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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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Sunny_side Length of anxiety period after anxiety attack/trigger.
  • replies: 8

Hello I am curious about others experience with how long anxiety stays after being triggered / anxiety attack or panic attack. For me after a trigger, I find it very difficult to let the trigger go. This results in me working myself up to having an a... View more

Hello I am curious about others experience with how long anxiety stays after being triggered / anxiety attack or panic attack. For me after a trigger, I find it very difficult to let the trigger go. This results in me working myself up to having an anxiety attack or a panic attack. I will then experience high anxiety for the next 3-4 days where things are a struggle. I seem to bargain with my mind to try find anything to make myself feel better to no avail. Early morning wake ups, physical symptoms of anxiety, mind racing and blurry at the same time. I apply some strategies that help a little. During this time the mornings are the worst and it slowly eases(not all the time) as the day goes on. But never anxious free. I then seem to come down from the peak of anxiety and then have less anxiety for a few days - usually up to a week and a half. Where I will replay/ rehash the trigger and feel very uneasy when my mind goes down that route again. During this time I am very very sensitive to any of my triggers and am on high alert. This makes me very tired and nervous. Physical symptoms subside a bit. Usually by 3-4 weeks I am getting back to myself. But still sensitive. now you know about my unwelcome friend, anxiety - who has an extended stay every few months. Thanks, sunny

shane70 Hi
  • replies: 2

I have suffered from anxiety and minor depression for about 20 years, always just keeping these up and down emotions under control. Now 51, I feel it is getting harder to control and seems at times to consume my life, again, some moments are worse th... View more

I have suffered from anxiety and minor depression for about 20 years, always just keeping these up and down emotions under control. Now 51, I feel it is getting harder to control and seems at times to consume my life, again, some moments are worse than others. One moment you are on top and can cope, the next there are too many things to manage. These waves of emotion cripple my ability to sometimes function, to the point where I just want to sleep and not get out of bed. Anxiety brings so much fear when trying to perform day to day work tasks. This is the first time I have reached out like this as I have got it in my head over the years you should just deal with it, but now I realise that doesn't work, joining this community and posting here is a first step for me. I know this is a long journey but I hope in time I will find ways to better manage these problems.

pixie798 Fresh out of high school - anxiety about the future
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, I’m new to online forums here so am a little nervous to post this, but recently i have seen a new doctor and she has said she thinks i have anxiety, and referred me to a psychologist. the psychologist wasn’t taking new clients, so i’ve h... View more

Hi everyone, I’m new to online forums here so am a little nervous to post this, but recently i have seen a new doctor and she has said she thinks i have anxiety, and referred me to a psychologist. the psychologist wasn’t taking new clients, so i’ve had to wait longer for another doctors appointment so i could get a new referral for a different psychologist, which has been hard waiting because i feel so desperate and need to see someone (hence why i’ve come on here). i’m sorry for anyone reading this, you may be thinking i’m off on a weird and unnecessary tangent and life story, but the truth is i feel so lost in my life right now and just need some way to put it out there and talk to other people about it (who aren’t my mum and boyfriend). i graduated from high school in 2020 and started uni in 2021 but i didn’t think the course was for me and i have since deferred until next year, but the anxiety i am left with now of not knowing what lies ahead of me in my career is terrifying and i am anxious about it everyday. i also worry about the fact that i hate my job already. i used to work at woolworths while i was at school, quit during the peak of coronavirus and have now gone back to working in a supermarket. and i wanted a job for so long after being unemployed but now i have a job i don’t want one. which makes me feel horrible, because i want to work, i want to earn money, i want to contribute to society, but still i just don’t want to be there. i feel like the most ungrateful person in the world and yet at the same time i am so grateful for everything i have. i feel so conflicted with my thoughts, and this brings me so much anxiety. going to work everyday brings me so much anxiety, and even on my days off i get anxious i’m going to get asked to work! i also dream of working on social media as an “influencer” i guess you could call it, which so many people don’t see as a real job, but social media has such a big impact on people daily, and i would love to work on a worldwide scale helping women gain confidence in themselves and start a brand of my own, but i’m scared this goal is too much, and i’m worried people i used to go to school with may judge me and make fun of me for this. and even then i wouldn’t know where to start! i also need to choose a new course for uni next year. this is such a long and probably unnecessary post, but i guess i’m just hoping one of you may have felt the same in the past or feel this way too. i just feel lost, and scared.

Jcob5839 OCD dealing with past trauma
  • replies: 7

Hi everyone I’m Jacob and I’m an 18 year old who has been dealing with pretty severe OCD for most of my life and about two years ago I developed a strong fear and obsession of injuring myself to the point of paralysis and that has been one of my most... View more

Hi everyone I’m Jacob and I’m an 18 year old who has been dealing with pretty severe OCD for most of my life and about two years ago I developed a strong fear and obsession of injuring myself to the point of paralysis and that has been one of my most challenging obsessions since that point. About five years when I was still and early teenager my friends decided we would go jump of some rocks at our local beach (dumb idea I know) and at one point I jumped of a rock around three metres high and my leg just scraped past a big rock and at the time I was pretty shook up about it because in early hit it but I got over it quickly. But after developing this obsession with paralysis I would think about every now and again and get severe anxiety about what if I was a little closer to the left and landed on and paralysed myself. But recently I have thought about this almost everyday and it’s really affecting me I know this is irrational because I’m fine now and I have been since the incident but my OCD needs me to search for an irrational sense of certainty. Does anyone have any tips for getting over past events that you obsess about because I’m starting to struggle thanks, Jacob

pinkandgrey Saying hello
  • replies: 9

Hello All I've been browsing the forums and I've been struck by how wonderful and supportive this community is. It's given me the courage to sign up and write this first post. I have had social anxiety all my life, and as a result I have never been a... View more

Hello All I've been browsing the forums and I've been struck by how wonderful and supportive this community is. It's given me the courage to sign up and write this first post. I have had social anxiety all my life, and as a result I have never been able to build meaningful friendships and relationships outside of immediate family. I am in my thirties and I still live at home, and I have been content in having a very small circle of people to talk to and to have no social life outside of work and home. This changed at the start of the month when I visited the doctor for recurring lightheadedness; it turned out to only be a little bit of high blood pressure that could be corrected through diet and exercise, but my feelings of anxiety have spiraled since. Now I have a hard time concentrating at work, any confidence I had has been shattered, and I feel like there is impending doom around the corner at all times. The anxiety jolts me awake in the middle of the night and stays with me most of the day; if I'm lucky I have a few hours in the evening where they settle down enough for me to get a small reprieve. As I write this now it's early evening and I'm starting to feel a little better. I've spoken to most of my family and a few friends at work and they have all been very supportive. I have also had an initial consultation with a psychologist to find the professional help to get through this. I called Beyond Blue this past weekend and the counsellor I spoke to suggested these forums as one way to work through the anxiety. I was initially apprehensive, as my social anxiety extends online, but now I see how it would also be good to interact with people who have experienced the same and understand what I'm going through. Hence my signing up to these forums. I'm looking forward to sharing experiences, learning from others and lending an ear when needed, so to speak. So here's to positive posts and good days!

Sara4 panic attacks
  • replies: 1

hey guys is a panic attack a cause for concern? should I be talking to someone about it even if I haven't had many?

hey guys is a panic attack a cause for concern? should I be talking to someone about it even if I haven't had many?

chriscollected Newly found anxiety attacks?
  • replies: 1

Hello, My name’s Chris. I have posted a couple of times on a different account in regards to depression issues, asking for guidance and support. I am truly grateful for everyone that posted on my thread before (my name was “cgp_bs”). I wanted to addr... View more

Hello, My name’s Chris. I have posted a couple of times on a different account in regards to depression issues, asking for guidance and support. I am truly grateful for everyone that posted on my thread before (my name was “cgp_bs”). I wanted to address what’s been happening recently to find out what the cause is. Over the past couple of weeks I have been dealing with frustrating panic and anxiety attacks. The first one happened back late April, 3 weeks ago where I had no clue what was going on and was rushed to hospital. I felt weak, cold, dizzy and that my heart could’ve just stopped at any moment. The reasoning behind this was I was prescribed a medication by my GP. I was taking HALF the recommended dosage. On the 4th day, I had a panic attack. I told myself I needed to eat before taking this tablet. I didn’t and went downhill from there. Ever since this moment I’ve been feeling incredibly anxious about quite a lot of things which are now starting to cause mild anxiety attacks. Things like going out to the shops, walking up an escalator to the 2nd floor of the shopping centre, thinking about going back to work, thinking about NOT going back to work, even typing this out... the list goes on and on. I’ve never had the uncomfortable feeling of anxiety only until I started taking the medication. Once we stopped the medication (immediately), I was instructed to take an alternate medication, to reduce the chance of another major panic attack. I have eased off and haven’t taken any for the past week and I’ve felt much better being off the medication but the panic is still there. I went to see a hypnotherapist which was insightful and fantastic to hell in terms of managing it but it definitely didn’t cure all and change my thoughts. I won’t lie, the thoughts haven’t changed since the past... if anything though i’m being a lot more constructive, productive and eager to tackle these attacks once and for all... but they just keep coming back. I’m on yet another waiting list for a psychologist which hopefully is on the start of June but I just want this to stop and go back to how I was before... I understand my depression came from a lack of direction and loneliness... but I want to jump head first into that and change those bad, restricting habits and get out of this mindset. Has anyone been through this before? What did you do?

unknowm315 managing anxiety
  • replies: 5

This is my first time writing in a forum, but it's the only thing I can do. There's no one I can talk to. I've aways battled with anxiety, and tried so much to control it, but nothing works. But, lately, I don't know what's happening to me, it's as i... View more

This is my first time writing in a forum, but it's the only thing I can do. There's no one I can talk to. I've aways battled with anxiety, and tried so much to control it, but nothing works. But, lately, I don't know what's happening to me, it's as if my insecurities are taking over me, and stripping away the person I once was; and my anxiety is just getting worse. Sometimes I don't even recognise the person I am anymore. I don't think I'm enough, and that I'll never be good enough.

PsychedelicFur Having trouble with anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hey there, feeling down in the dumbs at the moment. My parents are getting a divorce and the process seems messy because my mum wants more than what she has bargained for. And my dad has protested against it with his lawyer. I live with my dad so it ... View more

Hey there, feeling down in the dumbs at the moment. My parents are getting a divorce and the process seems messy because my mum wants more than what she has bargained for. And my dad has protested against it with his lawyer. I live with my dad so it has been really hard on us emotionally, financially and physically. There are so many uncertainties. And it’s taking it’s toll on us. And I don’t get along with my mum at all either which makes matters worse. She left my dad on Christmas Eve for another man. And I’m just so frustrated that she is trying to make it even more difficult for my dad. I’m having enormous trouble with my anxiety at the moment.., it has been somewhat calm for so long but now I am just reminded of the uncertainties that are happening within my life so far. I have seen my mother for who she really is just recently and quite frankly I’m sickened and shocked. It really hurts. And I’m so very confused, stressed and hurt. PF.

laurajoshua16 Health Anxiety & Cardiac Anxiety
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone, I just need some reassurance or someone to reply and tell me i’m not crazy/dying. For the past 2-3 months i have experienced mild to severe pains in my chest, left side & sometimes (rarely) in my rights side, this follows with palpitatio... View more

Hi everyone, I just need some reassurance or someone to reply and tell me i’m not crazy/dying. For the past 2-3 months i have experienced mild to severe pains in my chest, left side & sometimes (rarely) in my rights side, this follows with palpitations, arm, leg, shoulder, neck pain that follows. I have been admitted to ER more times then i can count but not for around 3 weeks now since last, every time they have done an ECG, blood tests and chest X-rays and everything has always come back “clear” I just can’t seem to shake it even after being reassured it’s anxiety. It has started to fully consume my life, i am always having panic attacks that i am having a heart attack. I can’t eat, sleep, play with my kids without having a panic attack, it is completely debilitating and i feel like i am just floating through days and not living, I am ready to live my life with my kids, i can’t live like this :’( Laura