Wondering if others experience this?

hello and welcome @trickytrauma

have you have aniety and panic attacks my friend

we have lots of members here , soo remember you are not alone xx

my husband has bipolar 11 and other diagnosis

@Bunniekins, @utopia , @Gazza75

Hi @trickytrauma , welcome to the forums.

I've been in a similar state myself last year and think I have some understanding of the stress you feel. In regard to your Centrellink debt, if you do have one they should let you pay it off a little bit at a time if finances are tough. It's a horrible situation to be in and something I experienced myself when I was younger. It was the main reason I had to quit uni and get a job.

The best advice I can offer is to try and let the thoughts go as best you can. It's not easy to do, but, going over and over them in your mind isn't going to help. I think it will get easier to do in time and with practice. Focus on being present. Don't be afraid to reach out for help if things persist and it really starts effecting your sleep. I had a nervous breakdown and became manic beacuse I didn't follow 1/2 decent sleep hygiene.

I hope that helps a little, your definitely not alone. Take care 🙂

ps : if you add a @ you should get a list of names if you want to 'tag' people and let them know you are replying.

Hi @trickytrauma and welcome to the forum! I too am a relative newcomer and just learning to navigate my way around the site. Regarding your disproportionate fear and panic, I can totally relate. Actually I had a similar scare re Centrelink a few years ago, in the end it was determined that I did not actually owe any money (apparently their systems automatically generate debt recovery requests that are quite often erroneous), but I too was in an utter panic. I also get into a massive panic worrying about things such as disagreements in friendships, or having said something that I deem as 'stupid' in a work meeting etc -- I am constantly terrified that people will either think I am an idiot, or will leave/abandon me/decide they hate me. It's been a lifelong struggle and I wake up in the night in terror about any number of things, from how I will pay my car rego to the Amazon forest burning, the exploitation of animals and the state of the planet. But I also worry unduly about things that others might see as trivial. I have tried relaxation, mindfulness, breathing ... nothing seems to work. I know that a lot of my fears and anxieties stem from childhood trauma, but understanding the underlying causal factors doesn't seem to translate into being able to minimise the worry/anxiety. In my waking hours, the things that have helped me the most, that might be of use to you too ... are exercise (particularly walking -- preferably hiking amongst nature, swimming -- especially in the ocean, yoga, pilates, but basically anything where I'm moving my body), being around animals (I'm a real animal lover, and since my beloved pooch died last year, I volunteer walking dogs at a rescue shelter), being near the ocean, or sitting in the sunshine. I'm also hoping to have my childhood piano moved into my apartment soon, so I can start playing piano again, as that used to calm me enormously when I was younger, and I really miss it. I guess everyone has different things that calm them, but the thing is to find what works for you, and to focus on something external ... it certainly doesn't mean the worries and anxieties disappear for good, but I think it can help to manage them. Having a supportive and sympathetic trauma counsellor has also been a godsend for me -- having someone there who understands trauma and its manifestations, and who will listen without judgement. Best of luck with managing yours, and if you have any other strategies I would love to hear them ... ❤️

@trickytraumaanother thing I do which does help to some extent in the night-time, is listen to podcasts (maybe not the best strategy in terms of getting back to sleep, but it seems to quell the unbearable panic and anxiety by shifting the focus onto something else). Just thought I'd mention that in case it might help you too xx