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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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Ilove_dogs Anxiety is running my life
  • replies: 4

Hi, this is my first time posting. I have anxiety and depression and they go hand in hand. The biggest struggle I am having is anxiety around work. I had a horrible experience as a graduate going into a new career a couple years ago and ended up leav... View more

Hi, this is my first time posting. I have anxiety and depression and they go hand in hand. The biggest struggle I am having is anxiety around work. I had a horrible experience as a graduate going into a new career a couple years ago and ended up leaving after I couldn’t take the pressure of being told I wasn’t progressing quickly enough to their standard. I was humiliated in front of my colleagues by the teaching coordinator I have never in my life felt so embarrassed and like I knew nothing I felt like a scholars primary school student. I quit just shortly after that because I couldn’t handle coming home and crying after every shift. I asked for more support but was told they thought they were already doing that. I work with a psychologist but I still suffer to muster any confidence I work in a different job but within the same industry. I had a break between jobs so I have been in my current job for over a 1.5 years. But I struggle with any kind of stress it sets my anxiety into over drive. I feel like I can’t bare going to work so I have frequent time off but I need the income so it puts a strain on other parts of my life. I feel like I can’t get back to normal since before my grad job. I have applied for many other jobs and had interviews but I don’t go because I’m too scared they will think I’m not smart enough or I’ll make a fool of myself I just have no confidence. Today I had a great opportunity and I let it slip through my fingers because I convinced myself I wouldn’t be able to do the job it’d be too stressful or I couldn’t handle working long hours multiple days during the week. Now I’m just disappointed in myself I feel like I don’t know who I am anymore and I hate the fact this has happened to me. If anyone has any helpful advice I’d like to hear it. thanks for taking the time to read my spiel.

LittleCherubs Sigh
  • replies: 2

I suffer from generalised anxiety disorder. Today, I couldnt get my car out of my garage. The remote just wasnt working. I tried a couple of things but in the end I had to call my husband, me almost in tears at this point, to go and get the kids. He ... View more

I suffer from generalised anxiety disorder. Today, I couldnt get my car out of my garage. The remote just wasnt working. I tried a couple of things but in the end I had to call my husband, me almost in tears at this point, to go and get the kids. He was angry and shouting (not necessarily at me, more the fact he had to rush and leave work). Back and forth on the phone with him and im feeling like im a burden and the whole situation is my fault and he almost has an accident while rushing to get the kids. After another 2 angry phone calls, im in tears in a panic attack and he is just in do not care mode. He gets them and then when he comes home, just gives me a short hug and says that he is sorry that he is unsympathetic and that he loves me. Am I right to feel hurt?

Beaser Scared again and dont know where im headed.
  • replies: 24

Hi and best wishes to everyone..Im starting to get very scared again and having panic like attacks. I just feel so alone at times and this might sound strange but i feel like a kid who just wants to give his mum a hug. But im 58 i lost my mum at 18 a... View more

Hi and best wishes to everyone..Im starting to get very scared again and having panic like attacks. I just feel so alone at times and this might sound strange but i feel like a kid who just wants to give his mum a hug. But im 58 i lost my mum at 18 and Dad in 2000 and have no real family support. Im currently not working and dont feel i have the energy to start again. I just do some volunteer work one day a week at a hospital. Ive never really progressed in life i just seem to have filled in time . I feel like i have had enough a times. Best wishes Brett

Guest_70604423 Anxiety panic controlling my life
  • replies: 1

For no reason as happened only today I get this doom feeling followed by shallow breathing , fear and feelings of control . I know it's just a feeling but it is very strong .mixed with real life stressses and real life diagnosis cardiomyopathy, hiv. ... View more

For no reason as happened only today I get this doom feeling followed by shallow breathing , fear and feelings of control . I know it's just a feeling but it is very strong .mixed with real life stressses and real life diagnosis cardiomyopathy, hiv. I am terrified of any outcome .many years ago saw a doctor and he gave me the wonder pill and anxiety stopped . take them when you need them he said , so I did and it took ten years to get off these bandaids.anxiety has caused social anxiety , body anxiety .I'm 59 and it is just yuck .I went to the hospital a few weeks ago thinking my chest was caving in and the look done nurses gave me , I felt a stigma from them that it was another anxiety case .going to hospital was a last resort

idrkwiarn suffering in silence
  • replies: 1

do you ever feel like you could burst, just keeping everything inside you until the world feels like its about to collapse? you aren't sad but just full of something that wont go away. and when the release comes its never enought and the rope still t... View more

do you ever feel like you could burst, just keeping everything inside you until the world feels like its about to collapse? you aren't sad but just full of something that wont go away. and when the release comes its never enought and the rope still tightens. and like it just doesnt work. and then you feel like you want to die but not really, you just want to scream but cant. you are drowning but cant be saved. suffering in silence

Guest_10110 Why am I the way I am?
  • replies: 2

For context, I'm a Working Holidaymaker from the USA, and have been in Australia since late October. I came here fresh out of uni to make up for a lack of life experience (Most of my early 20s were stolen by the Covid pandemic), get myself out of my ... View more

For context, I'm a Working Holidaymaker from the USA, and have been in Australia since late October. I came here fresh out of uni to make up for a lack of life experience (Most of my early 20s were stolen by the Covid pandemic), get myself out of my comfort zone and make connections with others. I've had some success with those things, but the issues that plagued my old life for many years have caught up with me. Somebody I met dropped a bombshell explaining why I can't attract people to me, and it made me cry, as I've wanted to know the answer for a long time: I speak with a rather whingey tone of voice, which not only displays a lack of confidence, but it takes energy out of people and pushes them away. It's a way of protecting my anxiety, which has become part of my character as a person. I also create worries of potential events that haven't happened yet or may not happen at all. It's always black and white thinking. More than anything else really, it's poor conversational skills. Being neurodivergent may have something to do with it (What a bloody curse it is), but I just wish there was a way I could not be such a wreck all the time.

__k__ Anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi all, I’ve been suffering from/with anxiety for 2 years now. It all started when i had my first child and i went to leave the hospital and go home. My anxiety was never about me as a mother or anything like that! It was about my health (not somethi... View more

Hi all, I’ve been suffering from/with anxiety for 2 years now. It all started when i had my first child and i went to leave the hospital and go home. My anxiety was never about me as a mother or anything like that! It was about my health (not something I was anxious about before), and also other things, such as, certain smells would kick off a panic attack, being in public, being on my own, even eating foods I’ve eaten forever! To the point I was having a panic attack every 3 minutes, every single day for 3 months. I didn’t start medication sooner as i was all of a sudden scared to take new medication and how it would make me feel.. every day it’s something new and i feel like it’s getting worse every new day. I don’t know how much longer i can take this. i guess im writing this to possibly see if anyone else is the same, any ideas or advice would be great?

Elise school feels like its stealing my life
  • replies: 1

Hey, I really just need somewhere to vent about school, so i'll do it here. I'm almost 14, and have started year 8 this year, but the thought of school just makes me sick. I HATE being there so much. I only really started hating it a couple of years ... View more

Hey, I really just need somewhere to vent about school, so i'll do it here. I'm almost 14, and have started year 8 this year, but the thought of school just makes me sick. I HATE being there so much. I only really started hating it a couple of years ago and since then its just gotten worse. I get good grades and my teachers like me, so everyone is confused as to why I hate being there so much. Also my school is a relatively fancy private school, and my parents tell me I should be grateful that I have so many opportunities, but I don't feel grateful and that makes me SO guilty.I don't want to join any clubs because that would just mean dedicating more time to school. The only "club" I ever joined was the school musical because I love singing/dancing/acting and I got a lead part and had so much fun, but now the school has stopped doing a musical because its "too expensive." I missed the first 2 weeks of year 8 due to an injury and now that I'm better the thought of going back just kills me. I used to be a pretty good student, but now I've stopped listening in class and talk back to teachers sometimes. I just don't understand why I have to dedicate so much of my life to learning something I don't care about at all. Every time I have to go to school I start having a "mental break down" of sorts and it makes me feel so pathetic crying over something like school but I cant help it. I know most kids don't like school, but it feels different for me because sometimes I feel like I'd rather die than be there, but then I feel guilty for thinking that way because outside of school I have an amazing life where I get to do lots of sports, a few holidays and a kind family. but I still have 5 more years of school left + university and it just feels like the cycle never ends. Does anyone know what I can do?Thanks, Elise

RescueKitty Work related anxiety & stress Part 1
  • replies: 3

In Nov 2024 I took a step back from all the extra office duties such as CSO that I was previously doing. I needed to focus more on myself and my mental health, it felt selfish but I really needed it. My manager was supportive and understanding. She h... View more

In Nov 2024 I took a step back from all the extra office duties such as CSO that I was previously doing. I needed to focus more on myself and my mental health, it felt selfish but I really needed it. My manager was supportive and understanding. She herself has struggled with mental health issues. Jan 26th 2025 I spoke with my manager about how I was feeling very unsupported by the other staff.I'd been spending more time out of the office with the animals, meaning that the other 5 staff had to cover the role. Majority of the time the other staff would say "I don’t know how to do that, I'll leave it for Rach to do. She knows the most about the office anyway." I'd previously offered training and written up multiple "How-To-Guides" on CSO tasks, including other SOPs that are available to all staff to read with step by step instructions on how to complete certain tasks on our systems. I get turned down at every training offer I make. The excuses were all along the lines of "Hell no, then I'll be expected to be in the office more." When the other staff 'cover the office' they only do the bare minimum, the phone lines are even diverted right now. So, they only need to deal with walk-ins, giving them plenty of time to learn and complete other tasks. Got to the point that Manager apologized and asked me back into the office because everything had gotten so backed up. So, I was catching everything up, plus working in an animal section on the same day. Meanwhile the other staff only had one section with 5 dogs each to a section at the moment. One day a co-worker kept radioing me to open the gates to the public because they were 'busy'. I open the gates and go take the trash out and walk past the dog yards and see those same "busy" co-workers lying on blankets in the sun while sipping on McDonalds coffees. Another day I was swamped in the office, this same coworker calls over the radio to ask if I'd called the vets for a collection time yet. I reply no I hadn't done that for her. 1 min later she messages our public work chat asking me to call the vets and ask for a time that she can collect the dogs. Why she couldn't make that phone call herself? I was obviously busy. I feel like I'm being forced to remain in the office, because the other staff refuse to learn it and help out. Its just frustrating that they all avoid any office related tasks like the plague, even when its just making a phone call. Like could they just help me out a bit?

Dilraj Anxiety and panic attacks
  • replies: 1

Hi feel anxiety and panic attacks because my 8 year old son moved to USA with his mom .. now he is not settling in school in US he want to come back here in Perth and want to go to previous school where he goes since kinder. Now school says position ... View more

Hi feel anxiety and panic attacks because my 8 year old son moved to USA with his mom .. now he is not settling in school in US he want to come back here in Perth and want to go to previous school where he goes since kinder. Now school says position is fulfilled they say add in a wait list it is a private school , as a dad I feel very disappointed don’t no want to do