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

All discussions

Nervybella Waking up super early and super anxious
  • replies: 5

Hi all sorry if this is already a thread but I couldn’t quite find what I was looking for. background: I started a new job about four weeks ago. It’s a bit overwhelming and I’m quite anxious as is. then for the past two, maybe three weeks I have been... View more

Hi all sorry if this is already a thread but I couldn’t quite find what I was looking for. background: I started a new job about four weeks ago. It’s a bit overwhelming and I’m quite anxious as is. then for the past two, maybe three weeks I have been waking up at around 4am every single morning with a racing heart, sweats, tight anxious stomach. It’s exhausting. I then find it hard to go back to sleep and I find it puts me in a bad mood to start the day im also finding now that I dread going to bed because I know this is how I’m going to wake up has Anyone else experienced this? What did you do to help it? I currently take herbal sleeping tablets but falling asleep isn’t my problem -Bella

Tigerlillys Panic attacks and extreme nausea
  • replies: 1

Hi there, I am wondering if I’m not the only one that experiences extreme nausea when having a panic attack? It gets to the point where I will vomit but still feel sick. My anxiety is also trigged by feeling sick and I have a fear of throwing up so i... View more

Hi there, I am wondering if I’m not the only one that experiences extreme nausea when having a panic attack? It gets to the point where I will vomit but still feel sick. My anxiety is also trigged by feeling sick and I have a fear of throwing up so it a horrible time and my attacks last for hours. I also can’t keep medication down to help the attack. I also shaking uncontrollably and non stop throughout the attack. Does anyone have any advice or tips of how I can manage this? Thanks! ps. Sorry I just need to get it out and tell someone but don’t want to bother people

Yanish42 Anxiety - I am new here and seeking support
  • replies: 4

Hi all, I just need support to keep pushing through. I have anxiety and difficulties sleeping. It tough, I am on medication for my mental health and taking sleeping tablets but I can get only 5 hours of sleep or so. Does anyone have suggestions for a... View more

Hi all, I just need support to keep pushing through. I have anxiety and difficulties sleeping. It tough, I am on medication for my mental health and taking sleeping tablets but I can get only 5 hours of sleep or so. Does anyone have suggestions for a coping strategy?

Catherine3 Have you overcome your upbringing ‘to be seen and not heard?
  • replies: 2

Hi there, Can anyone share some tips to overcome ‘To be seen and not heard’ upbringing? This has led me to be lack confidence to know my view and voice my view and in turn withdraw and be anxious.

Hi there, Can anyone share some tips to overcome ‘To be seen and not heard’ upbringing? This has led me to be lack confidence to know my view and voice my view and in turn withdraw and be anxious.

SquireHarbour Fear of everyone laughing at me
  • replies: 2

Hello, this is probably all irrelevant in the end, but here goes. I slept through the Euro 2020 finals. Woke up to find out that Italy won against England. Cue feeling like I shouldn't even bother liking a team anymore. The anxiety and stress levels ... View more

Hello, this is probably all irrelevant in the end, but here goes. I slept through the Euro 2020 finals. Woke up to find out that Italy won against England. Cue feeling like I shouldn't even bother liking a team anymore. The anxiety and stress levels shot straight through the roof. Spent the last three hours crying in anxious fear. Psych says I have social anxiety disorder combined with my major depressive disorder, autism spectrum and mood swings. These days, I can't shake the mere idea that everything that I support or like, people are laughing at me. Mocking me. Judging me as a person. This Euro final thing is exactly that. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, I somehow feel like every Italian supporter is laughing at me for daring to support England. Mocking me for even considering that the English team could break 55 years of pain. Like I should be ashamed of even daring to hope, or dream, or even thinking that they could win... This fear is why I don't reveal what music I like. What movies I watch, what TV shows I like. What sport teams I barrack for. I am so scared of revealing what I have, or what I do. Or even where I go or what I even think on certain topics. I am terrified of just revealing anything personal in general. Because, somehow, I just fear that people, somewhere, will laugh at me/judge me/mock me for revealing anything about myself, all day, everyday. Forever. I don't know what to do anymore. I don't feel like I can even care about things or say what I like anymore. Because I just fear is that the world will laugh in my face if I ever reveal what I like or care about anymore. It's feels like inevitability.

Nervybella Anxiety and WFH
  • replies: 3

Hi all so I’ve started a new job about three weeks ago. It’s a step up for me and an overwhelming/big kind of job is that makes sense. I’ve been feeling very anxious since starting - no appetite, constant self doubt and waking up with a racing heart ... View more

Hi all so I’ve started a new job about three weeks ago. It’s a step up for me and an overwhelming/big kind of job is that makes sense. I’ve been feeling very anxious since starting - no appetite, constant self doubt and waking up with a racing heart at 4am every morning. then throw on top of that the sudden Melbourne lockdown and now I am working from home with no support from colleagues. How do people cope with working from home? I feel like I’m not good enough and it’s so hard to switch off and keep work and home seperate when it’s all happening in the same rooms… my previous job was in healthcare so I was going into work for all lockdowns so I am just new to working from home. I’d love to hear some others that have felt like this before

unigirl1994 Panic attacks every night - fear of death
  • replies: 15

I few years ago a massive fear of death popped up into my head. It came in waves sometimes bad and sometimes I didn't think about it at all. I saw a psychologist and it really helped. Last year I watched one of my grandfathers pass away in a nursing ... View more

I few years ago a massive fear of death popped up into my head. It came in waves sometimes bad and sometimes I didn't think about it at all. I saw a psychologist and it really helped. Last year I watched one of my grandfathers pass away in a nursing home and it was really helpful for my fear as he chose to go and was ready. This past few weeks my fear has come back full force. I'm having panic attacks every night before I fall asleep and most days at random times. Last night my mum was telling me a story about how a 90-something year old man had committed suicide as he was tired and chose his own time (she is a policewoman) - she started crying while telling me and it set me off into a panic, I had to pretend to go to the bathroom so I could quietly freak out in there alone. I have spoken to her about me fear before and she encouraged me to speak to my psychologist. I have since contacted my psychologist but her books are closed for a few months. I'm tired of being scared every day and I don't want to waste my life living in fear but everything I read about this phobia sets me off in a panic. I need help and I don't know what to do, because I know its inevitable but I need to come to terms with it.

Jr5251 Out of control anxiety over son
  • replies: 1

Hi all, first time poster, long time lurker. My son is 18 and I am constantly anxious and worried that he is going to get into trouble. I was a police officer for many years, but not for past 16yrs. My son has discovered drinking and goes out with fr... View more

Hi all, first time poster, long time lurker. My son is 18 and I am constantly anxious and worried that he is going to get into trouble. I was a police officer for many years, but not for past 16yrs. My son has discovered drinking and goes out with friends to clubs, parties at houses etc. If he is going out with lads his own age, I don’t worry so much, but he has started going out with men (over 25) from his sports team and I am so worried. He does tell me what he is up to and has me on his app so I know where he is, but every weekend now I am so anxious I feel sick, headachy, worried. He gets quite drunk, even though I have asked him to not drink to the point of being smashed. BUT and a big but, is there are rumours that several of the team take cocaine and mdma. He has promised that he wouldn’t take anything, but to be really honest, I don’t trust him. He always wants what others have or do and I worry this will be in relation to drugs too. Can anyone give me pointers to deal with my anxiety and worry, am I just being a helicopter/snowplough parent and need to back off…HELP please thanking you in anticipation

Squiddly_diddly Hello and some anxiety questions...
  • replies: 3

Hello all, I’m suffering a bad phase of anxiety at the moment. im an ex pat . Really missing Uk, but do have good friends here. I just get so anxious if say, a friend takes all day to reply to a text... I imagine that they are ignoring me etc etc. I ... View more

Hello all, I’m suffering a bad phase of anxiety at the moment. im an ex pat . Really missing Uk, but do have good friends here. I just get so anxious if say, a friend takes all day to reply to a text... I imagine that they are ignoring me etc etc. I feel like I’m on the outside looking in, I get short breath and dwell on imagined slights, things I’ve said that may upset people and so on. just reaching out really, on medication with a good GP. Just meh right now. Also, dr gave me medicinal cannabis to try, not sure if a co incidence but been sad and low since I started it. Wondering if anyone had any other issues with it? sending love and support to all xx

Zeity Anyone quit a job due to not having a grip on Anxiety?
  • replies: 24

I have been in my role for 7yrs. It offers flexibility, ridiculous great hours but poor pay, lil progress and a boss who will praise you one day and humiliate you in a meeting room the next. Ive been buried in a pressure cooker for the last 2 months ... View more

I have been in my role for 7yrs. It offers flexibility, ridiculous great hours but poor pay, lil progress and a boss who will praise you one day and humiliate you in a meeting room the next. Ive been buried in a pressure cooker for the last 2 months and finally uttered the words IM DONE...penned a letter, decorating with thanks yous and fluffy stuff and admitted it was to take time off for self-care, basically due to "health" reasons. I dont have a back plan and my husband is currently not earning. But ive spent 2 months not sleeping, not eating, working almost 3 times the amount i csn physically do. When he turns on you, he is anniliating. Basically, i go to work in constant fear that im going to stuff up and get told off by him all the time....and i just need a bresk to sort my life out and reset my head to die doen the crazy chatter. It is stupid for me to not have another job lined up and resign.in 48hrs but the reality it is my anxiety wont let me look for a shop whike i still work there. Itll be written all over my face