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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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Mding Covid 19 worries
  • replies: 3

Hi there, I've never done anything like this before so a little scared. I suffer health anxiety. My question ATM is how so I deal with this virus. I'm isolating as my sister has just had a premmy baby and I want to be able to be there for her. The is... View more

Hi there, I've never done anything like this before so a little scared. I suffer health anxiety. My question ATM is how so I deal with this virus. I'm isolating as my sister has just had a premmy baby and I want to be able to be there for her. The issue I have is my family work and are attending a funeral tomorrow which gives me anxiety over how I keep myself safe in my own home. What measures other than cleaning surfaces not using the same bathroom etc can I take. They may not even get the virus but I am so anxious about it.

Angienewmum New anxious mother to be ,looking for advice on support.
  • replies: 5

Hello everyone, New to forums really wanted to join beyond blue they helped me get my mother out of suicide. Just a quick overview ;I'v lived with GAD and mild ADHD inattentive for most of my life but have managed a good chunk with various methods bu... View more

Hello everyone, New to forums really wanted to join beyond blue they helped me get my mother out of suicide. Just a quick overview ;I'v lived with GAD and mild ADHD inattentive for most of my life but have managed a good chunk with various methods but have hit somewhat of a road block in my life and afraid for the next coming months ahead and am seeking some advice. The rundown ;I'm 33 weeks pregnant expecting my firstborn, recently moved to Victoria from Brisbane a few months back before border closures.I've had bouts of antinatel depression and have been incredibly Ill for half my pregnancy including hospitalization. Luckily I've had a great support network whilst living in Brisbane and managed to get through these episodes.But now being an unfortunate new Victorian my support links and resources are now either inaccessible or very restricted causing me to become anxious about possible relapsing into antinatel depression.I have no friends down here in Victoria and my own family cannot support me for health reasons,my in-laws and some friends where planning to come down and help after I give birth but borders now shut Vic-Qld.Some facilities are also not operating or are restricted because of covid 19.I am also at the stage where I can't pyshically do alot.The midwives at my local hospital have been great and suggested I reach out for support if I feel like my mental health is wavering and I understand some support groups are restricted or simply very busy with the current events. My questions ;What to do to keep yourself less anxious as a new mother to be with next to no support living down here in Victoria?Constructive things to keep oneself distracted during this time not including the internet and TV? (All I have right now is cooking and book reading and light walking )And Support networks accessible in the East Gippsland region for people such as myself? as I'm very unfamiliar with this region and so I have no friends down here the neighbours are quite nice but everyone is very weary about being out during covid 19. Any tips and advice would be great no matter how small,thankyou for reading

hannah195395 should I try a new therapist?
  • replies: 4

Hi, looking for some help with this I've had like 10 sessions with my therapist and I guess it's not going great. I know it's probably mainly my fault but I still don't know if I should try a different therapist or not. I guess the main reason I was ... View more

Hi, looking for some help with this I've had like 10 sessions with my therapist and I guess it's not going great. I know it's probably mainly my fault but I still don't know if I should try a different therapist or not. I guess the main reason I was going to a therapist was like social anxiety. But going to see her has been up there with the worst social anxiety I've ever experienced, worse than the anxiety that made me go see someone. I feel like the few days after I see her my socialising is much worse than usual because I've put myself in that mode from being anxious when I see her, so pretty much I feel like it's been worse since seeing her. She just makes me very very nervous and I always feel she is judging me and I guess that's my fault but I just can't face going back to see her again, it makes me so anxious just thinking about it. I don't know if I should try someone else though because I can't imagine having to go through finding someone and meeting someone again, and what if they don't seem to be so nice either? I think I might just not find another therapist and not see this one either. Any help? thanks

FlicB I moved here from NZ a week before COVID hit
  • replies: 3

I moved here from NZ for a promotion, a week before COVID hit. My new role is really hard and I feel over-promoted. My flat is quiet and cold. Working from home, I don't really leave this space. I'm finding it hard to seek help and even harder to mak... View more

I moved here from NZ for a promotion, a week before COVID hit. My new role is really hard and I feel over-promoted. My flat is quiet and cold. Working from home, I don't really leave this space. I'm finding it hard to seek help and even harder to make new friends. I want to give up and go home, but I'd feel so ashamed after all the announcements made about me moving. I'm gaining weight, I'm not looking after myself and am smoking more than ever. Is anyone else stuck?

whereishome Is this some type of anxiety?
  • replies: 2

Hello. I’m a teenage girl, and I’d say generally I’ve lived a good life. Nothing really triggering has ever happened to me. but I have extremely intrusive thoughts (i think?). I am somebody who is very, very easily scared. I mean, if you make a sudde... View more

Hello. I’m a teenage girl, and I’d say generally I’ve lived a good life. Nothing really triggering has ever happened to me. but I have extremely intrusive thoughts (i think?). I am somebody who is very, very easily scared. I mean, if you make a sudden noise I would shriek and then think about it for hours and have a suuuper fast heartbeat. But these past few months i keep imagining horrifying things. I keep picturing my main phobias and I can’t stop all these thoughts and its driving me crazy I would be eating and suddenly feel the urge to vomit because for some reason I can’t stop picturing scary images in my head. i am so scared of the dark because of this too. I have a tendency to run really fast if an area is dark and try to find a lightswitch, but i get too nervous to touch it thinking some kind of horrible monster is going to be on it. The same with entering literally any room, even if its not dark, just when I am alone. Sometimes i start crying and get a huge wave of chills because of all my overthinking. I also start to have hiccups after thinking of something scary. The more i try to make it stop, the worse it gets. And since i’m always so busy focusing on trying to get rid of my thoughts i keep getting angry and annoyed at everybody? I dont even know why, i dont want to get mad! I’m not an angry person at all. Sometimes i start to cry too much and actually vomit because i think too much. Also, under some pressuring situations i get super nervous and cry+vomit. This sort of thing happened to me 4-6 times last year during class, on the day we had some sort of assessment or speech or something. It was so terrible, i can’t believe i cried so much and vomited all over my desk i always imagine the worst. And if there is any problems i always worry about them instead of fixing them. And i can’t even move my body to do things, i feel so lazy and am too worried i will mess everything up. I keep thinking maybe i am just being childish. My sister has one of the same phobias as me and cries when she sees stuff to do with it, but one time i saw it for a second i cried for ages and kept shaking. I kept picturing it everywhere, too. I want these thoughts to go away. Even when i try to sleep them off i have really scary lucid nightmares. I can’t even cry about it anymore because I am so tired of it, i just sit down sadly in a corner and wish for it to stop. Even writing this made me feel very uncomfortable. What do you think?

decibelx How does one cope with anxiety and depression while having no friends?
  • replies: 2

I struggle with bad social anxiety which is the cause of the lack of relationships in my life, and this has lead to me being depressed over a long period of time. Both have been hitting me especially hard these days with no support system to fall bac... View more

I struggle with bad social anxiety which is the cause of the lack of relationships in my life, and this has lead to me being depressed over a long period of time. Both have been hitting me especially hard these days with no support system to fall back on. I am away from my family while studying in Australia and making friends has been just as hard as it was back in my home country. More so with Covid present. I don't know how to cope. I speak to the school guidance counsellor occasionally but there's only so much advice they can give me. What has worked for you if you too have experienced this?

Souffle_Girl12 Relationship Anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone! Sorry I’m new to this. I have anxiety and it has always increased during relationships but usually it corresponds with the realisation that the relationship isn’t going to work. Ive been dating this wonderful guy for just under a year bu... View more

Hi everyone! Sorry I’m new to this. I have anxiety and it has always increased during relationships but usually it corresponds with the realisation that the relationship isn’t going to work. Ive been dating this wonderful guy for just under a year but as a result of COVID, he lost his job and slipped into a depression. His low mood seriously affects my own mental health and I find myself just getting anxious. When I’m with him and he’s okay then everything’s perfect. But when he’s low nothing will help and he can be really grumpy and rude. I finally told him he needed to get help because it was affecting me and he promised he would. But it almost feels too late. I’m checked out and feeling resentful every time he has a low patch because I know how it will affect me which feels really selfish given he’s so understanding of my anxiety. I’m not sleeping properly and get intrusive thoughts of various scenarios ending the relationship and get no work done because I’m constantly trying to problem solve. How do I support him whilst making sure I’m supporting myself? I’m seeing a psychologist but still feel really anxious. I can’t deal with the unpredictability. I’m worried that after pushing and pushing him to get help, I’ve already checked out and haven’t given him the time to get better. I feel like a terrible person.

decibelx Help! Anxiety and depression have led me to alcoholism and its accompanying health problems
  • replies: 8

I've been drinking for roughly 10 years due to depression caused by my panic disorder. Became an alcoholic about halfway in. I would say my alcohol dependency is pretty strong as I used it to self-medicate instead of going on antidepressants. Last we... View more

I've been drinking for roughly 10 years due to depression caused by my panic disorder. Became an alcoholic about halfway in. I would say my alcohol dependency is pretty strong as I used it to self-medicate instead of going on antidepressants. Last weekend I went on a bender and my liver has been sore since. I've not felt this dull pain under my rib cage for a long time; the last time was in 2017. It went away after a couple of days back then. Due to this, I've stopped drinking for two days now. At what point do I take myself to see the doctor?

44Max44 Update on my health anxiety situation
  • replies: 2

Hi, I used to come on these forums almost every day for support with my anxiety and mainly my health anxiety, but haven't posted in quite a few months. This is because I've actually improved quite a lot, and I'd like to share my progress with all of ... View more

Hi, I used to come on these forums almost every day for support with my anxiety and mainly my health anxiety, but haven't posted in quite a few months. This is because I've actually improved quite a lot, and I'd like to share my progress with all of you to show you that you can overcome your anxiety with time and patience. I used to suffer from Health Anxiety pretty bad, I was in constant worry over my health, I'd be hyper-focusing on symptoms which amplified them and made them seem much worse than they actually were, and any time I felt any sort of sensation I'd overanalyze it and instantly assume the worse. I was very miserable and couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel, it really was the most miserable I've ever been in my entire life and I hated it. I established myself on the forums and made it my mission to not only find ways to help myself but to use all my knowledge I accumulated over my time on the forums and through my own experiences to help other people. By far the thing that helped me the most was CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. To majorly oversimplify it, I pretty much taught myself not to freak out and instantly assume the worst every time I experienced an unusual sensation or symptom, and taught myself to think logically during these high-stress situations. Another huge help was 'The Anxiety Guy' on YouTube, he may not be for everyone, but his videos helped me out a tonne when I was super stressed and freaking out about my health. It took me quite a few months of practicing CBT techniques to see improvements, but I eventually got there. It was almost as if one day I just stopped checking for symptoms, and then didn't check them the next day, or the next, or the next, and then before I knew it I had gone a week without checking for symptoms or worrying about my health, and could finally go on with my life. I still struggle with health worries from time to time, but I don't let those worries spiral out of control and overcome me anymore. In a way, health anxiety actually helped me. It prompted me to ditch a bunch of unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking soda every day, eating a whole lot of junk food, among other things. If it wasn't for my run-in with health anxiety, I'm confident that I'd still have those bad habits and would actually be a whole lot less healthy than I am now. Anyways, I just wanted to make this post to show people that you can beat health anxiety. If I could, you can too. All the best, Max

gucia6 Social anxiety or something else?
  • replies: 9

Hi everyone, Generally I am craving for being among people, but lack social skills allowing me to get closer. Whenever I meet someone, I am terrified, my mind goes blank. And this moves to "what-should-I-say-now,what-should-I-say-now", "they probably... View more

Hi everyone, Generally I am craving for being among people, but lack social skills allowing me to get closer. Whenever I meet someone, I am terrified, my mind goes blank. And this moves to "what-should-I-say-now,what-should-I-say-now", "they probably think I am boring/cold/rude", "oh,this is so awkward", "what if they think I am not worthy talking to anymore?" etc. I need a moment to get used to them and realize that they are not going to eat me and I can actually talk to them (if they are still there of course). During parties I am the listener and observer, and I need someone safe (usually my husband) to be beside me to feel comfortable. I am also OK speaking in front of people, as long as I am prepared. But any change of agenda and if I have to answer sudden questions I get light-headed, dry throat, go bright red, my heart wants to beat itself out of my chest, and really just want to turn around and run away. But the real problem is this horrible fear of being left out, not fully accepted, never being invited to share time with those people I care about. In the past, I preferred just to leave thinking that I am not good enough for them to accept me. Once I was openly pushed away from a group, because I was the target of bullying, and they didn't want to have trouble because of me. Back then I already shut myself out and I didn't bother. I volunteer in the community, I thought I got somehow close to couple of people and even thou the progress is really slow, I was OK with it. But recently one person from 'my' group was moving so I offered my help, but was told they have enough helpers. After that this person started discussing plan of action for the moving day with two others from 'my' group. This completely kicked me off balance. I don't think it was intentional, as I can feel I am liked and respected. And well, I know it is slow and the necessary closeness has not bloom yet, but still it hurts as hell. Later at home I ended up in teary mess. I wanted to scream "What did I do wrong?", "Why am I being treated so different if we all started the volunteering at the same time?", "it's so unfair", etc. After calming down I started being angry at them. But this I can handle. I will not jump out at them, I know I suck big time when it comes to socializing. But I am learning how to improve. The thing I am in need now is rather how to cope with this overwhelming pain of rejection, disappointment and how to prevent pushing them away due to my upset condition.

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