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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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RoadToRecovery1001 Almost 30 and achieved nothing in life
  • replies: 27

At the end of this month I'll be turning 30. While for many people this age is a cause for celebration, for me it serves as a stark reminder of how little I've achieved during my 30 years on this earth. I honestly have never felt such dread and sadne... View more

At the end of this month I'll be turning 30. While for many people this age is a cause for celebration, for me it serves as a stark reminder of how little I've achieved during my 30 years on this earth. I honestly have never felt such dread and sadness about a single day before All around me, friends and family have flourished and gone onto successful careers or are getting married while I still feel like I'm at square one. Perhaps the worst thing about this all is that I have completely blown opportunities that would have allowed me to actually make something of my life. I suddenly quit an extremely promising job last year due to overwhelming feelings of anxiety and insecurity. I felt like an impostor and a fraud who would eventually be fired due to incompetence. This is despite the fact that I never received any negative feedback or made any significant mistakes. Nonetheless, I still took the action that I did. Deep down, I know my feelings are often extraordinarily irrational yet I can’t help but feel the way I do. I feel like I'm set in my way of thinking and nothing is going to ever change this for me. I've seen psychologists, read self-help books, done exposure therapy and still feel the same way. As painful as it is, I've almost come to terms with the fact that I'll remain perpetually single and work in jobs that I hate until I die. I feel like whenever I try things to make things better for myself I just make them worse. I honestly don't know how to better cope with my anxiety and feelings of negativity and frankly think I never will. I just want to be normal like everyone else yet my insecurities and negativity always get the better of me. Rather than looking forward to my 30th, I feel like it signifies a very painful and sad pathway of disappointment and failure ahead of me.

Travelmumma I am scared of my anxiety and scared I will never feel better
  • replies: 5

Hi all. I am new to posting here but really feeling in need of some support. I have been suffering from panic disorder and depression since my daughter was born six years ago. I am now the mum of two little ones. I take antidepressants and see a psyc... View more

Hi all. I am new to posting here but really feeling in need of some support. I have been suffering from panic disorder and depression since my daughter was born six years ago. I am now the mum of two little ones. I take antidepressants and see a psychologist ... I was seeing a psychiatrist too but he retired. It has been a tough year as we packed up and rented out house to go travelling overseas but had to come back to Australia and have been living in limbo ever since. We are heading back to our house soon and my daughter will be starting to school which I though might may me feel better but it hasn’t. Sometimes I cope okay with life but then I seem to fall into a huge black hole of anxiety and panic and it takes all my strength to get out. I really want to stop this cycle but don’t know how or where to turn. I feel so lonely, isolated and hopeless. If anyone has any suggestions for things that have helped them I would love to hear them. Thank you.

JaySee2135 Anxiety about physical safety
  • replies: 1

I've been having a bit of a hard time with anxiety. The form it takes for me is that I perceive and/or overrate threats to my physical safety. Just one example – I take a walk in the park, a slightly disheveled looking guy walks past, whistles loudly... View more

I've been having a bit of a hard time with anxiety. The form it takes for me is that I perceive and/or overrate threats to my physical safety. Just one example – I take a walk in the park, a slightly disheveled looking guy walks past, whistles loudly. In the past I would have noticed this but not paid a lot of attention. Unless there was some clear sign of danger, it wouldn't have taken on much significance. But yesterday it happened and my whole body tensed up and I felt a huge "fight or flight" rush. It was very hard to just keep still and calm. Some part of me though the was about to attack me. Or that he was signalling to a gang of his friends to come and attack me. I don't know where all this anxiety comes from. I've never been physically attacked in my life (well... I was threatened maybe once or twice and I did get chased by bullies in primary school a couple of times). I never felt this kind of fear 3 years ago. But somehow something changed within me and I now go into extreme "high alert" at the slightest sign of danger. Has anyone else gone through something similar?

PeteB2 Anxiety over Job Security
  • replies: 2

Hi dear friends I’m Pete I fear losing my job it may not even be rational i have so much anxiety from my thoughts that I have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Any tips from anyone that I can use while at my office job to not feel so anxious. ... View more

Hi dear friends I’m Pete I fear losing my job it may not even be rational i have so much anxiety from my thoughts that I have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Any tips from anyone that I can use while at my office job to not feel so anxious. thank you.

Teacher9 Sudden morning anxiety
  • replies: 2

I've had anxiety in the past and it's due to being on call for work. I overcame that and just last week I woke up with the same awful feelings. Tight stomach, restless, tired but edgy. I dry retch and my mind goes crazy thinking of things I wasn't ev... View more

I've had anxiety in the past and it's due to being on call for work. I overcame that and just last week I woke up with the same awful feelings. Tight stomach, restless, tired but edgy. I dry retch and my mind goes crazy thinking of things I wasn't even worried about. Now I usually get this a week leading up to school(my work) going back but I still have a month before that. My 3 year old has been sick and I've been having broken sleep with her and she's up and running for the day at 4am which I can't handle at the moment. Luckily my husband is off and has been doing mornings with her. I just hate this feeling in the morning, by lunch I'm fine!! Last week my husband was talking about his past and I learnt about ex girlfriends and too much info which hurt. I know this is playing on my mind and I've told him that. Not sure why I'd be anxious over this though, I thought anxiety was to do with the future. I don't know why I'm getting hurt by relationships he had like 20 years ago. I think my subconscious got rattled because I thought I knew all about his past. Plus it's irrational to get upset at someone's past because most people do. (husband my first serious relationship though). Ive booked to see gp Thursday to get some bloods checked and discuss my morning anxiety. If it continues I'll try get in earlier. Just wanted to vent

jan_p Severe anxiety and help contacting a doctor I can trust
  • replies: 7

I have severe anxiety sometimes I can’t talk at all I need help finding and contacting a doctor I can trust can anyone offer any advice or help please

I have severe anxiety sometimes I can’t talk at all I need help finding and contacting a doctor I can trust can anyone offer any advice or help please

28_and_not_sure Relationship Anxiety, or just Anxiety?
  • replies: 3

I’ve always known I’ve been somewhat anxious. Pretty highly strung day-to-day, but I’m a corporate boy - busy, high pressure days. So always thought that’s just part of what I signed up for. Growing up I always strived to fit in. I’ve got my life und... View more

I’ve always known I’ve been somewhat anxious. Pretty highly strung day-to-day, but I’m a corporate boy - busy, high pressure days. So always thought that’s just part of what I signed up for. Growing up I always strived to fit in. I’ve got my life under control. I’m educated, moneys not an issue, I have a good career, I have a close group of good friends. But I can’t develop a healthy intimate relationship. I’m a relationship sabotager. My mind always goes to the worst, always. If they go out without me I think they’ll cheat. If I notice they’re online on messenger I assume they’re messaging someone else intimately behind my back, then to get rid of these feelings I’ll look for another reason to end the relationship. It’s only just occurred to me that I have a problem. I thought this was normal and I just hadn’t met the right person you. I went to the doctor yesterday now that I’m dating an amazing guy and don’t want to ruin this one. I’ve been referred to a relationship psychologist. reading into anxiety, I’m not sure if it’s relationship anxiety or more broadly anxiety, and I’m not sure if I should get broad help, or specific relationship help. Reading what anxiety truly is, I definitely have it - but I can manage it day to day. I just really don’t want to destroy another relationship with my negative thoughts. I’m desperate for help. I want to be happy in a relationship.

Gretskiez_ Trying to accept anxiety
  • replies: 3

I first got diagnosed with anxiety in August. And since have been seeing a psychologist, I try to use the techniques they’ve given me to cope. But I find it so difficult. There are different levels of anxiety, sometimes I just have mild and I can cop... View more

I first got diagnosed with anxiety in August. And since have been seeing a psychologist, I try to use the techniques they’ve given me to cope. But I find it so difficult. There are different levels of anxiety, sometimes I just have mild and I can cope with the techniques I’ve learnt. Then I suffer major anxiety and nothing seems to help me. I suffer panic attacks, and what I think is health anxiety because my brain tells me there is something wrong with my heart, or that I have MS. On Tuesday I decided to try antidepressants that my GP prescribed, but they sent me into a major panic, and I almost went into hospital, I was sick for two days. This was incredibly upsetting for me because I have a 3 year old and a 19month old. I hate that they have to see me struggle, crying, vomiting, having no patience, etc. since Tuesday my anxiety has been eating me alive, I have felt derealisation. I can’t eat, I feel so lightheaded and dizzy. I don’t want to live life like this, I hate anxiety, I hate that I can’t control it, and it really scares me that it’s going to have a terrible impact on my young children. I just am finding it so hard to accept that I have anxiety, and that it’s here to stay. I’m so scared that medications aren’t going to be able to help me, I’m just fearful of so much, and that’s because of my anxiety.

44Max44 Tips on how to be less awkward and socialize more in social settings
  • replies: 5

So I've just gotten back from holiday celebrations with my family, and I honestly couldn't be more relieved. I am so so bad at socializing, I can't help but think that I'm constantly being awkward, and I just don't know what to talk to people about. ... View more

So I've just gotten back from holiday celebrations with my family, and I honestly couldn't be more relieved. I am so so bad at socializing, I can't help but think that I'm constantly being awkward, and I just don't know what to talk to people about. For a lot of people socializing comes easy, but for me it takes 110% of my brain power just to have a 5 minute long conversation. I don't know what to do with myself, I don't know what to say, I just don't know what to do at all. In all honestly I'd rather have nobodies company but my own, but I also love my family and want to interact with them to show them that. I'm 21 years old yet I feel like a child. Because of all of the above I've just become super withdrawn and try to socialize as little as I can. In the rare occasion that I'm out socializing I'll just be sitting by myself, not talking at all unless if I'm spoken to first, and just looking around the place pretending like I'm absorbing the scenery or something when in actual fact I'm just constantly worrying in my head. Instead of enjoying myself I'm just patiently waiting to get back to my room and be by myself again so I can relax. I think I have ASD or maybe ADHD but I'm yet to get a diagnoses, so that could explain my behaivour, but it could also just be a lack of social 'training' and my anxiety. I also injured my eardrum as a kid so I think I'm partially deaf in one ear so I'm constantly having to ask people to repeat themselves, or I pretend like I heard what they said and just agree/laugh/whatever else and hope that was the right response to what they're saying. It's eating away at me. I hate it. I just want to be normal in social settings but I don't know how to be. Online I am completely fine with talking to people, but face-to-face I'm almost always silent. If anyone else is like this or was like this, what are some helpful tips you could provide? What's something I could do to get better with my social skills? I've never gone to a psychologist but I'm thinking I will in 2021. Thanks guys.

Whatsinaname Social media and anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi all, Apologies if this has been touched on before but a quick search didn't show up much. I've always had anxiety around people to some degree, but with social media it's really hard because its always "there." I used to have a fake name on my Fac... View more

Hi all, Apologies if this has been touched on before but a quick search didn't show up much. I've always had anxiety around people to some degree, but with social media it's really hard because its always "there." I used to have a fake name on my Facebook but felt like I was hiding so have since changed it back. Today I was scrolling through tictok and a random live video from someone I dont know came up, which I usually skip, but it said "you are mentioned in this live video" the lady then proceeded to say "hi xxxx" which really freaked me out. Odds are its some kind of add because I quickly scrolled on but then went back and it seemed to start from where it did the first time but in my panic I closed it and will never see it again (unless it an add haha). I've also never done a live video so it potentially just tells them who has just started viewing. But just wondering if anyone else finds it hard to be available online for anyone to find. Not even sure why I dont like it but its something that always makes me uncomfortable. Thanks as always,

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