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.

All discussions

Lyndakaren Workers Comp Anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hi I have been on WC since November last year for anxiety and panic attacks, this has continued on and I have been on such a roller coaster ride with the insurance company and old employee. I also note I have never been on WC before and I am learning... View more

Hi I have been on WC since November last year for anxiety and panic attacks, this has continued on and I have been on such a roller coaster ride with the insurance company and old employee. I also note I have never been on WC before and I am learning so much, I feel everyone is be deceitful and just wanting me to be back at work. Since leaving my old work place last year as it was toxic I have taken on 2 jobs as I have felt so pressured by my rehab provider, both attempts have lead to me being unwell and pressured each position only lasting 4 weeks. My insurance have said they are going to stop my payments as they believe I have the capacity to work as all certificates said I could until recently I said to my doctor no I am unfit I do not want any more pressure to go back, I really want to take this slower instead of feeling pushed into just taking a job to keep the circle happy forgetting about why I an actually in this situation. I have spoken to a solicitor they are taking over for me to relive my pressure due to also having covid-19 its been very tuff. I have just started talking with a Phycologist under the WC and I feel they are just being the same as my job rehab provider. I feel I just don't want to talk to these people anymore they don't understand what I go through on a daily basis. I also have a daughter and she has been seeing me on this emotional roller coaster ride its not right on her I just want my life back. I know this is a short version on the event but has anyone been through this journey. I feel its getting to the point I want to tell all of them to get ……. love to hear you're thoughts

Ezz81 Dealing with anxiety and having no way of overcoming it
  • replies: 2

Hello, I have been dealing with depression for a while now and seeking help throughout this time but my anxiety seems to be overtaking this now. i work 8n a high pressure job with long hours, and the ongoing thoughts am I good enough to keep going. S... View more

Hello, I have been dealing with depression for a while now and seeking help throughout this time but my anxiety seems to be overtaking this now. i work 8n a high pressure job with long hours, and the ongoing thoughts am I good enough to keep going. Sunday nights are the absolute worst with but I don’t know why and I’m unable to get good sleep because of this. During the covoid pandemic I have been the one to try and reassure people there jobs are safe, but knowing that some will be let go any moment. I get to a point in my life where I feel enough is enough and want to give up, how long do I keep doing 60 to 70 hours a week at work, all I do is work, go home eat dinner go for a walk and sleep and then do it all over again. I never take anything for granted but it’s really consuming me now. what do I do, and where do I go with this?

Littleg94 OCD
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone I fee like I struggle with OCD is as a councillor once who said I didn’t but I clean a lot! Not constantly but the house has to look a certain way or I get anxiety and angry and sometimes take it out on my partner. I vacuum every day and ... View more

Hi everyone I fee like I struggle with OCD is as a councillor once who said I didn’t but I clean a lot! Not constantly but the house has to look a certain way or I get anxiety and angry and sometimes take it out on my partner. I vacuum every day and everything has to be in its place! I recently had our in-law stay with us for a month and due to covid and being stuck from the uk there staying til June but where sharing it between here and my sister in-laws there about to come back for another four weeks and I can’t deal with my anxiety of them coming back and me not being able to control my environment and cleaning ect! I always get super paranoid about what they think of me as I come straight home from work and vacume I feel like they think I’m crazy or something just need help or advice to stop this

M1ssjess89 Skin crawling
  • replies: 6

I thought my anxiety was going ok, but I don't know. I had a bad moment for weeks in march. Now I'm going okish. But I still have in the back of my head I have ms. I've had a ct scan on my brain and it came back clear. I have a buligng disc which is ... View more

I thought my anxiety was going ok, but I don't know. I had a bad moment for weeks in march. Now I'm going okish. But I still have in the back of my head I have ms. I've had a ct scan on my brain and it came back clear. I have a buligng disc which is causing pins and needles. But even when I think I'm "calm" I've been getting crawling feels over my stomach, abdomen, then just random small tingles in different spots. I nearly always breath shallow so I don't know if it's related to that. I become so focused on what I'm feeling I stress out. I'm still getting anxious just not so bad. But these symptoms do not help. I don't know if it's all anxiety :(:(

RachelV25 exhausted with constantly having to manage overwhelming anxiety
  • replies: 2

I've had severe anxiety since early childhood. In fact, I can't remember a time I didn't have a crippling feeling of impending doom. I spent my life thinking that something terrible was about to happen and torturing myself with 'what if' scenarios. W... View more

I've had severe anxiety since early childhood. In fact, I can't remember a time I didn't have a crippling feeling of impending doom. I spent my life thinking that something terrible was about to happen and torturing myself with 'what if' scenarios. What if my parents died in a car crash? What if I lost my job? What if everyone hates me? I was born in the 1970s when recognising and treating anxiety, particularly in kids, was not really a thing. Mostly everyone thought that I was a bit sensitive and that I'd grow out of it. For me, anxiety manifested as severe infantile eczema, so my legs were covered in a painfully itchy rash for years. I used to have to wear gloves to bed at night to limit the scratching and try to go to sleep with my legs smothered in eczema cream.When I was 14, I was misdiagnosed with a terminal genetic disorder which only increased my sense that the world was going to come crashing down on me at any moment. I grew up knowing that I would probably die before I was 30, would have a weak heart or go into heart failure and more than likely, I would go blind. I'd also never be able to have kids because it would probably kill me. At 18, the doctors said "Oops, our bad. You don't have it after all." In my 20s, both of these situations passed, but I never lost the feeling of overwhelming doom and fear. If I hear a police siren in the distance I'm sure they're coming to arrest me even though I haven't committed any crimes. If one of my colleagues isn't as friendly as normal, I assume that I've done something to annoy them even when, logically, I know that I haven't. I work long hours in a professional role yet every day I carry around a heavy, sick feeling in my stomach waiting for everyone to realise that I'm terrible at my job. That I'm useless. That they should get rid of me. And I don't know how to make it stop! I take my medications, I see my counselor , I do all the recommended breathing/mindfulness exercises, I do yoga. I do everything I'm supposed to just to try to reduce these awful feelings and sometimes I just get so sick of it because nothing works, or, if it does it only works for short periods of time and then the anxiety is back. I'm so angry that I have this. Sometimes I just get so frustrated that I have to do all of this just to function. Does anyone else feel like this or am I the only one??

worthiness Dealing with long dist relationships during covid19 travel restrictions
  • replies: 2

Hi All, This is the first time I’ve “reached out” about my anxiety in a public format - I’ve found it rather hard to deal with a lot lately, with my job and relationship situation. I feel I’ve tried everything (tea, reading, exercise, telling family ... View more

Hi All, This is the first time I’ve “reached out” about my anxiety in a public format - I’ve found it rather hard to deal with a lot lately, with my job and relationship situation. I feel I’ve tried everything (tea, reading, exercise, telling family and friends... crying a lot) and whilst it may temporarily calm me I have found no long term aid in helping me cope better with situations that have triggered my anxiety attacks, so thought I’d give a forum a shot! Bit of background, I travel for work full time and spend most of my time overseas alway from fam and friends at home (my main support net work) hence developing inevitable distance w friends = lovely now im home. Whilst being away I have had a boyfriend for over a year now who has worked with me. We both come from different countries so with covid 19 we left or job ans have gone to our homes in dif countries and don’t know when we will see each other again. He seems fine - it’s his nature to be as cool as a cucumber but myself not so much. I’m having obsessive thoughts of things not panning out well and get extremely worked up when we have a disagreement and can’t “settle it before bed” like we would when we are together. He doesn’t get anxiety like me so he doesn’t understand that when something isn’t good with us I need to sort it right away before I over think it and have a huge panic attach. He tells me to “calm down” “stop being crazy"“I hope you didn’t overthink it” and I hate that because I don't chose to be this way by choice. If i could change i would. I feel I’m walking on egg shells when we speak. I’m always trying to keep things positive so we don’t argue but it’s inevitable sometimes. Just wanted to ask if anyone is going through the same thing? And if people in this situation could provide me with helpful tips on how to keep myself in check without relying on another person to fulfil my sense of worthiness

IvyJade Don’t know how to help my son
  • replies: 4

My 21 year old son is falling apart and I don’t know how to help him. Everything was ok until he took a party drug for first time a few months ago. He had terrible panic attacks that next week. All seemed to be getting back to normal until a few week... View more

My 21 year old son is falling apart and I don’t know how to help him. Everything was ok until he took a party drug for first time a few months ago. He had terrible panic attacks that next week. All seemed to be getting back to normal until a few weeks ago. Keeps telling me his brain doesn’t feel normal, he is foggy and it’s like part of his brain is always engaged. He can’t sleep, he is extremely anxious worrying that he will never feel normal again. Disordered thoughts, difficult sleeping, reduced appetite and hardly able to go to work. He is exhausted and scared. Sent him to GP who referred him to see a psychiatrist but appointment is 2 weeks away. I think we might both have a nervous breakdown before then. Trying to keep positive but starting to feel desperate. What can I do to help him?

liz30 Air hunger
  • replies: 2

Hello does anyone experience constant air hunger? I always have that feeling that I need to take a deep breath and sometimes it feels satisfying but most of the time it gets "trapped" in the chest. I absolutely hate that feeling and been to many spec... View more

Hello does anyone experience constant air hunger? I always have that feeling that I need to take a deep breath and sometimes it feels satisfying but most of the time it gets "trapped" in the chest. I absolutely hate that feeling and been to many specialists to get it checked out. Turns out it's nothing not even asthma. Anyone else experiencing this? How do you cope? Thanks so much!

mik_33 needle phobia helpppp
  • replies: 1

Hello, I have had a needle phobia for more than five years now, and I do admit that the last few times I went for a blood test were very traumatic (blood was not coming out, or it was very painful, or I got a small bruise etc). Every time that I have... View more

Hello, I have had a needle phobia for more than five years now, and I do admit that the last few times I went for a blood test were very traumatic (blood was not coming out, or it was very painful, or I got a small bruise etc). Every time that I have to do a blood test it takes me more than a month or two to actually go and do it. Anyway, last week, when I visited my GP (due to hair loss) he asked me to do a blood test so we can see what might be wrong. Given that there might be a few things that can cause hair loss, the blood examination paper he gave me had more than 25 different tests on it, and he told me something like 'Brace yourself as the nurse will need to take a lot of blood'. Since then I have been feeling very anxious and I honestly cannot go. At the same time though, I need to go ASAP as my hair is falling off and it may be something serious (such an autoimmune disease). Can someone help me, please? I do not know what to do. Even the idea of actually going makes me veryyyy anxious and brings me tears :((( Thank you.

Kimlana Night and Sleep Anxiety
  • replies: 5

Hi There! It's my first post and wanted to see if there is maybe someone with a trick to stop worrying especially at night? My heart is beating as if I would present a PowerPoint in front of 100 people. I cant stop my thoughts, not even in meditation... View more

Hi There! It's my first post and wanted to see if there is maybe someone with a trick to stop worrying especially at night? My heart is beating as if I would present a PowerPoint in front of 100 people. I cant stop my thoughts, not even in meditation. Even little things during the day can be a trigger for restlessness and light sleep. I tried: -Sleeping Pills > still waking up at 3 with thoughts and high heartbeat -weighted blanket -diffusor with lavender oil -short meditation -yoga -supplements e.g. magnesium -writing down thoughts Kim