Feeling overwhelmed- Need a pep talk!

ilovelondontown

I’m having one of those days where everything feels like it’s overwhelming me. My usual rational sense is lost – I’m a really smiley, optimistic person I’m good at being able to see past the fact that most of the things I’m worrying about are nothing but today everything is bothering me and feel like I can’t chase the fear away.

I’ll give you a for example. (I should add I've always had a fear of my teeth falling out!) I chipped my 2 front teeth this morning the chips are tiny and to anyone looking at my teeth they’d have to look pretty hard to notice it, but I can feel it with my tongue and I’m paranoid as hell that my teeth are going to fall out. I can’t get a dentist appt until next Friday, which is all compounded by the fact I’m going to have to find the money to pay for the dentist when I’m already cash strapped as it is. Which them makes me start worrying about money and worrying about my debt and worrying if I’ll ever be rid of the debt and then I get overwhelmed by it all.

The feeling of being unable to cope then starts to freeze me with fear and I start feeling like I can't think straight, I can't get on with my work and so it goes on.

Does anyone else have days like this? I can’t see logic or reason right now L

fluffnutter

Yep, I have days like that. Made worse if I'm tired, hungover or a bit down generally. It's even got a name - generalised anxiety disorder. Have you considered seeing your GP? I found CBT a real life-saver - I still worry but I now have the tools to keep things under control.

Perhaps you're just having a bad day - everyone has them. But something in your post makes me think that your worrying is excessive and you find it limits your enjoyment of life. The thing with anxiety is that you can't actually reason your way out of it. As you're probably well aware, your thoughts simply spiral and inevitably you end up at the worse-case scenario. In reality the outcome of whatever you're worrying about will probably be very different from where your fears have led you but that's scant consolation when you're feeling overwhelmed. You don't have to feel like this. There is help available. See your GP. I feel for you, I really do. In the meantime, try to keep busy. If you feel yourself worrying, think 'it's fine to worry, but I'm too busy right now to think about this. I'll think about it later' and do something, anything, the more absorbing the better. Talk to someone (not about what you're worrying about), go for a walk, try to concentrate on your work. It's hard but you can retrain your brain not to reason your way out of anxiety - it will never work - but rather to stop letting the worry crowd your entire thoughts.

vanessav

This occasionally happens to me in bed. I know that I have that overwhelmed feeling when (for some reason) my head starts to feel enormous and my pillow both rock hard and very soft at the same time! Then I have to get up and transfer all my thoughts onto paper (usually a list). I find this helps. I think it is very common to panic when something happens to a tooth / teeth, by the way.

Joons

You are over analysing and causing more stress, distract yourself, do something that requires concentration, you'll soon be back on track.

gt568

fluffnutter wrote: »

You really don't understand much about mental health do you.

Wrong. Just plain wrong.

Troutwrestler

Speak to your gp. I suffer with anxiety and it's awful, how ever trivial it may seem to some

gt568

fluffnutter wrote: »

Oh, I get it. You can't get laid.

Ok...........bit of an odd post, but whatever floats your boat.

flutterby_lil

gt568 wrote: »

Ok...........bit of an odd post, but whatever floats your boat.

Yours seem equally as odd!

fluffnutter

flutterby_lil wrote: »

Yours seem equally as odd!

I wouldn't say odd, I'd say they're simply unpleasant. Certainly of no help to the OP. I didn't realise there were still people around with all that silly 'pull yourself together!' approach to mental health but I guess some people are still a little unenlightened.

gt568

fluffnutter wrote: »

I wouldn't say odd, I'd say they're simply unpleasant. Certainly of no help to the OP. I didn't realise there were still people around with all that silly 'pull yourself together!' approach to mental health but I guess some people are still a little unenlightened.

The title of the thread says pep talk. If someone wants a "pep talk" that does not imply the serious mental illness the majority of posters in this thread are alluding to. If the OP had said I'm clinically depressed/suicidal/what should I do, then yeah, for sure see your GP.

Someone who wants a pep talk needs a little boot up the back side. So which is it? Serious mental illness requiring medical intervention or a pep talk?

ilovelondontown

gt568 wrote: »

The title of the thread says pep talk. If someone wants a "pep talk" that does not imply the serious mental illness the majority of posters in this thread are alluding to. If the OP had said I'm clinically depressed/suicidal/what should I do, then yeah, for sure see your GP.

Someone who wants a pep talk needs a little boot up the back side. So which is it? Serious mental illness requiring medical intervention or a pep talk?

Actually the pp didn't mention Mental illness, it was mental health- there is a difference... we all have a state of mental health and when I posted mine, it was fragile.

"change a pad?" really... what if my female problems were the cause of my anxiety? Not so funny now.

Oldest school of thought, if you have nothing kind to say, then say nothing at all.

All that said, previous posters have done exactly what I was calling for, a bit of sense and calm. I apprecaite that anyone takes the time to post and when I can, I like to think reciprocate.

FYI, Pep talk means to boost moral or instil confidence in someone - saying mtfu is just a snarky dig at someone when you don't know the full issue.