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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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dee_1 My workplace has changed me emotionally...I don't know how to cope.
  • replies: 5

Hey guys, So, I struggle everyday with anxiety, I'm not on medication at the moment but I feel what contributes to my anxiety is my workplace. My workplace is at a petrol station and you would think its a simple job but it couldn't be farther from th... View more

Hey guys, So, I struggle everyday with anxiety, I'm not on medication at the moment but I feel what contributes to my anxiety is my workplace. My workplace is at a petrol station and you would think its a simple job but it couldn't be farther from the truth. Inside my petrol station we have a barista coffee station, the middle is the console and the other end of the business is a Juice bar which I run as a team leader. I absolutely love working there. It's an amazing job and when I'm left alone to run the joint I'm at my happiest but it's not like this at all. My daily routine consists of: Getting to the store and there is 2 people on. One person is stuck on the coffee machine all morning literally from the time I get in at 5am or 6am until a 3rd person comes in at 9 where they can help out. During that 3 to 4 hour morning period I'm responsible for opening up my business which takes 15 minutes but in between that I have to serve customers in the middle to process fuel, shipping items, coffee orders, make toasted sandwiches, go back to my store finish up opening, go back to the centre help out on the fuel side, take care of store, sometimes I need to prep fruit because without fruit I can't run a juice bar. I then have to consider ordering stock, serving customers some more and then taking care if my store. My store opens at 8am which means I'm making smoothies, running back and forth between 2 stations, serving fuel, making sandwiches, making smoothies, taking orders for etc etc... I'm exhausted by the time the 3rd person shows up at 9. Even when someone shows up I'm expected to keep the shop in emaculate condition which I want to do but I'm stuck on my own cleaning, prepping fruit making sure weekly and daily tasks are done. I finally get a lunch break but I'm in the office having a half hour break and I can see a line up of customers needing to be served but they have to wait because once again there's only 2 people who can serve. This nightmare of yoyoing between stations has been going on since the covid lockdowns with the business reducing hours in the shop to save money! I'm at my wits end and I feel like a crazy person because I can't handle the stress anymore. It doesn't help the customers treat you like dirt all the time because the service isn't prompt enough. My entire mentality has been compromised I don't know whether I'm just weak and can't handle pressure or my work place is mistreating employees. I feel hopeless.

ScarlettR Can chronic dehydration lead to anxiety?
  • replies: 3

I know this sounds an odd question, will try to make sense. So I have chronic dehydration, and everytime I get uncomfortably dry and hot, it leads to mild anxiety attacks, as well as being irritated. Does anyone else feel their anxiety issues are tri... View more

I know this sounds an odd question, will try to make sense. So I have chronic dehydration, and everytime I get uncomfortably dry and hot, it leads to mild anxiety attacks, as well as being irritated. Does anyone else feel their anxiety issues are triggered by dehydration?

GreenGuy How to stop feeling cursed?
  • replies: 8

Hello, This is a very minor issue for me compared to a lot of people here, but it has been something that's bugged me for a while. I've become hesitant about certain mundane habits for fear of evoking misfortune. For example, there is a song I really... View more

Hello, This is a very minor issue for me compared to a lot of people here, but it has been something that's bugged me for a while. I've become hesitant about certain mundane habits for fear of evoking misfortune. For example, there is a song I really like (it's a black metal song with occult themes if you really must know with evil chanting) but every time I listened to it, bad stuff would occur: my Nan getting cancer, my neighbours abusing me, my sister breaking her arm, even the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, so on and so forth. It's just one of a few habits that I tend to avoid for this reason. Now, I prefer to be a skeptic of paranormal occurrences; I'm an agnostic yet can't help feeling something divine (but specifically demonic) force is punishing/cursing me. I am fully aware, that these events are beyond my control, and my brain has attempted to pin these habits as a scapegoat. I've been training myself to stop looking for such scapegoats as a coping mechanism... With that said, what other tips can I use to stop feeding into my paranoia/anxiety?

Noel1982 Severe health anxiety after minor cancer diagnosis
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, First time posting here, been having a read of some others experiences here and its re-assuring that I am not going crazy. About 2 months ago I was diagnosed with a small early stage skin cancer on my lower lip, have an appointment in 2 ... View more

Hi everyone, First time posting here, been having a read of some others experiences here and its re-assuring that I am not going crazy. About 2 months ago I was diagnosed with a small early stage skin cancer on my lower lip, have an appointment in 2 weeks with a surgeon to discuss options for treatment/removal. Since this diagnosis, originally I was ok with it, I was shocked that at 39 years old, this was a reality I was facing but the doctor seemed really not concerned with the whole thing and said based off what it was, my options were to either wait and see if it keeps growing, or go see a surgeon to remove it. I immediately chose the surgeon, as the fear of something potentially life threatening scared the daylights out of me. When I got home from work that day and seen my 15 month old daughter (our only child after years of IVF)and my wife, I fell into pieces and have not been able to really put things together since. I have made the terrible mistake of googling this condition and the possible complications from it and that has made me extremely anxious, so much so that I have on multiple occasions, thought I have found something else in my mouth/lip and fully freaked out, so much that my wife had to spend the next few hours reassuring me that there is nothing there and if there was, the doctors weren't stressed otherwise you wouldn't have to wait for this long for an appointment. On Sunday night, I think I had my first panic attack, I felt like I was having a full blown heart attack, or the cancer had somehow spread to my lungs (crazy right), and I ended up having to call 000 and go to hospital to make sure that my heart was ok, as I just could not calm down and get the feeling to go away. Needless to say I was ok and the chest X-ray was clear. This little excursion wasted the ER`s time and also cost me a great ANZAC day marching with my mates. I have since had a skin check (no concerns there) and a dentist do a full check of my mouth and lips (again nothing found) and yet I still am terrified that there is something wrong.. After reading on here about health anxiety, I understand that this is what I have and that I am not losing my mind. It has been the worst month of my life and it has significantly affected my life. I have some work to do moving forward but hope that once I see the surgeon and have a plan, life can get semi back to normal. What have people here used as tools to cope with the waiting and the unknown when it comes to health?

T1278910 How to stop panic attacks about health
  • replies: 3

I keep getting worried about my health derailing and it puts me in a negative pattern. I wish I can just forget. But it’s so hard not to procrastinate and worry about the future. Just need an ear

I keep getting worried about my health derailing and it puts me in a negative pattern. I wish I can just forget. But it’s so hard not to procrastinate and worry about the future. Just need an ear

LCM83 Please help
  • replies: 2

Please help. This anxiety episode came out of the blue on Easter Saturday and it hasn’t gone away. I’ve barely eaten since then, I can’t sleep. I had a psych appointment on Friday but she’s not available again for two weeks. The first Psychiatrist ap... View more

Please help. This anxiety episode came out of the blue on Easter Saturday and it hasn’t gone away. I’ve barely eaten since then, I can’t sleep. I had a psych appointment on Friday but she’s not available again for two weeks. The first Psychiatrist appointment wasn’t available until 17/05. I had trouble sleeping last night. It hurts so much. My poor husband and children, they deserve so much better.

BShock Friends
  • replies: 10

Hey there, i have always felt like the awkward mutual friend in most of my friendships. the friend who no one wants to be left alone with. i am wondering if anyone else has felt this way and why it is like this? I feel as though i have nothing to say... View more

Hey there, i have always felt like the awkward mutual friend in most of my friendships. the friend who no one wants to be left alone with. i am wondering if anyone else has felt this way and why it is like this? I feel as though i have nothing to say, even to my closest friends. i desperately want that deep friendship with someone but constantly feel anxious and over analyse the conversation and situation to a point where i feel it best to not say anything. if hanging out with a friend, i feel it has to 'go well' in order for them to like me and continue to want to hang out with me, but both myself and the friend can clearly tell that it is not a natural friendship as i am acting overenthused and excited. not sure exactly how to amend this situation.

T1278910 Fear of failure
  • replies: 2

I’ve been really worried about the future I’m only 16 and haven’t been to high school. Just wondering what to do to get rid of this fear. I feel like I can’t do things because I’m a perfectionist and I can’t fail. Starting something new is hard becau... View more

I’ve been really worried about the future I’m only 16 and haven’t been to high school. Just wondering what to do to get rid of this fear. I feel like I can’t do things because I’m a perfectionist and I can’t fail. Starting something new is hard because when you start something new you tend to fail and I find it hard to ignore simple mistakes as just mistakes. I worry that I won’t do anything because I can’t start it’s just so difficult. Should I just be brave and fail and get better over time and give it my best. Need some help. Really unsure

nick99 Severe health Anxity
  • replies: 1

I have suffered from heart palpitations, health anxiety and general anxiety for about 27 years. Add to that an absolute fear of doctors. I have thought for the past thirty years I've had all manner of terminal illness's. My palpitations can occur for... View more

I have suffered from heart palpitations, health anxiety and general anxiety for about 27 years. Add to that an absolute fear of doctors. I have thought for the past thirty years I've had all manner of terminal illness's. My palpitations can occur for long periods, seem to be elevated by eating certain foods, like salty crisps. I recently had to rush to the emergency ward of the hospital because I had been getting zigzag lines in my vision. They took my blood pressure and heart rate and the first thing the doctor asked was do I suffer from anxiety. After four hours of a team of doctors studying my eyes I was released with the diagnosis of ocular migraines. So now I have this horrid eye thing and my palpitations have returned. The health anxiety is going through the roof now. My question is if doctors examined me and they took my heart rate and blood pressure would they have kept me in if I had a heart issue? I was released without anything except my blood pressure was a bit high but they suggested it was because I was so stressed. Never really gone to a doctor about it as I have such a fear of them. Only went to hospital this week because I thought I had a retinal tear and didn’t want to go blind.

Eiffel The structure of Anxiety and its importance in our happiness
  • replies: 1

Hi, What does everyone think about the nature of our anxiety? We often feel and say things like "My anxiety makes me feel like this or that" or "I have anxiety and so struggle with such and such". We all have a habit of making anxiety an object that ... View more

Hi, What does everyone think about the nature of our anxiety? We often feel and say things like "My anxiety makes me feel like this or that" or "I have anxiety and so struggle with such and such". We all have a habit of making anxiety an object that we feel, and this may be incorrect. I'm not saying anxiety is good, far from it! However, if we begin our assessment of our feelings from an error, we will not be as effective in our attempts to understand ourselves. I shall explain. Jean-Paul Satre says that "we are our possibilities and organise and our relationship with the world by transcending that instrumental complex toward ourselves. We ARE this anxiety" (last paragraph p317pdf or p250 printed book page, https://yunus.hacettepe.edu.tr/~cin/Being%20And%20Nothingness/Being%20and%20Nothingness%20-%20Sartre.pdf) I know he's talking about jealousy, but I think it is the same for anxiety. What this means is that our Anxiety is not "over there" as an object we can feel or describe. It is part of us. This would explain why its so difficult to get rid of Anxiety without sedation. If we can accept Anxiety as being "us", rather than as "a thing", as a starting point, we are going to have better success in living happier lives than by beginning from an erroneous assumption that we can destroy an external fear. For example, If we attack the anxiety, because we want to get rid of the "object/thing of anxiety" but it is actually a part of us, then what we will be doing is attacking ourselves. I'm not saying we should leave anxiety alone, far from it! I think we should work with it rather than against it. This also goes a long way to explain the brilliance of Kierkegaard's statement "Anxiety is an expression of the perfection of human nature" (The Concept of Anxiety, sorry dont have a page number for that one) What does everybody think?