me a lot when I've had panic attacks.

If you want a chat message me any time. I hope you're doing okay - and welcome back!