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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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Emzp88 Intrusive Horrible Thoughts
  • replies: 4

My dad told me a story about two people that got murdered by their son. Their son had chronic paranoid schizophrenia. Apparently there was a disagreement about money or something like that and from being angry at his parents it caused him to be pushe... View more

My dad told me a story about two people that got murdered by their son. Their son had chronic paranoid schizophrenia. Apparently there was a disagreement about money or something like that and from being angry at his parents it caused him to be pushed to the limit and commit this crime. I got it in my head that this could happen to me... no matter what I do it keeps coming back into my mind. I have tried looking at it from a likelihood stand point... thinking about how the likelihood is really low etc. I don't have children... but I like the idea that someday I will. I just don't want this hanging over my head. I have been seeing a counsellor... what else can I do...?

DannyG05 Too anxious and scared
  • replies: 3

Good afternoon, February last year my mother passed away. Since then my quality of life has gone downhill. I am struggling to live a normal life, struggling to hold down a job and have taken so much time off I'm too scared to speak to my boss in case... View more

Good afternoon, February last year my mother passed away. Since then my quality of life has gone downhill. I am struggling to live a normal life, struggling to hold down a job and have taken so much time off I'm too scared to speak to my boss in case I lose my job. I often get really emotional and sad at the most random times. It also doesn't help that I found her dead in my own home. What should I do? How do I recover from this trauma as I can't live like this any further.

AndyBB Anxiety, Shortness of Breath, Lung disease?
  • replies: 12

Hello, I have been an on and off anxiety sufferer for the past 10 years. I was diagnosed with GAD, Depression and maybe PTSD. I came here to ask for help. I quit smoking nine months ago and about two months ago I developed this shortness of breath. I... View more

Hello, I have been an on and off anxiety sufferer for the past 10 years. I was diagnosed with GAD, Depression and maybe PTSD. I came here to ask for help. I quit smoking nine months ago and about two months ago I developed this shortness of breath. It feels like I can't gasp enough air. I sigh all the time, sometimes I sneeze. I went to a GP and told him all my symptoms and he did a consultation and said there is nothing wrong with my lungs. Although the GP said that, I keep obsessing about it. I think that I may develop a serious condition (asthma, COPD, lung cancer) and I worry about it daily. It's in the back of my head all the time. I keep thinking that I should go back to the GP and get a referral to an expert so I can get an X-Ray, or a spirometry test. I have experienced many symptoms throughout the years and I know that anxiety is a pain and sometimes it makes me feel like I wanna give up because I am tired of this life. Every damned day, something is wrong with me. I keep thinking that I may not live to see old age and My life is a mess (no job, no car, no family). I can't even take care of myself. This shortness of breath is accompanied by a lump in my throat. Can someone please help me? Cheers, Andy

Mina19 Very scared
  • replies: 6

Hi people, A bit of background, I have severe anxiety and PTSD and health anxiety too. My anxiety goes straight to my stomach since experiencing my trauma many years ago. Lately like since last December sometimes when I use the bathroom for number 2s... View more

Hi people, A bit of background, I have severe anxiety and PTSD and health anxiety too. My anxiety goes straight to my stomach since experiencing my trauma many years ago. Lately like since last December sometimes when I use the bathroom for number 2s I have a small streak of blood on my stool. I noticed it happens when my stool is a bit hard or if I’m straining to go but I’m super scared when it happens. I have had a fissure many years ago but I could recognise it because it hurt but this doesn’t exactly hurt in the way that did. It’s bright red blood and usually the size of an ant either on the toilet paper or in the bowl. Has anyone experienced this. I’m 22 female. My health anxiety is shooting through the roof:(

Vallie Vallie
  • replies: 3

How do you cope with living alone when you have never done itbefore

How do you cope with living alone when you have never done itbefore

contrarymary Just when I think I am getting better anxiety and stress are back
  • replies: 7

Posted a number of times looking for help and advice on dealing with symptoms i am suddenly overcome by severe anxiety - pacing the floor, crying, palpitations and chest pain. Had all the tests not heart related. GP doesn't know why it suddenly comes... View more

Posted a number of times looking for help and advice on dealing with symptoms i am suddenly overcome by severe anxiety - pacing the floor, crying, palpitations and chest pain. Had all the tests not heart related. GP doesn't know why it suddenly comes on. This morning I was ok when I got up then within 20 minutes I was pacing the floor and crying and can't be bothered doing anything and it's been getting worse. GP has suggested relaxation and mindfulness. 95% of the time I am ok but suddenly get very stressed eg getting stressed now as screen keeps rotating that's how easy it is, last week it was because the shop did not have my magazine in. I have type 2 diabetes and GP says this could be a problem looking for tips on how people have overcome this anxiety. Last week one night I only slept about an hour too anxious to sleep, there has been no major lifestyle changes

Clickety Help with thoughts
  • replies: 8

Hi again even after that long post I just did I still struggle it's now 3:18 am and my thoughts spireling out of control just wondering what others do here as coping mechanisms for it

Hi again even after that long post I just did I still struggle it's now 3:18 am and my thoughts spireling out of control just wondering what others do here as coping mechanisms for it

AnxietyHopeful Asbestos OCD and Anxiety
  • replies: 18

Hey all, looking for some guidance and reassurance about an anxiety trigger I had. TL;DR at the bottom I work for a retailer, and brought out a pallet of stock onto the store floor. I cut the cling wrap around the stock, and when I went to take it of... View more

Hey all, looking for some guidance and reassurance about an anxiety trigger I had. TL;DR at the bottom I work for a retailer, and brought out a pallet of stock onto the store floor. I cut the cling wrap around the stock, and when I went to take it off, a lot of dust came flying off, which isn’t unusual I saw what looked like white fluff/dust bunnies scattered on top, and threw the top layer of stock onto the floor, because I thought it was weird dust, and proceeded to fill the stock But what set my anxiety off was seeing the white fluff/dust bunnies that had fallen in the middle of the pallet. And in that instance, I got the thought, “What if this was asbestos?” I tried to put that thought in the back of my head, not knowing what asbestos even looked like at this point, only knowing it as some kind of dust. For reassurance, I showed the manager, who said they didn’t know what it was, whilst another employee even kicked it around a bit And for a week after that, I was feeling ok. But that nagging thought of “What if? What if? What if?” just would not stop, until it all just came out and I started crying from the insatiable negative thoughts I’ve since gotten advice from a different manager, who assured me chances are slim it was asbestos, but the obsessing over what it could have been just doesn’t want to stop I’ve been to the Dr now, due to restlessness and dry gagging when the negative thoughts become too much, and I have a psych appointment soon. I do have OCD and have a family history of anxiety And I thought I would share here for thoughts and opinions on my situation. Thank you for anyone taking the time to read TL;DR saw white fluff, and thought, “Is this asbestos?”, and have been obsessing over what it could have been. Would like thoughts/opinions

1brokenheart Lost and hurt.
  • replies: 7

I have recently discovered that my husband regularly watches porn. We have been married 27 years and together for 30 and this has been an ongoing source of contention between us over the years and from very early on. I have from the beginning made it... View more

I have recently discovered that my husband regularly watches porn. We have been married 27 years and together for 30 and this has been an ongoing source of contention between us over the years and from very early on. I have from the beginning made it very clear how I feel about it, how to me it feels like he is cheating and what it does to my self esteem and self worth and value as his wife. I have numerous times found porn sites in his history along with screen shots of images of woman in his photographs, including a woman he worked with. He has told me when he sees good looking woman he imagines having sex with them whether it be woman he sees on the street or on tv, even while I’m right there with him those thoughts cross his mind. He has admitted he has a problem ,that it’s him not me, he is sorry, he won’t do it again and so on. The last time he was caught out promised “ never again” I thought our relationship had elevated on all levels and to a place that I believed him but was always in the back of my mind. So to discover recently he had continued despite knowing at what cost has been devastating, I suffer with anxiety in general but I feel this has heightened that and added a degree of depression which I’ve never felt before and am really struggling and don’t know what to do. I am getting barely any sleep even with sleeping pills can not eat, struggling to function at home or work and feel nothing inside but sadness and hurt and anger, have become consumed by his betrayal and have withdrawn from interacting with anyone unless I have to for work. I really don’t want to resort to medications as I have in the past for anxiety and did not like it at all but I don’t know what else to do. please I would appreciate any comments or advice.

Balvason First Time in Ages
  • replies: 3

Hello all, First of all sorry for the possible rant that follows. Not really complaining and to be honest I don't like drawing attention to myself so sorry for that as well. Backstory At the end of 2019 I was working as a Project Manager for federal ... View more

Hello all, First of all sorry for the possible rant that follows. Not really complaining and to be honest I don't like drawing attention to myself so sorry for that as well. Backstory At the end of 2019 I was working as a Project Manager for federal government as a private installer. This was already stressful, but that also combined with my kids issues at school, the constant noise of the neighbours and then not being able to let go if I had bad days left me as my wife described "a puddle" when i got home. I wasn't interested in engaging in family or even really going to work. But everyday i got up and did what i was employed to do. Didn't stop me thinking everyone was talking about me behind my back, or the way my heart started to beat faster when my phone would ring. I was quietly going mad. At the end of 2019 we (my family and i) had had enough so we sold everything and moved north to NSW to be near family. I quit my job and left the life behind. I hadn't felt like that at all since then until today. I made a mistake at work, and then had several functions where i wasn't able to complete my task correctly. I felt like i was just asking for assistance constantly. Then started to hear (imagined or real i don't know) people talking about a task i had done today in low tones. I was almost in tears as i left and got in my car. The disappointment in my self for not letting it go was what i think was the worst. I dunno, Just feels ridiculous to write it down. Sorry again