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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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jemma09 Anxiety impacting others?
  • replies: 4

Hi all, hope you are well Does anyone else find that their anxiety can impact other people? It makes me feel incredibly upset when this happens. It makes me feel like I don't want to exist anymore because I am bringing others' pain. It has just been ... View more

Hi all, hope you are well Does anyone else find that their anxiety can impact other people? It makes me feel incredibly upset when this happens. It makes me feel like I don't want to exist anymore because I am bringing others' pain. It has just been a low time for me at the moment. I met someone new recently and I really like them. I am very anxious around romance and I overthink a lot. I lock myself behind a wall and refuse kindness sometimes. I know I enjoy the romance between me and this person, because I miss it when it is not there. But I have now made this person feel worried because they're afraid of making me feel anxious. And I have made them feel bad with my overthinking. I have always had troubles with interaction. I worry about what other people think of me. So, I tell myself that I should be alone, that maybe I don't deserve to find happiness with another person because of the amount I would put them through. It just does not seem fair. Then I feel like I should lock myself away and stop interacting with people all together, it is very lonely. I do not want to do that. I want to keep talking to this person. I am not going to stop, because that would hurt more. I have someone I trust to talk to. They help me see situations clearer and help me find out what I am actually feeling. I realised I felt so sad about how I have impacted this person because I started crying. I said sorry again to this person I am interested in. They are very patient and understanding. This person tells me to take my time, which I really appreciate. But I just feel like I don't deserve it. I make simple things unnecessarily hard. I keep thinking to myself: I hate this, I hate my anxiety. I do not want to be this person. I want to be carefree and have fun. I am a young person who should be able to enjoy life and meet new people. But I feel so held back by anxiety and my past experiences. I start hating myself. I want to just stop feeling. I want it all to stop. I don't want to go to therapy again. I just don't know what to do. I feel hopeless. I don't really see any solution because I know I will be like this for the rest of my life. Anxiety has always been here, since I was a little kid. I have never had one break and I am honestly so sick of it. Someone told me to try and be kind to myself, but I don't even want to do that. I feel like I deserve to feel bad. I don't know if any of this makes sense. I want to thank whoever reads this. Take care & stay safe.

Pantera913 Being a first time mum (or mum in general) with anxiety
  • replies: 1

Being a mum is hard work. There's no clock off time. But don't get me wrong I wouldn't change it for the world! But when I start to feel unwell or have things with my body go wrong I go into full anxiety attack mode and worry myself silly because it ... View more

Being a mum is hard work. There's no clock off time. But don't get me wrong I wouldn't change it for the world! But when I start to feel unwell or have things with my body go wrong I go into full anxiety attack mode and worry myself silly because it always ends with me thinking the worst like what if something happened to me, I'd never see my boy again. It is so crippling. Does this happen to anyone else? Nothing has happened with my son yet, but I can only imagine I will be the same, if not worse if he ever had something happen!

white knight Poor memory?
  • replies: 3

There can be many reasons for a depleted memory. Medications over many years can be one reason, age, medical causes like dementia or even daily stress. What ever the reason one thing is certain- those you communicate with wont know your memory is poo... View more

There can be many reasons for a depleted memory. Medications over many years can be one reason, age, medical causes like dementia or even daily stress. What ever the reason one thing is certain- those you communicate with wont know your memory is poor and even if they do like a spouse would know, that doesnt mean it will sink in as to why you forget things. Of the many examples of a poor memory and the effect it has on our lives one stands out more than others for me. In conversation if I'm talking about a topic, say I'm about to list 3 reasons to visit my GP and I'm interupted half way through the first reason...then I will completely forget about the other 2 reasons. This places stress on me that even if I said "one moment and I'll finish" I would not be able to retrieve my thoughts. That has a ripple effect in that it becomes a clash. "Dont interrupt me" I'll react. To the other person all they are doing is carrying out normal conversation back and forth expressions. To the person with the leaking memory it feels like poor manners, disrespect or self centred thoughts i.e. more thinking about what they want to say rather than listening. Two sides to every story- I could be a "rambler" one who talks too much with little room for replies. You might forget the ritual of putting a notebook in your pocket. Ok, so you put a note up next to your bed "notebook"...but you forget to read the note!. A mobile phone alarm is a good option...can you remember how to set it? Remember to do AM or PM hours? Poor memory can lead to an increase in anxiety as you pressure yourself to remember anniversaries, birthdays and the like. Several years ago I told my family that birthdays are out for me...I'll only give gifts at xmas time. That way I'm not obliged to remember as if I forget, I could be frowned upon. I'm a classic case of a person that beats themselves up on these sorts of traditional expectations. No one would expect a paraplegic to walk but like all mental deficiencies everybody expects you to think normally. Our drawbacks are out of their sight so- out of their mind. That is normal- we cannot demand attention to these invisible disabilities, so what is the ideal remedy? A poor memory and impatience can result in conflict. We need to understand that repeating ourselves to others in a polite manner to remind them that we cannot remember is the main tool of our communication storeroom. "I'm sorry I cant recall" is better than "I have a poor memory REMEMBER"! TonyWK

Juz16 Stressed!😩
  • replies: 2

Hi I’m new here. im suffering anxiety I think. I have left a narcissistic ex of a marriage of 20 years and now still 2 years downtime track fighting asset division. He believes he is entitled to 80% - 70% of it. I’m feeling sick as I had to see him i... View more

Hi I’m new here. im suffering anxiety I think. I have left a narcissistic ex of a marriage of 20 years and now still 2 years downtime track fighting asset division. He believes he is entitled to 80% - 70% of it. I’m feeling sick as I had to see him in a conciliation conference and he was so obnoxious and arrogant. He was not willing to compromise or budge, the whole conference was a waste of money. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat and my skin is breaking out in a rash. After the conference it’s looking like another 2 years of dealing with and going to court costing more money. My work has been cut back to 3 days and I’m struggling. This divorce is eating me up and cannot take it.

Confused777 One little mistake at work and I might have lost everything I've worked for :'(
  • replies: 1

Long story short, just over one week ago I was working and had a member of the public verbally attack me and was so aggressive that I accidentally said 'F you' when I walked away. I spent the next two days beating myself up over how I responded and t... View more

Long story short, just over one week ago I was working and had a member of the public verbally attack me and was so aggressive that I accidentally said 'F you' when I walked away. I spent the next two days beating myself up over how I responded and things started to get better at work until yesterday. I was pulled into my managers office and handed a letter saying I am now under investigation because this guy (who yelled at me, waived his hands in my face, was towering over me and every time I took a step back he would take a step forwards to stay in my personal space) has put in a complaint about me and I'm at risk of losing a promotion to my dream job which I was just offered (they called me and said they had to retract the verbal offer whilst I am under investigation). I have worked my butt off and have never had any issues, have never had any confrontations in my life, but one little mistake and moment of weakness may have just destroyed my career. I don't know how long this investigation will take. I have a meeting on Thursday to respond to the allegation but I don't know what will happen next. And I don't know if this will mean I don't have a chance of getting re-offered the promotion. I haven't slept, my anxiety is through the roof, I keep breaking down in tears, and my partner and family keep telling me to stay strong and positive but I don't think I have any more strength left in me. I feel like I've been hit by a bus and am petrified that I will lose this job. I'm trying to stay positive but I am struggling so much right now and I don't know how I can keep going. I know that I might be overreacting and I'm hopeful that my manager will have my back and it will all work out, but I keep returning to the worst case scenario and I don't know how I can get through the rest of this week. How can I get through this?

askignquestions Freezing response to anxiety
  • replies: 16

I've been dealing with crippling anxiety for a long time, but its gotten much worse the past few weeks. I'm once again in a freeze mode, where I can't seem to do much. I dont' know if part is depression too, since those thoughts are popping up too. B... View more

I've been dealing with crippling anxiety for a long time, but its gotten much worse the past few weeks. I'm once again in a freeze mode, where I can't seem to do much. I dont' know if part is depression too, since those thoughts are popping up too. But I need help. I am supposed to be working, but I didn't manage to make it in today. I just don't feel safe anywhere, like I need to curl up, hide, disappear. I've been nauseous and shaky and not breathing right for weeks now. Are there techniques for anxiety when you get frozen in place? I haven't been able to leave my room today because I'm too anxious. I'm trying to work from home, but my mind goes completely blank. And I have to report on my work progress Tuesday, but I've been frozen all week. I know the techniques for when you are in an energy panic attack- grounding, breathing. But what if you are stuck in place?

Susanna4568 Feeling disconnected from myself
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone! I've only posted here a few times so I'm sorry if I break any forum etiquette! For some background information, I started seeing a psychologist last year after dealing with anxiety, intrusive thoughts and OCD. I'm currently no longer see... View more

Hi everyone! I've only posted here a few times so I'm sorry if I break any forum etiquette! For some background information, I started seeing a psychologist last year after dealing with anxiety, intrusive thoughts and OCD. I'm currently no longer seeing my psychologist as my anxiety had previously improved a great deal. However, recently, I have noticed a big increase in my anxiety/OCD (feeling panicky, overthinking things, compulsions, and feeling an 'overwhelming sense that something bad is about to happen'). Then, tonight as I was looking at some pictures of myself and my friends and family, I suddenly didn't recognise myself in the images. I felt so disconnected from the person in the pictures and felt like I was seeing my own body from the outside, as though I was a different person. It was honestly a really confronting, scary feeling and made me feel as though I was losing my mind for a second. I've dealt with thoughts like this before but never this strongly. I've been anxious ever since it happened so I guess I would like some advice or suggestions on how I should respond to this? I am also thinking about going back to see my psychologist to discuss this and sort through the anxiety I am experiencing again. Thank you!

Isla22 Any suggestions and advice would be helpful!!
  • replies: 8

Hi, Someone close to me has anxiety and is really struggling with social outings (leaving the house) and this can be with people that he is comfortable with. He can't identify any other triggers other than leaving the house but it doesn't occur every... View more

Hi, Someone close to me has anxiety and is really struggling with social outings (leaving the house) and this can be with people that he is comfortable with. He can't identify any other triggers other than leaving the house but it doesn't occur every time or straight away. I want to best support him as it's affecting him more frequently and preventing him from doing things he previously loved. Any advice or strategies or things I can do to help would be extremely helpful. Thank you!

contrarymary Any people have atrial fibrillation (AF) brought on by anxiety
  • replies: 10

I have episodes of AF which get worse from anxiety and stress. Apparently according to hospital and GP a huge amount of the population suffer from also. I am sure there are also forum members who have AF I am looking for ideas on how to deal with epi... View more

I have episodes of AF which get worse from anxiety and stress. Apparently according to hospital and GP a huge amount of the population suffer from also. I am sure there are also forum members who have AF I am looking for ideas on how to deal with episodes which come and go and made worse by stress. Its easy for doctor to say relax but sometimes easier said than done

Sessel81 Driving got me bad
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, I’m new to this. I was googling ways to help with driving anxiety and stumbled across this forum. I’m 39 and have been struggling with anxiety and panic attacks for as long as I can remember. In general, I manage my anxiety pretty well b... View more

Hi everyone, I’m new to this. I was googling ways to help with driving anxiety and stumbled across this forum. I’m 39 and have been struggling with anxiety and panic attacks for as long as I can remember. In general, I manage my anxiety pretty well but when I have to drive on a highway or somewhere unknown (or where there is nothing around), I completely lose control and have huge panic attacks. Getting stuck at traffic lights or in roadworks is a nightmare for me. If I can’t escape, I go into full panic mode! I miss out on so many things because I am afraid to drive. I can handle driving around the city I live in, but as soon as I hit a highway it’s just frightening. I feel for my kids who miss out on things because I’m too afraid to drive them where they want to go. Is anyone else in the same boat? Is there light at the end of this debilitating tunnel??