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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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Floyd13 How to deal with short-term anxiety?
  • replies: 8

Recently I've been having the most debilitation anxiety of my life. I could never have imagined that it could get this intense, thus I have now developed a huge respect for all people that not only live with it, but can also beat it. I'm doing everyt... View more

Recently I've been having the most debilitation anxiety of my life. I could never have imagined that it could get this intense, thus I have now developed a huge respect for all people that not only live with it, but can also beat it. I'm doing everything in my power to take it on. I have a new therapist whom I'm seeing on a weekly basis, and my doctor has prescribed me medication which I've been taking for a little over a week now. I'm also on another drug, which seems to do very little. I am trying to maintain a positive outlook, and I do have things in future that I am focusing on as a long-term goal. My problem is, how do I fix the anxiety that's absolutely flooring me in the meantime? I've tried breathing exercises, meditation, calming music, and talking to friends about my thoughts. These are all very effective in the moment but lose their effectiveness almost instantly afterwards. I need ideas on what else I can do whilst I wait for the medications to kick in. I'm sick of feeling anxious and constantly on edge and nauseated and wanting to scream out loud over something that's nothing more than mere thoughts in my head. Help?

Chaudharym New here
  • replies: 4

Having a anxiety attack. Is someone there to talk?

Having a anxiety attack. Is someone there to talk?

48Ggalan I get anxious thinking about talking about my enxiety
  • replies: 4

Hi I'm new here. I'm a husband, a father of 2 kids I am a 48 year old Male. And for the las 3 weeks or so my enxiety and depression but mainly my enxiety has be controlling my every moment of my life. If this wasn't bad enough, my paranoia and self-w... View more

Hi I'm new here. I'm a husband, a father of 2 kids I am a 48 year old Male. And for the las 3 weeks or so my enxiety and depression but mainly my enxiety has be controlling my every moment of my life. If this wasn't bad enough, my paranoia and self-worth has been compromised. I haven't told my wife how I'm feeling. I think she has enough to deal with and I don't wanna add more to her plate. I've made an appointment with my gp next week to talk about whats currently going on and put in place strategies and maybe the possibility of seeing a psychologist. Currently I don't have strategies or plans to help me navigate this moments. I guess till now I thought I could do it alone. But having children changes everything and I want to and need to be some kind of normal if such thing exist for my family. Is true what they say that, for most men it's difficult to express this kind of feelings.

Patrick 79 Moving forward.
  • replies: 3

Hi, I really don’t know how to start this as I have never done this before. I’m a 41 year old male living in fear of myself. I have had everything and opportunities but I keep failing because of my anxiety and depression. Everyday I am trying to find... View more

Hi, I really don’t know how to start this as I have never done this before. I’m a 41 year old male living in fear of myself. I have had everything and opportunities but I keep failing because of my anxiety and depression. Everyday I am trying to find the easiest way to end it. I can’t turn to anyone because I feel ill be a burden or drama queen so I keep it to myself. I feel every day in my mind is a torture. I turn to alcohol as a crutch even though I know afterwards it’ll make me feel worse but I do it to make me feel good at the time. I lie to people just to fit in and make myself feel better. I have lost relationships because of being this way and I just honestly feel giving up is the only option now. I am lost and sick to my stomach being this way . I’m sorry for writing this but don’t know how this works. I’m even anxious writing this.

MTrixie I got a pet and we both feel suffocated
  • replies: 2

I thought long and hard before deciding to post this. I don’t want to sound like a brat or a bad human or posting something that others would think menial, but I really feel like I’m at the end of my line. Today’s day 3 after I got my bunny. I was so... View more

I thought long and hard before deciding to post this. I don’t want to sound like a brat or a bad human or posting something that others would think menial, but I really feel like I’m at the end of my line. Today’s day 3 after I got my bunny. I was so excited for him long before I got him. I was looking through videos, blogs, everything for the last couple of months before I finally decided that I was ready. Then I found him last week and finally got him 3 days ago. He’s 10 weeks old and he’s just so cute and shy. A day before I got him I got the playpen, litter box, his hays, his pellets, his bowls, etc. And I got him. Along with hidden massive ball of anxiety. I put him in his playpen and was planning to let him familiarised himself with my home before I let him out. I am going back full time so he would have to stay there basically 10pm-6pm daily. And then I feel like I’m an abusive human. Because plan is just a plan and I haven’t let him out his playpen area. Day 2 he started digging on his playpen. That was when anxiety hit. I talked with a friend and she said that his digging is completely normal. I know that. But my anxiety just can’t take notes. I feel my heart rate is constantly high, I’m sweating, I’m dizzy, and I can’t sleep nor eat. Google is both my saviour and doom. I googled everything from puppy blues to surrendering a pet, from how to be close to your bunny to how to look at your bunny without hate, from how to free roam your bunny if you’re not home to can your bunny stay in playpen for life. I don’t want to hate him as he has not done anything wrong. It’s me. I really want to make this work. I want to believe that getting him is not an impulsive decision. But I feel suffocated and he is suffocated and I feel like such a big failure and I just broke down. I was looking through the forum and saw that some people has faced the same thing. So I am bracing myself and post my story here, hoping for some advice. Note: I can’t get a 2nd bunny as financially it’s hard for me, and I also don’t have the space for another playpen. Thank you.

hanne6 Repeating words to cancel out thoughts
  • replies: 11

I have no idea if this is just anxiety. Often when I think of a conversation, memory, or event that caused me anxiety, or was embarrassing, or if have a thought I don't like or one that feels distressing I start saying a word or phrase over and over ... View more

I have no idea if this is just anxiety. Often when I think of a conversation, memory, or event that caused me anxiety, or was embarrassing, or if have a thought I don't like or one that feels distressing I start saying a word or phrase over and over again, very rapidly. Often I'll be repeating it louder and louder and will look visibly distressed. It's like I need to cancel out the thought entirely. Sometimes it's so effective I'm not even sure what the thought was going to be. Other times when I stop repeating the word or phrase the thought will reappear for a mere second and I start over again trying to (I assume) snap myself out of it. Sometimes it's a swear word or something hateful. Over and over. I don't even think I make a conscious decision when to stop. My mind just seems to know when it feels right and has completed the task of shutting down the thought. It's over quickly, but it's embarrassing, distressing, and happens so fast I don't have a chance to stop myself. I absolutely hate it. I'm left feeling so on edge. I'm anxious about enough stuff without this thing I feel like I have absolutely no control over. Does anyone have any thoughts, suggestions, or maybe experienced similar?

H-c What’s wrong with me
  • replies: 1

Every since i was young I’ve had this nagging feeling, like something bad is going to happen to me and everyone around me. If sth bad did happen then I’d blame myself of it and that little voice would say see i told you so. I’m really lost and i dont... View more

Every since i was young I’ve had this nagging feeling, like something bad is going to happen to me and everyone around me. If sth bad did happen then I’d blame myself of it and that little voice would say see i told you so. I’m really lost and i dont know what to do. Now because of COVID I’m stuck at home and alone with that voice and it’s really getting to me. Today for some reason, my phone played some sort of music out-loud and i have no apps running in the background. So that made me even more paranoid like i got a virus or sth. But I’ve never visited any dodgy website and downloaded any dodgy apps. So i did a virus scan on avg and the security app that came with my phone and both said its safe? So why did the music play? Because I couldn’t find the cause of the problem it made me panic like that it wasn’t a good feeling at all. I hate feeling like this all the time. Feeling so paranoid and feeling like it’s my fault every time. If somehow you are an expert with phones could you please help me with that? Is it a virus? What do it do? Pls help me so i can relief that little burden off my shoulders. Please. Help me

Krix Work performance review in the financial year after hospital admission
  • replies: 1

seeking advice. In the the year past i was hospitalised with severe depression & anxiety. I've lost significant amounts of time and productivity recovering and that is still in progress. How do you have that conversation in a work review meeting? in ... View more

seeking advice. In the the year past i was hospitalised with severe depression & anxiety. I've lost significant amounts of time and productivity recovering and that is still in progress. How do you have that conversation in a work review meeting? in a discussion about 'rate your performance over the past 12 months' - how do you answer that? i've discovered my major schemas are unrelenting standards and self sacrifice, so i am fighting against throwing my hands up and .. giving up. i just don't have the language to express or defend if things get, well, personal. which it already is. Help. Krix

Lady04 anxiety about corona virus & everything
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, I'm still kinda new to the forums, so please bare with me for a moment, I don't know if I'm posting this in the right section. I've been dealing with anxiety and depression most of my life. And this covid-19 has really effected my anxiet... View more

Hi everyone, I'm still kinda new to the forums, so please bare with me for a moment, I don't know if I'm posting this in the right section. I've been dealing with anxiety and depression most of my life. And this covid-19 has really effected my anxiety even worse. I live in Sydney, and it was hard enough the first lockdown. But this lockdown seems worse then the first one, with this "Delta strain" or whatever its called. There seems to be cases literally EVERYWHERE, and its freaking me out, I'm trying not to look at the news to much, but each time I get a glimpse of it, it scares me how bad its getting. Everyone around me is freaking out too. I keep trying to tell myself "other countries had it much worse and they got better, Melbourne / Victoria had worse & they got better, we can to.." but its really hard, each time I see the cases how much they're rising. We've been living in this pandemic for almost 18 months now, & I'm struggling atm & I'm losing complete hope, I just don't see how its going to get better..

Cloud123 Relationship anxiety
  • replies: 2

I am in a healthy and loving relationship but struggle with anxious thoughts about the future. It's getting to the point where I feel like I need to make a decision as to marriage. I want to marry him but I can't help but feel that after the wedding ... View more

I am in a healthy and loving relationship but struggle with anxious thoughts about the future. It's getting to the point where I feel like I need to make a decision as to marriage. I want to marry him but I can't help but feel that after the wedding and kids it will all end terribly. I am not sure I have any real reason to believe that except that we are different in some ways. For example, he is introverted and I am extroverted; I am very spiritual and (while he supports it and will listen and engage), he is not so much. In saying that, we have similar values of wanting to be kind and help people, wanting to build a strong family etc and we get along really well. We are really in love, both humble and supportive towards each other, always kind, communicative and willing to work together. Has anyone else experienced something similar and have any tips on trying to understand the difference between anxious thoughts, and my body/subconscious/intuition telling me something important?