G'day everyone!! Lovely to meet you all :)

[CaffinatedCathy]

Hello everyone!! My handle is CaffinatedCathy but everyone calls me Cat.

Caffinated because if it wasn't for caffeine I don't think I'd be able to handle what goes on in my head.

I am in Brisbane, Australia but originally from Melbourne, Australia (have seen there are other Aussies here .. G'day!!!! *tilts hat*), am almost 30 and been suffering anxiety since I can remember, panic attacks for almost 10 years and depression only in the past 12 months.

I am a carer for my husband whom has chronic fatigue syndrome and depression and am currently looking for part time work.

Mum and I share an genetic anxiety disorder.

My weaknesses are thunderstorms (had a break down during one once, was not good), large spiders ... or in fact any spiders, things I cannot control myself, elevators and small spaces and learning new things (I also have short term memory loss and am slow to learn new things).

My distractions are music, television, computer games and books.

My strengths are my strong will, bubbly personality and curiosity for everything.

I also suffer from a sort of uncontrollable thought that puts me into sheer pannic mode but those thoughts are not only about things out of my control, they are things that have a one in a billion billiobs chance of happening .. things I cannot talk about in every day life as they make me pannic bad like asteroids hitting earth, black holes (thats a big one), nuculear war, building collapsng in on top of me, bring struck by lightning etc. I cannot thik of the name but they consume me and my mind and I cannot eat, sleep or function.

sorry, am rambling on there, lol

Stay happy everyone, much love, cat :yesyes:

[SarahH]

Welcome to NMP Cat.

You will find lots of help and support on here.............................I did and still do

Sarah

[Speranza]

Hi, I did think 'caffinated' was an interesting handle for someone with chronic anxiety - mist of us are cutting it out! G'day! ;) :welcome:

[CaffinatedCathy]

Thanks :)

And Speranza, I did for a while there but as depression has come in, I find it helps nullify the anxiety a little to help me deal with the depression, lol. If that made sense.

[Speranza]

Yes, well, it's a drug I guess, if it works for you... It has given me palpitations for years. I do occasionally have a good coffee as a treat, and I do drink tea but I've replaced most of it with decaff. Must be hard living in Oz with a fear of spiders!

[CaffinatedCathy]

Ah yes, palpitations I do get also, so I don't have anywhere enar as much as I used to. I used to consume over a liter every day of pepsi-max but now its the occasional 600ml bottle if I go out and I drink heaps more water to try to dilute it in my blood.

OH GODS YES! The litrtle buggers are everywhere and in so many different forms. My worst ones are the big hairy kind like huntsmans. Totally harmless and really whimpy breed of spider but they terrify me.

Lately I have been pulling back the bedsheets every night checking, not because I have to but because I am that paranoid now.

[Daisy Sue]

Hi Cat & welcome :)

I share your fear of spiders.. although since having kids I've had to learn to deal with them without screaming & standing on chairs! I have a spider catcher, which allows me to trap them at arms length... just wish I had longer arms at those times :D

I found a monster one the other day, which I had a kindof deja-vu about beforehand... I was above to move the long curtains to clean the windowsill and I had a thought there'd be one there - and there was. Ugh!

Anyway, welcome to the forum - I hope you find it helpful, and most of all, friendly - I certainly have :) x

[Speranza]

I do that too - know they are there! I catch them in my hands and put them in the garden - but that's only cos I know we don't have poisonous ones!'

[Spot-the-frog]

Hi Cat and :welcome:

You sound like a lovely bubbly lady :) Hope you find the help and support you need on here - I did!

[Nicola Main]

Hi Cathy! I've just joined this forum today too. I share your thoughts on things like asteroids hitting the Earth etc I have a fear of the sun and think all kinds of crazy thoughts like us spinning round in space, what if gravity was to stop? It's so horrible. Also can't stand spiders!!!

[CaffinatedCathy]

Thanks everyone. Hi *waves*

[Sparkle1984]

Welcome to the forums Cat! I'm sure you'll find plenty of help and support here - I certainly have. :)

What help have you had for your anxiety/depression so far?

[CaffinatedCathy]

Sparkle, not too much as of yet. The help my GP game me was "oh you'll get over it, just do other things to occupy your mind".

I am going to go my other doctor and get a mental health plan written up so I can see a phych.

Otherwise I meditate, have my safe practices and places (being in my headphones listening to music is one of my safe places) and play lots of computer games.