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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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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.

Gracee_ To be taken seriously - Anxiety/Medication
  • replies: 2

Hi guys, I'm posting on here because my previous posts received support and I've found posting in here has helped me feel more connected to others. I was recently diagnosed with Adjustment Disorder and Generalised Anxiety Disorder. I'm seeing a psych... View more

Hi guys, I'm posting on here because my previous posts received support and I've found posting in here has helped me feel more connected to others. I was recently diagnosed with Adjustment Disorder and Generalised Anxiety Disorder. I'm seeing a psychologist for both and am dealing with ongoing pain due to tight muscles causing headaches etc.This pain and anxiety due to the pain has caused me to be getting 1-2 hours of sleep per night over the past week. These headaches/pain tends to get worse at work as i have a high stress job (teacher) and i think i have begun associating my workplace with this pain. This morning was my first day back at work this term (Week 2) and I was so anxious that I was not able to go to sleep at all last night. I had constant tingling in my stomach/bum and legs plus racing thoughts. I did everything under the sun to go to sleep but I just couldn't (obviously this fueled my anxiety because imagine teaching a bunch of rowdy teens on an hours sleep). I've been awake since 9 o'clock yesterday and on my way to work this more i was in hysterics crying (I have never been this person so I was completely baffled to be so worked up). What I guess I'm asking is, how do I go about asking my psychologist to give me something for sleep/this anxiety as I cannot go through another sleepless night. I know psychologists can't prescribe medication but can she do anything? Is medication the right call? I feel like i've lost this battle that everyone seems to be doing just fine in and I'm somehow disappointed in myself for not being strong enough. I preach all day about how it's not weak to speak up but why the hell do I feel like a failure. Forever thankful for the support and feedback I receive here.

Gracee_ Adjustment disorder and anxiety
  • replies: 1

I’ve recently been diagnosed with adjustment disorder accompanied by anxiety. This all came about due to have tension headaches every day during work and the feeling of not being able to support my own head as my neck felt weak and sore. I didn’t thi... View more

I’ve recently been diagnosed with adjustment disorder accompanied by anxiety. This all came about due to have tension headaches every day during work and the feeling of not being able to support my own head as my neck felt weak and sore. I didn’t think I was stressed about after talking to my doctors who referred me to a psychologist it seems that is the case due to ongoing trauma since I was a teen (I thought it was handling it). What I’m asking is, can anyone who has had a first hand experience with this disorder please let me know how you went about minimising the effects of the pain associated with it and what you did to help yourself feel better. I am going to a psychologist and she’s given me a sleep diary (I don’t sleep well, waking up 5-6 times a night) as well as given me some breathing techniques. These were all well and good while I was away from work but now that I’m back at work I’m worried the pain and headaches will come back. My doctor has given me pain medication but it makes me so tired I can’t function with it. Any advice would be great at this point, thank you.

Lone Anxiety will always be part of my life
  • replies: 1

I have come to the realisation that anxiety will always be part of my life whether I like it or not. No matter what I try and do to make it better it will be there like an old friend. The hardest part is accepting this and managing it. So at the mome... View more

I have come to the realisation that anxiety will always be part of my life whether I like it or not. No matter what I try and do to make it better it will be there like an old friend. The hardest part is accepting this and managing it. So at the moment I am trying everything I can therapy, exercise, medication. I guess trying to find what works. My question is what works for you and how do manage anxiety long term?