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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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Chris_B Forums etiquette: give support to receive support
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newb... View more

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newbies are welcomed when they first post, and we understand that it’s a big step to post for the first time on a forum like this, especially if you aren’t feeling great. It’s important to remember, though, that these forums are a community of real people, just like you, not a one-on-one support environment like going to see your psychologist. To get the best out of being here, one of the best tips we can offer is give support to receive support. Being a good community member means: participating in different threads (not just your own), replying to people who have taken the time to reply to you (even if it’s just to say thank you), and... posting words of emotional support and encouragement when you see others who are hurting and reaching out. You don’t have to feel obliged to solve the problems of others: that’s not what we’re here for. But you can offer empathy and what you’ve learned from your own life experiences, even if it’s just a line or two, eg. “I don't know what to say, but I want to give you my support and tell you I care about what is happening to you and hope life will get better soon.” Try to develop an interest in the journeys of others here on the forums. You may be surprised at how good being an active, caring member here can make you feel. For those of you who have had good experiences giving support here on the forums, please post in this thread here and let us know how it has helped you on your journey.

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Sky73 Night time anxiety
  • replies: 5

I'm waking up in the night with anxiety . Heart racing, unable to go back to sleep properly. Residue headache day and exhausted. How can I control this when my subconcious is ultimately controlling this ? Thankyou

I'm waking up in the night with anxiety . Heart racing, unable to go back to sleep properly. Residue headache day and exhausted. How can I control this when my subconcious is ultimately controlling this ? Thankyou

Tillyp123 Coping with loneliness
  • replies: 12

Hi, I am finding it very difficult to cope with the current covid situation and feel more isolated than I should. I live alone & all of my family live overseas. I have friends however due to the self isolation rules am not seeing them. I have not had... View more

Hi, I am finding it very difficult to cope with the current covid situation and feel more isolated than I should. I live alone & all of my family live overseas. I have friends however due to the self isolation rules am not seeing them. I have not had any other interaction for over 2 weeks now and am finding it hard to find the motivation to get out of bed each day to follow the same routine and be on my own again. i am looking for some help with how to manage this loneliness when I usually am a very social and busy person

anxiousdude What has worked successfully?
  • replies: 7

Hi I'm new to posting in a forum about anxiety, didn't even know it was a thing tbh, but it's great to have this available. I was wondering what people have found to be successful in managing their anxiety? Whether it's therapy or a book? Are there a... View more

Hi I'm new to posting in a forum about anxiety, didn't even know it was a thing tbh, but it's great to have this available. I was wondering what people have found to be successful in managing their anxiety? Whether it's therapy or a book? Are there any online programmes that people are part of? Would just like a push in the right direction. Thanks

Lanibanani New here ;)
  • replies: 2

Hi I have been reading through some posts and it helps to know that I’m not alone. I consider myself a pretty chilled out sort of person but 3 months ago I started with major breathing issues where I and ended up twice in the ER. I felt like I couldn... View more

Hi I have been reading through some posts and it helps to know that I’m not alone. I consider myself a pretty chilled out sort of person but 3 months ago I started with major breathing issues where I and ended up twice in the ER. I felt like I couldn’t get a full breath in. This went on for about a week with the GP office doing all sorts of tests checking my heart, iron levels, I did a lung scan and all the tests and it came back fine except my heart was racing which they put down to panic attack/anxiety. I honestly thought I had an asthma attack or something. The dr prescribed me medication which I took, and that gave me relief where I haven’t needed to take it very much at all. Thinking back to where it started and have no idea what the trigger was. Fast forward to now and it’s happening again. I’m trying all sorts of breathing exercises and nothing seems to work. I try and leave the pill until the last resort, and so tonight after 2 days of not getting full breaths in, I took it and felt quite relaxed. But now 4am i feel like it’s starting. I’m just confused why it’s starting now in my life where I feel things aren’t too bad, I’m 32 and I’ve had other stuff happen in the past and never responded this way. I don’t know the trigger. I know it’s weird times at the moment, maybe it’s that. Can it just come out of the blue? Any advice or comments would be appreciated.

DreamAwake Wondering if anyone else has had this happen?
  • replies: 3

Hi, Not sure this is the right place to post this but its the closest fit. I've been struggling with what I call "dream things"- They can happen at any time during the day or at night but are more common at night. During these "dream things," I get d... View more

Hi, Not sure this is the right place to post this but its the closest fit. I've been struggling with what I call "dream things"- They can happen at any time during the day or at night but are more common at night. During these "dream things," I get dizzy, The room starts spinning, Everything feels misshapen and its almost as if my vision has a dream-like blur to it, Everything feels like its a dream. These normally happen after a stressful day and started in 2016 after someone close to me was hospitalized, recently they have been getting worse and last longer. Has anyone else experienced this?

Casper121 My anxiety symptoms
  • replies: 2

Hi I'm Casper for 7 months I've had "anxiety" I've been having symptoms such as heart palpitations " getting skinny even tho I'm not losing weight" I've had dry eyes for 5 months also I've been having random bruises on my body "my body is aching all ... View more

Hi I'm Casper for 7 months I've had "anxiety" I've been having symptoms such as heart palpitations " getting skinny even tho I'm not losing weight" I've had dry eyes for 5 months also I've been having random bruises on my body "my body is aching all the time Also it feels like the back of my head is either pushed in or pushed out, I keep feeling my pulse,and my tummy feels empty even tho I've eaten, someone please tell me are these symptoms common also please tell me what symptoms you have had, cheers Casper

Midnightsailor Are there any Business owners out there experiencing work induced anxiety
  • replies: 10

I would like to know if there are any other business owners out there who are finding it tough and suffering daily with the anxiety of the stress, responsibility and unknowns of being the boss. Its worn me down and my anxiety has grown to the point o... View more

I would like to know if there are any other business owners out there who are finding it tough and suffering daily with the anxiety of the stress, responsibility and unknowns of being the boss. Its worn me down and my anxiety has grown to the point of debilitation. I don’t enjoy going in to work in the morning. Whilst I don’t wish anyone to be in my position it would be comforting to hear from anyone else in the same situation and to know I’m not alone. Any coping strategies would be welcome from anyone who reads this as well.

Mina19 Advice physical symptoms
  • replies: 2

Hi, I haven't posted in quite a long time.. I guess I must have been coping ok for a while. Lately with the whole virus thing and having to stay home and all I've been feeling beyond stressed. I know I'm not the only one but I try to do things to get... View more

Hi, I haven't posted in quite a long time.. I guess I must have been coping ok for a while. Lately with the whole virus thing and having to stay home and all I've been feeling beyond stressed. I know I'm not the only one but I try to do things to get my mind off things like watch a movie, study online or play with pets outside but I still feel messed up. I've been having crazy nightmares, my digestive system has gone haywire, headaches, crying, muscle pain, and nausea. Then on top of that I feel I need to google my symptoms and well that really tops things off. Any suggestions of how I can make all this stop. Sorry for the rant but I really needed to get this off my chest.

JuliaT Feeling overwhelmed
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone My name is Julia and I have just joined this online forum. I wanted to become part of the online community to see if I could get some support for my general anxiety and depression, which have become overwhelming in the past few weeks. Anx... View more

Hi everyone My name is Julia and I have just joined this online forum. I wanted to become part of the online community to see if I could get some support for my general anxiety and depression, which have become overwhelming in the past few weeks. Anxiety and depression tend to show up in my body in the forms of sleeplessness, headaches, stomach aches and overthinking. I have recently been dealing with a persistent, painful and long term sinus infection, which for me has been a real bummer (as I am a super keen surfer!), and really hard to deal with during all the stress of COVID-19. My family lives back in New Zealand and even though I have great housemates, friends and support here in Australia, I have been feeling very alone, stuck in my own head and unable to enjoy things I usually enjoy. Despite not feeling great, I have been getting up early to exercise, eat well, get plenty of rest, write in my journal and talk to my therapist once a week. Even though I have been trying really hard to get through this difficult time, I am feeling very overwhelmed by things that are out of my control ( such as the duration/pain of this sinus infection, how long it will be until I can see my family again and the stress of COVID 19) and find myself going into a downhill, anxious spiral that doesn't allow me to see any of the positives. I am also a perfectionist, so having to show this vulnerable side of myself to my employers, friends and housemates is very uncomfortable, as I am normally an energetic, bubbly person (but have always hid the anxious side of myself well). These anxious episodes have left me with a bit of PTSD and make me feel guilty about not being able to get over them, even though I understand feeling guilty and angry about it is not helpful in any way. I wanted to know if anyone had things that may have been helpful for them to get them out of this head space and see things in a different light? I was also wondering if anyone could recommend any CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) tips that could help me during this anxious, stressful time or even just a helpful reminder that the bad things in life always pass (as I know they do, but can't quite see at the moment!) Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and I sincerely hope I can extend a bit of support to others also in this online community. Lots of love! Julia

Ocdiff Massive work anxiety
  • replies: 3

Hey guys hope you're all well! First post here, i have had ocd amd pretty sever anxiety since i was 13 no 32 and i have been at my job for about 9months now. And pretty well the whole time wanted to leave. I always feel i'm not "getting it" or always... View more

Hey guys hope you're all well! First post here, i have had ocd amd pretty sever anxiety since i was 13 no 32 and i have been at my job for about 9months now. And pretty well the whole time wanted to leave. I always feel i'm not "getting it" or always im making mistakes. Im a 32 yr old male and this is my first "trade"like job. I have been off for a week and a half with a hand injury and i am super anxious about returning, as i know i am going to cop some slack (already am) for they guys for having so much time off for a sliced hand. The high anxiety with this job has been since day one. (Little panic attacks, nausea, horrible feeling in stomach every sunday and weekday morning. What im wondering is... when do you know its time to leave a job if the anxiety is becoming too much. I feel its affecting me away from work too. I spend my weekend anxious about monday. Sorry for the rant, appreciate all feedback Thank you!!