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Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with 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. Remeber, this is anonymous and the Beyond Blue team are here to help if you need it This section is for people who are experiencing anixiety 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 you 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 worthile 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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KFPDW Intrusive thoughts I'm facing today :(
  • replies: 3

Hi I need to talk to someone please. I'm not sure if anyone is catholic on here but I've had a intrusive thought recently that's related to my religion. It's not religion heavy but I just need to talk to someone who will understand where I am coming ... View more

Hi I need to talk to someone please. I'm not sure if anyone is catholic on here but I've had a intrusive thought recently that's related to my religion. It's not religion heavy but I just need to talk to someone who will understand where I am coming from. Please, I really need to talk to someone about this! Because it's a intrusive thought, I might be worrying about nothing but it doesn't hurt to be sure.

Luke_D My Anxiety and OCD is impairing my ability to run my business and be a husband and farther.
  • replies: 1

Hello dear friends, my name is Luke. 
I am a 32 year old business owner who has been suffering from anxiety and OCD for most of my life. As of the last 5 years my disorder has really begun to impair my ability to run my business. I have been unable t... View more

Hello dear friends, my name is Luke. 
I am a 32 year old business owner who has been suffering from anxiety and OCD for most of my life. As of the last 5 years my disorder has really begun to impair my ability to run my business. I have been unable to make decisions without them going around and around in my head. I can not make any work related purchases unless everything is falling onto line on that day and being the right time/date and perfect day when I buy them. For example I have been needing to update my work computers now for 3 years and every time that I purchase one if anything that I would consider negative/bad happens on that day I would then return the computer to the store because it hasn’t been a good day and that computer won’t bring me good luck. For some reason I can only make purchases on certain dates and times and even then if anything doesn’t feel right or perfect I would not make the purchase or will return the item.The other pain haunting me is my ability to use computers. I am unable to use a computer as they are designed to be used. It will take me 30 minutes to open a single web browser after turning on a computer and then another 10 minutes to visit a website. For each simple tab I will wait 5 minutes and a work task that should take me 1 hour to complete will blow out to over 5 hours. Once I have finally completed my work I will wait 30 minutes to turn off the computer and I will repeat this process everyday. As one could imagine this has significantly effected my quality of my life and the life of the family. I am currently seeking help with a Psychiatrist and Psychologist but am yet to find help to correct these problems.I have built a successful business and a good life my family but it would seem my illness is impairing me to the point where I am far from the husband and father that I could be and I fear without any help this will not improve. I am trying to talk to people but maybe my situation can be confusing for many of my friends and family. I have turned to beyond blue to seek any potential advice or guidance if available or any direction that could improve my quality of life and that of my family.

gloria10 Social anxiety becoming more difficult, especially with family events
  • replies: 2

Hi, I wanted to get some advice with managing social anxiety. I've had a few things on lately where anxiety gets the better of me and I just have to leave, its like I cant get out fast enough. I try to use techniques for my anxiety, but I cant seem t... View more

Hi, I wanted to get some advice with managing social anxiety. I've had a few things on lately where anxiety gets the better of me and I just have to leave, its like I cant get out fast enough. I try to use techniques for my anxiety, but I cant seem to concentrate and get overwhelmed easily. I can acknowledge i have definitely been more stressed lately due to some health issues and work, but I am trying to volunteer at the moment in order to get out and be more social. The thing is, with family, although they know I have anxiety I sometimes feel they don't really accept it as I constantly feel I'm being pushed to do more than I am comfortable with and I think there is some PTSD from past visits. They also get snappy as I'm not behaving in a way they want, even though I am at least able to leave with some dignity I have been looking online at counseling, I feel that could really help, but it isn't cheap. What techniques have you found to be helpful when it comes to managing social anxiety? I don't want it to get in the way of volunteering. After Christmas I also want to focus on my own thing a bit more too. Thanks, Gloria10

ELLMA Anxiety symptom: Tingles and Prickles - Does anyone else get them?
  • replies: 4

Hi,I am new here. For a few weeks, I have been experiencing a new physical symptom of my anxiety that feels like prickling and tingling in my legs and arms. Sometimes it feels like a burning sensation. Usually when I try to sleep or rest, they show u... View more

Hi,I am new here. For a few weeks, I have been experiencing a new physical symptom of my anxiety that feels like prickling and tingling in my legs and arms. Sometimes it feels like a burning sensation. Usually when I try to sleep or rest, they show up. When I am distracted or not thinking about them, they tend to go away until the next attack. But I can feel them everyday and for hours. Will this ever go away? Does anyone else have this and how do you cope with it?It's uncomfortable and unsettling to me... Thank you all

LaTeRaLuS777 The Dark Spiral of OCD and Bipolar
  • replies: 82

Hi, first time posting on here (or anywhere for that matter about this stuff)... I have OCD and Bipolar Disorder. As i sit typing I am aware of every noise in the house and outside being "They/Them" coming to get me. My OCD has been leading me down d... View more

Hi, first time posting on here (or anywhere for that matter about this stuff)... I have OCD and Bipolar Disorder. As i sit typing I am aware of every noise in the house and outside being "They/Them" coming to get me. My OCD has been leading me down dark rabbit holes of thoughts and images recently (in a self-destructive spiral) and I couldnt take it any more. I chatted with one of the BeyondBlue people who helped me to seek out a positive distraction for the night so I joined this community and started to type. For me OCD is like a little urge going "just one more dark thought, just until midnight, then i will let you go...." but it never stops! It is never satisfied until I feel like giving up and taking one way out or another (neither are good options by the way!). I am a good person with a good heart and I know i would never do these things yet that spiral is so strong, so desperate and so persistent that I fear I may not be strong enough to fight it. Seeing others going through this same process makes me feel like im not alone, yet i fear that "They/Them" would have me locked away because of the "Darkness" within me. When I was younger (18-19 yrs old) I first experienced this dark spiral and it terrified me so much that I contemplated suicide so that I could never hurt anyone like that! Thankfully I am alive but the OCD "Darkness" remains and it is a constant battle. How do you fight what you cannot see/touch/destroy? Im sorry for this stream of consciousness post but im really trying to convey my feelings as best as i can. Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you for (hopefully) accepting me as I am. (ps: I am seeing a psych and I am medicated and for those two things i am forever grateful).

HisOwn VERY ANXIOUS ABOUT BLOOD TEST RESULTS FOR ADULT DAUGHTER
  • replies: 6

Hello all..I am seeking support. I have quite severe health anxiety/PTSD specifically related to past trauma involving my dad getting bad news diagnosis after getting blood tests and other medical tests done as well as other personal traumas that per... View more

Hello all..I am seeking support. I have quite severe health anxiety/PTSD specifically related to past trauma involving my dad getting bad news diagnosis after getting blood tests and other medical tests done as well as other personal traumas that personally happened to me at the same time - going through traumatic sickness in a pregnancy at same time and then medical scares for myself. This was all nearly 24 years ago but I am still greatly triggered by any medical tests. So my adult daughter who has a disability and I care for full-time had some blood tests done recently, which is a particularly huge trigger for me. I was hoping that the doctor would not call her back after her blood tests done but she has called back and this has REALLY tipped me over into full on anxiety now and my anxiety is stressing my daughter out now. I am not 100% sure but the appointment is possibly going to be because of low iron and/or low Vitamin D because she has had this in past because her diet not the best but I won't actually know until the appointment. So I am wondering how on earth I am going to be able to sleep tonight and get through the next 24 hours. I need to try to stay calm for my daughter's sake but it is near impossible at moment. So any tips/strategies about how to handle this will be so greatly appreciated.

Sophiebeth Bipolar partner anxiety
  • replies: 2

I’m hoping there might be some help from other partners of bipolar out there?? I always suffer really bad anxiety when my partner is on his high. He is having his ‘best life’ and I’m having my worst. He doesn’t seem to notice his arrogance, his loss ... View more

I’m hoping there might be some help from other partners of bipolar out there?? I always suffer really bad anxiety when my partner is on his high. He is having his ‘best life’ and I’m having my worst. He doesn’t seem to notice his arrogance, his loss of compassion, rebellious, is never home and becomes extremely selfish to the point that I feel extremely alone and unloved; only to then change (he is seasonal!) in the winter and become his beautiful loving self again. I just find it so hard and feel like I’m living with two different people. I love him to bits but don’t know how I can keep this up forever. We’ve been together three years now. Are there others out there who have come out the side of this? And how??

JWolf17 Socially isolated and feeling completely helpless to change
  • replies: 2

Hi all. I have some thoughts that I just need to get out there. To get right into it, I'm 25 now, and I'd say I haven't really had an irl friend in about 5 years. Right now, I have one friend who I met online pretty recently who I talk to semi-freque... View more

Hi all. I have some thoughts that I just need to get out there. To get right into it, I'm 25 now, and I'd say I haven't really had an irl friend in about 5 years. Right now, I have one friend who I met online pretty recently who I talk to semi-frequently, and that's it. I often feel really alone, but the idea of meeting people and forming friendships makes me incredibly uncomfortable. The same applies to relationships, to an even greater extent. I've never been in a relationship, and although it's something I want to experience it also terrifies me to even think about. I just don't see it as even being a possibility. My day consists of going to work at a job I don't think I'm very good at, getting home, cooking, and spending the rest of the night with video games, finding something to watch, or mindlessly scrolling through social media. And I just don't see how anything changes. My life feels completely stagnant, but any thought of doing anything to change it, or even taking the slightest step out of my comfort zone makes me so anxious that it just feels impossible to do anything about it. Having done some reading lately, I came across Avoidant Personality Disorder, and everything I read about it seemed to match up with my current experience. In basically all situations where I'm faced with short term anxiety, I'll avoid it even if it has bad consequences long term. I feel completely inadequate socially, I have absolutely no confidence to do anything about it. It just feels like a hopeless cause. I've been thinking that I need to start seeing a therapist or mental health professional at some point, but the process to get that started is really daunting. I moved to a new state for work at the start of this year, so I don't have a regular GP, and finding one new one is a daunting task. On top of that, working 8:30-5 on weekdays, it just feels like it'd be a struggle to even find time to regularly see a therapist. It's just confusing and anxiety inducing to even think about.If anyone here has any advice I'd really appreciate it. Thank you so much!

SherlockandWatson96 My friend and I have an ongoing issue and it’s causing my some anxiety. What should I do?
  • replies: 3

So this is pretty long so bear with me. My best friend got into a relationship a couple of months ago and at the beginning I was very happy for her because she’s been wanting to be in a relationship for so long. Now I won’t get into everything becaus... View more

So this is pretty long so bear with me. My best friend got into a relationship a couple of months ago and at the beginning I was very happy for her because she’s been wanting to be in a relationship for so long. Now I won’t get into everything because we would be here forever. But after a little bit I started having issues with her girlfriend. The main reason was that I had just come out with being a victim of sexual assault as a child and every waking moment they were together they were they were intimate in some way or another and it made me so uncomfortable that I wanted to tear my skin off. Now i completely understand that this is my issue and I only asked if they could keep it to a minimum around me and obviously I gave them enough time to be together so they could be intimate. Now this conversation with my friend went pretty badly. She went right on the defensive and basically guilt tripped me into teller her girlfriend so that she would understand. Now I understand that was really not nice and I should have stood up for myself. I also went through a bit of a depression because I felt like one of my best friends just chucked me away after I came out with something that hurt me so much. I’ve since minimised my friendship with her so that my expectations aren’t as high. Now onto the most recent event. My friends girlfriend has just continuously made me feel uncomfortable in my own home (my friend and I live together) and it hit a point where she stayed over for 4 days and I just couldn’t handle it.

HamSolo01 Anxiety and intrusive thoughts
  • replies: 6

I've realised that these days I am always thinking bad things will happen. Whether it is bad things coming as a result of something that has happened pr will happen to me or things that won't ever happen. Quick example is this news about the lions ge... View more

I've realised that these days I am always thinking bad things will happen. Whether it is bad things coming as a result of something that has happened pr will happen to me or things that won't ever happen. Quick example is this news about the lions getting out in Taralga zoo.Immediately I start to think what if I was the one responsible for it. Or what if I was a copper and needed to shoot the lion to protect someone. What if social media tried to say I was a bad person for trying to shoot a lion. All that jazz. I need to try to put a stop to all that. Any help is welcome