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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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44Max44 Cardiac/Exercise anxiety, heart palpitations
  • replies: 9

Hi, So I used to work out and exercise quite a lot and never had any problems with my heart, but recently I've started to get anxious about the health of my heart and have been paying close attention to my heart rate a lot of the time. I went to the ... View more

Hi, So I used to work out and exercise quite a lot and never had any problems with my heart, but recently I've started to get anxious about the health of my heart and have been paying close attention to my heart rate a lot of the time. I went to the doctors around a month ago and they told me I had above-average blood pressure and a high pulse but said it's probably due to high amounts of stress and my anxiety which makes sense to me. I tried working out today but couldn't even get through a few sets of weights before I started getting what I think were heart palpitations every minute or so, kind of like my breath was taken away but just for a split second, which just made me super anxious and made me stop exercising just 15 minutes in. I've never had heart palpitations like this during exercise before, and I used to do much more intense workouts so this is a very new issue for me. I'm concerned because I'm not sure if this is just due to my anxiety and because it's the first time I've worked out in quite a while, or if it's a legitimate heart problem that I should be concerned about. I don't get chest pains or anything, it's just the very occasional (maybe once or twice a day) heart palpitation while not exercising and regular heart palpitations when I'm exercising. I have a blood pressure measurer at home and the last time I measured it my heart rate was slightly over the average and my blood pressure was slightly over normal too. I'm not sure what to do. I want to keep my heart healthy by exercising regularly, but whenever I try to exercise I get heart palpitations that just make me anxious and very hesitant to exercise anymore. Even if it is just my anxiety causing these heart palpitations they are still very unnerving because it's a very unsettling feeling and makes me worry that I'll have a heart attack. Does anyone else have similar issues or advice? It'd be very much appreciated. Cheers

Anxiousmind07 I have made a big commitment to buy a house with my partner and now I am suddenly Anxious
  • replies: 8

Hi All I have been dating my partner for nearly 2 years now. I am so in love with him and have never had any doubts in our relationship and have always thought to myself that I am so lucky to have met my person. We live together and recently just pur... View more

Hi All I have been dating my partner for nearly 2 years now. I am so in love with him and have never had any doubts in our relationship and have always thought to myself that I am so lucky to have met my person. We live together and recently just purchased an apartment together and we move in in 4 weeks time. However, over the last few days, I have had a huge increase in anxiety (it has been nearly 2 years since I had an anxiety attack) and am starting to doubt our relationship. And I honestly have no idea why. How can I go from feeling so great and positive to having doubts. Just two weeks ago we were talking about starting a family. I have felt experienced feelings of overwhelming anxiety in past relationships that have ended, so maybe I am panicking that if I feel this way then the relationship needs to end. I am having really intrusive thoughts and thinking about the worst things that could happen. I have gone back to my doctor and I am taking medication again (day 3) so hoping this will start to help. I am reading up on intrusive thoughts and how to cope with them, but how do I distinguish between an intrusive thought and an instinct. Any suggestions on how to cope or share a similar story would be greatly appreciated.

Smithsons Can depression and/or anxiety really do this to you?
  • replies: 6

Can depression and/or anxiety make you believe things that are completely untrue?? I've been anxious and depressed for half a year now, and some of the things my mind has convinced me of... it's caused me a lot of distress. It's as if there's this se... View more

Can depression and/or anxiety make you believe things that are completely untrue?? I've been anxious and depressed for half a year now, and some of the things my mind has convinced me of... it's caused me a lot of distress. It's as if there's this section of my brain that holds all the many things I'm anxious about... and inevitably at some points of the day, a couple will be released, then the next day, another couple worries will come to my attention....... and right now i realise that these worries i have are so incredibly unrealistic and untrue... but the thing is, when i'm anxious, or when my anxieties are staring me in the face, gee i really, REALLY believe them.. i'm not exaggerating they seem so real. there was once a time where everything seemed so clear to me and i was really happy with my life. now I'm just plagued by constant worry and over thinking, and it's really ruining my life. My anxiety's convinced me my relationship's over, and that i'm not enough, but i know this isn't true, coz every time the idea of breaking up with her comes to mind i just shut down, cry, and don't want the world to exist. My anxiety's convinced me that I have feelings for a friend i've had for years (even though i never felt anything for her in the past) n I know I definitely don't like her in that way. I once believed I had a brain tumour from a headache, which sent me into a panic attack that only my girlfriend could take me out of. I've been convinced that I'm gay, that I don't love my family and they don't love me, that I don't love my girlfriend.. and much more that I'm too embarrassed and ashamed to say.. I know these all sound silly, but trust me when I say this, when I'm not feeling well, I will genuinely believe all of them, they seem and feel really real in the moment, even though right now as I'm typing it, I can't help but realise how ridiculous it all sounds. Every day's just a constant battle in my head, and it's emotionally draining n ruining my life. so i ask, can depression and anxiety do this to you?? can it make you believe illusions or things that aren't actually real? sorry for the hefty message.

Beaser Pleasing everyone and feeling like i let people down , post holiday blues.
  • replies: 5

Hi and best wishes to every one. I have always wanted to be the best friend i can to everyone and feel like i let them down constantly. When i dont catch up or attend things it causes me so much stress. I have been on my own for a long time but i now... View more

Hi and best wishes to every one. I have always wanted to be the best friend i can to everyone and feel like i let them down constantly. When i dont catch up or attend things it causes me so much stress. I have been on my own for a long time but i now have a partner who i love to spend time with and i just dont have the time i once did. I have recently had a great holiday and am really struggling to cope with being back to work and i think this has caused me to feel sad and evdo people even lonely again. I find this all very tough to cope with at times and overwhelming. I guess im struggling at the moment with it all . Brett.

Trixiebell99 Looking for advice - Perfectionism, Anxiety, Therapy
  • replies: 7

Hello, I am currently feeling very overwhelmed, I constantly feel anxious and I seem to be upset and cry over most things lately. I've just finished my undergraduate degree in science and withdrew from a masters course because I didn't think it was f... View more

Hello, I am currently feeling very overwhelmed, I constantly feel anxious and I seem to be upset and cry over most things lately. I've just finished my undergraduate degree in science and withdrew from a masters course because I didn't think it was for me. At this stage I don't regret withdrawing (3 weeks ago) - I didn't think I could get the most out of the uni experience because I feel like my mental health is slipping away from me. I think that part of the problem is stemming from my inner perfectionist. I am a horrible perfectionist, and constantly belittle my achievements. The logical side of me understands that I have done well - e.g., I got 100% on my mid semester exam; However, my emotional side believes that I could have done better and that I am not good enough. I think this whole perfectionist thing over study has spilled over into my career life and life in general. I am at the stage where I am looking for jobs - but I don't know what it is i want to do. I then start thinking there is no way I will be good enough for a job and that if I'm not perfect at the job immediately then i have failed. Then I start thinking about how I ~need~ to get what I think is a successful job (Don't ask me what that is, because I don't know). I have placed these high expectations on myself to be perfect, get a great job etc.. I've also come up with an expectation for what people think of me - I assume that they expect me to be perfect, get the perfect job, get the good grades etc.. Continuing on with these spiralling thoughts, i then think - I am struggling, i have all this anxiety and need to do something about it, people will see me as failing because I am struggling mentally. So because I want to maintain this "perfect" appearance, my anxiety is heightened because people can see that I am anxious and struggling, and therefore not perfect. I've booked in to see my GP and try and find a psychologist - that is a whole other ordeal. My mind just continues to spiral - "What do you have to complain about?, people have it worse than you, so why are you struggling?", "A psychologist won't be able to help you because it's all in your head, they will just brush you off" etc. etc. etc. Just all very negative thoughts. So I guess my question is, has therapy helped you out with anxiety? I guess I am just looking for some advice on how to dig myself out of this hole. And maybe some reassurance

Trixiebell99 My current plan/thoughts
  • replies: 3

Hello all, I just felt like writing some of my current thoughts down. I saw a GP today and she gave me a prescription for anti-depressant/ anxiety medication. But, I don't think I want to go down that route as of yet. I think I would rather talk to a... View more

Hello all, I just felt like writing some of my current thoughts down. I saw a GP today and she gave me a prescription for anti-depressant/ anxiety medication. But, I don't think I want to go down that route as of yet. I think I would rather talk to a psych first. Anyways, after spiralling for a while I went for a run, and it has really cleared my head (I've never run for "fun" before). I think I have realised that in the end, it is up to me to make change. Only I can provide the change that I want - clearly I don't want to try the medication as of yet, so that means I have to find some alternative. I can't keep sitting here expecting things to change, but being too scared to actually implement that change. So my game plan is to try and go for a run each day (or every second) and clear my head, I just thought I would write it down in this discussion board so that I try and commit to this plan. I am going to try and be less harsh on myself - I am looking for a job, I am not going to expect to find the "perfect" job, I am going to find a job that gets me out of the house and earns me some money. I will try and stop comparing myself to others, and assuming that everyone has their life together. I am going to try and not assume people are judging me, and I am going to try and just be me. I want to stop belittling myself, and I am going to try and be my true self, without cutting the parts out that I think/assume people won't like. I think the biggest thing for me at the moment is that I ~need~ to get out of the house. I need to go out and do things, meet people, experience new things. Everything seems scary when I am in the house, but as soon as I leave, I realise that I do enjoy doing new things and leaving the house. Two years of on-off lockdowns has made me waaaaaay too comfortable staying home. This is how I am currently feeling, I am going to try and cling onto this for as long as possible and try not to spiral into a hole again.

Sally19felstead Anxiety
  • replies: 3

Hi I suffer of anxiety disorder and it just gets out of control

Hi I suffer of anxiety disorder and it just gets out of control

Mitch95 Feeling overwhelmed and QOL is not good
  • replies: 2

Hey all, new member and not really sure what I want from posting on here but really just need help, feeling very overwhelmed recently I’ve been dealing with anxiety for the last 6 years of my life and now cope with it fairly well. But recently My QOL... View more

Hey all, new member and not really sure what I want from posting on here but really just need help, feeling very overwhelmed recently I’ve been dealing with anxiety for the last 6 years of my life and now cope with it fairly well. But recently My QOL has turned to crap. I’m constantly thinking and never living in the present moment, questioning what’s real and just irrational thoughts over and over. The only time I’m not thinking is when I’m at work doing a physical job, at the gym or watching tv/playing video games. I live a very healthy lifestyle and am doing all the right things for one to change their overall health lifestyle to benefit my mental health but it I’m still having to deal with my anxiety. I see a psych and always feel better once I have a professional telling me that it’s all in my head but I just can’t shift my racing thoughts/feelings. I’m terrified to take any medication or put any foreign substance in my body because I hate being out of control. But in saying that, when I do take anti-anxiety medication I feel fine and have no issue with my anxiety at all for that time being. I really don’t know what to do, I’m happy and my life is so good but the way my brain works and how I feel just isn’t livable and affecting my everyday life too much. I’m terrified to go on medications in the off chance they don’t work or make me worse then I have nothing else that will ever make me feel normal again as I’ve tried everything within my own control to manage my anxiety. These are all the thoughts that go through my head and I don’t really know what to do. I do acknowledge that things are up and down with anxiety but right now I feel like things are more down than up and it’s affecting my everyday life too much. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you all in advanced, and have a nice day.

Baileybasil How do I journal for depression, anxiety and self reflection?
  • replies: 4

I have been wanting to start properly journaling for a while but I just don’t know what I’m supposed to be writing down. Prompts online like “write things you’re grateful for” seems cheesy and pointless to me, I would like to figure out why or how fe... View more

I have been wanting to start properly journaling for a while but I just don’t know what I’m supposed to be writing down. Prompts online like “write things you’re grateful for” seems cheesy and pointless to me, I would like to figure out why or how feelings etc happen