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

44Max44 Anxiety stopping me from being able to celebrate my best mate's birthday
  • replies: 4

So it's my mate's birthday party today but I've found that all I've been doing for like a week leading up to it is trying to find any reasonable excuse not to go to it without making me look bad. He's my best mate and I mean all the best by him but I... View more

So it's my mate's birthday party today but I've found that all I've been doing for like a week leading up to it is trying to find any reasonable excuse not to go to it without making me look bad. He's my best mate and I mean all the best by him but I am very bad in social situations and there are 30+ people going to the party that I don't know whatsoever and if I'm being honest I don't really want to get to know them because I already struggle to keep the few friends I currently have. The only way I find these parties bearable is if I drink heaps and get wasted but I'm not a big drinker either, I'll probably get drunk once a year if that. I love small gatherings where it's just a small group of friends I know with maybe 2 or 3 people I don't know but having 30+ people I don't know at the party is super overwhelming for me and I just find myself not enjoying myself at all until I'm blackout drunk and don't remember anything the next day, which in itself gives me anxiety because I don't have any idea what I did when I was blackout drunk. I don't know. I want to celebrate my mate's birthday and make him happy but I just don't find his way of celebrating fun. He's a very extroverted person and I'm very introverted. We're like straight up polar opposites when it comes to how we socialize. It's weird too because he's told me that he thinks he's very awkward in social situations too but I don't see it. He's actually the type of guy I aspire to be when it comes to social interactions. I guess that just goes to show that you never really know what's going on with somebody just from their outward appearance. I want to be a good friend to him but I also don't want to have to be blackout drunk to do so. I just feel so guilty if I don't show up and I can't think of any excuse that would be good enough and not just look like I'm trying to ghost him. I've already been growing distant to him throughout this year and I feel like me not showing up to his birthday would be the last nail in the coffin. I almost just want to send him a link to this post to show him how I really feel because it's hard for me to have heart to hearts with people but I also feel like that could backfire on me. Anxiety sucks, man. It's controlling my life, dictating the stuff I do, effecting my relationships and work, it isn't fun.

Petal22 From someone who suffered OCD and recovered
  • replies: 14

I’m experienced in knowing what Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is and how it feels to have this condition I suffered with this condition and now I’m recovered thanks to the correct treatment from health professionals. I want to share my experiences in... View more

I’m experienced in knowing what Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is and how it feels to have this condition I suffered with this condition and now I’m recovered thanks to the correct treatment from health professionals. I want to share my experiences in how it feels to have OCD and to let you know there is HOPE that you can recover aswell if you are experiencing it.. I was diagnosed with OCD by a psychiatrist…….. for me when I had OCD my intrusive thoughts seemed irrational but “ felt” very real…… As an example of OCD and how the sufferer feels: you can be driving a car and pass a pedestrian….. your intrusive thought will say “ what if I ran that person over” a person with OCD will experience severe anxiety that will accompany this thought…. with many scenarios running through their mind the OCD sufferer gets fixed on these thoughts/ images……. the OCD sufferer feels the urge to turn around the car and go and check in actually fact to see if they did run the pedestrian over…… they go back and check the pedestrian isn’t there but they will still constantly worry about it and have severe anxiety over it … with many what if s running through their mind….. because the sufferer “feels” extreme anxiety over this scenario the feelings seem very real…….. But to someone who doesn’t have OCD they will have the intrusive thought that they may run over the pedestrian….. but that’s we’re it stays as a thought and they forget about it… Some people with OCD may have intrusive thoughts to do something eg pick the correct coloured sock if they don’t they have the thoughts of “something bad will happen to someone they love if they don’t select the correct coloured sock” this thought is accompanied by extreme anxiety……. This condition is a very exhausting debilitating condition and it’s a very cruel disorder …. some people who suffer with this condition feel as though they are going crazy….. it’s a horrible disorder to have. OCD sufferers can feel “ stuck” scared, fearful and very exhausted. People with OCD perform compulsions to try to bring down the severity of their anxiety…. Eg seek reassurance, google search symptoms, check things over and over again…….ect Their anxiety comes down for a little while but it starts back up soon after because OCD is a vicious cycle. OCD is treatable.. I will explain in my next thread

Frankie94 Health Anxiety taking over
  • replies: 3

Hi all, I'm a little apprehensive to post this. I have had anxiety for as long as I can remember on many levels(in my 50's now). I have never really dealt with it, but it is my health anxiety that has always been the worst and lately it has spiralled... View more

Hi all, I'm a little apprehensive to post this. I have had anxiety for as long as I can remember on many levels(in my 50's now). I have never really dealt with it, but it is my health anxiety that has always been the worst and lately it has spiralled out of control and I feel on the verge of losing it! Over the years I have imagined I have every medical condition possible, and lately I've visited lots of doctors to rule things out and of course everything always comes back negative. I get relief for a short period but then a new symptom presents itself and then it starts all over again. I am a very fit person with great nutrition but this anxiety is killing me. At my last doctors visit I was prescribed some anti anxiety medication but I just can't take it. The thought of taking it and the possible side effects has nearly sent me into a panic attack!! I know I need help as this is becoming all consuming for me. From anyone's experience can I get through this without medication..is it possible with just counselling??

Chorlton12 Asbestos roof anxiety - HELP
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone Ive been subletting a property in WA for 6 months not realising the roof was asbestos. I am now constantly researching asbestos roofs and worried that I've done damage to my health. I know I shouldn't worry about the future but I'm scared... View more

Hi everyone Ive been subletting a property in WA for 6 months not realising the roof was asbestos. I am now constantly researching asbestos roofs and worried that I've done damage to my health. I know I shouldn't worry about the future but I'm scared Ive already done the damage. I can't believe it's not illegal to have had these roofs removed. I'm so upset with myself, Ive been living here for 6 months and Perth has had a very wet and windy winter. I feel my life is ruined I don't know how to go on, please help with this anxiety.

Justin95 Read this it helps
  • replies: 5

These past few months I rarely go out only if I have blood tests and seeing my psychologist. I am suffering from maybe severe anxiety. The main trigger for me is when someone sniffs and coughs I take it maybe they don’t acknowledge me and think I’m b... View more

These past few months I rarely go out only if I have blood tests and seeing my psychologist. I am suffering from maybe severe anxiety. The main trigger for me is when someone sniffs and coughs I take it maybe they don’t acknowledge me and think I’m belowthem. What goes in my mind is when I go outside and hear people do this I get panic attacks and I have a dreadful feeling I have to get out of there. I used to get bullied a lot by my uncle who always coughs and sometimes hits me, I’m no longer in contact with him but whenever I hear people cough it reminds me of my Uncle. I don’t understand what’s wrong with me. I see other people who hears cough and feel as if they did not hear anything. I want to be normal again. It is very hard for me to bare when I hear all types of people that do this. Please be respectful with your answers.

x_BLUE_MOON_x I'm obsessed with my personal belongings
  • replies: 12

Hi, I have this problem where I am obsessed with my personal belongings in my bedroom. To the point where I have been in a psychiatric ward 2 times. I’ve been struggling with this for 3 years, and I don't know what to do. I don't know, if it is OCD, ... View more

Hi, I have this problem where I am obsessed with my personal belongings in my bedroom. To the point where I have been in a psychiatric ward 2 times. I’ve been struggling with this for 3 years, and I don't know what to do. I don't know, if it is OCD, ADHD, anxiety or something else? As I have been diagnosed twice with ADHD, once when I was a kid and again the last few years. I'm very sensitive, I have very low self esteem, social anxiety, and Specific language impairment. I also have no friends, and no life really. Which I'm trying to change that, but it's hard. Also I have been having obsessive thoughts for about 13 years, where i overthink everything, even silly things. And I kind of have these obsessive routines where I have to do certain things a certain way every time, even if I don't want to do it. I find mostly now days, the obsessive routines are a lot less, but I still have a lot of obsessive thoughts. But the thing that mostly bothers me is me being obsessed with my personal belongings in my bedroom, like my tv, video games, action figurines, comics, computer and so on... I even have thoughts and I worry if my personal belongings has germs, covid 19 , or mold on it. Or I obsess that I have cleaned it too many times, or that it feels dirty. I know it's sounds crazy. I tell myself all the time, that those thoughts are stupid and silly. Say example the kitchen could be dirty, or I could get sick by touching a door knob, none of those things bother me. It's only my personal belongings that worries me which is odd. I have been to Psychologists and I have told them this. And they gave me all this feedback, which didn't help. I hope all of this made sense. Any opinions and thoughts would help, thanks.

aj127 Struggling with anxiety and parents not believing me
  • replies: 3

cw: mentions eating struggles, anxiety and intrusive thoughts. I'm 15 years old and have been struggling with anxiety for years. I have had counsellors and a therapist diagnose me with quite severe anxiety but my parents do not believe it. I have pan... View more

cw: mentions eating struggles, anxiety and intrusive thoughts. I'm 15 years old and have been struggling with anxiety for years. I have had counsellors and a therapist diagnose me with quite severe anxiety but my parents do not believe it. I have panic attacks often and am struggling with stomach pains when I eat that are possibly anxiety related. I am also overly fixated on my weight and am struggling to get help, I'm stuck in a cycle of eating well and then not enough and thinking I need to gain weight and thinking I need to lose it. Although my parents don't believe me about the anxiety they try and help me by asking what I would like to eat and buying snacks I like and that are healthy to help me with eating. They seem to think I only feel like this because of covid and social isolation and assure me there is nothing wrong with me. I've also been struggling with intrusive thoughts and thoughts of self-harm when I mess up or remember an embarrassing moment but I'm not sure how to tell them about this. I also really can't see the school counselor as I've heard if you mention self-harm or eating struggles they tell your best friend, your year advisor, and your parents, I don't need things to be talked about by so many people. I'm just wondering is this an eating disorder or anxiety? I get pain while I'm eating am struggling to eat because of it.

Coconutblue Thought I had my Anxiety under control
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, Back in 2019 I had my first introduction to the good old panic attack!!! Nothing in my life at the time was really all that bad, I had a chest infection and was treated with antibiotics. While completing the course I thought I better sto... View more

Hi everyone, Back in 2019 I had my first introduction to the good old panic attack!!! Nothing in my life at the time was really all that bad, I had a chest infection and was treated with antibiotics. While completing the course I thought I better stop drinking wine so the effectiveness worked better. This made me realise I was in fact self medicating with alcohol and have never felt worse...... up until last week where I was at work picking up a parcel from our mailroom and BANG, I instantly felt dizzy, sick, sweaty and shaky. I had had lunch and drink a fair amount of water. Dr ruled out medical issues from blood tests and had an ultrasound on my upper abdo. As I had been experiencing contraction like pain a few times. She has up'd my medication which Im happy to try and see if that makes a difference but I also feel deep down I know my own body and dont feel like something is 100% quite right. Has anyone else experienced a period of 2 or so years with no panic or severe anxiety for it to just pop back out of the blue? I feel like im going mad not knowing whats gotten me feeling these physical symptoms. sorry for the long post and thank you in advance

RedRocket My thoughts on anxiety
  • replies: 5

Like many people, I find myself struggling with my own mental health as of recent. I have been trying to self rationalise why that is the case, what lead me here and how its become what it is. Lifestyle changes, Covid lockdowns, amongst other factors... View more

Like many people, I find myself struggling with my own mental health as of recent. I have been trying to self rationalise why that is the case, what lead me here and how its become what it is. Lifestyle changes, Covid lockdowns, amongst other factors no doubt, are all relevant to the question. How do you describe it? Is it a feeling, a thought, an emotion, or a collection of all three? I find it best described as almost like being out of equilibrium with your baseline sense of feeling. Needlessly feeling an impending sense of distress or dread, that ebbs and flows, and at times can spiral, no matter how much you want to fight it. Why? That's the million dollar question, there's no observable, or logical reason, it just is. Ordinarily this could be self managed I believe, however the physical symptoms and frequency are what make it harder to manage from someone untrained to deal with their own mental discomfort. The chest tightness, the trembling limbs, sensations of tingling, intermittent hot flashes, and de-realisation, which I'm sure you have all been there, or felt something similar. The worry of when they will come next, will they come when you are at work? Will they jeopardies your relationships? Will they never stop coming? And the worry spirals. Oh and don't forget the impending sense of the heart attack, which no matter how many times you go through it, never comes, thankfully haha. Funny that, it never comes, yet you feel the same way each time, well at least you know what it isn't for next time! As an individual with no history of mental health issues, or significant clinical triggers, it has taken me by surprise. "It wont be me, I've always been stronger than that, I have mental resilience" That's what you tell yourself at first, and then you finally come to the realisation it never mattered, how "strong" you perceived yourself, mental health is not something you can brute force or totally prevent. You can only mitigate it, as best as you understand how. Ultimately this realisation has led to me to search for answers, self diagnosis is never the right option, as such seeking out a professional is going to be the next step. The most frustrating part, funnily enough, is not that likelihood of having some form of mental health issue, but that not knowing what it is, or why it is, only what it might be. I believe some sense of catharsis will come from identifying it clinically. Thanks for taking the time to read this, we're all gonna make it!

Justin95 Life of hope
  • replies: 3

Just read about a book about reincarnation. I get Anxiety just thinking about it, what if I become a Chicken or a Fish when i perish. Such thoughts torment me. What if I did bad things in my lifetime and have to suffer for it in the Afterlife. Life i... View more

Just read about a book about reincarnation. I get Anxiety just thinking about it, what if I become a Chicken or a Fish when i perish. Such thoughts torment me. What if I did bad things in my lifetime and have to suffer for it in the Afterlife. Life is so short we don’t know what comes after. I hope the people that made fun of me would be reincarnated into a caged chiken. What are your thoughts about reincarnation.