Mental Wellness Support Group

[Jayson1]

It happens to be as well very often...Whenever I'm having a long period without a crisis, I can bet my brain will soon throw some anxious thoughts. Especially at the worst moments. I'm currently preparing my wedding but the closer I get to the big day, the more anxiety I go throught...and not "normal" anxious thoughts but toxic ones, like feeling I should absolutely run away as far as possible and leave everyone I know, unless awful things are going to happen. It's exhausting.


I had no idea Wil Wheaton had anxiety disorders. I totally empathize with him.

I know that I can be sort of like that. I often think about being the only human on earth and never seeing another human again. I sometimes feel like just running out naked for no reason in the world or going to go live in a forrest or something. Or not bothering with table manners and just eating with my hands. I sometimes blurt of random things for no reason. I think many have felt the urge to just step in front of moving car. I guess I even tried doing that when I was very young when my parents got to divorce but I don't even recall it so I don't know what it means.

Jason

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

I'm so sorry @Jayson1 ...I totally get how you feel. The urge to run away, no matter if it's leaving or dying (though suicidal ideation), is a direct consequence of anxiety. It's basically a disordered version of the brain's "flight or fight" automatic response to danger. Except there is no danger...
I found EMDR to be very useful in dealing with that "flight or fight" glitch, maybe you could give it a try.

 

[Steven P Bastien]

the more anxiety I go throught...and not "normal" anxious thoughts but toxic ones, like feeling I should absolutely run away as far as possible and leave everyone I know, unless awful things are going to happen. It's exhausting.

I know there is no cure-all for anxiety and words rarely help, but still, remember that you deserve to have good things, and if you run from them, you can't have them. That's the problem with anxiety. It's a fear of bad things happening, but the anxiety and fear of bad things happening is sometimes even worse than the bad things themselves.

Yes, bad things might happen, and in fact, they eventually do, because that is life. But, life also has so many good things. You are deserving of those good things too.

 

[TrickyDickie]

You know nothing of me or my situation, but I will tell you that my catastrophizing usually results in crippling inaction.

But of course, that doesn't really fit the narrative of your post. On that point, however...



Yes, in fact I do. And I would thank you to please not make complaints about moderator actions in unrelated threads. If you feel you have been wronged, there is an escalation process, and this is not it. Please do not do this again.

And on a personal note, may I just say that I find your decision to use a post in a support group thread against me, because of a moderator action, very questionable. Although, perhaps, not surprising; I guess I should have expected *someone* to do so. Live and learn, I suppose.

I believe that the best method to resolve this is for *anyone* in the future, if they have a topic, medical or otherwise, that might be in some way potentially viewed as controversial to first PM a mod and get input before even starting a thread. That will be my method from this point forward. Peace.

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

Anyone with phobia here ? (I bet yes)
They're so annoying and I wish I could get magically rid of them...

 

[rhubarbodendron]

yes, but just a very common one: big spiders. I like small ones ad I find the whole class very interesting and some even quite pretty, but I've never managed to overcome my fear of the adult specimens of the larger species, particularly if they seem to appear out of thin air.
And maggots. A somewhat embaressing fact since only last year I was appointed the official top-authority for Brachycera (flies) in Bavaria. I love the larvae of all sorts of insects and I even do forensics, occasionally, but the maggots of bluebottles & co. trigger unpleasant memories of a dead body that was left for weeks in a warm environment and was somewhat wriggly... I'm not certain, though, if this one counts as phobia since I can control it. Maybe it counts only as extreme disgust.

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

but the maggots of bluebottles & co. trigger unpleasant memories of a dead body that was left for weeks in a warm environment and was somewhat wriggly...

I hate maggots for pretty much the same reason. I was traumatized after I once picked a dead rat with my bare hands in a wildlife rescue...


I faced psychophobia today during and after my eye surgery. The ophtalmo who practiced the procedure talked to me like I was some piece of shit and almost shouted at me in the middle of the procedure. I almost cried while lying under the laser machine. I was terrified and the last thing I needed was to be treated like crap.
After it was done, as she was filling the forms for the health insurance, she lessoned me about why I should not stress and that it was basically my fault if I was unable to calm down by myself. I bursted into tears in the office. I had to explain I have generalized anxiety disorder and was born that way, and that I take meds. I felt so humiliated and disrespected.
I wish doctors were taught at university how to handle and interact with terrified anxious patients. How can they imagine that telling us to "stop whimpering" can do any good ? ??

 

[Jayson1]

After being stuck with bed bugs in my home for a year and maybe even longer me and my mom get nervous t the sight of any tiny black bugs. Not even that or black spots as well. If you see a dent in the wall for example were a nail use to be and it's black looking it's enough to worry you for a second it might be a bed bug. I think that counts as a phobia.

Jason

 

[Avro Arrow]

I faced psychophobia today during and after my eye surgery. The ophtalmo who practiced the procedure talked to me like I was some piece of shit and almost shouted at me in the middle of the procedure. I almost cried while lying under the laser machine. I was terrified and the last thing I needed was to be treated like crap.
After it was done, as she was filling the forms for the health insurance, she lessoned me about why I should not stress and that it was basically my fault if I was unable to calm down by myself. I bursted into tears in the office. I had to explain I have generalized anxiety disorder and was born that way, and that I take meds. I felt so humiliated and disrespected.

I'm so sorry to hear that, that sounds totally unprofessional and completely uncalled for.

I hope the surgery itself worked OK, though. Best wishes!

 

[TrickyDickie]

I wish doctors were taught at university how to handle and interact with terrified anxious patients. How can they imagine that telling us to "stop whimpering" can do any good ? ??

Too many doctors these days are extremely arrogant.

In the past, I had infection in my eyelids quite frequently which was likely tied to my acne.

Sometimes, my father would give me one of his new, unused insulin syringes to open the infected spot so I could drain it.

I went to the eye doctor one day and related that. The response I received?

"Well, I don't get many patients who elect to do their own surgery!"

I did not go back.

 

[Gryffindorian]

I don't have any phobias. Though as a child, I was terrified of insects - cockroaches, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, etc. The funny thing is, there were an abundance of them where I lived in the country.

I was also scared of dogs, some of which were extremely vicious. People just let their dogs loose on the streets, and it wasn't uncommon for someone to get bitten.

 

[Snaploud]

My wife suffers from OCD, anxiety, PTSD, depression, severe guilt (linked to parental treatment and a fear that god hates her), paranoia, agoraphobia, and dissociative identity disorder. She grew up in an abusive home with mentally ill parents (one physically and emotionally abusive (with severe paranoia) and another who I refer to as a black hole of guilt--a combination of an actual medical disorder (MS) and ability to make everything about herself and why she is being wronged). At age 13, her obsessive hand-washing (with no medical treatment due largely to fears from the father about what she would tell a medical professional) led to the father strangling her to the point of her blacking out. She finally left that home after a break-down at age 24, and her younger brother (who was about 17 at the time of her leaving and never had it nearly as bad as the females in that household) thinks her sister abandoned him and refuses to believe in mental illness beyond that which is related to a medical condition such as MS.

My brother suffers from OCD and has never been able to get or maintain a job.

I have suffered from some depression in the past, and I had to leave my first high school as a result. This lead to a year gap in which the public school argued over whether or not they should pay for me to attend a private school for individuals with mental health issues. My high school argued that attending this private school would mean that I would not be prepared for college.

Yet, I graduated summa cum laude from undergrad and then received a masters in accounting. My wife got both a bachelors and a masters degree. I have helped my wife through years of difficulty (including one suicide attempt) and actually have a relatively happy life (particularly a very loving and supportive marriage). Life is complicated, but suffering can be mitigated with the right treatment and support structure.

 

[Refuge]

I don't think I've suffered actual depression but I live with someone who does. It is something they literally have to survive. There is no quick fix, just the saddest, debilitating journey. If they have suffered it in the past they re-visit those at times suicidal thoughts and all you can do is watch and try and not say the wrong things. For close to a year I remember living on a knife's edge always taking the blame and being so pathetically humble because my needs were nothing compared to his. It can be tough on your loved ones but they (we) are there for you.

As for phobias there is one that is so commonplace that has just surfaced in the past three or four years. I don't like lying completely flat and being held or kept still. I know why I have this phobia but it's taken this long to surface. I actually have thought about being carted off to hospital in a blessed ambulance and the stretcher part would be a nightmare, lol.

 

[Refuge]

I hate maggots for pretty much the same reason. I was traumatized after I once picked a dead rat with my bare hands in a wildlife rescue...


I faced psychophobia today during and after my eye surgery. The ophtalmo who practiced the procedure talked to me like I was some piece of shit and almost shouted at me in the middle of the procedure. I almost cried while lying under the laser machine. I was terrified and the last thing I needed was to be treated like crap.
After it was done, as she was filling the forms for the health insurance, she lessoned me about why I should not stress and that it was basically my fault if I was unable to calm down by myself. I bursted into tears in the office. I had to explain I have generalized anxiety disorder and was born that way, and that I take meds. I felt so humiliated and disrespected.
I wish doctors were taught at university how to handle and interact with terrified anxious patients. How can they imagine that telling us to "stop whimpering" can do any good ? ??

I do wonder about some health professionals. This one you encountered doesn't deserve further consideration. You got through something difficult - well done.

 

[Snaploud]

Health professionals are sometimes not very sympathetic to mental health issues. One nurse was very stand-offish the day my wife went to the ER for her one suicide attempt. I get the sense that my wife got lumped into the nurses's mind as being a nuisance and unworthy of the nurse's time (similar to the way nurses at that ER talk--frequently, in my experience--about drunk people taking resources away from "real" sick people).

A lot of it has to do with the lack of resources in ERs (such as the weird tendency to only have one doctor available at night). They also don't necessarily have the training for those issues (as they typically handle the non-psychological issues and then send you to others to handle the psych stuff). Still, it's not appreciated when the person you care most about is treated poorly when they're at their most vulnerable.

 

[TrickyDickie]

There are too many doctors who simply don't do their homework. H pylori is so widespread and yet the average doctor knows very little about it. There is beginning to be more information to be had out there, but they are definitely not up on the latest. Their patients who have it suffer because they have not done their reading.

My wife has severe allergy to the sun and heat. It brings on symptoms of asthma. My wife and I both have H pylori. That causes asthma. But doctors and other health care providers thus far have been absolutely convinced that her symptoms are due to panic attacks and agoraphobia. Even though she has repeatedly told these fools that if the sun is not out she is perfectly fine at a concert or other gathering in the company of thousands.

 

[Gryffindorian]

After having gotten back from a week in Oahu, I seem to be having a case of the post-vacation blues.

Funny, but I've always felt like this. When I take some time off during Christmas season, I get this feeling of sadness toward the end of the holidays and almost dread coming back to work.

What's even sadder this time around is that being back home means being back to dealing with the everyday misery I wanted to get away from these past few months, i.e., among other things, family issues that involve two elderly parents, which I'd rather not talk about.

Furthermore, I've observed that over the past several years, I seem to have less enjoyment of life. I used to look forward to holidays, weekends, and other days off. I still do to a certain extent, but with not as much gusto as I did in the past.

I ask myself: what has changed? Is it because I've gotten older? A long time ago, I could spend hours at the bookstore (although I'm not a bookworm) and get lost in the comic book and scifi sections. I used to be a frequent moviegoer, but as many franchises ended, like Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, et al, there's not much to look forward to besides the next superhero blockbuster. Okay, there are sequels, prequels and spinoffs too.

There's just not that much fun and excitement out there for me, and travel, although it can get costly, may be the only thing to stimulate my senses and make me feel alive.

 

[Snaploud]

After having gotten back from a week in Oahu, I seem to be having a case of the post-vacation blues.

Funny, but I've always felt like this. When I take some time off during Christmas season, I get this feeling of sadness toward the end of the holidays and almost dread coming back to work.

What's even sadder this time around is that being back home means being back to dealing with the everyday misery I wanted to get away from these past few months, i.e., among other things, family issues that involve two elderly parents, which I'd rather not talk about.

Furthermore, I've observed that over the past several years, I seem to have less enjoyment of life. I used to look forward to holidays, weekends, and other days off. I still do to a certain extent, but with not as much gusto as I did in the past.

I ask myself: what has changed? Is it because I've gotten older? A long time ago, I could spend hours at the bookstore (although I'm not a bookworm) and get lost in the comic book and scifi sections. I used to be a frequent moviegoer, but as many franchises ended, like Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, et al, there's not much to look forward to besides the next superhero blockbuster. Okay, there are sequels, prequels and spinoffs too.

There's just not that much fun and excitement out there for me, and travel, although it can get costly, may be the only thing to stimulate my senses and make me feel alive.

I've been reading that Ketamine is starting to be seen as an effective treatment for depression. I don't know anybody personally who takes it, though, and you would have to find a treatment center in which you would be given the drug under medical supervision.

https://www.vox.com/first-person/2018/7/24/17603616/depression-treatment-severe-ketamine-special-k

https://www.webmd.com/depression/features/what-does-ketamine-do-your-brain#1

Obviously, you should try some of the more popular antidepressants first.

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

Obviously, you should try some of the more popular antidepressants first

Mmh it would be safer to determine wether or not Gryffin is suffering from depression before taking antidepressants :-/
They can make some conditions worse (like bipolar disorders) if taken inappropriately.

 

[Nakita Akita]

I've been reading that Ketamine is starting to be seen as an effective treatment for depression. I don't know anybody personally who takes it, though, and you would have to find a treatment center in which you would be given the drug under medical supervision.

https://www.vox.com/first-person/2018/7/24/17603616/depression-treatment-severe-ketamine-special-k

https://www.webmd.com/depression/features/what-does-ketamine-do-your-brain#1

Obviously, you should try some of the more popular antidepressants first.

I think taking antidepressants is a rather too large step from feeling a little off or blue.

Possibly taking up a new hobby that involves a group or taking a class of something that interests one like from an extension college or recreation center.

Or possibly joining a group, discussion group, book club, wine tasters club, beer tasters club, some group where you get out go someplace meet up with real life people.

Talk to your doctor, ask for recommendations.
Medication should be a last resort.