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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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EJohn Fear and Anxiety and feeling overwhelmed and tired
  • replies: 2

I am overwhelmed and unable to cope with life's challenges in my adult life. Example. ( Assignments, exams, work, family, savings and future prospects in life. I am scared that I have missed the bus and I have not hope of recovery. When my mind becom... View more

I am overwhelmed and unable to cope with life's challenges in my adult life. Example. ( Assignments, exams, work, family, savings and future prospects in life. I am scared that I have missed the bus and I have not hope of recovery. When my mind becomes active first thing in the morning (when I start to wake up in the morning gradually) around 5am or 5.30. I dream about negative things happening to me. I am very fearful and feel that I want to hide in a safe place as I sense danger from me unable to handle or cope with the difficulties in life and its doom and gloom. I have been feeling like this when I get stressed with normal challenges in life as mentioned above - when I think how I am going to handle a difficult situation ( Exams, assignments, work, family, savings and future prospects in life) I have been on antidepressants and anti anxiety medications which provide temporary relief ( reduce the symptoms to a extent) but not permanently. I also take TMS treatments. As a child I grew up in a war zone sometimes fearing for my life. I feel very tired and helpless. I was told that I needed to build resilience and coping skills but how?

Ingenuitee A Racing Mind and No Positivity
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, I'm not going to sugar coat anything, I feel pretty miserable. Let me summarise for you: - I rush ahead and predict the future, predict others thoughts and feelings, and try to control my own feelings. - I neglect myself, don't seek help... View more

Hi everyone, I'm not going to sugar coat anything, I feel pretty miserable. Let me summarise for you: - I rush ahead and predict the future, predict others thoughts and feelings, and try to control my own feelings. - I neglect myself, don't seek help, don't speak up, or even think my positives are worth sharing out of fear of arrogance and that I don't deserve to have positives. - Eventually I break down to folks, fear that I have hurt them, then continue to punish myself by restricting doing things I normally would enjoy. - These thoughts also pile up, hello depression, yes I can see you alongside my constant anxiety. - Things usually get so bad I think I can't even be slightly frustrated at minor things that help to relieve stress, like missing a train, I blame myself for the rest of the day. However only recently have I begun to meditate and really reach out because I cannot live like this anymore. Every drug (SSRI and SNRI) I take makes me confused and out of control, but I have to try other methods or I fear I will let my family and friends down. I regularly refuse to take my medication because I fear the addiction and it's a cop out. Everyone in my life is so nice to me, and all I give in return is anxiety, bottled up feelings, sadness and never ending worry. I am at the end of my rope, but I simply cannot let myself pass. It is too much to just let my family suffer for leaving, and I know I can do it if I try. I want to have my self esteem back, I want to be able to celebrate the positives, but every day I mention my problems I feel like I am being rude and negative, but I just want to get better. I want to control the "monkey mind" but I need more help. I wanted to reach out and ask you guys if you had any more ideas. Thank you.

PCL Anxiety about starting new job
  • replies: 38

Hi, I’ve been suffering from depression & anxiety for past 4 years after I was bullied at work from management after a workplace injury. I’ve been seeing a psychiatrist regarding this & they just seem to put me on pills. My biggest issues are I apply... View more

Hi, I’ve been suffering from depression & anxiety for past 4 years after I was bullied at work from management after a workplace injury. I’ve been seeing a psychiatrist regarding this & they just seem to put me on pills. My biggest issues are I apply for positions & go to interviews & 90% of the time get the job. I’m always really excited to start but then it all changes on the morning of starting. I can’t move & my anxiety just wont allow me to go in, so I email my new employer & make up excuse after excuse so never end up going. I recently got another position after 3 interviews & really sounds like a great place to work & full time with a reasonably good pay rate. My problem was I was meant to start this morning & again same anxiety set in so I made usual excuse & said I will need to start Monday which new employer has agreed to. I’ve tried taking paxam anxiety tablet befor bed & that still didn’t work. Any advice on how I might be able to get my anxiety in order so I can really get my life back on track & get back working again. I’m 48yo male. Thank you

Mark213 Fit for duty assessment advice
  • replies: 25

Back in October I went on stress leave due to work matters I have already addressed. I returned in November on a return to work plan - not workers comp related I wanted to deal with this internally. I was on medication to assist with my low mood and ... View more

Back in October I went on stress leave due to work matters I have already addressed. I returned in November on a return to work plan - not workers comp related I wanted to deal with this internally. I was on medication to assist with my low mood and feeling anxious. I had a mmreactioni ld reaction, reported it immediately and got off the medication with confirmation from my Doctor. My work sent me to a corperate medical doctor who stated that I to be supervised with staff and I cannot drive machinery, however he stated I am fit to work and need bipolar excluded by a Pyschiatrist. So, I went to a fitness for duty assessment with a Pyschiatrist and was determined that I have no mental illness, I'm fit to return to full duties and I was suffering from low mood which resolved on its own, no further treatment required. My doctor agreed I can return to work. I have sent my paperwork to my HR and the last meeting I had is they are still investigating for an outcome due to the conflicting reports with the Pyschiatrist and medical consultant. Has anyone been through something similar? Remember, this is not a workers comp claim. I'm starting to feel depressed because I feel like they want to terminate me.

Busylife Anxiety about staying away from home
  • replies: 2

Hello. I am seeking some advise please. I have had a diagnosis of anxiety for a number of years. I feel as I have got older the more intense the feelings. Anyway I have always had a fear of staying away from home, as a small child. I know where this ... View more

Hello. I am seeking some advise please. I have had a diagnosis of anxiety for a number of years. I feel as I have got older the more intense the feelings. Anyway I have always had a fear of staying away from home, as a small child. I know where this comes from, my alcoholic father. I always felt I needed to be home to protect my mum. Moving on I lost my husband at age 28, his body never found. Went on and married a beautiful man who is very supportive, kind and close to perfect. Lucky me! So at the end of day I know where this whole overwhelming feeling of anxiety stems from when I am confronted with having to stay away for more than a night from home. Which brings me to my current situation. My workplace has asked me to fly to a new area for 5 nights work. Initially I said yes, as this is what happens I have waves of feeling "I can do this" but once again after I commit, as I have done, my stomach is churning, I want to cry, one minute I am telling myself this will be ok, the next Im as flat as pancake wanting to run or fake an illness. Its a constant roller coaster of emotion that consumes me. The last time I stayed away from home without my husband was for 5 nights at a retreat who worked through some of these issues with me (which is now why I can pinpoint and understand my why) but I was an emotional wreck each night desperately seeking any opportunity I could to get home. Just a little more info, I am absolutely fine to stay away if my husband is with me. I have even stayed away for 3 nights with my son and coped fine. This was sometime ago and as I mentioned earlier this whole fear appears to be growing bigger as I age. Currently 45. My primary question is should I force myself to do this, go on this work trip solo? Would cancelling be giving in to the irrational thoughts, even though I can not exactly identify what my exact fear is, despite knowing where it stems from? Thank you for any advice.

MayBaby Are these intrusive thoughts?
  • replies: 5

TW: mention of self harm and suicide Hi all, I (27) have been struggling with some thoughts for the last couple of years, but I am unsure if they are intrusive thoughts going by what I have read online. Whenever I am stressed from work due to being a... View more

TW: mention of self harm and suicide Hi all, I (27) have been struggling with some thoughts for the last couple of years, but I am unsure if they are intrusive thoughts going by what I have read online. Whenever I am stressed from work due to being afraid of making mistakes or remember something I am embarrassed about I get repetitive thoughts or images in my head. It began with the image of harming myself. The thing is I know I wouldn’t action these thoughts. It is more a feeling of my brain not being able to cope or accept what is happening in reality so it just goes into these thoughts automatically to think of something else. My understanding of intrusive thoughts is the person is afraid that they will action on their disturbing thoughts. I feel these have been amplified in the last year working from home, almost as if I don’t have any co-workers or distractions around me blocking them out. Some background on me: I feel like I may have had intrusive thoughts as a child/ teenager. I can remember as a kid watching my parents making me dinner as I thought they could poison me. In school if a teacher was physically close to me I would have to block out the thought of kissing them. Aswell, I haven’t been diagnosed or anything but I am positive I have dermatillomania since I was younger, obsessively picking the skin of my fingertips when idle or stressed. I guess I am just wondering if what I am experiencing now are intrusive thoughts and if I should get help for them. It just sounds a little different to how others feel when experiencing them. thanks

ScaredBetty Constantly sick all the time- Health Anxiety?
  • replies: 1

I know I suffer severely from health anxiety and have for many years, I obsess over my health and I always think there is something majorly wrong with me which leads to many trips to the doctors and obsessive google searches about symptoms. My main q... View more

I know I suffer severely from health anxiety and have for many years, I obsess over my health and I always think there is something majorly wrong with me which leads to many trips to the doctors and obsessive google searches about symptoms. My main question though is this- I find I am always sick as in flu sick where I get a sore throat and chest and feel just generally unwell like I have a really bad cold or flu, and this happens to me all the time to the point where I miss out on a lot because I am constantly sick. I know anxiety can give you many physical symptoms but this is more like I have a really weak immune system and I am just sick all the time. I live a healthy lifestyle and I exercise and eat well and feel as though I do everything right to boost my immune system so its becoming really frustrating to come down with a cold all the time. I don't know if I am doing this to myself because my constant stress and anxiety is destroying my immune system and making me sick all the time, does anyone else experience this and have any advice? And how did you get back to your normal health.

Kazkat Tips to help feel more control in life
  • replies: 3

Hi I have had anxiety since I was a child. I can't remember a time when anxiety didnt control my thoughts. I am really interested in anyone's tips on strategies to feel more in control of your life and in your relationship

Hi I have had anxiety since I was a child. I can't remember a time when anxiety didnt control my thoughts. I am really interested in anyone's tips on strategies to feel more in control of your life and in your relationship

Frogsong Loneliness
  • replies: 30

Is it just me or are there others out there who have trouble making friends. I've lived in the area for such a long time but can't seem to find my niche. I've tried on several occasions to participate in different things but for one reason or another... View more

Is it just me or are there others out there who have trouble making friends. I've lived in the area for such a long time but can't seem to find my niche. I've tried on several occasions to participate in different things but for one reason or another, my anxiety and fear of being rejected takes over. I know it's something l have to try and overcome but it's really hard and I am 60. I'm very kind and tolerant, married to a man who l know loves me, but he isn't social which doesn't help. If it wasn't for my kids, l think l would just pack up and go. So if there's any one who is going through similar things I'd love to hear from you.

Ab67 Scared mum of anxious teen
  • replies: 4

Scared mum of anxious teen here. She took herself to Headspace for crisis counselling. I am so proud that she knows where to turn for support when she needs it. But I am very unhappy with the advice she tells me was given - that there should be no re... View more

Scared mum of anxious teen here. She took herself to Headspace for crisis counselling. I am so proud that she knows where to turn for support when she needs it. But I am very unhappy with the advice she tells me was given - that there should be no restrictions on her computer use (which means she will be up late (12-3am) even on a school night and that I should talk to her less (stop going into her room, which means I do not see her when she is home) and communicate more by text (which she does not answer). I find this advice incredible and unworkable. Three appointments in and we now only see our daughter when she leaves the house for school and her one outing with friends on the weekend. She doesn’t join us for meals. She barely eats. She is disconnected, and getting more disconnected to her family with every day - but seems happy out with her friends. It’s Sunday and I expect she will spend from Sat 3pm to Mon 7:30 am in bed with her computer, and give me daggers if I go in to see her. Any suggestions to engage with me and the world are shot down and I am asked to leave her alone. Headspace do not include me as a parent in the sessions and I totally respect my daughters privacy if that is what she wants/ needs. But spending more time alone in bed on a computer seems like very bad advice to me and our relationship is deteriorating daily. Can anyone suggest the best ways I can support my daughter? Anxiety sufferers please help me understand - Is it good advice for her to stay in bed for extended times? Do I respect my daughters wishes and leave her alone or disrespect them by trying to engage with her? Thank you the advice