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

Numb Just Humiliated Myself
  • replies: 8

Hello there I suffer from depression, anxiety and very low self esteem. Worst part, I never seem to be able to learn from past mistakes. I stood up for myself this morning, and was torn down by others. The thing is, I know in my heart and by their pr... View more

Hello there I suffer from depression, anxiety and very low self esteem. Worst part, I never seem to be able to learn from past mistakes. I stood up for myself this morning, and was torn down by others. The thing is, I know in my heart and by their previous actions, I needed to protect myself. So I spoke up, politely, with respect but to the point. I was instantly met with opposition, I stood my ground, but self doubt flooded over me. I was unable to continue my (rightly so) defence, and retreated. I am so upset, confused and why the heck, can't I flick off unjust negativity! I always doubt, loathe, second guess and question my perception of reality. Absorbing needless humiliation. I am actually crying whilst typing this.

Guest_07705316 struggling with dread when doing uni everyday
  • replies: 1

I have anxiety, depression and agoraphobia that I’ve been dealing with since I was 19. I only started seeing a therapist now (I’m 26) but this has affected all aspects of my life since I’ve never had a passion. I did get a Bachelor’s in a random fiel... View more

I have anxiety, depression and agoraphobia that I’ve been dealing with since I was 19. I only started seeing a therapist now (I’m 26) but this has affected all aspects of my life since I’ve never had a passion. I did get a Bachelor’s in a random field just to appease my parents but have never worked and now can’t work even though I want to. So I decided to get a Master’s in Speech Pathology for a stable profession and since there are lots of opportunities…but I underestimated how intense the content, clinical expectations and assignments are and now I’m having breakdowns everyday, can’t sleep, can’t eat and dread waking up in the morning because I don’t want to do this anymore. I want to push through because if I drop out…well I’ll just go back to being a bum. I have no other career alternative/option if I do quit. This was the one thing me and my family were banking on. Does anyone know what to do? Everyone around me tells me to keep pushing cos I’m only in week 2.

jemma09 Pets are unwell - causing my mental health to decline
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, I hope you’re being kind to yourself today I haven’t been here in a bit, but I’m having some struggles so wanted to pop back in. 2/3 of my pets are unwell at present. I have a dog that is not herself due to a leg injury. She has been ref... View more

Hi everyone, I hope you’re being kind to yourself today I haven’t been here in a bit, but I’m having some struggles so wanted to pop back in. 2/3 of my pets are unwell at present. I have a dog that is not herself due to a leg injury. She has been refusing to drink water and appears depressed.My cat has just been diagnosed with an unknown brain disease because she’s started having seizures (it’s only been me seeing the seizures and they’re scary as heck!). At present she has a great quality of life, and so far is normal between her seizures. We also try our best to support them like keeping the house with soft zones for the cat, and giving flavoured water to help the dog.However - it is the unknown of what will happen or how/when their conditions will progress that has impacted me.Especially because they both appear normal most of the time… but there’s hidden diseases in the background. I have an anxiety disorder and OCD. Lovely combination of course! So this leads to be me becoming obsessive, constantly checking, constant intrusive thoughts and therefore it is becoming difficult to live normal life (eating enough, drinking enough, being able to sleep). I do recognise we need to provide support to our pets that are unwell, but it is very upsetting seeing them suffer with illnesses especially when they are your companions. I have family members who are nonchalant about it and say ‘it’s the new normal’ and we shall just continue on. But when you have mental health conditions, it doesn’t work that way. I keep thinking - I better cancel all my future travel just in case, I better start preparing for their deaths, I better not go to my classes anymore, I should quit my job to care for them. But this is extreme, I know that. But these thoughts keep coming in my mind. I have surveillance cameras set up in the home to monitor the pets and watch out for any issues. But I end up watching them 24/7 even when I’m home. I don’t want to leave them alone. I keep researching their illnesses. I keep thinking they will have a new health emergency or they will suddenly die any second so I’m constantly searching for new symptoms and signs. "When will the next thing happen?"My brain jumps to extremes and my emotions and baseline feel very unstable. I have taken a day off of work today to rest up and try to have a normal relaxing day. I’ve booked into a GP tomorrow to get a new referral for therapy and also will try to see a psychiatrist. I’ve never wanted to take medications before but because it’s impacting my wellbeing I am considering that an option also. if anyone has any extra advice, that would be much appreciated. thank you so much for reading 🫂

Catlady3999 Partner of Crime
  • replies: 1

Recently my now ex partner committed a serious crime and i feel like i lost everything ive had to change jobs and even then I feel like people know.my closest friends turned out me I feel like I have nothing left, I don’t know what to do I feel like ... View more

Recently my now ex partner committed a serious crime and i feel like i lost everything ive had to change jobs and even then I feel like people know.my closest friends turned out me I feel like I have nothing left, I don’t know what to do I feel like everyone I speak to secretly hates me It just feels like everytime i start to make some progress in moving on, another person turns on me I’m just struggling because I’ve done nothing wrong and I’ve tried to do the right thing but no one seems to believe me and trust me anymorei feel so alone, everyday is riddled with the anxiety of someone hating me for something I didnt do

Guest_03644631 Relationship
  • replies: 1

Does anyone suffer from bad anxiety that’s makes you push your partner away I’m also seeking mental health assessment this week but really just need advise thank you

Does anyone suffer from bad anxiety that’s makes you push your partner away I’m also seeking mental health assessment this week but really just need advise thank you

Adsy24 Anxiety and OCD thoughts about past
  • replies: 8

Hi all and sorry in advance for my absolute novel!I’ve been diagnosed and battled Anxiety and OCD/Intrusive thoughts for almost 20 years now. I’ve always been quite an anxious person, but the true battles begun after years of drinking heavily at soci... View more

Hi all and sorry in advance for my absolute novel!I’ve been diagnosed and battled Anxiety and OCD/Intrusive thoughts for almost 20 years now. I’ve always been quite an anxious person, but the true battles begun after years of drinking heavily at social events and on weekends. This is how it all started, I would drink excessively, then have intrusive thoughts of doing something wrong while intoxicated. These were my triggers and it took me years to realise that alcohol and myself don’t mix. I no longer drink or smoke and I’ve never taken illicit substances. I would have an episode, battle my mind for weeks/months while going to my psychologist and taking my medication. Calm would follow for years, but then I would have an episode after missing medication or having a couple of drinks (at my own detriment) and I would have to go through the whole anxiety and dread fueled process again. This time has felt different though, one single thought of a past event from 4 years ago has sent me into a spiral that has ripped my soul apart. It took 4 weeks to gain some relief, but then a few more intrusive thoughts have sunk their claws in when I felt I was on the mend. Has anyone had this before? Has anyone felt relief only to have it stripped away so quickly? I’m just really struggling with it all, so any advice or support would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards, Adsy

Mario_Sonic My Ongoing Fear
  • replies: 35

Hey guys, Liam here. I just wanted to talk about something that has deeply affected me for a long time now and that something...is my fear of losing my family...Basically, from when I was born to when I was 13, I was a youthful, happy person...but wh... View more

Hey guys, Liam here. I just wanted to talk about something that has deeply affected me for a long time now and that something...is my fear of losing my family...Basically, from when I was born to when I was 13, I was a youthful, happy person...but when I was 14, so this was in September 2019, my Nan had a fall and broke her arm. This was something I didn't see, but I was there when it happened...I had my two cousins with me at the time, boy and girl and my girl cousin actually witnessed Nan fall which deeply traumatized her...anyways...point is, after this incident, in 2020, I lost my Grandpa and my Nan's best friend five months apart from each other so in the months of July and Februrary...then in 2021, as a couple of you may know, my dear friend was murdered in September of that year...these three deaths all mean something to me because they've given me this belief that I'm going to lose my family and if I do lose them, the only option I'll have left is to end my life because I can't live without my family...especially my Nan and Pop...they're not just a part of my life, they are my life and they're a part of me...I love my Nan and Pop and all the rest of my family dearly...my fear has gotten so bad that I've started having nightmares about losing them all, seeing them all dead, me being beaten up by my enemies, and me being killed in an electric chair ever since Nan's fall...I guess that's why I feel like I need a girl I can talk to so I'll never be alone... *Crying* -Liam

SleepyRain Need motivation advice.
  • replies: 4

Hey Everyone, I am just wondering how do you find motivation to do anything from the small things to the big things, to the things you are afraid of doing. I want to go out more and get back into the workforce among other things but my social anxiety... View more

Hey Everyone, I am just wondering how do you find motivation to do anything from the small things to the big things, to the things you are afraid of doing. I want to go out more and get back into the workforce among other things but my social anxiety does my head in. I'm worried about messing things up to people judging me and having to deal with unsuspected confrontation. As I have mentioned in other posts I want to get my life back on track, because I don't want to keep wasting my life away. How have any of you been able to overcome whatever it is that was holding you back? Have a good day/night SleepyRain

Kezzi Coping
  • replies: 8

How do most people cope with reoccurring anxiety and panick attacks ? I can't take SSRIs due to serotonin syndrome, they just come out of nowhere! Any help would be appreciated

How do most people cope with reoccurring anxiety and panick attacks ? I can't take SSRIs due to serotonin syndrome, they just come out of nowhere! Any help would be appreciated

waffle_puppy Extremely rude teacher
  • replies: 2

Hi, thank you so much for reading this. Today in class (Session 5) I was sitting in class next to my friend at the back because my teacher told me to sit there so I just sat there quietly and listened to what she had to say. For starters, I never lik... View more

Hi, thank you so much for reading this. Today in class (Session 5) I was sitting in class next to my friend at the back because my teacher told me to sit there so I just sat there quietly and listened to what she had to say. For starters, I never liked her because of how rude and loud she is and how much she doesn't care about students who actually want to learn compared to those who throw chairs, shove others, and try to stand on the tables and scream in class. I swear I'm not the type of person to do that type of thing, I just try to do my work to get it over and done with. Meanwhile she was talking, my friend whispered to me about the seating position to which I reassured her and whispered back that it's just temporary so the loud boys don't try to sit at the back and cause any commotion (Which is a bad idea in my opinion because they'll just do it again) and today was horrendous and worse than usual. I was trying my best to focus when people kept interrupting and screaming whilst other people from the class next door slid the door that was behind my seat and screamed into the class which made it hard to focus and I even asked my friend for help as we worked together and even my teacher saw that I was working and listening (I showed her my book too which I wrote so much into as well) including the sheet she wanted us to work on and she looked at it before screaming in my face that it wasn't enough and that I did no work (I did two questions and was having trouble but she never helped no matter how much I asked?) so she resorted to screaming at me and said she'll write it on Compass only for me to get an Amber/Yellow chronicle which I never got. I was so upset and was crying so when it was the end of class I still tried to be nice to her and say "Thank you, bye." and she screamed "Just do your damn work" and I walked off. I've had enough of her behaviour and the fact that she thinks I do nothing is making me want to not go to this class anymore. I literally have a headache from this class and messaged my parents about it who said they'll look into it. I am so tense right now because I want to be an artist and musician once I'm older and don't want this chronicle to affect my life when I am older and go into proper work. I don't want this to ruin my image and make me look bad. I swear on my heart I never did anything and ended up crying heavily from this. She's always been rude ever since year 9 but she's never this rude unlike today