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

N_D Withdrawing from one medication to try another
  • replies: 3

I have GAD, Bipolar 2 and have recently been diagnosed with CPTSD. I’m currently on medications. My Dr wants to trial another medication. ( He has commented that it doesn’t seem to be doing anything for my anxiety p, which I agree with ). It’s been a... View more

I have GAD, Bipolar 2 and have recently been diagnosed with CPTSD. I’m currently on medications. My Dr wants to trial another medication. ( He has commented that it doesn’t seem to be doing anything for my anxiety p, which I agree with ). It’s been a month since I’ve been of my previous medication and my anxiety is sky high and getting headaches, which I understand to be withdrawal symptoms but I’m not improving. Why can’t he tell me it’s all withdrawal symptoms or if I’ll need another medication and just prescribe it so I don’t have to live in this limbo? I’ve read online forums that say withdrawing can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months and don’t know whether to keep persevering🧐

Eagle Ray Facing challenging health issues
  • replies: 13

I wasn’t sure where to put this post. Will just mention that for anyone with health anxiety it might be stressful, just so you are aware if you would prefer not to read it. As I’ve written elsewhere in the Trauma/PTSD section I’ve been diagnosed with... View more

I wasn’t sure where to put this post. Will just mention that for anyone with health anxiety it might be stressful, just so you are aware if you would prefer not to read it. As I’ve written elsewhere in the Trauma/PTSD section I’ve been diagnosed with an autoimmune liver disease. The specialist gave me fairly depressing info at the start, that I had about 10-12 years before I’d need a liver transplant to stay alive. Through my own research and a helpful support organisation I’ve learned this is not necessarily true, and many go on to live a fairly normal lifespan. So I felt like I was coping ok with it and there was hope. But over the last year or so I’ve experienced increasing periods of quite severe shortness of breath. Heart tests last year showed mitral valve regurgitation. Pulmonary hypertension (affecting the lungs) has an association with both the liver disease and mitral valve dysfunction. I’m going to contact my GP for possible further testing as the symptoms are now worse than last year. But my reason for posting is if it is pulmonary hypertension the prognosis is not great. It’s described as a universally fatal disease and without treatment death can be in 2-3 years. I know I shouldn’t get ahead of myself and I know the initial info I was given on the liver disease was not entirely accurate, so if I do find out I’ve got pulmonary hypertension it’s not necessarily the end for me. But I just felt the need to post as I live alone and deal with all these things on my own. I have to advocate for myself with medical professionals but it feels such a lonely battle at times. I don’t tell much to friends or relatives as I don’t like to worry them or bring bad thoughts. But I’ve had the strong feeling in the last year and a half I’m facing my own mortality. I guess I just feel alone with it. Is anyone else dealing with similar issues and what strategies have helped you manage any health anxiety? I have a trauma history with a lot of very stressful experiences throughout my life and sometimes I feel like my body’s had enough and is packing it in.

M1ssjess89 I have convinced myself I have MS or a neurological disorder.
  • replies: 11

I feel absolutely ridiculous. This will be my third post. Since March I've had really weird symptoms and with the weird symptoms my anxiety has shot through the roof. Atleast 50% of the time I feel my body is in panic mode. I have a nervous/tight tum... View more

I feel absolutely ridiculous. This will be my third post. Since March I've had really weird symptoms and with the weird symptoms my anxiety has shot through the roof. Atleast 50% of the time I feel my body is in panic mode. I have a nervous/tight tummy, my chest is right so I find it hard to breath properly. I've been getting pins and needles or just rubbery feelings. It's never in a whole leg or a whole arm, it's just parts of it. So it'll be like a part of my hamstring, or a part of my calf muscle, or a couple toes. I also get random itches or skin crawling. I get skin crawling over my stomach. I have this sick feeling to my stomach something is so very wrong My doctor has given me a referral to see a neurologist in 2 weeks. I'm now so worried he will find something. My doctor thinks it's just my anxiety, but he'd rather give me the assurance. Do you think this is anixety? I cannot stop thinking and I'm so focused on every little physical symptom I'm feeling. I'm so scared. And I'm trying so hard to help myself. I keep busy, I lift weights and go for walks/runs. I eat well, sleep as well as I can. I do try breathing but I find it difficult. Mindfulness is something I absolutely avoid as I focus on the tingling. Right now I have tingling in my shoulder blades.

blues23 How do you deal with the monster in your head ?
  • replies: 9

As above im really struggling today , I did call up beyond blue , how do you deal with the destructive things in your head that tell you to do destructive things in order to cope with your anxiety? How do you cope ? I’m finding harder and harder ever... View more

As above im really struggling today , I did call up beyond blue , how do you deal with the destructive things in your head that tell you to do destructive things in order to cope with your anxiety? How do you cope ? I’m finding harder and harder every day to cope and be happy ( or at least pretend to be happy ) I have to have some sort of normal face in order so people can’t see how bad I actually am feeling

Gemmm9 New member with anxiety struggling at corporate job
  • replies: 10

Hi everyone, I’m new here. I have battled with anxiety for what feels like the most of my life. I am 25 years old. I’ve been feeling VERY down lately and I think I may be experiencing depression. Out of the 7 days of the week, I would say I’m miserab... View more

Hi everyone, I’m new here. I have battled with anxiety for what feels like the most of my life. I am 25 years old. I’ve been feeling VERY down lately and I think I may be experiencing depression. Out of the 7 days of the week, I would say I’m miserable 6 days. I regularly exercise and eat a very healthy diet. I have a good support network of friends and family. My issue comes down to my own brain. I can’t switch off and worry about everything and anything. I had a really bad experience when I was 17 years old and my parents took me to see a psychologist. The psychologist immediately put me on medication. I was on anxiety medication for two years but I felt spaced out constantly and not myself at all. I was so airy fairy... My family and friends noticed that I was a completely different person. I was numb. i decided to get off the medication on my own and stop taking it ( would not recommend, I had terrible withdrawals and ended up in hospital) from then I always struggled with my anxiety. currently- I am in a corporate government job that is a highly stressful . I am struggling to communicate with colleagues. I feel I can’t make eye contact with anyone and whenever I need to present to a group, I am crippled with anxiety for days and cannot sleep properly. I am finding that I now struggle to remember words and I struggle to put sentences together. I wake up at least 8 times per night. I have lost all my confidence and I constantly worry people are thinking how dumb I am ( I understand this is irrational but that’s how I feel). I cry nearly every day after work. I have panic attacks on a weekly basis. I’m at the point where I have decided I need to quit my job and do something that is less stressful. some questions I’m hoping you all can help out with... 1) is there anyone on here who has left a corporate job due to anxiety and how did you feel in a less demanding job? Did you then find something else to ‘worry’ about or did it help you find peace? 2) has anyone had good experience with anxiety medication and would it be worthwhile me trying it again.. are all anxiety medication the same? Or could I find my ‘fit’? 3) any other thoughts/ comments would be appreciated Gemmm

Humpty Anxiety
  • replies: 8

I work in retail have done for 40 years but all of a sudden im finding when im at work i get bad anxiety and i freak out then i have to go home and now im too scared to go back to work

I work in retail have done for 40 years but all of a sudden im finding when im at work i get bad anxiety and i freak out then i have to go home and now im too scared to go back to work

Humpty Anxiety
  • replies: 5

Please give me any tips on how to control anxiety i actually call it the dragon

Please give me any tips on how to control anxiety i actually call it the dragon

Frustrated mumma Throat anxiety
  • replies: 5

Hi guys When I get anxious or am starting to have a panic attack I start thinking im either going to swallow my tongue or choke or my throat is going to close up. I honestly have no idea why I have these intrusive thoughts and I have no trauma etc to... View more

Hi guys When I get anxious or am starting to have a panic attack I start thinking im either going to swallow my tongue or choke or my throat is going to close up. I honestly have no idea why I have these intrusive thoughts and I have no trauma etc towards that area. Any advice on how to not let it affect me in my throat, tongue etc? I'm so over it

Janeie Work relations
  • replies: 4

I’ve been feeling really crap lately.For weeks. Work has been really stressful and crazy. I’ve been almost a breaking point. Constant anxiety.I like my boss, we get on well. But she is a micromanager and a procrastinator.Recently she overheard me tal... View more

I’ve been feeling really crap lately.For weeks. Work has been really stressful and crazy. I’ve been almost a breaking point. Constant anxiety.I like my boss, we get on well. But she is a micromanager and a procrastinator.Recently she overheard me talking about her to her boss. I’m so ashamed and embarrassed. The work environment is toxic. Everyone talks about everyone.I hate myself for behaving that way. My self esteem is so low. My stress so high,it is almost as though I was feeling so bad I set out to create a reason.I just want to curl in a ball and hide forever.

cacti Can't socialize for my own good
  • replies: 6

Greetings guys!I have been experiencing social difficulties for as long as my family and I can remember, which has been worsening by the year since adolescence. I've never had a net improvement even when I am motivated to try. I'm 16 and likely going... View more

Greetings guys!I have been experiencing social difficulties for as long as my family and I can remember, which has been worsening by the year since adolescence. I've never had a net improvement even when I am motivated to try. I'm 16 and likely going to attend university away from home in one year or so but I still can't hold the most basic conversation with peers and strangers. I struggle to buy groceries and order food in a restaurant despite planning what to say before hand -- the words either turn into gibberish or just disappear from my head completely because of how preoccupied I am by the fear of not expressing everything right. I have no close friends, because as others say and I quote, I look difficult to approach. But I make sure I'm as polite as possible all the time and can't figure out what is unpleasant about me. Because of this I am always the least informed in school. It worries me that I might not be able to live very well on my own since I can't interact with the outside world and will have no one to lend me help when needed. I'm so lost on this.