Immediate support
Immediate support

Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with anxiety.

Start a discussion

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Jump to
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

Start a discussion

AimeePullman Recommendations please... Anti anxiety medication that does not effect orgasms
  • replies: 4

I am looking to help my partner find an anti (social) anxiety medication that does not effect sexual function, in particular climax. He has tried two SSRI's and they both helped the anxiety but they block climax. Is there someone in this forum who ex... View more

I am looking to help my partner find an anti (social) anxiety medication that does not effect sexual function, in particular climax. He has tried two SSRI's and they both helped the anxiety but they block climax. Is there someone in this forum who experienced this and was able to overcome it? Thanks in advance

Loz83 Feeling overwhelmed
  • replies: 4

Hi all, having a very hard time atm and I feel like things will never get better. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety since a teenager as well as endometriosis from age 12. This year my Endo has become the worse it ever has been, along with ov... View more

Hi all, having a very hard time atm and I feel like things will never get better. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety since a teenager as well as endometriosis from age 12. This year my Endo has become the worse it ever has been, along with ovarian cysts and uterine polyp, which has subsequently left me in pain more often than not. I can’t function anywhere near my normal level and the bad day’s have far outweighed the good. As a result my metal health has suffered incredibly and i feel like I’m failing life. I have 4 kids and a hubby who works 2 jobs and very long hours. I just had my second rather large operation for Endo, cyst etc removal 2.5 weeks ago which I was so optimistic would help me but the recovery (approx 6 weeks) is proving to be much harder than expected. To make things worse my husband has had ongoing severe back and sciatic issues which became so bad this week he can’t walk and is looking at surgery himself now next week. I’ve had to take on everything in the household as well as looking after him while trying to heal and now I’ve overdone it and my pain levels have gotten really bad again. I don’t know how I am going to keep going. Im so down and full of anxiety, my hormones are a mess, I’m struggling to function and it’s so hard to go any see anyone about it as we have no family to help out and I don’t have a GP I trust. My life is just full of physical and emotional pain that never seems to disappear. I feel like I haven’t enjoyed life for a very long time and I’m worried how it is affecting my children in the long run. What do I do

Rach93 Body Jerks / Health Anxiety
  • replies: 4

Hi, i have been going through a stressful time and I find when I’m resting and I feel anxious or upset about something different parts of my body will jerk.. has anyone had this due to anxiety? I honestly think it gets worse when anxious so it makes ... View more

Hi, i have been going through a stressful time and I find when I’m resting and I feel anxious or upset about something different parts of my body will jerk.. has anyone had this due to anxiety? I honestly think it gets worse when anxious so it makes me believe it’s apart of my anxiety. I don’t know anymore and I am constantly worried about my health it’s exhausting. Does anyone else suffer from health anxiety and it presents itself in physical form?

seanwild What to do next
  • replies: 8

Hi this is my first time posting. Im 58 and have had GAD all my life, been taking medication continuously for just short of 20 years and off and on since I was a late teen. Ive seen psychologists and am currently seeing a psychiatrist. I have learnt ... View more

Hi this is my first time posting. Im 58 and have had GAD all my life, been taking medication continuously for just short of 20 years and off and on since I was a late teen. Ive seen psychologists and am currently seeing a psychiatrist. I have learnt cognative techniques such as ACT, breathing, safe place imagery where I use affirmations and relaxation to feel better about myself. I recently went a new psychologist to understand if there any other techniques that I could learn as I was feeling overwhelmed and going into a slump for the third time in 3 years, his advice was that my anxiety trick bag was full and made the correct comment that I was worn out and close to not being able to work. I have changed medication type twice and increased the doseage 3 times for each, each time makes feel rock bottom and disoreientated for 3-4 weeks before I come good and this time I wanted to see if I could turn the corner without changing medication - Im up to week 4. What annoys me the most is I am unable to tell when I am about to fall into a slump and that's when the intrusive thoughts start, it is so debilitating as it impacts my ability to think clearly and concentrate at work, my memory of things said and written becomes poor and I have no energy other than to force myself to work. I do not get panic attacks, I feel sorry for those that do but I sometimes wish that was the type of anxiety I suffered from, if taking a tablet dissapated the feeling and I was able to be myself as soon as the medication took effect (bet it is not that easy) I want to claw back to feeling OK about myself and my loved ones. I walk regularly, have stopped drinking alcahol and coffee, backed off on the sugar, eat well but not as regular as ideal, in my head I beleive the answer is learning to continually practise relaxation during the day to keep the stress levels to a level that will not unbalance my chemical make up. Yoga is not going to make the difference. Any suggestions?

Luce1234 SSRI withdrawal and pregnant
  • replies: 3

Hello I’m 6 weeks pregnant. When I initially found out, I went to the doctor who advised me to immediately cease my daily dose of an SSRI that I have been on for 15 years to treat anxiety and OCD. She told me to take half one day, and then completely... View more

Hello I’m 6 weeks pregnant. When I initially found out, I went to the doctor who advised me to immediately cease my daily dose of an SSRI that I have been on for 15 years to treat anxiety and OCD. She told me to take half one day, and then completely cease cold Turkey. I was to then start on a different SSRI. The cold Turkey and withdrawal has broken me. I’m on the other SSRI now daily but have found myself in a depression I’ve never known before. Just wondering if anyone knows how long it takes for a new SSRI to “kick in” and the withdrawals to stop. not getting brain zaps anymore but I don’t feel like the same person anymore Thanks

LostPeep forever feeling lost
  • replies: 2

34, single, female. Have always struggled with social anxiety and depression at times as well as an eating disorder. I put myself through therapy for a few years to overcome the disordered eating. Life feel like a huge struggle every day and it's lik... View more

34, single, female. Have always struggled with social anxiety and depression at times as well as an eating disorder. I put myself through therapy for a few years to overcome the disordered eating. Life feel like a huge struggle every day and it's like I bear the weight of the world on my shoulders. My anxiety gets in the way of getting very far in life particularly to do with my career. I constantly feel lonely and often don't want people to get too close. I find most people annoying in the end. However, really what I crave most is social connection but due to my social anxiety I find it really hard to form and maintain connections therefore those needs are not met. I try to force myself into social situations and do all the right things to improve myself and my situation but I just can't seem to get ahead. Most jobs don't suit me as I get overwhelmed by everything. I can pick things up quickly but as soon as any pressure gets too much I back out so I can nver move up the ladder and earn some decent money. No wonder why I often resort to alcohol and pharmaceuticals to get through life. I don't understand, I've done everything right to not go off the rails - therapy, antidepressants, meditation, yoga, mindfulness, enough exercise, good diet, be a nice person, be grateful. Nothing makes me happy in the end. I feel like the only thing that would make me happy is living by the beach with a partner who loves me and I don't need to worry/think about money.Rant complete.

Flop Driving with a driving instructor
  • replies: 12

Hello all, this is my first post but I'm already grateful this community exist. This year has been a tough one for me. I've been working on my anxiety & social anxiety in attempts to live a normal life. I've made so much progress, I'm double vaxxed, ... View more

Hello all, this is my first post but I'm already grateful this community exist. This year has been a tough one for me. I've been working on my anxiety & social anxiety in attempts to live a normal life. I've made so much progress, I'm double vaxxed, got my Ls and have been driving for about 9 months, going into shopping centres and things of the like. These sort of things last year would have seemed impossible to me. I acknowledge that I've made progress, but I'm at a hurdle and it's something I have to do alone. Going with a driving instructor to polish my driving, then to go for my Ps. I've had panic attacks and have been near having them many times in the past and my concern is not knowing how I'll react in this situation. Going with a driving instructor, and then getting my Ps is the thing I want most in this world, but I have these concerns. I have a few coping mechanisms I'll try and incorporate if need be, but if you have any that helped you in a similar situation I'd be happy to hear them. If you can relate, please let me know how you went through this process, any words or encouragement or kindness. I just want to beat this. Thank you all for reading!

Tazzalot Managing Anxiety
  • replies: 6

HiI will keep this briefI have ongoing anxiety/depression I have seen a GP .. my usual has moved to a different practice unfortunately So I had a mental health assessment and was given a referral to a Psychologist ... this hasn't gone well and I stop... View more

HiI will keep this briefI have ongoing anxiety/depression I have seen a GP .. my usual has moved to a different practice unfortunately So I had a mental health assessment and was given a referral to a Psychologist ... this hasn't gone well and I stopped going after 2 sessions.I really struggle with the whole mindfulness/being in the present concepts .. it is all too airy fairy to me (68 yr old male) There is a fair bit going on around me which I need to be able to deal with / cope with but at the moment I am just stuck Thoughts / suggestions Stuart

orchid_5 Anxious when eating out with others
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, I love food and have never had an eating disorder, but when I eat out with people who aren't family or close friends, I become really anxious. This wasn't really a problem until covid hit. As an example, the other night I went to a cooki... View more

Hi everyone, I love food and have never had an eating disorder, but when I eat out with people who aren't family or close friends, I become really anxious. This wasn't really a problem until covid hit. As an example, the other night I went to a cooking class with 10+ work colleagues. It wasn't until I was on my way there that I began feeling anxious. I started to relax a bit when I started chatting with my colleagues and while we were cooking. However, when it was time to eat what we had cooked, I felt sick. I tried to eat and felt like I was going to throw up so I went outside to get some air. When I came back I ate a bit, but I still felt really sick in my throat. I should mention that it also depends on the environment. The more casual the place is, the more relaxed I feel. I know it sounds strange, but I can't seem to get rid of the anxiety and I've been seeing a psychologist for a couple of years now. I don't know if this type of anxiety has a name, but I'd love to hear from others who may be experiencing the same thing, or who have overcome it. Thanks.

Katerinya Being unwell, having health anxiety and living alone right now is really hard
  • replies: 8

Hi everyone, This is partly a post to acknowledge how hard things are right now, and also to express that I’m super anxious this week. I’m unwell and am waiting on blood test results. I’m exhausted all the time, and feel BLAH. What’s making it worse ... View more

Hi everyone, This is partly a post to acknowledge how hard things are right now, and also to express that I’m super anxious this week. I’m unwell and am waiting on blood test results. I’m exhausted all the time, and feel BLAH. What’s making it worse is my health anxiety. I can’t stop thinking about how unwell I feel, and worrying that I might suddenly become really sick and nobody will be able to help me. I live alone and I’m experiencing some dizziness. I worry that I’ll collapse on the floor and not be found for days. While all my work colleagues are constantly complaining about not being able to escape their partners and families, I have to say I envy them a lot. Being alone and sick during a pandemic is so hard. No matter how unwell I feel, nobody can make me a cup of tea, or just sit with me to provide some comfort. This worry about ‘What if I get really sick’ is making things worse. So, to everyone living alone, feeling isolated or scared during this time, and wishing that you too could complain about having a family, I hear you. It’s hard.