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
Jump to
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

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

Start a discussion

KK7 Anxiety and Panic attacks are ruining my life
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, just need a moment to vent to people who understand how I feel, I’m so over my anxiety everyday I have an anxiety attack over the way my body feels, not being able to find something example if I can’t find my phone, feeling like I have f... View more

Hi everyone, just need a moment to vent to people who understand how I feel, I’m so over my anxiety everyday I have an anxiety attack over the way my body feels, not being able to find something example if I can’t find my phone, feeling like I have failed my children, I cry all the time. I feel tired all the time, I’m constantly worrying if I’m going to die, my anxiety is health related and I’ve never been like this! In the past 2 months After having my baby I’ve had constant headaches, ear infection, really bad vertigo, bad sinus infection and pinched nerve in my shoulder and Burtist in my shoulder, I was on medication and It didn’t work for me at all it gave me nightmares, made me feel numb and not myself, so I stopped that real fast was convinced I didn’t need medication to help but it’s getting worse and paying $160 to speak with someone to help this isn’t helping, it’s just taking money I don’t have! im constantly calling my husband home because I’m scared something bad will happen when he is at work! He is currently on the verge of losing his job because of me he tells me my heath is more important, but I can see it’s starting to drain him also! im just trying to see what my next step is and if I should give medication another go, I’m tired and I need to feel myself again! any advice would be great thank you

Ricman The Anxiety of Getting Better
  • replies: 5

In the last 6 months I have experienced a significant amount of trauma with illness and death of a sibling (the second I have lost way too young). During her illness (and other life stressors along the way) I developed GAD and Health anxiety. I was f... View more

In the last 6 months I have experienced a significant amount of trauma with illness and death of a sibling (the second I have lost way too young). During her illness (and other life stressors along the way) I developed GAD and Health anxiety. I was fixated on my own mortality and every body niggle or pain lead me to catastrophising about my health. I was convinced a heart attack would happen at any moment or I had some illness that would end me soon. I could not function in every day life activity - showering, toileting, cooking, driving, relaxing, exercising - everything caused a significant amount of stress and anxiety - I couldn't even walk to the letterbox without my phone in case something bad happened. I was dealing with a level of anxiety I could never have imagined. The physical symptoms were debilitating. Chest pain, racing heart, a pulse so strong I thought my heart would burst, headaches, pins and needles, aches everywhere in my body and on and on - I ticked every item on the symptoms list I am sure. But I got help. I did some online CBT and started seeing a psych. I worked extremely hard to help myself feel better and most importantly safe. And it started to work. The ruminating thoughts have nearly vanished, I can do things again like take a shower for longer than 2 minutes. The physical side has calmed down tremendously and I know I am on my way to recovery. But - and here's the clincher. It's hard to remember just how bad I felt (I liken to when women say they forget about the pain of childbirth because what they got from it is so much better) But forgetting means when I get those anxious days and the heart palpitations pop up or the muscles ache or the tears flow for a while, it brings back the anxiety I had nearly forgotten I had. It's very weird, I know it's way less than it was but it still feels incredibly hard. Using my journal I can usually take my self back and reassure myself that I am better (not cured) and that gives me the strength to move forward. But sometimes this doesn't work. I am curious to know how recovery set backs work for others?

bluenight How did your anxiety start and how did it become a disorder (if it has) for you?
  • replies: 14

I was anxious as a kid but it was normal anxiety, it had hardly no impact on my life. I remember being really nervous about having to do a speech in front of the class in year 11 and I was really worried and anxious about it the afternoon/night befor... View more

I was anxious as a kid but it was normal anxiety, it had hardly no impact on my life. I remember being really nervous about having to do a speech in front of the class in year 11 and I was really worried and anxious about it the afternoon/night before. I've lived with an anxiety disorder for quite a few years now and just going to work everyday for many years was worse then how I felt performing the speech. Just going to the shops or catching public transport brought out my anxiety pretty badly. Study, socialising, work, family gatherings all cause me anxiety sometimes to the point in which I've had to not show up many times. I feel like there's hope though and I'm getting better at managing through self care. I've been wondering how it all started and why I have been like this and I think it's because of my own actions or decisions, may sound strange. Or is anxiety something that happens to us? or is it a bit of both?

ecomama Eating disorder, how to help
  • replies: 7

Hello everyone Yeah me again. This isn't the first time someone has mentioned that I may have an eating disorder' but since realising that I was in denial over PTSD very recently, I reckon I have been in denial over this too. Sigghhhh… at this point ... View more

Hello everyone Yeah me again. This isn't the first time someone has mentioned that I may have an eating disorder' but since realising that I was in denial over PTSD very recently, I reckon I have been in denial over this too. Sigghhhh… at this point I'm like 'throw it on the pile' and I'll tell my MH support people. I'm pretty sure I know the origins, childhood. When there was barely any food for many years. Luckily we moved to an old neighbourhood, to live in a shed mind you, where there were lots of old fruit trees. I learnt how to climb the trees, open the fruit like a pro and after taking out any larvae in it, eat the fruit. Not to scare my little brothers, I would make out this was fun but I was always scared there wouldn't "be enough" for them. I fed them first and would often be out till after dark still starving and shaking. It morphed into back to back dieting and forever restricting food. Then overeating then back again. As an adult I went to overeaters anonymous for years. I'm not sure if this helped at all but I learnt some things. My mother always grew food and I do the same. Probably compulsively through many hard years. I had to get food from church food pantries to feed my family over many years as I dealt with back to back Courts, paying for legals was a nightmare. I was always worried that there wouldn't be enough food for the children. I cooked the same foods in as many ways as I could, so the children would be less sad and hope they wouldn't feel deprived. Basically now I seldom feel hungry but don't eat as much as I know others do ie my children. How did you help yourself with an eating disorder? Was there any specific therapy that helped? Thankyou for any feedback in advance. EM

B27 I dont know what to say. Im new
  • replies: 8

So i went to the dr for help with my anxiety for the first time just before covid 19 and she gave me something to help that will also let me sleep (when my anxiety use to kick in) then so many people told me about the weight gain (im not tiny i have ... View more

So i went to the dr for help with my anxiety for the first time just before covid 19 and she gave me something to help that will also let me sleep (when my anxiety use to kick in) then so many people told me about the weight gain (im not tiny i have a mum bod) and now i wont take it and i keep putting off going back and its gotten worse that i just feel like im in a 24/7 panic attack and i just want to cry all the time but i keep everything to myself because i dont want my son to see me panic. After yrs of living this way im pretty good a not letting people see my panic but i feel it and it physically hurts my whole body. So hi this is me and im B27.

Harper_Blue Hi
  • replies: 2

Hi all, I am Harper and I am 15. I have read through a few of the threads before I decided to introduce myself. I have anxiety and I am a huge over-thinker I remember always doing it when I was young, I think about everything that could possibly be a... View more

Hi all, I am Harper and I am 15. I have read through a few of the threads before I decided to introduce myself. I have anxiety and I am a huge over-thinker I remember always doing it when I was young, I think about everything that could possibly be an outcome of what I say before I say it. sometimes this seems good but it means that I talk a lot less then other people because I spend a lot of time going through everything. I am socially awkward I guess you would say, I am pretty sure I suffer from 3 different types of anxiety although I haven't had a diagnosis because i am to scared to tell my family. I have generalised anxiety, social anxiety and specific phobia. The specific phobia i have is called Misophonia which really means that I can't deal with certain sounds, especially the sound of people eating/chewing. It's not like i just don't like the sound, I cannot stand the sound and there have been times when hearing the sound as mad me burst out into tears. this isn't a recognised disorder in the DSM-IV or anything so not many people know about it. I hope that there are some people out there that either also have this or know about it so I don't feel so alone about it. I am sorry for just word vomiting, I hope it all makes sense. I am also sorry if anything isn't actually correct, this is just my understanding of it and my experiences. I am glad i am on the forum now so i can talk to people about this and hear other peoples stories too, it seems like such a lovely community. Harper

Bellasunshine My 8 yr old is suddenly scared all the time
  • replies: 2

Hi, My 8 yr old daughter is all of a sudden scared all the time and gets easily upset, she starts crying but doesn't know why she crying. She has been home from school with me for the last 6 weeks as i lost my job due to the covid 19 and a week ago I... View more

Hi, My 8 yr old daughter is all of a sudden scared all the time and gets easily upset, she starts crying but doesn't know why she crying. She has been home from school with me for the last 6 weeks as i lost my job due to the covid 19 and a week ago I started back at work 3 days a week so she goes to school for 2 days. School is obviously very different from before covid 19 I have to drop her off and pick her up from front of school, I'm not allowed to walk her to class she is in a different classroom with different teachers and different kids. Over the last couple of days she has been more tired, very emotional, she won't go to bed by herself and then she just cries. When I ask why she is upset she says she doesn't know why and that's she scared but she doesn't know what she's scared about. She has started hoping into bed with my husband and me in the middle of the night which she has never done. I'm not really sure what to do. From worried mum

JazzyMum Covid 19 Anxiety - returning out of isolation
  • replies: 5

I'm a teacher and have immuno compromised family members I am sole carer for. I have been back at work for a little while but I cannot resolve the issue of different rules in school vs social distancing in the outside world. I have had a couple of ma... View more

I'm a teacher and have immuno compromised family members I am sole carer for. I have been back at work for a little while but I cannot resolve the issue of different rules in school vs social distancing in the outside world. I have had a couple of massive panic/ anxiety attacks in the past two days. I walk around with 1700 others all day in a world where social distancing is talked about but impossible to maintain. I don't believe children (esp 18 year olds) are affected as differently to adults. I'm the teacher so I can control this to some extent but how can my 14 year old, who returned to school today do this? - he cannot control others - he's a teenager - they cannot be expected to socially distance. How can I let my child back into the system I am rendered unable to cope with? I have spoken to a few people who try to tell me how lucky we are and how its theoretically safe but my brain has put up walls that I am petrified to knock down. My GP says its all a myth - so I can't exactly ask for help there. After isolating for two months I am finding the lack of control of environment incredibly difficult to deal with. I'm walking daily but as soon as I try to chill a bit my head floods with arguments about the valid and non valid aspects of what I'm experiencing. I know a lot of school children are experiencing the same anxiety that they've never had before - any advice on how to move forward would be welcomed. Big socially distant hugs to anyone experiencing the same - I'm sure we can get through this but I'm just not sure how.

Mel72 neighbour anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hi I thought it would be a good idea to chat this out. I know i have anxiety not been to gp just try to deal with it as it happens but my anxiety has flared up bigtime due to having to finally get council help about my neighbours dog, I hate confront... View more

Hi I thought it would be a good idea to chat this out. I know i have anxiety not been to gp just try to deal with it as it happens but my anxiety has flared up bigtime due to having to finally get council help about my neighbours dog, I hate confrontation so tried to avoid this but yeah finally had enough (2 years) apologies trying to not talk about that too much, the big issue is now I am too scared to move around in my house, go outside, I know i have done nothing wrong but I feel like I have, I feel so much self doubt about anything i do it got to the point that i felt that i have now put my family in a war zone and the only way to stop bad stuff happening to them would be me leaving them. I suppose I am wondering if there is something bad coming off me that is going to make bad stuff happen to all of us??

Diddle28 How To Make Friends?
  • replies: 4

Hello all! I have bad social anxiety and I find it hard to talk to people. I start to have mini panic attacks, I tend to stay away from everyone and start thinking that everyone is talking/laughing at me. Does anyone else find it hard? And if so what... View more

Hello all! I have bad social anxiety and I find it hard to talk to people. I start to have mini panic attacks, I tend to stay away from everyone and start thinking that everyone is talking/laughing at me. Does anyone else find it hard? And if so what has helped you to go up to someone and start a conversation? I miss having friends.