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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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Weaponsofmassdisstortion my mind works in loops
  • replies: 2

as the title says; my mind works in loops. When I am trying to find a solution to a problem, it is brilliant because my mind just keeps attacking the problem from different angles, turning it over, until it finds a solution. However, the down side is... View more

as the title says; my mind works in loops. When I am trying to find a solution to a problem, it is brilliant because my mind just keeps attacking the problem from different angles, turning it over, until it finds a solution. However, the down side is, it can cause problems. When I encounter a problem that is outside of my control, a problem I can't do anything about. Then my mind keeps trying to find a solution. But it can't seem to find a an answer. But it keeps trying to. This causes me a lot of anxiety. Which is kind of what is happening now.

N_P I'm Very Confused
  • replies: 4

I'm 14 years old and ever since I can remember I've always had an ongoing fear of passing away (the thought of what happens after and family members dying). For the past 1-2 months, this fear has turned into something really big for me and has been i... View more

I'm 14 years old and ever since I can remember I've always had an ongoing fear of passing away (the thought of what happens after and family members dying). For the past 1-2 months, this fear has turned into something really big for me and has been interfering with my everyday life. I start having tiny episodes of something that I'm not sure what you would call it where I'm crying and shaking and freaking out and I feel like there are so many emotions and I can't contain them all and I can't describe how awful it feels. My parents think it is because of anxiety and I did take the depression and anxiety checklist and I was in the high range. I am constantly sad and when I try to distract myself I always go to the thought of "i'm going to die anyway". I'm not sure what has triggered it and I need help. please. I am going to talk to my doctor in a few days but I do not know what to do in the meantime and I cannot see my psychologist for a few weeks. Please can you give me some advice.

Anon285 Arthritis at 20
  • replies: 2

Hi there, I’ve been trying to stop thinking about the fact that I may have arthritis in my hips - I used to run and they have been flaring up over the years and the signs match up with osteo arthritis. My hips are shaped a bit differently so it hurts... View more

Hi there, I’ve been trying to stop thinking about the fact that I may have arthritis in my hips - I used to run and they have been flaring up over the years and the signs match up with osteo arthritis. My hips are shaped a bit differently so it hurts and grinds/clunks and hurt when I walk now whereas they didn’t use to. Despite seeing a physio for the past few months and doing all of the exercises I need to do, they are still sore (less pain but still things going on) and I know it could be a lot worse and I’m lucky to be able to swim and walk a bit, I suppose I’m just anxious about it getting worse (or staying the same). Maybe I could take up some new interests or something, to keep distracted. I used to be into fitness and now I’m not able to exercise as much and am also nervous about the consequences of this too... It’s end of year holidays so work and study have finished for the next couple of weeks and maybe my brain is trying to fill in all the free time. Anyway, thanks for reading this and it would be a great help if anyone knows how to ‘let go’ of or ‘stop caring’ about stuff, especially when it could be there lifelong.

Anon285 Replacing worry with hobbies/things that matter
  • replies: 1

Hi there, I’ve has this kind of issue for about 7 years now where I don’t really have hobbies or a wide range of interests because I focus in on one thing, especially something that I’m worried about. In a weird way I find it interesting trying to so... View more

Hi there, I’ve has this kind of issue for about 7 years now where I don’t really have hobbies or a wide range of interests because I focus in on one thing, especially something that I’m worried about. In a weird way I find it interesting trying to solve the things I’m worried about but really... I’d rather just be interested in other things. I don’t have friends because I can’t relate to people a lot of the time... because I spend so much time caught up in trying to improve myself or something - whether it be fitness or social skills or whatever. At the moment I’m in a tricky situation because I’m been obsessing over reversing this likely irreversible medical condition I have that is stopping me from exercising. I think about it for hours a day every day and this kind of thing tends to take over during holidays which is now. I like some creative hobbies but doing them on my own. I like to watch funny videos but can’t really chat about them. I’m on the autism spectrum as well and I want to just be interested in stuff that people tend to be focussed on and I don’t know where to begin. I watch a bit of news to stay up to date with the world. I’m just in this kind of tricky situation trying to ‘unstick’ from these obsessions. I haven’t ever met someone else in this situation before and have felt very weird because of it. I haven’t had friends for years, and I reckon it’s because of this. I’d like to finally make friends and have a genuine interest in worldly issues and I don’t know... TV shows, movies, normal things. I like to listen to music, browse the internet mainly just recommendations, compose instrumental music (not inspired by anything particularly) and watch whatever’s on at dinner time, swimming and that’s about it. I don’t fit in anywhere and I didn’t really care about this until just now, really (lol). And here I am again worrying about another thing and using up time around that... but anyway, has anyone else broken free from this sort of rut? I’d like to be more ‘out there’, and just enjoy life rather than be in ‘fixing’ mode all the time. Thank you and I really appreciate any insights people have. Has anyone else gotten out of this kind of situation before? Thanks

emsym Can’t eat, drink, sleep or function!!
  • replies: 3

Hi All ive really been struggling with “anxiety” of late. My entire life (well as far back as I remember) I have considered myself “a big worrier”. I worry about everything, especially those I love & care for. I have 2 kids. my daughter is 15, going ... View more

Hi All ive really been struggling with “anxiety” of late. My entire life (well as far back as I remember) I have considered myself “a big worrier”. I worry about everything, especially those I love & care for. I have 2 kids. my daughter is 15, going on 20 in both looks & mental status- rebellious, all the fine stuff ! upon reflecting my life’s journey & that of what 2020 has dealt me as far as teen daughter worries, I find myself concluding that it is likely the unrelenting dealings and worry for my daughter that have likely tipped me over the edge. what started as lacking motivation, quitting my long sought after career to finding myself continuously “worrying” for my children (among multiple other facets of my day to day life & responsibilities has now become panic attacks, tight chest, racing heart, palpitations & an uncontrollable dread of fear that I am dying or disconnecting. In addition to this my moods are incredibly unstable- the highs are high and the lows are low, most of my aggrivation having become directed toward my loving & caring significant other I now find myself spending time in thoughts of “is my partner getting Jack of this & starting to stray” ?? Ugh ive had a few days off work, this also fuels it even more because I haven’t properly explained my absences & I find myself quite fearful of any judgement

jan_p How to contact and find a good doctor that I can trust
  • replies: 3

Severe anxiety makes me unable to talk or function in life I need help contacting a good doctor I can trust, I’m just so nervous and anxious and frustrated because I can’t communicate

Severe anxiety makes me unable to talk or function in life I need help contacting a good doctor I can trust, I’m just so nervous and anxious and frustrated because I can’t communicate

bill12345 Health Anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi i’m 17 and i’ve had bad health anxiety and OCD for the last 3 years. Recently i’ve been having trouble with my plastic retainers as it has some holes in and i worry that i swallow these pieces at night and that it could scratch my insides and i co... View more

Hi i’m 17 and i’ve had bad health anxiety and OCD for the last 3 years. Recently i’ve been having trouble with my plastic retainers as it has some holes in and i worry that i swallow these pieces at night and that it could scratch my insides and i could die. This has stopped me wearing my retainers and now i worry my teeth are going back to wonky even though i have work my retainers for like a year and a half now. How do i get over this

Margot265 Anxiety and PTSD from consumption of drugs
  • replies: 5

Hi everyone, this is the first time I am posting. I have a history of anxiety during school, which led me to have social anxiety disorder and became very self conscious about my appearance. I tend to feel embarrased for flushed when people talk to me... View more

Hi everyone, this is the first time I am posting. I have a history of anxiety during school, which led me to have social anxiety disorder and became very self conscious about my appearance. I tend to feel embarrased for flushed when people talk to me and constantly think my face is going red (sometimes it isn’t even). However, as some do , like myself, stupidly took illicit substances to make me feel invincible. Or make this embarrased anxious feeling go away and like nothing will let me down. However I have only taken them 6 times approximately over 2 years. 1 year ago I was peer pressured and in a horrible situation that led me to consume substances when I was intoxicated and this let me to overdose and go to hospital. I took an illicit substance recently at a party about 2 months and since then have regretted it. I’m not sure why I do it even though I have had negative experiences each time from consuming them. I have started to feel anxious before I go to sleep and my panic attacks have increased and sometimes I feel like I’m going to die. I link the feeling of panic to when I had consumed drugs as the same feeling as each time I freaked out when I did it and sweated profusely and couldn’t breathe. Each time I had taken a drug I regretted it, I’m not sure why I do it and I’m not sure if my panic attacks are like PTSD. I constantly feel like I have ruined my body from consuming drugs a couple of times and think my brain is ruined. I know these may be thoughts but please let me know if anyone has had simialr experiences or willing to help

Charlie2505 Surely this can’t be anxiety???
  • replies: 4

This started in February. I was walking to work, felt dizzy, heart racing, tight chest, left arm numb. Sat down, tried to recoup. 3 hours later, I was in the ED, convinced I was having a heart attack. Blood test, lung X-ray, ECG, blood pressure. All ... View more

This started in February. I was walking to work, felt dizzy, heart racing, tight chest, left arm numb. Sat down, tried to recoup. 3 hours later, I was in the ED, convinced I was having a heart attack. Blood test, lung X-ray, ECG, blood pressure. All normal, they said I had a panic attack. May, I had a routine Pap smear, high grade, pre-cancerous cells found, operation to have them removed. Anxiety level 100, consulting Dr Google every day, consistently worrying that they were going to find cancer. The symptoms started again (not related to high grade cells) - dizziness when I was walking, neck pain, headaches, brain fog, fatigues numbness and tingling down my left arm, twitching in my thumbs, cramp in my feet. But the dizziness and the floating sensations were debilitating; I couldn’t leave the house. I went to the GP; I had: Blood tests (full suite), brain MRI, full body CT scan, mammogram, breast ultrasound, cardio gram, ultrasound of my heart, lung tests, heart stress tests. All normal. This latest for months but the symptoms slowly went away, and I had a period of a few months without any symptoms. Then we hit September and I’m diagnosed with a very mild case of Colitis. The symptoms returned (not at all related to Colitis). Since then I’ve been experiencing; dizziness when moving, tingling in my arms and legs, confusion, muddling my words, fatigue, severe brain fog, lack of coordination, feeling like my legs and hands don’t work properly, neck pain, double vision in the mornings, eye pain, headaches. I have had the following tests: Another MRI brain Another round of blood tests Pelvic ultrasound Lumbar spine MRI Neck X-ray All have come back normal and my GP has prescribed me with an SSRI and referred me to a psychologist. I’ve been taking the medication for a week and haven’t noticed any difference in my symptoms. I’m having an MRI of my neck / cervical spine tomorrow... I have convinced myself I have MS or another neurological disease. My boyfriend has now banned me from googling my symptoms. Surely all of these symptoms can’t be from anxiety, I get them everyday, even when I’m just chilling at home and completely fine! Is anyone else experiencing anything like this???

Tugboat I feel broken and cannot be fixed
  • replies: 4

Hello everyone Feeling overwhelmed with Anxiety ATM. Always health anxiety, and I am getting to the point where I can no longer cope with it. Some months ago I started to have trouble breathing and started to panic , went to the Dr and he did a few t... View more

Hello everyone Feeling overwhelmed with Anxiety ATM. Always health anxiety, and I am getting to the point where I can no longer cope with it. Some months ago I started to have trouble breathing and started to panic , went to the Dr and he did a few tests which were fine and he said it is anxiety. I was ok with that for a while but now it’s escalated out of control and I’m thinking the worse again, heart issues, lung issues. I have been in bed all weekend with worry. I’m so sick of feeling like this and don’t feel I will get better. I feel broken into pieces and not being able to be put back together again