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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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crazykittyclaws being a bit dramatic about stranger danger
  • replies: 1

Hello, this is my first time posting on this forum so please bear with me!I am 17 and since the start of this year, I feel irrationally anxious going out on casual walks in my neighbour hood. It's ridiculous because I grew up there and I take the sam... View more

Hello, this is my first time posting on this forum so please bear with me!I am 17 and since the start of this year, I feel irrationally anxious going out on casual walks in my neighbour hood. It's ridiculous because I grew up there and I take the same route every time, but lately stepping outside and having cars drive by me, I get so scared I'll suddenly get yanked inside or they'll stop next to me and shove me in their boot. Dramatic I know, but whenever I feel or see a car driving up behind me, I freeze and wait for it to pass before I can continue walking. Every person I pass, I double check and mentally categorise as a potential suspect for kidnapping. Except I feel like I'm being a crazy person, because sometimes when I enter smaller streets and I see a car turn into the same road or direction I am walking on. I stop and immediately just walk back home. Normally a walk would take me half an hour, but now its been cut down to only fifteen or twenty minutes. I don't even walk around at night, its literally the middle of the day. The sun is out, everybody is out, but I just can't. I flinch at birds flying over me, or cars backing out of driveways. The thing is that my school bus stop is fifteen minutes away from my house, I have been taking the same path for two years at this point. But sometimes if I see a car or somebody my brain screams dangerous, I freeze and genuinely wonder if I should just go home. I have to literally gaslight myself by telling myself I'm a fake friend if I don't go, just so I can hop on public transport. I swear this never happened at all two years ago and it frustrates me because I can't even walk the full path I usually take, yet I want to walk further for exercise. Any advice on how to overcome this?

Butterfly101 Crippling Anxiety - things that can help
  • replies: 2

Ok - I woke up this morning in a cold sweat - fear and anxiety were in complete control of me and all morning and most of the afternoon, catasrophic and severely negative thoughts swirling endlessly around in my head - I could not see a way out. I co... View more

Ok - I woke up this morning in a cold sweat - fear and anxiety were in complete control of me and all morning and most of the afternoon, catasrophic and severely negative thoughts swirling endlessly around in my head - I could not see a way out. I could not think straight. Everything was doomed. I couldn’t cope! At around 4 pm I rang the beyond blue helpline, and I started to take deep breaths in and out remembering this is what I had done before to manage my anxiety. It helped. Slow deep breaths in and out. The phone councillor answered and I explained what was happening. She was kind, understanding and knowledgeable. She texted me a list of strategies that could help my condition. Stay in the moment, she said. Don’t let these catastophic thoughts about your future get the better of you. You are not thinking clearly right now. Focus on breathing and relaxing your body and mind. Nothing else. Just aim for relaxation - don’t worry about tomorrow now. She then suggested listening to calming music, so I you tubed ‘meditation music’ and found a clip with the Tibetan flute. I played it and it was very soothing. I thanked the counsel lot and hung up the phone. Lay on my sofa, breathing slowly and deeply and listening to the Tibetan flute. I kept saying to myself ‘go to sleep … just sleep.. just rest you body and mind’ and with my dog lowing next to me I drifted off to sleep! I was out for maybe 3 hours and already feel much better. Had a cup of herbal tea and now watching Dr Mariam Bialik podcast on you tube ‘ Thomas Campbell physicist’ - so interesting and helpful. Good to watch as it puts your negative thoughts about your future in real perspective. Highly recommended! OK I am starting to get hungry so I will leave now. I will not have any alcohol as that makes my anxiety worse and I will not smoke. I will focus on the here and now and think about my future when I am feeling better and have a clearer head. Tomorrow or the next day… no rush! I only have planned two things for tomorrow- take my dogs for a nice long walk in nature and make a nice marinade for a roast lamb. That is it! I am taking time out from my highly destructive thoughts of my future! Hope my story has helped someone!

Guest_35774297 PARTNERS DRINKING
  • replies: 1

I find Xmas time hard. My husband seems to booze more and it makes me very teary and anxious. My dad was a boozer. I get it it is related to that. Any tips to ease how I feel

I find Xmas time hard. My husband seems to booze more and it makes me very teary and anxious. My dad was a boozer. I get it it is related to that. Any tips to ease how I feel

EvaMaria Can't stop
  • replies: 2

I keep wanting to spend my free time reading a romance or meditating and don't push through, because i go onto my phone or I'm anxious about the pile of laundry, the dishes, and even the state of the floor. And just thinking about them also causes me... View more

I keep wanting to spend my free time reading a romance or meditating and don't push through, because i go onto my phone or I'm anxious about the pile of laundry, the dishes, and even the state of the floor. And just thinking about them also causes me to pull out my hair. I think I'm just struggling to take the time to just stay still, of sorts. Does anyone have possibly any advice or suggestions for me to use?

MRG First time posting
  • replies: 1

Hi I’m an older male, and have been feeling anxious, and not sleeping well.I have been prescribed medication to take. My Gp said it would ease my feelings after a couple of weeks. This was about 3 weeks ago. I have taken only 3 tablets and I think I’... View more

Hi I’m an older male, and have been feeling anxious, and not sleeping well.I have been prescribed medication to take. My Gp said it would ease my feelings after a couple of weeks. This was about 3 weeks ago. I have taken only 3 tablets and I think I’m fine. But clearly I’m not. I feel a bit anxious to go to work. I start quite early in the morning for my job. Finding it hard to unwind, and feel myself. I just wanted to know if I should see a psychologist to make sure, I’m on the right track. Thanks.

tactlesskwi Medications for anxiety & OCD
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone!!!I was wondering if I could get some advice on starting antidepressants. A psychologist has recently suggested that I have anxiety and severe OCD, and has floated the idea of starting antidepressants. I am vehemently against this, but I'... View more

Hi everyone!!!I was wondering if I could get some advice on starting antidepressants. A psychologist has recently suggested that I have anxiety and severe OCD, and has floated the idea of starting antidepressants. I am vehemently against this, but I'm not entirely sure why. I'm scared of losing myself and losing my life to the drugs/becoming dependent on them to function and having side effects when I don't take them. I've always felt this way that she describes as 'severe OCD', and so I guess it's a baseline, and the idea of feeling different is terrifying even if that different might be easier. I'm also worried that I've been exaggerating my life, and definitely don't want to be on a drug for some sort of mental health condition I do not have (although I haven't been lying in the sessions). The more I go on with therapy and all, the more I just want to stop it, which of course I know will not help. I wanted to ask on here though whether anyone has had a similar experience and could share what it's been like? I realise experiences vary person-to-person, but I'd like to hear from someone, because I feel extremely alone in all of this. Thank you so much!!!

Guest_76474857 Can’t take it anymore
  • replies: 4

Can’t take it anymore I’m on anti depressants every day and I’m on some medication that I’m meant to take when having a panic attack but somehow I still seem to have them and I have them bad and I can’t take it anymore I’m so tired physically and men... View more

Can’t take it anymore I’m on anti depressants every day and I’m on some medication that I’m meant to take when having a panic attack but somehow I still seem to have them and I have them bad and I can’t take it anymore I’m so tired physically and mentally they make me so sick

Sunshine188 Anxious nurse with nothing left to give
  • replies: 10

Hi All, this is my first ever post here. I’m almost 29 and have been nursing for 7 years - my area of speciality is cancer and palliative care. I was really young when I first started and being a very empathetic person (and being exposed to really sa... View more

Hi All, this is my first ever post here. I’m almost 29 and have been nursing for 7 years - my area of speciality is cancer and palliative care. I was really young when I first started and being a very empathetic person (and being exposed to really sad/traumatic situations) I got really burnt out. I made some changes a few years ago - worked in a Telehealth role for about 2 years but I was still burnt out and I felt like I was losing my empathy and compassion for patients, as well as my own family and friends. I felt like I had been drained of all of my emotion and like I had nothing left to give. On top of this I began to experience crippling anxiety. i started a new job 2 months ago working in clinical trials. I thought I would feel less burnt out and anxious in this area but it’s worse. I wasn’t given much training or support when I first started in this role, have spoken to my boss about my concerns and not much has changed. My anxiety is awful and I am experiencing panic attacks on a regular basis. I dread work every day and I feel stressed about work on the weekends. I have been looking elsewhere for another job as I feel so unhappy. It’s really hard to explain to my family and friends how I feel. They don’t understand what constant anxiety feels like...I am exhausted from pretending like everything is ok when on the inside I feel so broken. Part of me is so angry that when I was younger I didn’t look after myself well enough, and I almost wish I never became a nurse. I ultimately feel like I need to step away from health care in general but I seem to have such an issue doing this. It’s hard because I identify as a nurse but I am ready to move on to something else. has anyone ever had a similar situation working within health care? thank you for taking the time to read my post

Guest_05915216 i don’t know
  • replies: 1

i can’t sleep because i keep worrying and it makes me shake which causes me to be nauseous and eventually i vomit or pass out from exhaustion. i’m basically fine all day until i go to bed then my anxiety really hits me and i don’t really know why. if... View more

i can’t sleep because i keep worrying and it makes me shake which causes me to be nauseous and eventually i vomit or pass out from exhaustion. i’m basically fine all day until i go to bed then my anxiety really hits me and i don’t really know why. if anyone experiences this and has tips please lmk

lhr- Leadership Anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hey there,I have inadvertently become the spokesperson for my entire student body, and I'm deathly afraid of the outcome. I launched a small scale investigation on some of the discrepancies occurring throughout leadership at my school, had a meeting ... View more

Hey there,I have inadvertently become the spokesperson for my entire student body, and I'm deathly afraid of the outcome. I launched a small scale investigation on some of the discrepancies occurring throughout leadership at my school, had a meeting with the principal to discuss my thoughts and findings, and found myself dissatisfied with the outcome. They deflected, shifted blame onto me, and overall did not answer any of my questions nor make any effort to take any action. I was livid and then found out more upsetting news which ended up snapping my final straw. I decided I wanted peaceful protest, and started planning for a walkout. I now have dozens of kids come up to me asking questions I don't have answers for, and it seems in the short amount of time it's been decided for, the news is spreading must faster than I intended. Most of them are on board, but the planned date is not for a while, and I know things will spread more. These people trust me to speak on behalf of them, to lead our cause, but I can't lie, I'm terrified. I don't mind being reprimanded for doing what I'm doing, but I am so worried others are going to get in trouble for something they didn't plan. I am sought out for guidance, answers and comfort, and I have to sit there and say words I don't believe. I know what I'm doing is right. I know what I'm doing will create the voice needed to cause the admin to take action, but damn it I'm terrified and have no idea how to manage it all. How do I manage all the stress? It has to happen I can't avoid it, but I'm so afraid of all the "what if's" in such an unusual situation.

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