Immediate support
Immediate support

Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with anxiety.

Start a discussion

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Categories
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

Start a discussion

Sweesoft Anxiety amidst COVID-19
  • replies: 1

This pandemic has caused so much anxiety to people all over the globe. What are the things you do to fight anxiety and keep your mind off the negative impact of COVID-19?

This pandemic has caused so much anxiety to people all over the globe. What are the things you do to fight anxiety and keep your mind off the negative impact of COVID-19?

T_93 Help with Anxiety
  • replies: 8

Hi there, im not really sure what to do ( previously wrote this in another forum but wasn’t sure I did it right) I don’t want to worry my family anymore as they know I have battled with anxiety and really bad depression in the past and feel as though... View more

Hi there, im not really sure what to do ( previously wrote this in another forum but wasn’t sure I did it right) I don’t want to worry my family anymore as they know I have battled with anxiety and really bad depression in the past and feel as though I need to work it out on my own. i just started a new job in customer service, and it is making me feel sick to my stomach...I get so scared I’m going to get into trouble or something bad will happen plus I think I hate dealing with people and how rude they can be. My anxiety is almost getting the better of me but I’m trying to fight it and remain as calm as I can possibly be! Iv started waking up weird hours of the night thinking about the new job and all I am thinking about is the job but then my thoughts start to escalate and I think about a whole bunch of other things and bad things that I have gone through and tell myself I am failing and I’m not good enough....Iv been told I put pressure on myself and I believe that I do a little bit. however, I just hate feeling this way because there are so many people out there that have much worse problems and I feel I am being selfish and not grateful for the blessing I have in my life. I am gay and my family are so supportive and incredible and same with my friends. I’m just not sure what to do and wonder if anyone has any advise. thank you for whoever is reading this and sorry for the rant! T.

Liffey01 I can't get out of this funk and it's held me back
  • replies: 5

Hey everyone, For the majority of my 20's I have been constantly battling with myself to find that inner peace and I don't know what else I need to do to get back to being baseline happy. From the outside looking in it would appear I have the world a... View more

Hey everyone, For the majority of my 20's I have been constantly battling with myself to find that inner peace and I don't know what else I need to do to get back to being baseline happy. From the outside looking in it would appear I have the world at my feet. I come from a good family, great social life, a decent job, girlfriend, living abroad etc. But despite all these good things internally I'm a mess. I've always been able to put on a strong face but in the last few years it's getting harder and harder. I have taken many steps to try and fix the problem but nothing works. Counselling, mediation, psychology books, eating healthy, continuing to play sports and exercise, limiting social media, the list could go on but nothing works in the long term. I was once an energetic and charming person, now I pretend to be. Life never got me down and if it tried I was always able to get through and be positive. But these days the smallest of inconveniences hit me harder. I get lost in deep thought more often and it's usually something negative. I've even started whispering to myself during these deep thoughts and friends and family have noticed. I think I'm starting to lose my mind. Nothing makes me truly happy anymore. I can't tell whether I am actually laughing at something or I'm pretending to save face and to avoid questions from people. The things I tend to focus on during my far way thoughts are my job, certain relationships, my regrets (many of these), my view on the world and how I view myself. I feel like a fraud in work. I find myself in a profession that I never planned for and have no interest in. I would love to know what it is that would fulfill me career wise. I'm not looking for that passion job that influencers would have you believe is important, only something that I would be competent at and make me proud at the end of the day. I question some friendships constantly and I feel like I've become the bottom rung of the ladder with my friends. It seems every little mistake, even if it's not a mistake, I make is a big deal. And when I try pointing out something they've done I'm shot down by everyone. No one is genuine. The regrets are long and I'm ashamed of myself because of some of them. The world is a messed up place and people aren't as friendly as they use to be, including me. I don't like myself deep down. I want to again but how do I forgive myself?

Ironman247 Hii
  • replies: 1

i am a best blloger.

i am a best blloger.

doingitforme Anxiety and renovating
  • replies: 5

hello first time poster. Ive bee to the doc to get a mental health plan but im onto week 3 in waiting for the psychologist to ring me. We decided against medication but i didnt think id have to wait this long. Im so ready to deal with what im dealing... View more

hello first time poster. Ive bee to the doc to get a mental health plan but im onto week 3 in waiting for the psychologist to ring me. We decided against medication but i didnt think id have to wait this long. Im so ready to deal with what im dealing with but i just cant on my own anymore. We are in a very long process of renovating an old house. We have been living here 3 years now and i have got some fibro board tested for asbestos which came back positive. I have been having deliberating anxiety over how much we have been exposed to. For the past 3 years we have been living without care with fluffy raw edges of it right at our main door which gets slammed onto it, picked at, rubbed where we tuck a towel between the gaps to stop drafts. I have 3 small kids and i am petrified that we have been exposed to so many of those fibres. Since i have taken measures to seal the edges but that doesn't help the 3 years we have been exposed to it... i did some research on asbestos which has made my anxiety 10000 times worse coz no level of asbestos exposure is safe... i can't live the next 20 years worrying about getting a related disease. I cant eat properly, i cant sleep and my poor kids don't know what's wrong with me. I feel so stupid about it... any tips???

artiste9909 Headaches And Anxiety
  • replies: 7

Hello, I am a 22 year old male. Recently after a tough time in life, I was diagnosed with GAD. Been getting headaches for a few weeks already, went to get a CT scan done and a full physical examination with the results being negative for anything ser... View more

Hello, I am a 22 year old male. Recently after a tough time in life, I was diagnosed with GAD. Been getting headaches for a few weeks already, went to get a CT scan done and a full physical examination with the results being negative for anything serious. I am aware that anxiety can cause headaches, but is it normal to feel them even on days that you don't feel anxious? And is it normal to get them so often daily? Recently these headaches has been causing me even more anxiety, because I am pretty worried that what if the Doctor missed something, or what if the tumours somehow grew after I had the CT etc and other thoughts like these. The headaches themselves are not terrible, definitely not ass bad as what I make them out to be, but they have been causing me a huge inconvenience in my daily life with how annoying and frequent they are. Cannot really think or do much except worry if it is something serious. Been adjusting my whole schedule and activity based on how bad the headaches could possibly get. Tried to exercise and lead a healthier life, but the discomfort still doesn't seem to go away. Been also feeling pretty down because my appointment with the psychologist won't be until a month later, and any further tests like MRI would need to be ordered, take more time to find an appoint and would cost a lot of money too. Im sorry if my structure is all over the place, but its been so frustrating. I know deep inside that I could probably undergo every single test under the sun, and nothing would come up, but I cannot seem to convince myself that everything is okay and fine with me. It is like the headaches are demanding to be felt. Anyone has any experience with this? Thank you very much.

Nimi Feeling Guilty for Standing Up
  • replies: 17

Hi guys, I have been thinking about writing about this for a while and I am still very nervous to write it, but I figure I should at least give it a try. Maybe someone has experienced something similar. A few weeks ago I had to do a very difficult th... View more

Hi guys, I have been thinking about writing about this for a while and I am still very nervous to write it, but I figure I should at least give it a try. Maybe someone has experienced something similar. A few weeks ago I had to do a very difficult thing. I had been feeling for a while that I was being treated without respect by a group of people whom I considered my friends. I really cared about them, and I still do, so it was incredibly hard to realise that I just felt so... uncomfortable. I am afraid of talking about this because I am scared of being harassed online by them if I am found, so I am going to be vague, I hope that's okay and not too confusing. I have had moments of severe depression and occasional anxiety attacks throughout my life, where I cannot cope and needed to speak to my friends for support. I always did my best to offer an ear in return to support them as well, because I have many other friends that have been through some intensely difficult times and really needed an ear, or a shoulder and were occasionally a bit blunt or negative because they were sad. I can completely relate to that position and I have always tried my best to put myself in other people's shoes. For at least a year though, I felt that something was terribly wrong. Like a gut feeling. I now see in hindsight that there were red flags everywhere, I was spoken to repeatedly in a passive-aggressive manner, blamed for things that were beyond my control and for not doing enough, insulted in front of friends (and my own family!) at a major event and when I asked numerous times what was happening, telling them that our friendship mattered to me and that I was lost... I was accused of being aggressive or confrontational. I felt like I was going crazy and I still feel like I am. I could not support them when I was feeling attacked like this, which they then continued to blame me for. I am so confused and hurt even now. Did I deserve that because I had moments of weakness and needed help? I was constantly apologising, and if they had told me that I was annoying then I would have listened and taken it seriously because they really mattered to me. It's really awful that as soon as I stood up and left I began to receive harassing texts accusing me of being passive-aggressive and a liar. I just felt so crazy hearing that. I stopped to think... did all the times I was trying to be genuine not matter? Was I not doing my best? Had I been making it up? Thank you for reading.

Not_Batman Triggers *Warning themes of abuse*
  • replies: 3

Hello BB community. So im posting to try and understand myself a bit more. I get very anxious and saddened when i hear about the abuse or exploitation of children. To the point where i feel almost uncontrollably edgy, and depressed. most cases its wa... View more

Hello BB community. So im posting to try and understand myself a bit more. I get very anxious and saddened when i hear about the abuse or exploitation of children. To the point where i feel almost uncontrollably edgy, and depressed. most cases its watching movies. In artificial intelligence the robot child is Deliberately left behind in the forrest by his ‘family’. i cannot even bring myself to watch one of my kids movies - Onward. most recently was a thriller called ‘True Story’ which is based on a guy that murders his 3 children. I cried a bit, well maybe more than i care to admit. other times its watching the news. I remember a segment that was presented by nuala hafner, where she broke into tears as i did about the segment. Just horrifying. just today i learned of a person, that i have never met, that was sexually abused Almost daily from the age of 5 to her mid teens. I felt an instant pain in my chest and a sickening feeling in my stomach. Having not been a victim of abuse or exploitation, where does the feeling come from, and how is it best to deal with this? Not_Batman

distelfink Going out of my mind with health anxiety - weight loss & death
  • replies: 3

Hey... so, I actually only find myself at these forums when I need comfort. It’s been a little while and I’ve been doing well. I’ve recently lost close to 18kgs - by trying, not because of anything sinister. Was super happy, going great. Im quite big... View more

Hey... so, I actually only find myself at these forums when I need comfort. It’s been a little while and I’ve been doing well. I’ve recently lost close to 18kgs - by trying, not because of anything sinister. Was super happy, going great. Im quite big, so any loss is wonderful. I started noticing change sin my body - as you do. Except, I felt a bit too hard and felt a lump kind of on my left side but more just under my rib cages (in that fatty area) Rationally I know it’s fat, and there’s some on the right side, but the left side is what I’ve focussed on again. So now, I’m that area, I feel like I can feel something wrong. I’m very gassy - as in, it gurgles and feels like bubbles, rarely any pain but when there’s pain, it’s gas. I’m constantly focussed on it, so hyper aware that I feel things now on the same side but on my back. It tingles, it bubbles, it feels tight and also feels heavy. So when I lay on my tummy, it feels as if there’s something there. UNTIL I DONT THINK OF IT. If I’m distracted or with friends, 9/10 I feel not a thing. Can go for hours with nothing. I wake up with nothing until my brain tries to see if it’s still there. i straight away go to cancer. Every time. i have pushed so hard on that side to try and feel anything, done it to the other side too, and it all feels exactly the same. if I left my shirt, I feel nothing. Miraculously. its like I’m so hyper aware that I’m feeling every tiny thing. i went away recently, and it felt like it started to go. I came back and I was doing okay and then on Sunday (a week ago) my work bestie/mate passed away, and let me tell you. My anxiety is through the roof. im so scared to see a doctor. The first thing they say is about my weight but then also I’m scared of the testing. it feels like gas. The fat lumps I feel have been there the whole time but now I feel them more because of the weight loss. That’s when it all started. blurgh. I’m so over this.

real_name_hidden Job is giving me anxiety - what to do?
  • replies: 6

I posted in a couple of other threads but I decided to start a new one so I can get my thoughts together. I started my career as an engineer. I did that for 7 years, then became a project manager of engineering projects. I have been doing that for 9 ... View more

I posted in a couple of other threads but I decided to start a new one so I can get my thoughts together. I started my career as an engineer. I did that for 7 years, then became a project manager of engineering projects. I have been doing that for 9 years. I have been in my current job for 1 year. I started my current job after my company made my previous role redundant in a restructure, and they redeployed me into this role. I moved from a project manager role in a sector that I had lots of experience in, to a project manager role in a sector I have no experience in. I think I have felt anxiety to some degree during my entire career, but it has been really bad since the start of 2020. I don't have experience in the sector that I'm now working in, and I'm supposed to manage people doing work that I have no understanding of. The company restructure that led to me changing sectors stripped the expertise needed to get work done. Many times I have asked for a resource to do certain tasks, and the response has been 'Joe Bloggs used to do that, but he was made redundant so now it's the the project manager's job.' I don't have the expertise to do what's required, so I feel like I'm being set up for failure. My workload is too big for me to manage, and I'm falling further and further behind. I've spoken to my manager about the issues I'm facing on my projects, said they will take time to resolve, and asked to renegotiate deadlines. His response has been along the lines of 'Oh, you can still meet the deadline. It won't take as long as you say to resolve the issue.' My manager is disconnected from reality and has no appreciation for the effort actually required to get something done, and doesn't want to listen when I try to explain it to him. So I have been working under immense pressure. I have been having stomach cramps that make me run to the toilet 3-4 times a day, and I often feel like vomiting. I have spoken to a psychologist and she said I don't have mental health issues. She said I need to find a job that suits my personality.