The 'List your worries' thread

[Ellen70]

Hello everyone,
Like so many of you I am a chronic worrier and I can turn the most tiny, insignificant thing into a HUGE problem. My mind regualrly feels like it will explode due to the volume of 'worry' thoughts inside of it (sometimes I would like my head to explode, it would provide some relief! :blush: )

Anyway this thread or something similar has probably been done many times before but I would find it helpful to have a thread where you can 'list' the worries in your head at the moment and we can all see that what we worry about is usually tiny and see each other's worries.

So I am going to start with what is whizzing around in my head today:

1. I have an appointment with my psychiatrist tomorrow. I didn't got to the appointment with my social worker on Friday and he is going to want to know why (didn't want to get out of bed because I was riddled with anxiety). Also the nurses at the clinic will give me a hard time about missing yet another appointment.

2. I told my mother that I would take her to town to collect her dry cleaning and do grocery shopping but I didn't get out of bed (same reason as above) and now I will get the icy treatment when I call up to see her tonight.

3. It is after 5pm and I only got up an hour ago and am still in my night clothes. I have no groceries in so I will go to the local chipper for a grease filled dinner. Guilty about staying in bed all day and not cooking 'proper' food.

3. Since I got up so late I won't be able to sleep until the wee hours of the morning tonight and can't bear the thought of all those hours on my own (I live alone) and all the scary thoughts that will be in my mind.

4. Ordered new tyres for my car from the mechanic over a month ago but still haven't gone to the mechanic to have them put on. Mechanic could be ticked off with me.

5. Car is months overdue the MOT and I am afraid of being 'caught' by the police driving a car with an out of date MOT certificate.

6. House is in bad need of a spring clean but I haven't even took the vacuum cleaner to it in a fortnight.

7. Everyone hates me. My family, the staff at the psychiatric clinic I attend and even all you lot on here. Yes, I know this is irrational.

8. My sister is going on a foreign holiday in May and I will have to help minding her children and am always ill at ease when she is away.

9. There are so many diy jobs that need doing around the house and I haven't even made a start on them.

10. My body is 'buzzing' with anxiety and fear today. My hands are literally painful because of it, my arms ache too and my head feels like it is contained in a helmet that it several sizes too small. My eyes ache and are sore and my forehead feels numb.


There are a lot more but I think 10 is more than plenty to be starting with. Yes I rambled on for far too long but please post whether you have one worry or a thousand.

I apologise in advance to Nic and Co if the site crashes due to the amount of worries that may be listed :D

Eibhlin, a person who worries.

[Ellen70]

So no one has any worries at all???? lol :ohmy: Come on people, get listing:whistles:

[honeybee3939]

Hi

Just asked my Hubby what he thinks i worry about the most !

His reply " Cant think of anything you dont worry about".:shrug: :shrug:

Think that says it all !lol:ohmy: :ohmy: :ohmy: :ohmy:

Love

Andrea
xxxxx

[happyone]

Ok,
tonight (it is different every day)

1) I am worried that I am not going to have a good sleep tonight because
2) I am having a meeting with my manger tomorrow that
3) Might mean me going back to work with 2-3 weeks or
4) Might mean a bit of a battle between me and work over working hours. Working too much makes me worry that
5) My depression will get worse and I will have to give up work and then
6) We might have to move house and
7) my kids will hate me for doing that to them and
8) they will grow up and take drugs and never come home cos I gave them a rotten childhood and
9) they will move away and never want to see me and
10) I'll die lonely

I got told that I catastrophise, I don't do I?

happyone
xx

[ailsajayne26]

Generally I worry that
1/ I may be seriously ill and noone will notice / get me treatment (Inc cancer, burst blood vessel in brain, can't breathe, heart is screwed etc etc!) because the anxiety is hiding whats really wrong!
2/ My family or boyfriend my be ill / hurt / killed
3/ People don't like me (not doing too bad with this one at min!)
4/ I don't have enough money / am always skint
5/ That I will always be like this, that I will never go back to being normal (For me!) again, mainly cos I thought I would when I moved but I didnt
6/ That I am allergic to something and will choke and die
7/ That there might be a tornado and I won't be safe(including just because we've never had a major bad tornado doesn't mean we never will - stupid really as our atmospheric conditions just aren't right for the major major ones the states get!)

Those are the major worries
Everyday is generally: oh my god I can't breathe / feel dizzy/ have headache - whats wrong will I die from it?????

Today specifically I feel really wierd in my head almost like pressure on the sides and feel like can't see properly (I can I keep checking!) mainly due to visiting tomorrow where I used to live (which was where I was most anxious) and having anxiety meaning I won't enjoy it and will jsut feel cr*p and spoil it for my boyfriend as well... reall yjust want to go home and go to sleep... but I know if I keep giving in to that I'll get worse... plus I'm majorly busy at work :(

Really wish I could just take the thoughts out of my head sometimes... like the pensieve from Harry Potter!! Pull them out and sort them later!!!

[Ellen70]

Today my main worries are:

I have missed my appointment with the psychiatrist today. The nurse will phone shortly and give me a telling off. I have switched my phones to 'silent' so I don't have to hear the phone ringing as I won't answer it. The nurse might phone my sister/parents and they will know I missed my appointment and give me more earache.

My mother likes my sister more than me.

I will run out of benzos and will have no control over my anxiety.

The benzos will stop working because I have been on them so long.

My sister will die or become seriously ill and so the only person I depend on will be gone.

I will stay living alone forever. I will never have a partner or even good friends nearby.

No one notices that I exist.


That's all folks!

Eibhlin

[eeyorelover]

I think that it's great to share our worries and not bear them alone. But I think that when we write them in a list like that it can really almost validate the things that we are worrying about.
When you have a worry - in my opinion - it's important that you counter it with reasons why that shouldn't be a thing to worry about.
For instance - I have horrible problems driving. I worry about having a panic attack and passing out behind the wheel. So if I have that worry pop into my head I say to myself - I've never passed out before so it's silly to think I would pass out now.
I think that it would be helpful if either when you post your worry - you give a reason why it shouldn't be a worry or that someone posts a reply that gives a valid reason why it shouldn't be a worry.
Does that make sense? I'm not really good at explaining things sometimes - LOL
xxx
Sandy

[Karen]

I think it can help to write worries down and to allocate a set and limited time to do this but then to put the list to one side, or dispose of it, because you have already then released the thoughts from your mind.

If I posted all my worries on this thread I think I would keep reading them and in a way reinforcing and allowing them to escalate.

However, I have one overpowering worry today - weight gain - an anorexic's worst nightmare :ohmy:

Karen x

[Ellen70]

I think it is healthy to share your worries with people like this.
To be honest I thought it was a given the most of our worries are irrational or, at least, bigger than they actually are.

I know my worries aren't as serious as I think they are and when I look at the list of worries I can see that I am over reacting to them.

If you want to point out that your worries are exaggerated or irrational then please do. But I still think writng down your worries helps you to 'expel' those worries somewhat.

[bananarbabe]

Wow what a great idea. I just woke up with anxiety symptoms and this thread might help.

1. I'm worried that my work presentation on Friday will not be well received
2. I'm worried that my work presentation on Thursday will not be good enough
3. I'm worried that my speakers for a conference I'm coordinating are upset at me, mad at me, frustrated, confused.
4. I'm worried that I'm not giving enough attention to my conference speakers that I should be
5. I'm worried that I'm missing something big on my conference planning
6. I'm worried I won't get my masters thesis done and approved by June
7. I'm worried I won't get my masters
8. I'm worried I won't have enough money to pay my bills in the next few days
9. I'm worried I won't ever beat this anxiety.

[Ellen70]

Well I just looked back at the worries I posted over the last few days and at least half of them didn't happen at all, and on reading some of the others I can see that they are plain not true or very exaggerated.

Hope everyone else is able to see that a lot of our worries don't happen or aren't that big when you look back a few days later on what you've written.

[SANDYJANE]

hi
well ive not been going out and have bad panic attacks and tomorrow my cpn nurse is coming to see me and she wants to take me out in the car not been in one for a year so im very worried.

love sandy xx

[Ellen70]

hi
well ive not been going out and have bad panic attacks and tomorrow my cpn nurse is coming to see me and she wants to take me out in the car not been in one for a year so im very worried.

love sandy xx

Hi Sandy, very sorry to hear you haven't been going out. Tell the nurse how very afraid you feel but do try to go for a very short drive with her. I have been through the agoraphobia fight myself and unfortuantely the only thing that worked for me was gradual and regular exposure to the outside world. I used to start with just walking around my house once or walking to the front gate and back very quickly. Ask the nurse to drive slowly as being in a fast car can imitate some panic symptoms.
Good luck and remember if you don't go for the drive then you just aren't ready at this particular time. Be kind to yourself, the worst mistake I made was that I constantly berated myself for my 'weakness' and 'failure'.
Bye :hugs:

[tnt808]

Aaahhh where to begin....

I am worried that I will never, ever, ever beat this crap

I am worried that life will pass me by because of all the things I have *wrong* with me

I am worried that I am getting worse

I am worried about something happening to my family (even as I type this I feel the need to knock wood)

I am so tired of being worried, but afraid that if I stop I would be lost...if that makes any sense

[SANDYJANE]

Hi Eibhlin,

just thought would let you know ,i got in the car and we went for about half an hour drive,, but i did ask her to stick to roads that wasnt busy , so we went down all back roads and only saw about two other cars so that wasn't to bad, but im already worried about the next time she comes and we have to do it all over again, but at least its a start lol, and with a bit of luck i might be able 2 sleep tonight as i wont be thinking about going out in the car tomorrow ,, but im sure i will find something else to worry about lol .

love sandy xxx

[smudgie]

Hi

I think this is great idea, it makes you put it down on paper look at it and realise. then when you know that others are enduring the same it helps to think your not alone.
wel done for coming up with the idea.

my worries

1) morbid feelings, my hubby dying soon.
2) my daughter killing herself.
3)me killing myself.
4) my cats dying.
5) putting on weight
6) germs
7) returning to the unit.
8) im a failure
9) everyone hates me but pretents to like me.
10) showing my face in public, im disgusting
11) fear men
12) afraid i will kill my daughters abuser
13) afraid my house isnt clean enough
14) worried about going out alone
15) scared to bump into anyone i now
16) worried that my hubby will leave me for someone else

I COULD GO ON
thats me so far
ness

[bearcrazy]

I made a worry bead which i used for 1/2 hour each day. Each bead represented a worry and it worked really well. Made a good book mark too!

:yesyes: