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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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Baileybasil How do I journal for depression, anxiety and self reflection?
  • replies: 4

I have been wanting to start properly journaling for a while but I just don’t know what I’m supposed to be writing down. Prompts online like “write things you’re grateful for” seems cheesy and pointless to me, I would like to figure out why or how fe... View more

I have been wanting to start properly journaling for a while but I just don’t know what I’m supposed to be writing down. Prompts online like “write things you’re grateful for” seems cheesy and pointless to me, I would like to figure out why or how feelings etc happen

Chloeellab04 Keeping in Touch With Friends
  • replies: 3

Hi, since I got social media and a phone pretty late, I never developed the social skills/etiquette required to text people spontaneously - whenever I do I feel like the conversation is really awkward and super short, and since I just finished high s... View more

Hi, since I got social media and a phone pretty late, I never developed the social skills/etiquette required to text people spontaneously - whenever I do I feel like the conversation is really awkward and super short, and since I just finished high school and aren't seeing some of my friends as often, its starting to hinder some of those friendships. Anyone have any tips on how to start texting people?

OceanPhoenix Is this social anxiety?
  • replies: 5

So for some time, I have been struggling to interact with others specifically strangers. It would take me like 10minutes to get the courage to call the hairdressers for example on the phone and the whole time I would just stare at the call button. Ot... View more

So for some time, I have been struggling to interact with others specifically strangers. It would take me like 10minutes to get the courage to call the hairdressers for example on the phone and the whole time I would just stare at the call button. Other times it would be like me ordering food in person although I do it much more easily I still feel a bit anxious when doing it. Then there would be the case when strangers approach me I won't speak or speak very very quietly. All of this has happened on multiple occasions but I never thought it could be something more until about 2 years ago. I was told that I was just very shy which was possible as I was a very very shy kid when I was younger and I'm introverted as well. I was told that I should stop "making up disorders". It made me feel like my feelings were a figment of my imagination and I was just making it up. Yes, I searched up symptoms of social anxiety but it won't compare to an actual diagnosis. This is why I am here. I am interested to know how other people have coped with similar struggles.

Dakota_C How long do your anxiety symptoms last?
  • replies: 3

Hi, I've been struggling with some of the physical symptoms I get from Anxiety for the past two weeks Started off as chest / feeling like heart pain, been to Hospital twice and each time ecg and bloods were okay, even had a chest xray and appeared fi... View more

Hi, I've been struggling with some of the physical symptoms I get from Anxiety for the past two weeks Started off as chest / feeling like heart pain, been to Hospital twice and each time ecg and bloods were okay, even had a chest xray and appeared fine, getting a holter monitor soon as well just to be double safe Now mostly the pains in my chest have gone besides one random shooting one now and then, but for the last 3-4 days Ive been getting random bouts of lightheadedness, headaches, and really strained eyes / pressure behind my eyes, almost as soon as I wakeup, been trying to convince myself its not something else How long do your physical symptoms of anxiety last, and do they change a little bit over time to other areas?

DaffyDuck_ Anxiety??
  • replies: 3

Last few years I've always had trouble with anxiety but for the last maybe around year or 2, I just cannot handle it anymore. Recently I realised how I cannot stay focused in class, I'm always so sick of sitting down in class, I can almost never fini... View more

Last few years I've always had trouble with anxiety but for the last maybe around year or 2, I just cannot handle it anymore. Recently I realised how I cannot stay focused in class, I'm always so sick of sitting down in class, I can almost never finish any homework or tasks I have to do in class. My memory seems like it's getting worse and I'm having trouble remembering a lot of things. It may just be my anxiety, which I'm also not diagnosed so I probs don't even have anxiety but I feel like I'm going insane, I can't do anything and I'm falling behind in class because it's so hard to stay focused and remember everything. I'm starting to get really overwhelmed. I wanna speak to a psychologist but I don't want my parents included in it at all. I went to go see one but they never got back to me after the first meeting. My mum thinks I'm always being silly because of the way I think, and maybe I am and just overthinking it but my school work and at home is driving me insane, I can't tell if I'm faking it for attention(?) Idk, and I'm so sick of feeling so useless in my classes. I'm not sure if I'm being lazy either, because I try to do the work but it's just so hard and all my teachers expect me to know what to do. I just want someone to scan my brain and tell me what's wrong with me and why I'm acting like this. I just want answers because I'm so tired of it. I feel like I'm just in agony when I'm in class.

Ianna How to cheer up myself?
  • replies: 4

I have been suffering in so much academic worries recently due to the start of semester and adapting to new life in Australia living away from my family. I often feel lonely whenever I'm in my room, I feel loss of interest in most of the things, I mi... View more

I have been suffering in so much academic worries recently due to the start of semester and adapting to new life in Australia living away from my family. I often feel lonely whenever I'm in my room, I feel loss of interest in most of the things, I miss home sometimes, my friends, and my hometown. Although I have good friends here around the campus but I still feel a bit hard to stay happy. I can feel deep in my body I'm having so much to worry about, I just can't stop thinking about all the uncertainties that may happen on me. There's certain time of a day I will feel really tired and panic, such sudden anxious emotion just popped out, I can't even control myself not to overthink or stop worrying. There's like nothing that can calm me down, I always feel depressed and my heart rate increases every time anxiety attacking me. I can feel that anxiety is affecting my physical health sometimes. I really wish to be cheerful as before, but seems like I can't. How do you guys cope with anxiety attack?

Ianna What mental health issue am I suffering?
  • replies: 1

I am a University Year 1 student, just started semester for 2 weeks. I have been spending a lot of time studying, I can feel so much burden in my course, I don't feel like I should take any rest since I may fall behind. My situation get worse as day ... View more

I am a University Year 1 student, just started semester for 2 weeks. I have been spending a lot of time studying, I can feel so much burden in my course, I don't feel like I should take any rest since I may fall behind. My situation get worse as day pass, I feel so anxious and panic whenever I started watching lecture videos or revising, I feel like I'm a bit scared of seeing stuff related to my course, I can still feel unhappy even spending time hanging out with friends. I am so severely affected by my mental health and emotion, I have no idea what should I do to cheer myself up, I have lost interest in most of the things and it is somehow affecting my physical health as well. I am an international students new to Australia and have no clue where to seek help. All I want is to stay positive, happy and relax which I knew I have to, but I just can't make any difference. Please help me and give me some advise. Wish everyone can stay HAPPY all the time

StrayDetective OCD subtypes and Pure OCD
  • replies: 10

Hi everyone, this is my first thread so I’m not entirely sure how this usually works but I was just wondering if there is anyone who would like to talk about the lesser known subtypes of OCD? I have HOCD/SOCD but I know there are others. If there is ... View more

Hi everyone, this is my first thread so I’m not entirely sure how this usually works but I was just wondering if there is anyone who would like to talk about the lesser known subtypes of OCD? I have HOCD/SOCD but I know there are others. If there is anyone who has managed to overcome these or would just like to talk about them you are welcome to share because I know how difficult it can be living with OCD

AdamW Anxiety build up - New Job
  • replies: 9

Hi everyone, just wanted to come and share some experiences I’ve been having. Things had generally been going pretty well, about 5 years ago I was diagnosed with panic disorder and generalised anxiety as a result of my employment. I had a well paid g... View more

Hi everyone, just wanted to come and share some experiences I’ve been having. Things had generally been going pretty well, about 5 years ago I was diagnosed with panic disorder and generalised anxiety as a result of my employment. I had a well paid government job. In terms of my work since then I’ve done a variety of casual jobs but limited with what I feel I can take on, both in complexity and hours. I do about 8 hours casual work atm per week in the disability sector. I’d been looking for more hours as financially things can be hard and had a interview for a job last Friday, I was then offered the job Friday afternoon. I was excited and felt like I could be ready for something new where I could use some of my skills from my previous government job. Unfortunately my anxiety has returned heavily over the weekend, I’m only getting 3 hours sleep a night and struggling with my worry and thoughts even though I think the new job would be good, I’m somewhat uncomfortable as I’m heading down a hole I haven’t been in for a while. I feel like I know anxiety well and do believe it helps sometimes to try new things but when I can’t sleep I can’t function and just facing the day seems to much. I’m a single parent also with shared custody. I’ve booked into see my gp and will try get a referral for my psychologist and will try talk it through as I’m not sure I’m in as good a place I thought I was and maybe dealing with trauma from my previous job I just can’t seem to shake. The new job does appeal to me but am worried not sleeping will leave me not able to function and I feel like not accepting the job. Thanks to anyone who has read this, if anyone has any tips that would be appreciated. Regards Adam

starfarmland Professional help for anxiety
  • replies: 3

I wanted to know how long to keep pursuing professional help for anxiety? I started seriously asking for professional help about three years ago. I went to my GP who gave me a list of names of professionals who help with anxiety. I worked my way thro... View more

I wanted to know how long to keep pursuing professional help for anxiety? I started seriously asking for professional help about three years ago. I went to my GP who gave me a list of names of professionals who help with anxiety. I worked my way through the list until I found one who was accepting new clients. He was a psychiatrist with a six month waitlist. I waited for the appointment and committed fully to the process. I wrote everything down I wanted to say and even accepted it would cost a lot of money. At the end of the session, he diagnosed me with autism. This was unexpected but made sense. He told me there was not anything "wrong" with me but I was living in a world that was not suited to me. I left feeling better about myself but only temporarily. The problem was he never actually treated the anxiety. I started to feel bad again and returned to my GP. He actually made me feel awful about the diagnosis saying things like I was only "a little bit autistic". I decided to pursue a formal diagnosis. This had about a nine month waitlist and the process was completed over three months. It ended with a clinical diagnosis which I was able to use to apply for NDIS. I waited another few months to be accepted and was then asked to complete a functional assessment. I waited four months for the appointment which took place over three weeks. I am now waiting for them to get back to me. Part of me knows this is the process of getting help. Yet another part of me knows that during the last three years, no-one has actually helped me with anxiety. I barely leave the house anymore and have constant anxiety attacks because of the noise from my neighbours. I put myself on a waitlist for a psychiatrist but have just been told it will be a few months before someone even decides to accept the referral. This will involve someone writing a report for the psychiatrists. I know I need help but I am beginning to wonder if there is any point continuing down this road of endless report writing. I am tired of explaining the same thing over and over again without getting anything in return. Is it worth it in the end?

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