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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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Speechless 38 going on 40 no kids
  • replies: 2

I have anxiety of nonstop thoughts and feelings about turning 40 and its been quite painful for me. I have always dreamed of having children and having a partner that is able to help support this dream. But ive lived a life of mental illness of socia... View more

I have anxiety of nonstop thoughts and feelings about turning 40 and its been quite painful for me. I have always dreamed of having children and having a partner that is able to help support this dream. But ive lived a life of mental illness of social phobia and anxiety and its been alot of periods of isolating myself from society over the years. But a 5 years ago that changed and i got very well and was active in the community until i started going out with a person that has schizophrenia and my anxiety took a toll on me and i got adrenal fatigue and got obese from all the stress involved. I have always lived at home with my parents. We live on acres in a picturesque location and i basically have a duty of care for my aging parents esp my half deaf mother who has always had deafness as her disability. But i dream of having a child and having a place of my own esp a place in a rural setting like home. I dont have enough money to support a child and i dont have a partner that is able to support me and a child and i cant talk about this to anyone much as i feel like im not worthy of it. Like my life is chosen by others for them. Independence has always been hard for me. Once was a distant dream is suddenly a do or dont do repercussion anxiety. i really want to be able to forge ahead and push my way out of codependences around me and get healthy again, get out in the community and meet new people and get a job again. But covid 19 has seemed to put a damper on that and also my partner that is very ill with schizophrenia cannot understand his severe limitations and what that means to my life. He has brain impairments that sees things impulsively and emotionally for him but not understanding or planning or able to think about details. He just cannot do and he has no money or anything. How can i stop my mind spiraling out of this anxiety about my near future esp during this time? It gets really painful esp seeing people with kids on the tv and everywhere. Its like another painful part of my life i missed out on.

Quivz Anyone have any experience with Housing SA?
  • replies: 1

I've suffered from anxiety for the last 8 years or so. Actually i've suffered most of my life, but i was diagnosed about 8 years ago. Despite treatment i have not improved. I haven't been employed since 2012. I was assessed as being capable of more t... View more

I've suffered from anxiety for the last 8 years or so. Actually i've suffered most of my life, but i was diagnosed about 8 years ago. Despite treatment i have not improved. I haven't been employed since 2012. I was assessed as being capable of more than 15 hours a week of work, but i can't work with other people and so i can really only work from home. I have not been able to find anything. I have been employed about 6 months total since i left my last steady job in 2006 and have had to leave everywhere i was employed since due to my anxiety. I'm still technically on Jobseeker payments, but i intend to get re-assessed when the covid crisis is over. My biggest problem is that I've been forced to live with my parents. As a result i spend 95% of my time in a 3m by 3m room. It's not an abusive situation or anything of that nature, but i control nothing outside of this room. I haven't been able to cook anything more complex than eggs on toast in all the time i've been here for example. I feel stifled and want to get my own place, but at 600 dollars a fortnight or even 900 if i qualify for the DSP later, even the cheapest rentals would leave me with little to nothing to buy food or pay for utilities. I was hoping I could register with Housing SA to maybe get something suitable. I can't live with strangers and i have no friends i could live with. Is it possible to get some sort of housing through them for just 1 person whose income is this limited? How much rent do they actually charge? I've tried reading their webpage, but there's not much info there. I was wondering if anyone knew anything more so that i dont waste my time registering if they cant really do anything for me. I don't need any other assistance from them, i can do my own washing and buy my own groceries if i dont have to use public transport, etc.

TJ21 Blushing
  • replies: 6

Hi Everyone, I'm sure I posted this thread last night however I can't find it! I have been having issues with social anxiety and blushing all of my life. I will primarily blush in a work situation, or if something surprises me - bumping into people, ... View more

Hi Everyone, I'm sure I posted this thread last night however I can't find it! I have been having issues with social anxiety and blushing all of my life. I will primarily blush in a work situation, or if something surprises me - bumping into people, surprise visits etc. I can usually be quite confident in certain situations, however the blushing is really becoming too much for me now. My chest and neck will go very blotchy and my face will almost go purple. Obviously I have made myself think that it's probably worse than it is, but I don't know how to overcome this! All I want to do is leave my administration job and do something in marketing or events, but I refuse to go to interviews at risk of blushing. It's even gone far enough for me to have mini panic attacks in work meetings where my whole body will tingle and I won't be able to speak. I believe it all comes down to the blushing. Has anyone overcome this? I have tried beta blockers and xanax with no relief, and I don't really want to become dependent on drugs. I have also started subliminal messages but not sure if it has helped. Let me know... thanks.

Jas346 Chronic hyperventilating
  • replies: 2

How to ease chronic hyperventilating from constant stress

How to ease chronic hyperventilating from constant stress

Gogitto Constant Fear chest pain 24/7
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, Im 24 years old and I am new to the forums. I am writing today as I would like to get some advice about how to cope with how I’m feeling. About one week ago, I had a bad batch of intrusive thoughts about hurting a friend. Since then, I h... View more

Hi everyone, Im 24 years old and I am new to the forums. I am writing today as I would like to get some advice about how to cope with how I’m feeling. About one week ago, I had a bad batch of intrusive thoughts about hurting a friend. Since then, I have had an ongoing and severely painful chest pain, similar to the chest pain you feel during a panic attack but its constant 24/7. I have tried many things like staying positive, telling myself it will be ok, trying to remain calm but the fear and pain will not turn off. It has made me physically sick to the point that i got to throw up when I eat, my body goes weak and I get hot flushes and shakes. This has now caused my old intrusive thoughts i used to suffer about suicide to resurface as I have a very bad fear of dying after having lost my dad 5 years ago to a heart attack and so my intrusive thoughts twist this into mind games. I had been on my medication for a month before this happened and have started on them once again after seeing my local doctor as he said it would be best, especially since he checked me over and said my physical health was normal. I am currently on a waiting list to get back into therapy, so I thought I would come here in the meantime to get some advice as I’m so scared that these chest pains won’t go away as I physically cannot function right now and am even too scared to leave my home. I just want the pain to stop so I can start to continue working on healing my complex grief. Thanks for listening.

zeldadiana please share opinions on medication
  • replies: 3

i have been struggling lately with what i feel is anxiety and depression, i get very agitated and i’m not very motivated anymore.. i’m constantly tired i don’t want to move or make effort to make myself better. but last night and more frequently i’m ... View more

i have been struggling lately with what i feel is anxiety and depression, i get very agitated and i’m not very motivated anymore.. i’m constantly tired i don’t want to move or make effort to make myself better. but last night and more frequently i’m finding myself just crying on the floor jjst thinking and dwelling about everything and even having suicidal thoughts, feeling worthless and like a terrible daughter / girlfriend / friend to everybody around me, i don’t even do terrible things to anybody but i still feel selfish for the smallest things for example not eating dinner that someone cooks for me when i’m not hungry. i feel ungrateful? . physically? i get severe heart palpitations and i feel like i’m going to die of a heart attack. i immediately feel tired and dizzy afterwards , i have spoken to my GP and they reccomeded a phsycologist , which i have been seeing, and medication.. can anybody please tell me if medication truly helps and if anybody has found it to be life changing. i have been dealing with episodes of depression and anxiety my whole life and i’m ready to accept that my condition can not be helped on my own, i do need more help.. my boyfriend suggested this website to me so here i am , please all i ask for us advice on medication before i make the decision and commitment to taking them probably for the rest of my life.

NotYetEffulgent Paranoid anxiety
  • replies: 3

Hi there! I’m feeling really stuck right now and super stressed about the future. I’m sure I’m not the only one, but since the virus I keep having these intense moments of paranoia. I keep thinking that I hear voices behind me and get the feeling the... View more

Hi there! I’m feeling really stuck right now and super stressed about the future. I’m sure I’m not the only one, but since the virus I keep having these intense moments of paranoia. I keep thinking that I hear voices behind me and get the feeling there’s someone behind me all the time. I keep thinking my phone is ringing even though it’s not. I even wake up in the night believing that it’s ringing. I’ve also been lashing out at people simply because I get the feeling their out to get me even when their not. I just can’t seem to trust anything or anyone. It’s almost as though life is just a fake hologram right now, things just don’t seem real. I could swear the walls in my room have shrunk 2 feet. Since about November last year life has stagnated completely for me and my mind has been slowly drifting, falling into a spiral of procrastination and disassociation. I’m not sure what I can do to reconnect with reality again. This paranoid state I’m entering into is quite frightening. I’ve never been a violent person before, but these feelings are causing me to lash out in a way that I’m not proud of or comfortable with. I’m not sure how to bring myself under control during one of these paranoid anxiety attacks if we can call them that. Is anyone else experiencing paranoid thoughts at this time? Or dealt with similar?

SarahSarah44 Particular Person Causing my panic attacks
  • replies: 1

I was wondering whats some ways people have healthy gotten over being able to accept/ move past a person who is their trigger? I have this one girl in my life that has followed me from my last relationship to my new one that sets me off Bit of a back... View more

I was wondering whats some ways people have healthy gotten over being able to accept/ move past a person who is their trigger? I have this one girl in my life that has followed me from my last relationship to my new one that sets me off Bit of a backstory My first boyfriend and I dated on and off for 5 years, (he was always the one to break it off and I really should not of gotten back together with him) anyway he had a group of friends that weren't really my people, they would complain that I was too shy and congratulate me if I was more social on a particular occasion. Anyway, our second last break up, one of his female friends was talking to me as he was on his way home to break up with me and pretty much had me spill all my emotions about it to her and then she never replied... next message I got was a snap chat from her of the girl he left me for dancing with his dad at his 21st. maybe two weeks after we broke up She would post about him and her all of socials, knew then are there not to trust her again When I got back together with him, seeing her made me feel sick and my heart would race and I didn't know it then, but almost have a panic attack. So I would attend anything she would be at. Then we broke up again all good I moved on... started seeing a Psychologist once a week and really rebuild my confidence, joined a soccer team, made some wonderful friends and was really happy and such a good place. Then I connected with my new/current boyfriend, he's wonderful and we were friends first, so me and his really close friends already knew each other and have our own mini friendships before him well now that horrible girl is sleeping with my boyfriends twin brother...(she broke up his 6 year relationship to get there too) and she's at the house alot (pre covid) every time I see her I have a panic attack, my boyfriends family mentions her my stomach drops and I feel the need to vomit My boyfriend is amazing about it and doesn't want her apart of his family (because of the breaking of the brothers relationship and my history with her) But I don't want his family to have to pick, I don't want my boyfriend to have to pick and I don't want to be anywhere around her and I don't want her in my life Only thing thats been crossing my mind lately is to break up with my boyfriend, but I really love him and don't want to break my heart or his Was hoping you guys have ways for me to overcome this, to not feel small and scared when I see her or hear her name

KK7 Medication
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone, I was put on medication which made my anxiety worse, I couldn’t sleep felt jittery and had really bad night mares, I just wanted some advice on how to get past the nightmares. They felt so real and can ruin my day when I have a flash bac... View more

Hi everyone, I was put on medication which made my anxiety worse, I couldn’t sleep felt jittery and had really bad night mares, I just wanted some advice on how to get past the nightmares. They felt so real and can ruin my day when I have a flash back please tell me if anyone else has had this? I have a mental health lady ringing me everyday to help but I’m just sitting here crying as it has just ruined my whole day. thank you!

J007 New city, new job, new team - all in lockdown. Help!
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone. What a huge relief to find these threads and online communities. It’s almost too good to be true. I moved to a New city, started a new job, am trying to gel with a new team all while dealing with ptsd and anxiety from the bushfires (my h... View more

Hi everyone. What a huge relief to find these threads and online communities. It’s almost too good to be true. I moved to a New city, started a new job, am trying to gel with a new team all while dealing with ptsd and anxiety from the bushfires (my house was damaged and my father almost died in 2003 Canberra fires) and on top of it all BOOM - pandemic. Oh my goodness it’s all so much and it’s really hard to control my anxiety. Any tips on how to gel with a new team and new job online or how to settle in while all this is going on would be so appreciated.