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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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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

Chloeellab04 Keeping in Touch With Friends
  • replies: 3

Hi, since I got social media and a phone pretty late, I never developed the social skills/etiquette required to text people spontaneously - whenever I do I feel like the conversation is really awkward and super short, and since I just finished high s... View more

Hi, since I got social media and a phone pretty late, I never developed the social skills/etiquette required to text people spontaneously - whenever I do I feel like the conversation is really awkward and super short, and since I just finished high school and aren't seeing some of my friends as often, its starting to hinder some of those friendships. Anyone have any tips on how to start texting people?

OceanPhoenix Is this social anxiety?
  • replies: 5

So for some time, I have been struggling to interact with others specifically strangers. It would take me like 10minutes to get the courage to call the hairdressers for example on the phone and the whole time I would just stare at the call button. Ot... View more

So for some time, I have been struggling to interact with others specifically strangers. It would take me like 10minutes to get the courage to call the hairdressers for example on the phone and the whole time I would just stare at the call button. Other times it would be like me ordering food in person although I do it much more easily I still feel a bit anxious when doing it. Then there would be the case when strangers approach me I won't speak or speak very very quietly. All of this has happened on multiple occasions but I never thought it could be something more until about 2 years ago. I was told that I was just very shy which was possible as I was a very very shy kid when I was younger and I'm introverted as well. I was told that I should stop "making up disorders". It made me feel like my feelings were a figment of my imagination and I was just making it up. Yes, I searched up symptoms of social anxiety but it won't compare to an actual diagnosis. This is why I am here. I am interested to know how other people have coped with similar struggles.

Dakota_C How long do your anxiety symptoms last?
  • replies: 3

Hi, I've been struggling with some of the physical symptoms I get from Anxiety for the past two weeks Started off as chest / feeling like heart pain, been to Hospital twice and each time ecg and bloods were okay, even had a chest xray and appeared fi... View more

Hi, I've been struggling with some of the physical symptoms I get from Anxiety for the past two weeks Started off as chest / feeling like heart pain, been to Hospital twice and each time ecg and bloods were okay, even had a chest xray and appeared fine, getting a holter monitor soon as well just to be double safe Now mostly the pains in my chest have gone besides one random shooting one now and then, but for the last 3-4 days Ive been getting random bouts of lightheadedness, headaches, and really strained eyes / pressure behind my eyes, almost as soon as I wakeup, been trying to convince myself its not something else How long do your physical symptoms of anxiety last, and do they change a little bit over time to other areas?

DaffyDuck_ Anxiety??
  • replies: 3

Last few years I've always had trouble with anxiety but for the last maybe around year or 2, I just cannot handle it anymore. Recently I realised how I cannot stay focused in class, I'm always so sick of sitting down in class, I can almost never fini... View more

Last few years I've always had trouble with anxiety but for the last maybe around year or 2, I just cannot handle it anymore. Recently I realised how I cannot stay focused in class, I'm always so sick of sitting down in class, I can almost never finish any homework or tasks I have to do in class. My memory seems like it's getting worse and I'm having trouble remembering a lot of things. It may just be my anxiety, which I'm also not diagnosed so I probs don't even have anxiety but I feel like I'm going insane, I can't do anything and I'm falling behind in class because it's so hard to stay focused and remember everything. I'm starting to get really overwhelmed. I wanna speak to a psychologist but I don't want my parents included in it at all. I went to go see one but they never got back to me after the first meeting. My mum thinks I'm always being silly because of the way I think, and maybe I am and just overthinking it but my school work and at home is driving me insane, I can't tell if I'm faking it for attention(?) Idk, and I'm so sick of feeling so useless in my classes. I'm not sure if I'm being lazy either, because I try to do the work but it's just so hard and all my teachers expect me to know what to do. I just want someone to scan my brain and tell me what's wrong with me and why I'm acting like this. I just want answers because I'm so tired of it. I feel like I'm just in agony when I'm in class.