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. 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

Macchiato Is it Anxiety?
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Hi. I'm an 18 year old, bisexual guy and I've just moved into Australia five months ago. I'm not certain but I'm doubting that I might have anxiety.Lately, I've caught myself fidgeting alot. Although I notice that I'm fidgeting, sometimes I can stop ... View more

Hi. I'm an 18 year old, bisexual guy and I've just moved into Australia five months ago. I'm not certain but I'm doubting that I might have anxiety.Lately, I've caught myself fidgeting alot. Although I notice that I'm fidgeting, sometimes I can stop it but sometimes I can't. I'm introverted. Yet nowadays, I find myself reaching out more to people. I think I might be afraid of being alone. For instance, this morning I found out that my roommate was moving out. Tho we don't have a strong bond between us, I felt sad. The feeling stayed with me for the whole day and I couldn't focus. I usually am not this kind of person and this is new to me. I also wanna reach out to a psychologist or therapist, but I don't know how and I'm not sure if I'm brave enough for it. I'd like to know your thoughts and experience on this one. It'd mean alot to me.Thanks in advance.

99isthebest Health Anxiety about hearing damage
  • replies: 5

Hey all, So doing the usual health anxiety thing and looking for reassurance. Which I know is not a good way to help but here I am. Basically, I went to watch a video on YouTube the other night in bed as I do from time to time. And I only had one ear... View more

Hey all, So doing the usual health anxiety thing and looking for reassurance. Which I know is not a good way to help but here I am. Basically, I went to watch a video on YouTube the other night in bed as I do from time to time. And I only had one ear phone in my left ear. I didn’t realise but I had my volume turned up to the max level. At first I tried to turn it down but felt I wasn’t doing anything quick enough then ripped it out of my ear. So all in all it was probably about 5 seconds. I know no one here’s a medical expert but I guess I wonder if anyone had anything similar and found a way to overcome it. I keep trying to rationalise about it. Thing such as apple wouldn’t make the loudest volume available defeaning over a short period of time. or that I can still hear I guess it’s hard as I already have tinnitus which I know comes and goes with my anxiety as well. But my ear still feels funny. What’s anyone ever experienced something similar and how are ways you’ve dealt with it? Any help I would be very thankful. cheers.

Blue2 I'm a Newbie
  • replies: 1

Hi, I'm new to all this. I feel totally unqualified to offer anybody else advice or pointers. All I can do is say I am more than happy to be involved and contribute as usefully as possible as we go along. I recently slipped into a round of insomnia, ... View more

Hi, I'm new to all this. I feel totally unqualified to offer anybody else advice or pointers. All I can do is say I am more than happy to be involved and contribute as usefully as possible as we go along. I recently slipped into a round of insomnia, causing my previously mild anxiety to escalate into a claustrophobic blanket that self perpetuated itself to the point I couldn't see a way out. Fortunately, I have a listening caring GP who gave me shirt term sedation but only if I agreed to take Therapy to find my way out of the dark tunnel I was in. Is anyone else feeling as I did? If so, please unburden yourself here and share your thoughts. It will help. We are all here for each other. Thanks for listening folks. Belle

string_cheese Medication - coping with weird feeling in face
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Hi there! I have recently been on a strange journey with medication. At a low dose I find it really helpful. But recently (to cut a long story short) I have had to take a higher dose. It is only temporary but I hate it. I constantly feel like I am fl... View more

Hi there! I have recently been on a strange journey with medication. At a low dose I find it really helpful. But recently (to cut a long story short) I have had to take a higher dose. It is only temporary but I hate it. I constantly feel like I am floating in the air, falling through space, or like a ghost somehow. I am confused by simple things, and don't understand things. On top of all this, it feels like my thoughts go in loops or get cut short, and then I feel breathless. Around my eyes and my forehead feel tight. It is so unpleasant. Has anyone else had this before?

Heidi_1 Hard start to the year
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hey everyone, This year hasn’t gone the way I want it to and it’s only the start, looks like I might be in for another tough one. I just feel like it’s never going to get easier to constantly fight with the battle in my head, I’m worried I might just... View more

hey everyone, This year hasn’t gone the way I want it to and it’s only the start, looks like I might be in for another tough one. I just feel like it’s never going to get easier to constantly fight with the battle in my head, I’m worried I might just give up fighting, it’s extremely tiring, it’s like I’m fighting a losing battle. People tell me it will get better and it’s not going to last forever but it certainly doesn’t feel like it.I’m exhausted and it’s so hard to get up and do things. When does things start to get better? Let’s hope the next few weeks are looking up.

NZthrower I think anxiety around gender is making me constipated
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Hi everyone! I've been constipated for over a week and almost two weeks for now. I have also been constantly anxious all the time. I have been constantly worrying about my views on gender identity and how it conflicts with society, what the facts mig... View more

Hi everyone! I've been constipated for over a week and almost two weeks for now. I have also been constantly anxious all the time. I have been constantly worrying about my views on gender identity and how it conflicts with society, what the facts might be, and how I feel like I will be shamed and so on. I believe in the gender binary, but I've glimpsed briefly at scientific papers that discredit the binary and demonstrate that certain medical procedures benefit people with gender dysphoria. I also am worried and disgusted and incensed at hearing of news that some hospitals in the US are doing top surgery to minors 15-16 and over, as I feel that minors that young can't properly consent to such a life changing procedure that can potentially have negative mental health effects if any part of the process before and during the procedure goes wrong. I am aware that parental consent is required based on my limited knowledge of such procedures, but I don't think it is enough to prevent very severe mistakes. This has all caused cognitive dissonance and anxiety which I think probably contributes to my constipation, as I always feel like holding my excrement in and avoiding the toilet whenever the dissonance hits. I feel like such belies support a very narrow and conservative view on social issues, which I don't really subscribe to as I feel it to be needlessly restrictive. However, I find the binary of gender to be comforting and by extension conservative social views as I find the certainty and clarity underlying such views to be appealing, and gender identity to be very confusing to understand. I have trouble grasping with the view that a woman or man is determined by whether you identify as one, since isn't that a circular definition that has little useful meaning? I'm confused and anxious and hope you can clarify this for me, as I find uncertainty to amplify my anxiety. FYI, I'm not trans nor gender non-conforming. I'm pretty cis, but I'm just curious and don't want my take on the issue to be misinformed or hurtful.

Heidi_1 Dealing with anxiety
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Hey everyone, I’m new to this forum and I’m unsure on what to really say. I’ve never reached out or really talked to anyone about anxiety before. I guess I will start by saying that I’ve been struggling quite a lot lately to even do the easier tasks,... View more

Hey everyone, I’m new to this forum and I’m unsure on what to really say. I’ve never reached out or really talked to anyone about anxiety before. I guess I will start by saying that I’ve been struggling quite a lot lately to even do the easier tasks, it’s hard to get out of bed and get motivated to do things. I feel so alone and sad. It’s like everyone around me is happy and getting on in life and I’m just stuck at this one spot and can’t move, does anyone else feel like this? I thought I should come on here and reach out just to have a chat and seek help. How do I get out of this pit of aloneness and depression?

Sour-Marshmallow Need advice for social anxiety treatment
  • replies: 5

I’ve dealing with severe social anxiety for as long as I can long as I can remember. Unfortunately it’s gotten much worse in recent months which pushed me to get help from my GP since I couldn’t deal with it any longer. As I expected, he diagnosed me... View more

I’ve dealing with severe social anxiety for as long as I can long as I can remember. Unfortunately it’s gotten much worse in recent months which pushed me to get help from my GP since I couldn’t deal with it any longer. As I expected, he diagnosed me with longstanding social anxiety and referred me to a psychiatrist for further treatment. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized the current waitlist for that psychiatrist was 8 months. I called different places and the earliest appointment was May next year (I live in a small city). To make it worse those places all charge $300 for each appointment, which I’m not sure I can afford in the long term. So I was wondering if it would be possible for me to go back to my GP and ask him to prescribe me some anxiety medications until I get an appointment with a psychiatrist. I don’t want to sound like a drug seeker but I really can’t live like this anymore. Thanks.

Narlah Looking for excellent meditation apps
  • replies: 7

Hi about 3 month ago I had my first panic attack im a childcare worker and I had a panic attack with child in the work van. It happened 1 more time after that. I've been to my GP and been seeking help through a physiologist and been put on anti anxie... View more

Hi about 3 month ago I had my first panic attack im a childcare worker and I had a panic attack with child in the work van. It happened 1 more time after that. I've been to my GP and been seeking help through a physiologist and been put on anti anxiety medication. Im trying to work out what makes me anxious, we've moved house, gone casual at work but now I'm finding it hard to sit in a waiting room at a doctors or out for dinner. Im wondering if there is some Excellent apps out there that could help.

Pixie15 Anxiety and Vitamin B12 Deficiency
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Hi there, I have recently was diagnosed with B12 deficiency. The doctor who diagnosed the condition suggested that it may have originated when I followed a vegan diet over a decade earlier. During the time since I had been treated for social anxiety ... View more

Hi there, I have recently was diagnosed with B12 deficiency. The doctor who diagnosed the condition suggested that it may have originated when I followed a vegan diet over a decade earlier. During the time since I had been treated for social anxiety and other conditions which appeared to explain my physical difficulties. The social anxiety seemed to make sense because I had always been socially shy especially with new situations and people. I still think it is part of the problem. But some of the things that were attributed to my anxiety were symptoms of the B12 deficiency which is apparently a very much overlooked and under diagnosed problem. My health both physical and mental has improved remarkably since getting on top of my B12 deficiency. I still trying to understand what is B12 and what is anxiety. Anyway I have benefited greatly from my participation on this forum and just wanted to share in case it may help somebody else. Thank you.