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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. 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

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Alannah57 Upset about people assuming I don’t clean
  • replies: 6

I have a small problem where I get upset when people assume I don’t clean or I think people are saying I don’t clean. For example, I just had a very clean roommate move into my house, and it’s been a few weeks. I did improve my cleaning habits in the... View more

I have a small problem where I get upset when people assume I don’t clean or I think people are saying I don’t clean. For example, I just had a very clean roommate move into my house, and it’s been a few weeks. I did improve my cleaning habits in the last few weeks, compared to how they were with previous roommates. I mopped the floor and vacuumed at least once last week, as well as regularly wiping down surfaces, throwing out bin bags twice, and putting away things and not leaving them out. I also stayed at friends’ houses for two nights and didn’t clean until this afternoon after my roommate talked to me. My roommate asked if I could help to clean around the house; and I got upset saying I do regularly clean and it was unfair to say I don’t and tried to feel calm and hand good self esteem, but I got upset and the interaction was slightly sour. But I realise I overreacted, but it made me feel bad about myself when my roommate asked me to help out with cleaning. Does anyone else have overly upset reactions to things that damage their ego? How do you healthily approach feeling upset if like your self esteem has been taken down a few notches?

Truetomyself Tired
  • replies: 305

At the moment I feel really tired and exhausted from my anxiety that is now impacting my depression. I am also tired of having to hide it. Especially with work. I can't afford to loose my job but I can't say what's really going on. I am scared and un... View more

At the moment I feel really tired and exhausted from my anxiety that is now impacting my depression. I am also tired of having to hide it. Especially with work. I can't afford to loose my job but I can't say what's really going on. I am scared and unsure of what to do. I have lost jobs because of my mental health being so up and down. I have no one to talk about it to.

Kazz28 Severe anxiety in social settings with alcohol
  • replies: 8

Hi everyone... I've searched the interwebs for information about how I'm feeling but I can't really find any, so here goes... I'm (M22) in a very stable, healthy relationship, however, when my partner and I go to any events that involve drinking I ve... View more

Hi everyone... I've searched the interwebs for information about how I'm feeling but I can't really find any, so here goes... I'm (M22) in a very stable, healthy relationship, however, when my partner and I go to any events that involve drinking I very quickly become very anxious, to the point where I need to leave the room and/or go and find a dark, quiet spot to recenter, otherwise I'll have a panic attack. Im able to have a couple of drinks (2 glasses of wine or so) before I start feeling uneasy and stop. At this stage, I can't stop fixating on what and how much my partner and those around me are drinking. I really (emphasis on really) want my partner to enjoy herself on these occasions and therefore I normally try and put on a brave face until she's done. We've had conversations about how I feel and she really wants to support me and have good communication about how I feel in these situations, but Im really worried about her feeling as though she can't enjoy herself or her feeling controlled - this is the last thing I want. I can't really out my finger on anything major that would cause me to feel this anxious in these situations. The anxiety can last 24-48 hours after the event. Any responses would be great

Horrendous_Hexapod Anxious about love and relationships
  • replies: 1

As part of my recent obsessions, I’ve been looking into different information relating to love and relationships. I’ve never really been in a romantic relationship, mainly because I’ve never put myself out there, but I keep reading through all of thi... View more

As part of my recent obsessions, I’ve been looking into different information relating to love and relationships. I’ve never really been in a romantic relationship, mainly because I’ve never put myself out there, but I keep reading through all of this information by multiple people online about the supposed nature of women in relationships. On one hand, I’ve received information from studies in multiple countries that tend to show that women seem to prefer men with high income, or men that make more money than they do. On the other hand, however, other studies of multiple countries tend to show that more women are marrying into relationships with men who are less educated where they are the primary earners and even providing for them when unemployed. Some studies suggest that this is because they’re compensating for lower income with men of higher social status, but others suggest that women with higher income do have higher socioeconomic status, and that many of them are choosing to marry men from lower social classes. I’ve also received conflicting information about looks as well, as I’ve read that women prefer to date men taller than them or with a certain face shape, but I’ve also read that their preferences vary over environments and in different countries. There’s apparently hundreds of studies, some of which say different things, and I’ve read through some of them, but there’s so many of them that it’s just too daunting to try and read through all of these studies. I do want to be open minded to new information, but I also don’t want to waste potential hours of my life when I could be doing things I actually enjoy. Keep in mind that, while a lot of this information comes from academic sources, I usually heard about it from blogs and websites created by people with a certain worldview. I think the thing that worries me is the implications of some of the negative studies, as I sometimes worry that if I were in a relationship with a woman and I earned less or was less attractive, she wouldn’t really love me as a person. I’m sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, as I know this isn’t as serious as a lot of the issues others post on this forum, but it’s been weighing on me a lot over the last few years, and especially throughout the last few months.

Andre_P Anxiety, ocd, depression, crying, anger
  • replies: 1

To be honest I’m over it. This is the first time in awhile that I don’t want to be here anymore. I’m not suicidal but I am very tired. I haven’t attempted anything. I’m just over it. my anxiety gets so bad. When I finally do reassure myself n calm my... View more

To be honest I’m over it. This is the first time in awhile that I don’t want to be here anymore. I’m not suicidal but I am very tired. I haven’t attempted anything. I’m just over it. my anxiety gets so bad. When I finally do reassure myself n calm myself down I get depressed because of how much pressure I’m under. i then start to cry and eventually I can feel the rage burning through afterwards. im just sick of the world. Nothing excites me anymore, probably because I’m avoiding a lot of things because of triggers. Cuz if I get triggered then I have the anxiety to deal with and to calm down. I feel like I’m trapped between 4 guards. Anxiety (ocd), depression, sadness (crying) and anger really over it ay

sparrowhawk I think I have an eating disorder
  • replies: 11

Hi everyone. Early last year I was diagnosed with a chronic gastrointestinal disorder which causes me to regurgitate/vomit food unintentionally. It was itself triggered by a virus and can be impacted by stress, illness and traumas. I was pretty sick ... View more

Hi everyone. Early last year I was diagnosed with a chronic gastrointestinal disorder which causes me to regurgitate/vomit food unintentionally. It was itself triggered by a virus and can be impacted by stress, illness and traumas. I was pretty sick at that time, where I lost a lot of weight and was really feeling weak. I was treated in hospital and had amazing support from a dietitian and psychologist, and slowly gained a bit of strength and weight back. I've noticed that my issues have really progressed into the psychological. I'm underweight and feeling terrified of gaining weight. I have had to move to a new treatment, to help stop triggering my GI symptoms, and I think this has actually strengthened the disordered stuff as I can really reduce and control my calorie intake. Finding myself thinking a LOT about food. The thing is, I know it's not good to be restricting, and I know I need to eat healthily, but it's like these thoughts come so intrusively. My psychologist conducted an ED assessment the other day and she thinks I have anorexia. I am going to my GP to get it confirmed but to be honest I feel like that is really what it is. I feel like things are such a mess. I have very kind support from people. There's this huge need in me to talk about it with others but then an equally huge one to protect myself. Anyone else in a similar boat - how did you tackle things?

puggywug My Anxiety Story: Finally Putting a Name to my Intrusive Thoughts and Emotions
  • replies: 15

Hi everyone, I plan to use this thread to share and update my ongoing anxiety story so feel free to come along for the ride! Childhood My first encounter with anxiety was during primary school. Every night, I would have this feeling in my stomach whi... View more

Hi everyone, I plan to use this thread to share and update my ongoing anxiety story so feel free to come along for the ride! Childhood My first encounter with anxiety was during primary school. Every night, I would have this feeling in my stomach which ate me up. I would describe the feeling as similar to if you went to the airport and suddenly realised you forgot your passport. However, instead of going away, that feeling of your stomach dropping stayed with me forever. At the time, I would constantly think someone was coming to harm me. Fuelled by this thought, I would check the door was locked 10 times per night. I opened up to my parents about it at the time, however being raised in an Asian household where mental health is rather taboo, they dismissed my feelings. During my 6 years of primary school, every night I was terrified of sleeping because I knew that I would feel that dreaded feeling of foreboding doom. Highschool I went to a very competitive selective high school. Because of the overwhelming focus on academics coupled with adjusting to high school culture, I buried my anxiety under all my other stresses at the time which was not a good move. Present Day Currently, I am attending university. Because I never negotiated with my feelings for 10 years, I exploded and had a full blown panic attack 6 weeks ago and had to call the ambulance. It was the scariest thing I have experienced in my life. Since then, I have had 5 psych sessions. Now, when I feel my stomach drop or pressure in my chest, I am able to tell myself that it is anxiety. Putting a name to the emotions I have been feeling for ages is so empowering. Whenever I feel anxious now, I am able to not let it escalate to a panic attack. However, what I am struggling with now is that when I do feel anxious, I end up hyper fixating on those emotions and I can't stop thinking about them for the whole day which can be super debilitating. My mind struggles to live in the present, and I find myself just constantly fixating on my physical symptoms even after the stressful event is over. I would love any advice on how to recognize your anxiety, embrace the feelings which come with it and move on because constantly thinking about it has begun to negatively affect my social life :c Thanks for listening and any advice is more than welcome. I am also happy to expand upon anything as I had to skip a lot due to the short word limit. Remember that there is truly so much in this world to live for

huggie444 attempting to cope with a traumatic last 6 months
  • replies: 3

hi everyone I'm sitting here currently balling my eyes out and found myself on this forum page and thought why not give it a try. I am 16 and currently in such a state of mind that is almost impossible to explain and to be honest I don't quite unders... View more

hi everyone I'm sitting here currently balling my eyes out and found myself on this forum page and thought why not give it a try. I am 16 and currently in such a state of mind that is almost impossible to explain and to be honest I don't quite understand it myself. in July and September of last year, my two grandma's passed away. the first was very old so it was not a shock but my second grandma had only just turned 71 and had Alzheimer's disease. she deteriorated so quickly in 6 weeks and it was an absolute horrible experience and I could not even go to her funeral. this really affected me and I ended up locking myself in my room for 5 days and not speaking to anyone, isolating myself from my family, friends etc. on January 17 of this year it was just a normal day until we found a snake in my very 'bushy' backyard, and consequently my beautiful 4 year old jack Russel had been bitten. i was the one to find her and while still alive and conscious, I knew something was bad straight away.we rushed her to the vet while she was essentially dying on my lap and after 2 doses of the anti-venom and several hours later she could not be saved. two weeks later I got covid and had to isolate for 10 days and miss my first week of year 11. this is a general explanation of the last 6 months that have been far too graphic and traumatic for anyone let alone a 16 year old to handle. the past month I've been so out of touch with reality- I replay the traumatic events with my dog over and over in my head, saying goodbye while we had to put her down, me trying to soothe her in the car etc, to the point where I've wanted to wrap my hands around my head and scream. the thoughts are always so loud and I can picture it so clearly and its affected my sleep and my schooling. in the past week in particular has been the worst, I'm currently terrified that everyone I love is going to die and I jump to the worst possible conclusion with every little thing. I can't focus on school and have been zoning out to the point where I cannot hear anyone and have to be physically touched to essentially 'come back' to reality. I'm normally very good at concentrating on two things at once so this has deeply concerned me. I'm also having major sensory issues where everything is too loud and I feel like everything is closing in on me. I feel so alone and have completely isolated myself from everyone for the last four days again.all I want is a hug from someone.

JacintaMarie My feelings
  • replies: 40

Hi I have feelings that I have and when people don't respect them (if this is the correct word) I feel worthless. And when other people feel one way, I feel bad for not feeling that way, I'm sorry, that's the way I can explain, I 'm not explaining it... View more

Hi I have feelings that I have and when people don't respect them (if this is the correct word) I feel worthless. And when other people feel one way, I feel bad for not feeling that way, I'm sorry, that's the way I can explain, I 'm not explaining it well. For example, at work, I'm the only one who wears a short sleeve tee shirt & everyone else complains about the cold, I feel the odd one out for not feeling cold. I have made the mistake of explaining but this just makes them angry, they don't want to hear this, I've even said, perhaps the area is too large an area to heat up, the smaller the room, the quicker it is to heat, or is this completely wrong! I know, I know, I shouldn't say anything, I need to be prepared for the opposite reaction, because of this I don't want to talk at all, it's easy & no one needs to get angry if they don't like what they hear. I have been told though, if people get angry, it's a reflection of them not me. I just worry about things I shouldn't!

blueskiesfreshair Anxiety about my cat's health
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone. Back in December, my cat had some dental surgery and things went well. She ate well for a week afterwards, but then after that week, she started losing her appetite and having some diarrhoea. I took her back for checkups at the vet and t... View more

Hi everyone. Back in December, my cat had some dental surgery and things went well. She ate well for a week afterwards, but then after that week, she started losing her appetite and having some diarrhoea. I took her back for checkups at the vet and they couldn't find anything wrong. The lack of appetite was making me really worried as she was hardly eating, even though I was hand feeding her and trying all kinds of food. This worry was affecting my sleep severely, and I just felt like I kept telling all my family and friends about it constantly. I went to another vet for a 2nd opinion and this vet was amazing. Basically this vet listened to all my worries and answered my questions. He was gentle with my cat and very knowledgeable. In the end he thought that it was likely a gastrointestinal thing. Anyway, he suggested that we give her a 1/4 tablet anti-anxiety drug, and I asked him why, did he think my cat was anxious? And he said no, a side effect of this drug is that it blocks the satiety receptors so the cat thinks it's still hungry. Anyway she ate when I got home, and slowly her appetite began to return. I suspect it was the tablet got her started, and time helped her get back to normal. The problem is actually now with me. I formed a habit of writing down my cat's eating and toileting habits, mainly as information for the vet and myself. This notebook has become maybe another source of worry. Now I worry if she hasn't made a bowel movement every 2nd day (every 2nd day seems to be normal for her, the vet says it's common in indoor cats to go every 2nd day due to less exercise). Sometimes I worry if she vomits after eating too fast, or if I think she hasn't urinated enough. My friends are starting to get sick of me talking about her toilet habits, pretty much everyone insists she's fine now, no need to keep monitoring. But I feel letting go and stopping writing cold turkey is too hard. My concern is if I don't write stuff down, and forget an important detail when it's needed. However, there was a time I didn't clean the litter box as often, and I never used to write this stuff down, and she's been fine (must have been at least 6.5 years at least). She means a lot to me, deep down I know I've done all I can for her, and she's fine. I've been dealing with all this worry by meditating, journalling, talking to friends/family, going for walks etc. It's just I've never really worried like this before. I want to be the person I was before all this worry.