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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. Remeber, this is anonymous and the Beyond Blue team are here to help if you need it This section is for people who are experiencing anixiety 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 you 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 worthile 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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Manalishi Anxiety is becoming debilitating
  • replies: 48

Hello, first time poster here, been suffering from anxiety for around 6 weeks now, I haven't received a formal diagnosis yet, but I've arranged an appointment to set up a mental healthcare plan, and over the course of multiple GP and Emergency Room v... View more

Hello, first time poster here, been suffering from anxiety for around 6 weeks now, I haven't received a formal diagnosis yet, but I've arranged an appointment to set up a mental healthcare plan, and over the course of multiple GP and Emergency Room visits we've ruled out just about everything else. During the last week it seems to have gotten particularly bad, with my anxiety/panic attacks increasing in frequency, along with more occurrences of symptoms such as chest pain, and tingling in my extremities and around the base of my skull. Most recently, a new symptom has appeared which is giving me significant trouble sleeping. I'll go to bed, and then start to nod off, and then seconds later I'll get what feels like a massive adrenaline rush, and be completely unable to sleep, even when I was dead tired moments before. Despite the all-clear from the ER and my GP, it's hard not to be scared when symptoms such as this appear, any help you folks can provide would be greatly appreciated.

MyGordon Is anyone up?
  • replies: 6

My name is Matt and I have a terminal illness I am 43 years old. I have no friends and no family the keep contact with me, And the only people I see how the salvos and Uniting go drop the food off to me once a week. Early this morning on Christmas Da... View more

My name is Matt and I have a terminal illness I am 43 years old. I have no friends and no family the keep contact with me, And the only people I see how the salvos and Uniting go drop the food off to me once a week. Early this morning on Christmas Day my best friend in the world and the only thing that keeps me going, my 2 year old carer dog “Gordon” was poisoned when he ate the Christmas hamper that was delivered to me by a kind nurse the other day. The hamper had fruit mince pies in it which contained sultanas, and because I have had brain surgery which failed badly, I have a left with many side-effects from the surgery such as one which is similar to narcolepsy where I just “Black out“ Asleep without notice. That was what happened when Gordon ate the fruit mince pies - (I normally keep an eye on him like an eagle, not because he needs it, because he’s my boy and my best friend and my only companion - but because I was blacked out asleep and hadn’t fed Gordon yet early this morning, The little fella found a way of jumping up onto my kitchen bench and getting into the Christmas hamper. I woke up some seven hours later, at around 11 am, and saw what Gordon had eaten, and immediately rushed him via taxi because there is no one who can help me, to an emergency vet. He is currently on some kind of dialysis machine which flushes his kidneys to get rid of the toxins from the sultanas, and is in a very very bad way. so I have spent Christmas today on my own without my best friend who might die, and of course I think its all my fault even though it’s over and done with now, that he manage to jump up onto the kitchen table and ate these things which poisoned him. Gordon is in the right place and is being looked after, and I have just finished scrambling to find someone who will take me to the vet tomorrow morning because I am out of money now, so that I can check on Gordon because they have given me special permission so that I can stay with Gordon as long as I want to tomorrow however I’m definitely not doing well so I just did a google search for “Xmas lonely live chat Australia”, and this forum was the only thing that pretty much popped up. so I’m just wondering if there’s anyone out there who wouldn’t mind saying hello as I’m extremely traumatised and lonely and missing my best mate more than you could believe right now.

thehalocline Panic Attacks
  • replies: 2

I've been struggling with panic attacks recently, specifically late at night. Ive tried breathing techniques but I always feel the need to do something physical. Usually I will got for a run to get out of a panic attack but am unable to do that when ... View more

I've been struggling with panic attacks recently, specifically late at night. Ive tried breathing techniques but I always feel the need to do something physical. Usually I will got for a run to get out of a panic attack but am unable to do that when its so late and dark. Do you have any suggestions of what I can do to help with my panic attacks?

Rach93 Health Anxiety! Pls help
  • replies: 6

Hi, I really would like some others to talk to about health anxiety - at the moment I am so distressed I can barely cope I don’t move out of bed nothing ! I feel every sensation in my body and I keep obsessing over the fact that I have MS, it’s like ... View more

Hi, I really would like some others to talk to about health anxiety - at the moment I am so distressed I can barely cope I don’t move out of bed nothing ! I feel every sensation in my body and I keep obsessing over the fact that I have MS, it’s like I read the symptoms then they start happening to me or it feels like I have every single one. I know I have anxiety but I’ve never experienced it like this before and that just makes me think even more I have MS, I ended up in emergency last night he did a full exam on my body like reflexes , pushing and pulling away with my legs and arms and he said everything seemed normal but to still request MRI at the drs. I am so scared I am going to the drs tomorrow but it feels like the longest wait I’ve ever experienced.. i feel so alone even though I’m not and im so so scared

Kay8305 Struggling to concentrate
  • replies: 8

Hi everyone, Iʻve just been having a hard time of concentrating when trying to do my work, and it just cycles into me struggling to get things done which then causes more backlog and overwhelm. Iʻm just so tired of it. Any tiny thing that goes wrong ... View more

Hi everyone, Iʻve just been having a hard time of concentrating when trying to do my work, and it just cycles into me struggling to get things done which then causes more backlog and overwhelm. Iʻm just so tired of it. Any tiny thing that goes wrong in the day and thatʻs my concentration done; itʻs just brain fog and no motivation from there. Iʻve tried lots of the usual strategies, but nothing seems to be working. Itʻs hard, and Iʻm sure many of us have experienced this, but itʻs just so isolating. Everyone else can just get their stuff done and go about their day and it feels like Iʻm just dragging behind, barely able to just focus on one thing. Are there lots of people who experience this and if so, what has worked to help? Thanks so much for all of your time!

Josh37 Continuously worrying
  • replies: 6

Hi anyone, i have been living with anxiety for nearly 20 years. Worrying constantly about things that in the scheme of things are not that important. Getting to a stage now where my wording has just made me feel tired inside. I’m completely exhausted... View more

Hi anyone, i have been living with anxiety for nearly 20 years. Worrying constantly about things that in the scheme of things are not that important. Getting to a stage now where my wording has just made me feel tired inside. I’m completely exhausted and out of energy. does anyone else feel this way constantly? or am I alone in this down ward spiral of thought patterns

Ikvic Round and round
  • replies: 5

Hi, I work in a field where I sometimes direct people to this very website, but today Christmas Eve I find myself looking for help I have been having trouble keeping the flow of tears at bay the last 10 days, I find Christmas period intense as I am a... View more

Hi, I work in a field where I sometimes direct people to this very website, but today Christmas Eve I find myself looking for help I have been having trouble keeping the flow of tears at bay the last 10 days, I find Christmas period intense as I am a single 38yr old that lives in a different country to family and feel intensly lonely. It normally passes, this year the thought I might be stuck Alone in Sydney over Xmas, Im finding it alot more intense, and the thought of being alone terrified me. ( i moved here last year and finding it very hard to make friends) Every time I'm alone this past week my brain fills up with these thoughts and I can't get rid of them at all, round d and round with the same thoughts, normally starting to cry. These are thoughts of lonlieness, thoughts that noone cares, why do I make an effort with anyone, As its not repaid back to me. Then the feeling of guilt hits, I shouldn't feel these feelings, im being stupid, so many people are in worse circumstances, its your own fault you dont have friends as you've moved a few times from friend circles, You dont give presents to recieve, Im being selfish for these feelings. The guilt that I am not allowed to feel this way is as intense as the feeling of lonliness and my anxiety behind that Has someone got any tips for dealing with that part? ( I am a glass half full type person, so normally find the silver lining after Xmas and move on, but nothing is lookin very shiny right now. I got out of sydney and staying with friends and want to be happy, but my eyes well up everytime Im alone Tips appreciated to get through the next few days, I dont want to bring down the mood here, so I probably won't talk to my friend here although I did warn her not too get me too drunk as I'd been a bit anxious of late ( blaming covid) Thanks

Screamyspice Intrusive thoughts interfering with memory?? *Trigger warning - self harm*
  • replies: 2

Hi, first time poster here as my mental state has taken a hit ahahaha. So my girlfriend and I have been together for 9 months and I have no doubt she is the one I want to marry. We have had a couple of obstacles due to me not thinking of things I sho... View more

Hi, first time poster here as my mental state has taken a hit ahahaha. So my girlfriend and I have been together for 9 months and I have no doubt she is the one I want to marry. We have had a couple of obstacles due to me not thinking of things I should have been upfront about and clear initially that I thought of way later which lead to more hurt for my girlfriend (I hope this makes sense). I have discovered i have a problem with stuffing up or hurting people i care about, as when these problems arose it did lead to self harm because I couldn't cope with the fact that I had hurt the one I love. Now, since promising I'm never gonna keep anything from her and try to think of anything I should make clear nothing has come up. Until intrusive thoughts of things that would hurt her started coming up and at first I could just shake them off. But one stuck and got progressively worse - that I watched porn while we were doing long distance in the first couple weeks of our relationship. Now this might not seem like a big deal but this is a boundary of hers as she has dealt with abusive relationships where she was with someone with a porn addiction. SO I know I wouldn't do anything to hurt her, and I am 100% set on being completely honest with her... so this thought made me real uncomfortable because of the 'what if that happened ' It has gotten to the point where I'll have moments i believe I actually did it but then after a while im back to thinking about how ridiculous that is. Does anyone else experience anything like this? It is causing some stress for my partner as I've told her about my problem and its worrying her that I did actually do it and am covering it up Pls talk it up, zero judgement from me❤

Niberg Anxiety - Stomach problems ?
  • replies: 6

Hey! this year has been a year from hell for me. I’ve always had anxiety but it was under control. I feel like perhaps everything I’ve been through this year (surgery, wedding, overseas travel all within 3 months) has sort of triggered my anxiety and... View more

Hey! this year has been a year from hell for me. I’ve always had anxiety but it was under control. I feel like perhaps everything I’ve been through this year (surgery, wedding, overseas travel all within 3 months) has sort of triggered my anxiety and I can’t control it. im suffering stomach problems at the moment where I get nauseous, pain in my stomach, tender to touch my stomach, sometimes I have no appetite and other times I’m very hungry and I’m getting reflux too. Every test I’ve done at the doctors has come back normal. A few have suggested it could just be my anxiety. I started taking anti-depressants 6 days ago roughly and the symptoms have calmed down but my stomach is still tender to touch. I’m waiting for an endoscopy but even the specialist hinted it could just be anxiety related. has anyone else suffered from stomach pain and problems from anxiety? If so how long did it take for it to calm down? thank you!

Trixie_A New parent - Health anxiety.
  • replies: 6

Hi there everyone - I’m so happy to be a part of this forum. Currently feeling very alone, knowing there are others that are experiencing the same, makes me feel supported. I have never been one to feeling like I had a form of health anxiety until re... View more

Hi there everyone - I’m so happy to be a part of this forum. Currently feeling very alone, knowing there are others that are experiencing the same, makes me feel supported. I have never been one to feeling like I had a form of health anxiety until recently - 8 months after having my daughter. Now having so much to live for, I am feeling an immense pressure and pre occupation that I am going to become terminally ill. I had my first panic attack over the weekend - a hot flush up the back of my neck, numbing in the right hand side of my face, tingling in my legs (which may be nerve related) and a feeling of derealisation. Of course, I had this checked - CT and pathology came back normal but have an MRI scheduled tomorrow as well. I have since had tingling in my arms and like others have mentioned, this also feeds the fear that there is something terminally wrong with me. It’s a very stressful time. Are there any new parents experiencing the same sort of thing?