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

Chris_B Forums etiquette: give support to receive support
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newb... View more

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newbies are welcomed when they first post, and we understand that it’s a big step to post for the first time on a forum like this, especially if you aren’t feeling great. It’s important to remember, though, that these forums are a community of real people, just like you, not a one-on-one support environment like going to see your psychologist. To get the best out of being here, one of the best tips we can offer is give support to receive support. Being a good community member means: participating in different threads (not just your own), replying to people who have taken the time to reply to you (even if it’s just to say thank you), and... posting words of emotional support and encouragement when you see others who are hurting and reaching out. You don’t have to feel obliged to solve the problems of others: that’s not what we’re here for. But you can offer empathy and what you’ve learned from your own life experiences, even if it’s just a line or two, eg. “I don't know what to say, but I want to give you my support and tell you I care about what is happening to you and hope life will get better soon.” Try to develop an interest in the journeys of others here on the forums. You may be surprised at how good being an active, caring member here can make you feel. For those of you who have had good experiences giving support here on the forums, please post in this thread here and let us know how it has helped you on your journey.

All discussions

Start a discussion

Mic_Quid Getting the right help
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, I'm not sure if this is the right discussion forum for this but I thought I would have a go and find out. I've had anxiety for a long time, probably all of my life. I have seen psychologists and have some strategies that allow me to mana... View more

Hi everyone, I'm not sure if this is the right discussion forum for this but I thought I would have a go and find out. I've had anxiety for a long time, probably all of my life. I have seen psychologists and have some strategies that allow me to manage the symptoms. However the underlying anxiety still remains and rears its ugly head from time to time. I have also had some issues with frustration/anger, being quick to get quite frustrated and upset/angry. I think it's related to feeling anxious and a "bandwith" issue if that makes sense. It's something I have been working on and I thought I had been doing well until an incident yesterday. So essentially, I feel like I need some help in being able to not get so frustrated. I've read some things about taking deep breaths and counting backwards and the like but that would require a presence of mind that I don't know I had in that instance. Can anyone suggest how I can approach this? Is it a go see a Dr and get a mental health plan thing or are there other groups I can reach out to?

JacintaMarie Hi had bad thoughts
  • replies: 7

HiHow are you? I've been going okay, but at work, I've been getting an inner feeling that my management isn't very good & this afternoon, I did something wrong, which triggered me. I feel bad that I'm thinking this. I'm the only one. I think everyone... View more

HiHow are you? I've been going okay, but at work, I've been getting an inner feeling that my management isn't very good & this afternoon, I did something wrong, which triggered me. I feel bad that I'm thinking this. I'm the only one. I think everyone just accepts that their normal & my bloody mind doesn't! I don't trust my inner feelings anymore. How do you know if its anxiety or your warning? Another bad thing is sometimes I feel my management is all show & no substance. I'm terrible for thinking this, to be fair, my grandmother is also abit like that, looks nice but no substance. She can't help it, it's who she is. I am glad my brain isn't like that, bur sometimes I wish I could fit in. They just give me "weird" looks, though this is my anxiety I guess. I'm a terrible person for saying this! I cannot ever tell this to my management, they'll be horrified! Also, my team leader, I'm not very good at communicating with her, work stuff I just cant talk right, others are fine but I'm crap, but non work stuff, is okay. I learnt, I think, she's the type of person, where she's always right, as long as she's right, no problem. I am a horrible person! Thanks for letting me rant!

Fzyy Health anxiety!
  • replies: 5

Hello, Im sure other people suffer from health anxiety and I do too, and it’s really bad. Considering my age, I’m very young but even the tiniest throb, headache, cough worries me and it’s draining me faster and worse than my own health can. It’s ext... View more

Hello, Im sure other people suffer from health anxiety and I do too, and it’s really bad. Considering my age, I’m very young but even the tiniest throb, headache, cough worries me and it’s draining me faster and worse than my own health can. It’s extremely scary and I can’t seem to find people with similar constant Symptoms that come with their anxiety, no matter how much research I do so I’m convinced it’s something bad. Which makes me feel unmotivated to do absolutely anything, I leave things to the very last minute and I can’t even keep up with basic hygiene because I feel like there’s no use, also makes me feel awful. When I do get random boosts of motivation (rarely) or feel like I can calm down, I immediately can’t anymore, I tense up or get even slightly anxious that something bad will happen after that and that’s the only reason I was allowed to be “normal” for a bit, so I leave that and force myself to feel more down and empty, But in general everything feels meaningless at the same time. If anyone feels similar I’d love for a reply!

Butterfly20 Anxiety/sleepless nights over school
  • replies: 1

I have always been anxious and an extreme overthinker as well as having fear over making wrong decisions. recently my fear and anxiety have been over choosing schools for my child. Im deciding between 2 schools that he got offers for. They are simila... View more

I have always been anxious and an extreme overthinker as well as having fear over making wrong decisions. recently my fear and anxiety have been over choosing schools for my child. Im deciding between 2 schools that he got offers for. They are similar but also different in some ways. One day i sway more toward one and then next day the other and one day im in between. U keep thinking which would be a better fit, where would he be happier etc. then i worry about him finding nice friends, fitting in, what if he gets bullied for some readon, will he like/not like school and how to tackle that etc. also he may need to do afterschool care for few days a week and im worried that will be too much to handle. i am so worried as the wrong choice can have an impact on him and his future. i just wish someone could tell me which is best for him but no one can, as we cant predict future. i think my anxiety stems from my school experience. I had to change 3 primary schools due to parents moving. i found it difficult to find friends as i was shy and socially awkward. I was also bullied at some points. Now all of this is surfacing and i so dont want my child to experience the same. i just dont know what to do, how to overcome this, stop overthinking and decide.

geelt Fear and making excuses
  • replies: 6

Fear prevents me from taking meaningful action. I don't want to keep living on auto-pilot and wasting away. I keep fumbling and making bad choices. Never got a job while in school, never got my 'P's, dropped out of University and I don't have any har... View more

Fear prevents me from taking meaningful action. I don't want to keep living on auto-pilot and wasting away. I keep fumbling and making bad choices. Never got a job while in school, never got my 'P's, dropped out of University and I don't have any hard or soft skills. After a year of job searching and no success I can't keep things the way they are. I don't want to wallow in self-pity. I never capitalized on any opportunities, haven't grown as a person or matured. I hate how I speak and type, I feel so stupid and sound so dumb I feel that everyone I talk to treats me like I'm sub-human. I don't want to be treated like an idiot but I haven't done anything that makes me human. I did a traineeship in retail, felt more confident in myself while doing so. Got sick for a week right after it ended and it felt like everything I did went away and I fumbled and did laughably bad for an interview I had while I was starting to get better. It's like was back at square one. I can't make excuses or blame anyone I didn't meet their requirements and didn't get the job as a result. It was a mix of stress, recovering from sickness and desperation for getting a job after all the pressure all these wasted years doing nothing. Its not the first interview I've been to.I overthink everything I doIt shouldn't have affected me that much, I know I should stop living in the past but going back to the job searching process, going through the employment agency again scares me. I'm too scared to study go to university or do a trade. I don't have confidence in myself. At this rate I won't find a job because I can't go one week without questioning everything.Being told by the psychologist to find a career I want to do instead of trying to find work after I've spent the past 4 years realising im getting nowhere trying to finda career I want to do when all im doing is worrying about what career i want to do.No one wants to hire a sub human who cant talkcivilized. I want to stop worrying stop regretting every action I do

kaityo1 OCD anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi all, I was diagnosed with OCD at the beginning of the year, I have sought help and continue to seek help through a GP, psychiatrist, psychologist and naturopath. I also take medication. I’ve got all the right steps in place, but I still get this o... View more

Hi all, I was diagnosed with OCD at the beginning of the year, I have sought help and continue to seek help through a GP, psychiatrist, psychologist and naturopath. I also take medication. I’ve got all the right steps in place, but I still get this overwhelming feeling of things not getting better as the content I’m obsessing and distressed about involves the most disturbing thoughts I can think of (they send me into instant disgust and panic) and uncertainty as to whether these events have happened in real life and happened frequently (a lot of self doubt). I feel like I’m a ‘different’ case because many people with OCD feel they might act out these action in the future, whereas I carry the guilt and shame as if I’ve done it.It makes me anxious to think that this could be my life forever and that I have to live with the fact that I potentially did the distressing action I’m thinking of.

Jessksch I can't sleep at night because I just think of work the next day? Only working part-time!
  • replies: 4

I've been trying a new medication and started this week on it. I feel fine but last week I have been "painfully" uncomfortable on a different medication, no matter the position I was in, I felt uncomfortable. I have a holiday planned next month for t... View more

I've been trying a new medication and started this week on it. I feel fine but last week I have been "painfully" uncomfortable on a different medication, no matter the position I was in, I felt uncomfortable. I have a holiday planned next month for two weeks, but lately I just feel so crap, I just feel like after work I don't get enough time to relax even though I work part time! Then evening comes and I don't feel tired still, just want to still do things before work but I should be going to bed and can't relax even though this medication is supposed to make me tired.

os02045689 Can psychologist and GP work together to give medication prescription without seeing a psychiatrist?
  • replies: 1

Hello all, for the last 6 months I have been visiting a psychologist about dissociative anxiety issues and trying various management techniques, in the last few months it has increased and become unmanageable to the point where i’ve started to consid... View more

Hello all, for the last 6 months I have been visiting a psychologist about dissociative anxiety issues and trying various management techniques, in the last few months it has increased and become unmanageable to the point where i’ve started to consider getting medication, I recently went to a GP and discussed it and was referred to tele psychiatrist at HelloDoc for a 291 assessment but after reading reviews about the service and looking at the overall cost I decided i'm not comfortable booking an appointment. I was wondering if my GP alone would be able to prescribe medication or if my GP with recommendation of my psychologist ( meaning consulting my psychologist on there opinions of wether medication is the right avenue) would be able to too, I understand that the specialisation on psychiatrist would be helpful and how but the wait to see one (I am a VCE year 12 student and my work load is starting to pile up more and more as I near exams which has caused more stress so in my mind the sooner the better) combined with the extra cost and the stress of having to open up to a new person does not seem to be worth it in my mind, any advice would be greatly appreciated and thank you in advance.

Guest_28198738 Movin out
  • replies: 2

Everyone is so happy we have bought and house in our early 20’s. I an really happy with what we have achieved, but haven’t moved in straight away as I live with my parents. Everyone is asking me why haven’t I moved in. I am petrified of leaving my pa... View more

Everyone is so happy we have bought and house in our early 20’s. I an really happy with what we have achieved, but haven’t moved in straight away as I live with my parents. Everyone is asking me why haven’t I moved in. I am petrified of leaving my parents as a result of health conditions. I hate change and can’t cope well. I cannot be alone

Anxietyridden Feeling like I am done with everything
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone,It's been a rough day today. I let my manager know today that I am feeling like I don't belong at work as I am not being included in things and one of the girls doesn't talk to me much. She wasn't very supportive and told me I shouldn't c... View more

Hi everyone,It's been a rough day today. I let my manager know today that I am feeling like I don't belong at work as I am not being included in things and one of the girls doesn't talk to me much. She wasn't very supportive and told me I shouldn't cry. I now feel like I just should have shut up as I am worried she is going to talk behind my back about it. She knows I have severe anxiety as I have been open about it but I am just at the stage where I just want to stay home as I know I won't be judged at home but then I will feel guilty that I am not working. It is so hard not to overthink things. I am also struggling with home life. I have my mother and 3 adultish kids at home. I had to come home today and change all of the kitty litter as it is bin night and they just sat there and watched me. I seem to be the only one who can take the bins down every Monday night and the only one who can clean the fridge out. They can't do anything without being asked. I am 110% fed up with everything at the moment. Sorry, rant over. Thankyou for reading