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Anxiety

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BeyondBlue Hi! Check out this post if you're not sure how to start
  • replies: 0

Hi there and welcome to the Anxiety section of the Forums First of all, thank you so much for joining us here. We think it’s amazing that you’ve taken this step to getting support and learning from this Community. You are very welcome here and we are... View more

Hi there and welcome to the Anxiety section of the Forums First of all, thank you so much for joining us here. We think it’s amazing that you’ve taken this step to getting support and learning from this Community. You are very welcome here and we are really interested in what you might want to add to these conversations. We get it, having anxiety makes it hard to share in a public place. Remember, this is anonymous and the Beyond Blue team are here to help if you need it This section is for people who are experiencing anxiety in some form in their lives. This might be in social settings, at work, or just in the day to day. You don’t need a diagnosis to post here. If it feels like the right spot for your post, go right ahead! We know that feeling anxious can make it hard to reach out so we want you to know that getting this far is amazing and a great start. A few tips for getting the most out of this section: Get involved when you can! Posting and replying is the heartbeat of this community and you DO have something worthwhile to share (when you’re ready ) Every experience is different. There is no competition here. We know how challenging anxiety can be and how it comes in all shapes and sizes. What you are experiencing will be respected and supported here. Trust yourself! You are the expert in your experience. This community works because people like you share what has worked for you. Thank you for getting involved and taking a look. We can’t wait to hear from you! Beyond Blue

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hollyyy__ Health Anxiety
  • replies: 3

arghh I am not sure if anyone else experiences this but I think I have what's referred to as health anxiety, specifically regarding getting generally sick with bugs and colds etc. I have been struggling with this since I was about 12 and I'm 18 now. ... View more

arghh I am not sure if anyone else experiences this but I think I have what's referred to as health anxiety, specifically regarding getting generally sick with bugs and colds etc. I have been struggling with this since I was about 12 and I'm 18 now. It's led to severe OCD where everyday tasks take much longer and if certain routines are broken then I think myself or my family are going to get sick. I want to go to a doctor but I don't think I can really afford it and am not sure what to do. I want to know why I am like this and how I can go back to normal. I told my parents about the issue of my OCD when it first began and they took me to a doctor and psychologist but they think it's gotten better. It hasn't. I feel embarrassed and have tried to open up to my friends about it but I don't think they believe me or just don't really care. I avoid going to certain places where I think I might catch something, and if I do go there I will use copious amounts of hand sanitizer/baby wipes as soon as I leave every store or touch anything. I am constantly worrying about getting sick and it's all I think about. I just want to be able to do regular everyday things without this constant fear but don't want to go to the doctor for reasons stated above. It's gotten to the point that I struggle to go to sleep, get severe stomach pains and irritability, as well as all my other OCD habits getting more severe and affecting every little thing I do.

Academy Dizziness,anxiety and fear
  • replies: 9

I am 77 years old and I have suffered from health anxiety for. Number of years,but it seems to be getting worse to the point I am afraid to leave my home at times. I woke up with a sore neck,yesterday,so did some neck exercises. I then spent a few ho... View more

I am 77 years old and I have suffered from health anxiety for. Number of years,but it seems to be getting worse to the point I am afraid to leave my home at times. I woke up with a sore neck,yesterday,so did some neck exercises. I then spent a few hours going through old photos to put in a memory book (head bent over). I then went to the hairdresser and when I was standing,bent over the basin,I felt unsteady. This turned into a massive anxiety attack,and I had to get my daughter and a friend to drive me home as I was too scared to drive. I lay down,when I got home and my daughter stayed the night. I feel so silly that a small dizzy attack is so debilitating . Does anyone else get this and how do you deal with it. Thank you.

JulieS101 Sibling Issues
  • replies: 2

Hi all, My little sister has pretty bad mental health issues. She has a fear of leaving the house and will only leave for school. My parents have her seeing a Psychiatrist and she has started medication however she still won't leave the house. This h... View more

Hi all, My little sister has pretty bad mental health issues. She has a fear of leaving the house and will only leave for school. My parents have her seeing a Psychiatrist and she has started medication however she still won't leave the house. This has been impacting me as I worry about her and the stress this is causing my family. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar.

JulieS101 Anxiety/re-living childhood Trauma
  • replies: 6

Hey all, I am in my early 20s and I briefly went off anti-depressants I had been on since age 15. This has put me in a very bad state and I have started to go back on them (literally) today. I am not sure if this is why I am feeling this way but I se... View more

Hey all, I am in my early 20s and I briefly went off anti-depressants I had been on since age 15. This has put me in a very bad state and I have started to go back on them (literally) today. I am not sure if this is why I am feeling this way but I seem to be reliving a traumatic 6 months of my life. When I was 14 my dad decided he couldn't live with my family anymore and left abruptly. This left my mother devastated and was extremely stressful for an already anxious child like me. Through the 6 months, my parents communicated and I saw my dad however both of my parents were struggling and this took a toll on me as I am the eldest child and I saw it as my responsibility to care for their mental wellbeing. Both parents though generally supportive did have their moments that were genuinely upsetting for me to experience/witness. Eventually, they worked it out and got back together and since I have always worried that they would separate again however I went on medication and was able to handle this fear. Throughout my later adolescence, I almost blocked out a lot of the memories or if they came to me I would distract myself, now as I am turning 20 this year the memories are rapidly coming back to me and I am even remembering things that I had forgotten. I am feeling far more anxious and stressed than ever (since the separation) and I am consistently worried the same thing will happen again. I am writing this today as today my dad was snappy and sarcastic with my mum which has led me to feel extremely anxious all day and through the day memories of those 6 months have been flooding my brain. My parents have been fighting a little more than usual lately which does not help and I spiral whenever they fight. I am just curious if anyone has any advice on how to cope with this/knows what I am experiencing (I know it's anxiety in one way or another but I have never experienced such vivid and consistent flashbacks). I can't move out as I am a student and wouldn't be able to afford it and for the most part, I like my parent's company. However, this is taking a significant toll on my mental health. If anyone has any advice or could share their own experiences I would really appreciate it

Dk_alexander Health Anxiety
  • replies: 5

Hi Everyone, I am suffering horribly from Health Anxiety, ie Hypochondriac. I am 31 and successful in my career, but i cant even work right now my anxiety is so bad. i have a pattern of discovering a disease, then believing i have it and not just bel... View more

Hi Everyone, I am suffering horribly from Health Anxiety, ie Hypochondriac. I am 31 and successful in my career, but i cant even work right now my anxiety is so bad. i have a pattern of discovering a disease, then believing i have it and not just believing but actually feeling the symptoms for real. It is horrible and often seemingly endless. I am seeing a therapist undergoing CBT - i tried some medicine, but it caused intense insomina and i couldnt handle it anymore so i stopped it. I feel enourmous guilt over putting my family through my episodes. I have an amazing wife and young daughter with another child on the way. i have endless medical appointments, at some stages one every day of the week. I have also spent lots of money on these invesitgations and feel guilty of the waste. I am a logical and mature person, i know i suffer from Health Anxiety but cannot seem to stop it. I love my life and am so grateful for everything i have but i cannot believe how bad my health anxiety is and how it is dominating me. I am struggling to work at all, and that is putting my career at risk. I am concerned about been able to take care of my family and support them properly with this condition. On top of all that, i constantly fear the illnesses i believe i have. I am quite confident the origins of my illness came from a serious accident i have about 7 years ago, as well as aid work i did for many years with very sick and terminal children. I often feel guilty that so many poor people out there have real diagnoses they are trying to deal with while i am here suffering over ones that dont exist. I am wondering if anyone else out there suffers Health Anxiety and any strategies they have undertaken to help manage it. for anyone suffering any kind of anxiety out there, i wish the best for you and hope that you can find workable strategies. It is a horrible sickness and so hard to explain, even to yourself.

Academy How to read replies in anxiety discussion?
  • replies: 3

I posted in anxiety discussions and it says there is an unread reply. How do I read it?sandra

I posted in anxiety discussions and it says there is an unread reply. How do I read it?sandra

Caite Weaning off Medication
  • replies: 8

Hey guys, I have now been off my medication for about a month I was on this medication, my dr won’t listen to me about how I feel and I’ve recently connected with a herbalist who is saying what I’ve been saying from the start, I have serotonin syndro... View more

Hey guys, I have now been off my medication for about a month I was on this medication, my dr won’t listen to me about how I feel and I’ve recently connected with a herbalist who is saying what I’ve been saying from the start, I have serotonin syndrome and too much histamine in my body, just this afternoon a panic attack has come on and is making me feel a lot worse, I have vitamins coming from the herbalist to help reduce the chemical imbalance, I’m just struggling with just reminding myself I’ll be okay cause of the almost blacking out feeling and increased heart rate, my dr is trying to put me on other medication but I just don’t want to be medicated, has anyone else experienced this?

Johnny_ Muscle Tension Crying Relief
  • replies: 7

Hello everyone, Happy New Year!im hoping someone can help or share a similar story…I am lost on what to do. My story, I have been off work due to stress for over 6 months. I had a break down, had severe anxiety and muscle tension. I see a physio, psy... View more

Hello everyone, Happy New Year!im hoping someone can help or share a similar story…I am lost on what to do. My story, I have been off work due to stress for over 6 months. I had a break down, had severe anxiety and muscle tension. I see a physio, psychologist, acupuncture and masseuse apart. While my progress is going well…and my anxiety is reducing, I get bad tension in the traps/upper back and in my hamstrings. When I get deep tissue massages to relieve this, the next day I go through a period of very intense crying for 24/36hrs. When the crying stops, I do feel much better mentally, like my head is really clear and even the tension feels a little less too. initially, most of my body was like this and over time it has lessened. My question, has anyone been through anything like this before? Is there an end? I am determined to beat this.. just a hard day today. thankyou for reading.

imstruggling I feel so sad
  • replies: 2

I lost my job a week ago and I’m just so upset constantly. I feel like I can’t do anything right, I’m scared for the future. I’m scared if I will ever get a job, if anyone will ever want to employ me. I just signed a contract for a house and booked m... View more

I lost my job a week ago and I’m just so upset constantly. I feel like I can’t do anything right, I’m scared for the future. I’m scared if I will ever get a job, if anyone will ever want to employ me. I just signed a contract for a house and booked my wedding, I feel like I don’t have the right to be sad because everything is meant to be perfect for me. I feel so alone and have such a large lack of motivation. Every morning I feel an overwhelming sadness a constant reminder that I am a mistake. I have applied for every job possible, I’m worried that I won’t hear back from anyone. I don’t know what to do, I feel lost, sad, nervous , unwell. I feel like I will never be me again. I need help

HK3 The opposite of a relaxing shower
  • replies: 3

Hi, this is my first time posting here. I live with GAP, PTSD and Depression. A lot which developed from sexual assult, grooming and sexual harassment that finally ended over 6 years ago. I struggle a lot with sleep and have recently been trying to f... View more

Hi, this is my first time posting here. I live with GAP, PTSD and Depression. A lot which developed from sexual assult, grooming and sexual harassment that finally ended over 6 years ago. I struggle a lot with sleep and have recently been trying to form healthier sleep rituals to help set me up for sleep. My problem is when I get in the shower I start to overthink that someone is in my house and going to attack me if I close my eyes in there or turn around and I end up more stressed than before the shower and sometimes even end up having an anxiety attack. Does anyone have any tips for overcoming this feeling and how to calm down after an anxiety attack to be able to sleep? Please.