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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. Remeber, this is anonymous and the Beyond Blue team are here to help if you need it This section is for people who are experiencing anixiety 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 you 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 worthile 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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Guest_10110 Why am I the way I am?
  • replies: 2

For context, I'm a Working Holidaymaker from the USA, and have been in Australia since late October. I came here fresh out of uni to make up for a lack of life experience (Most of my early 20s were stolen by the Covid pandemic), get myself out of my ... View more

For context, I'm a Working Holidaymaker from the USA, and have been in Australia since late October. I came here fresh out of uni to make up for a lack of life experience (Most of my early 20s were stolen by the Covid pandemic), get myself out of my comfort zone and make connections with others. I've had some success with those things, but the issues that plagued my old life for many years have caught up with me. Somebody I met dropped a bombshell explaining why I can't attract people to me, and it made me cry, as I've wanted to know the answer for a long time: I speak with a rather whingey tone of voice, which not only displays a lack of confidence, but it takes energy out of people and pushes them away. It's a way of protecting my anxiety, which has become part of my character as a person. I also create worries of potential events that haven't happened yet or may not happen at all. It's always black and white thinking. More than anything else really, it's poor conversational skills. Being neurodivergent may have something to do with it (What a bloody curse it is), but I just wish there was a way I could not be such a wreck all the time.

__k__ Anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi all, I’ve been suffering from/with anxiety for 2 years now. It all started when i had my first child and i went to leave the hospital and go home. My anxiety was never about me as a mother or anything like that! It was about my health (not somethi... View more

Hi all, I’ve been suffering from/with anxiety for 2 years now. It all started when i had my first child and i went to leave the hospital and go home. My anxiety was never about me as a mother or anything like that! It was about my health (not something I was anxious about before), and also other things, such as, certain smells would kick off a panic attack, being in public, being on my own, even eating foods I’ve eaten forever! To the point I was having a panic attack every 3 minutes, every single day for 3 months. I didn’t start medication sooner as i was all of a sudden scared to take new medication and how it would make me feel.. every day it’s something new and i feel like it’s getting worse every new day. I don’t know how much longer i can take this. i guess im writing this to possibly see if anyone else is the same, any ideas or advice would be great?

Elise school feels like its stealing my life
  • replies: 1

Hey, I really just need somewhere to vent about school, so i'll do it here. I'm almost 14, and have started year 8 this year, but the thought of school just makes me sick. I HATE being there so much. I only really started hating it a couple of years ... View more

Hey, I really just need somewhere to vent about school, so i'll do it here. I'm almost 14, and have started year 8 this year, but the thought of school just makes me sick. I HATE being there so much. I only really started hating it a couple of years ago and since then its just gotten worse. I get good grades and my teachers like me, so everyone is confused as to why I hate being there so much. Also my school is a relatively fancy private school, and my parents tell me I should be grateful that I have so many opportunities, but I don't feel grateful and that makes me SO guilty.I don't want to join any clubs because that would just mean dedicating more time to school. The only "club" I ever joined was the school musical because I love singing/dancing/acting and I got a lead part and had so much fun, but now the school has stopped doing a musical because its "too expensive." I missed the first 2 weeks of year 8 due to an injury and now that I'm better the thought of going back just kills me. I used to be a pretty good student, but now I've stopped listening in class and talk back to teachers sometimes. I just don't understand why I have to dedicate so much of my life to learning something I don't care about at all. Every time I have to go to school I start having a "mental break down" of sorts and it makes me feel so pathetic crying over something like school but I cant help it. I know most kids don't like school, but it feels different for me because sometimes I feel like I'd rather die than be there, but then I feel guilty for thinking that way because outside of school I have an amazing life where I get to do lots of sports, a few holidays and a kind family. but I still have 5 more years of school left + university and it just feels like the cycle never ends. Does anyone know what I can do?Thanks, Elise

RescueKitty Work related anxiety & stress Part 1
  • replies: 3

In Nov 2024 I took a step back from all the extra office duties such as CSO that I was previously doing. I needed to focus more on myself and my mental health, it felt selfish but I really needed it. My manager was supportive and understanding. She h... View more

In Nov 2024 I took a step back from all the extra office duties such as CSO that I was previously doing. I needed to focus more on myself and my mental health, it felt selfish but I really needed it. My manager was supportive and understanding. She herself has struggled with mental health issues. Jan 26th 2025 I spoke with my manager about how I was feeling very unsupported by the other staff.I'd been spending more time out of the office with the animals, meaning that the other 5 staff had to cover the role. Majority of the time the other staff would say "I don’t know how to do that, I'll leave it for Rach to do. She knows the most about the office anyway." I'd previously offered training and written up multiple "How-To-Guides" on CSO tasks, including other SOPs that are available to all staff to read with step by step instructions on how to complete certain tasks on our systems. I get turned down at every training offer I make. The excuses were all along the lines of "Hell no, then I'll be expected to be in the office more." When the other staff 'cover the office' they only do the bare minimum, the phone lines are even diverted right now. So, they only need to deal with walk-ins, giving them plenty of time to learn and complete other tasks. Got to the point that Manager apologized and asked me back into the office because everything had gotten so backed up. So, I was catching everything up, plus working in an animal section on the same day. Meanwhile the other staff only had one section with 5 dogs each to a section at the moment. One day a co-worker kept radioing me to open the gates to the public because they were 'busy'. I open the gates and go take the trash out and walk past the dog yards and see those same "busy" co-workers lying on blankets in the sun while sipping on McDonalds coffees. Another day I was swamped in the office, this same coworker calls over the radio to ask if I'd called the vets for a collection time yet. I reply no I hadn't done that for her. 1 min later she messages our public work chat asking me to call the vets and ask for a time that she can collect the dogs. Why she couldn't make that phone call herself? I was obviously busy. I feel like I'm being forced to remain in the office, because the other staff refuse to learn it and help out. Its just frustrating that they all avoid any office related tasks like the plague, even when its just making a phone call. Like could they just help me out a bit?

Dilraj Anxiety and panic attacks
  • replies: 1

Hi feel anxiety and panic attacks because my 8 year old son moved to USA with his mom .. now he is not settling in school in US he want to come back here in Perth and want to go to previous school where he goes since kinder. Now school says position ... View more

Hi feel anxiety and panic attacks because my 8 year old son moved to USA with his mom .. now he is not settling in school in US he want to come back here in Perth and want to go to previous school where he goes since kinder. Now school says position is fulfilled they say add in a wait list it is a private school , as a dad I feel very disappointed don’t no want to do

Not_Batman Maybe its Adult adhd?
  • replies: 10

So i’ve come to the realisation that i could have undiagnosed adult adhd.Why? well, i have been struggling with attention at work for a long time, was quite the hyperactive kid, i have over a dozen projects at home that i get 80% complete then give u... View more

So i’ve come to the realisation that i could have undiagnosed adult adhd.Why? well, i have been struggling with attention at work for a long time, was quite the hyperactive kid, i have over a dozen projects at home that i get 80% complete then give up, my office is a cluttered mess, my shed is even worse. Racing thoughts most of the day, anxiety, depression. Loads of hobbies that get started, and never finished. After being told by family that i’m chaotic and most likely have adhd, i started taking steps to help correct it. I went to a doctor to get a referral, but the doctor didn't take me seriously and said i just lack discipline…i have questioned the credibility of the doctor, because of comments on another subject, but i digress. Its going to be a costly process. What advice can anyone give to someone starting the journey?i don't want this to be another thing on the list of unfinished things. thanks Not_Batman

Guest_84992011 Muddy thoughts
  • replies: 1

Hi, I'm new here. My mental health journey started to go downhills when I moved to Australia. Although Australia is a beautiful country, it can be very difficult for immigrants. I had my first daughter in 2019 (emergency c-section). I couldn't kiss h... View more

Hi, I'm new here. My mental health journey started to go downhills when I moved to Australia. Although Australia is a beautiful country, it can be very difficult for immigrants. I had my first daughter in 2019 (emergency c-section). I couldn't kiss her. I had my second daughter in 2024, and I'm madly in love with her. Now I suffer from what seems to be getting worse, anxiety. I've applied for permanent residency with a sponsor. I hate my job. Going to work every day and not being able to be with my baby is killing me. Now I feel lost. My thoughts are all over the place. I say things I don't mean, like "it's a pleasure to help you". I feel nothing. I feel like I haven't given up for my daughters. I know I need help, but I feel like I don't have the energy to do it. Am I being silly here?

Guest_98574445 Anxiety
  • replies: 2

I have always suffered from anxiety but the last week has gotten bad, with panic attacks serve enough to goto ED multiple times. I have been put on antidepressants for anxiety which I find only works for 1-2 hours. Does anyone have any tips for when ... View more

I have always suffered from anxiety but the last week has gotten bad, with panic attacks serve enough to goto ED multiple times. I have been put on antidepressants for anxiety which I find only works for 1-2 hours. Does anyone have any tips for when my chest and mind is going crazy?

Guest_46301980 Do I have nicety or am I just overthinking it?
  • replies: 1

So, just a little preview of what I’m talking about, I’m basically wondering if I actually have an anxiety problem/disorder (idk what to call it) or if I’m just overthinking things or if it’s a different issue. (Also just a disclaimer, I am still in ... View more

So, just a little preview of what I’m talking about, I’m basically wondering if I actually have an anxiety problem/disorder (idk what to call it) or if I’m just overthinking things or if it’s a different issue. (Also just a disclaimer, I am still in my teenage years, but I’m in my senior years of high school, close to my HSC)I’ve suffered from multiple emotional “attacks” (for lack of better words) throughout my life, and I’ve recently been researching anxiety as a solution to my problems. The thing is, I don’t show many of the common signs of anxiety, but I do show some other signs. Like, I love public speaking. I’ve volunteered to speak at assemblies and to go first for drama performances. But as soon as I’m out of school, I’m a wreck. I can’t look servers in the eye at restaurants and I refuse to order things at a person, I’ll do it at a kiosk. Idk if that’s just social anxiety or if I’m just difficult. I’ve also been having major test anxiety. Like full on panic attacks, having to go to the welfare rooms anxiety. And it’s not like me being unprepared, I would study for weeks before the test because I’m so worried of failing. And I’ve been put into learning support for that stuff (which has really helped with how I feel and perform too), but I need a proper diagnosis for anxiety for me to keep doing tests in a small group rather than with the rest of my year (which I’ll come back to later). Another little thing, I’ve been getting panic attacks at night. I used to have bad panic attacks in primary school (worrying if my family was safe, etc). It started to get really bad when I would like- hallucinate things-. Like I was dreaming but I was still awake, I had no control of my body. It got so bad one night, that I ran from my room, stood in the hallway, called my dad a monster, then threw up on the floor. That stuff has been coming back recently (havn’t been getting that stuff for years and now it’s back?). Not so much the hallucinating, but more the hysterical crying and scratching my face and arms to the point where they would bleed (like I don’t mean to scratch myself, it just happens). My parents flat out refuse to go to the doctors or let me go back to my physiologist (which is so stupid, bc they said that I’ve already been, which is true, because I went to get help with my sleep and to stop worrying so much about sleeping, not about test anxiety). Idk what to do at this point. Like, do I even bother trying to get a diagnosis anymore? Is there anything to really look for or am I just going insane? I can get rides to places nd I have my own money to pay for things, I just don’t know if it’s worth it or not.

Joiningcommet Not knowing we're do I go from here
  • replies: 1

Hey I travel interstate a lot for work and work a labors intensive job, I have noticed that what I was thinking was home sick when I'm away even if it's for one night just last week I went away for a week stint and on the first night I ended up in th... View more

Hey I travel interstate a lot for work and work a labors intensive job, I have noticed that what I was thinking was home sick when I'm away even if it's for one night just last week I went away for a week stint and on the first night I ended up in the ED on the loo not sleeping and spewing up with trouble breathing so went to ED and they could not find anything wrong but when I was asked if I was anxious I balled my eyes out to the nurse I think I may be suffering something deep inside but need my job to earn money for my wife and kids went to doc got some pills from him but we're do I go from here I don't know I have to go away again and been doing some research today podcasts and YouTube mostly some Google search. Can some one point me to what I can do to not feel overwhelmed and anxious when I'm away as fly out in 2 days for a week and afraid il end up in ED and losing my job as the work I'm in are all manly men don't talk about this stuff people. Someone gide me or help me please