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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TishaJade Compulsive Negative Thoughts
  • replies: 5

I can't seem to stop my intrusive negative thinking. EVERYTHING triggers me. I am SO emotional. I had an argument with my boyfriend yesterday over something silly. He is so patient with me and my moods, that this time he flipped out and said some hur... View more

I can't seem to stop my intrusive negative thinking. EVERYTHING triggers me. I am SO emotional. I had an argument with my boyfriend yesterday over something silly. He is so patient with me and my moods, that this time he flipped out and said some hurtful things. I can't get them out of my head... One in particular is bringing me down every hour or so. I said that I wished he would grow up a little bit and stop being forgetful with things, because when we have children I can't be dealing with him as well as the kids. And he said "well we just won't have kids then!" Out of anger. But it stuck with me and I can't move past it. I have had about 4 emotional outbursts to him, all of which he has made clear he was sorry and he did not mean what he said, and that when we are ready he wants to have kids with me. This makes it hard for me because he already has a child to someone else who we look after weekly. This has been a struggle for me since the beginning because I am envious that he has had a child already with someone else. I feel like my progress has been ruined in trying to cope with the situation. I feel like he doesn't want kids with me, never did, and that I will just have to deal with the fact he wanted to have a kid with someone else and not me. I have no reason to think this way but I am and I can't help it. It feels as real to me as anything even though it's not. I feel so depressed... I feel like I can't get past this or accept that he didn't mean what he said and believe that we will have children together and all be a happy family. All that is running through my head is things such as. "He never wanted children with you" and "he only wanted children with her" and "what's wrong with me for him to not want that with me." I am so confused because I know he loves me and I do believe that he wants a real family with me but i can't seem to shake the negative thoughts... words such as the ones he said to me are so damaging they literally ruin me for weeks and even months. I love him a lot and having a family and getting married mean SO much to me that any small fraction of a chance that he does not want the same as me (Even though) he does, I obsess over. How do I stop hurting myself and driving my partner nuts because he really doesn't do anything wrong and gives me no REAL reason to believe anything that I put in my head. But I continue to feel terrible all the time.

Gumtree77 Self Sabotage
  • replies: 7

Hi All I hope everyone is coping as best they can during this nightmare. I personally am not. I am self isolating with my 16 year old son. He is totally addicted to computer and it is all I can do to get him to have a shower. He has not left the hous... View more

Hi All I hope everyone is coping as best they can during this nightmare. I personally am not. I am self isolating with my 16 year old son. He is totally addicted to computer and it is all I can do to get him to have a shower. He has not left the house in three weeks. I had major shoulder surgery three weeks ago and he was here to help me bless him. It was a terrible time as the pain was indescribable and I basically did not sleep for one week. I also ended up in emergency with a possible embolism which luckily I did not have. Prior to all this I have been on work cover for the shoulder injury so was limited anyway. Last year I developed neuralgia which initially presented as throat cancer. MRI and other tests ruled all this out. I used to drink and smoke a lot due to my depression and anxiety. During this time I of course stopped all of that. Now with this current debacle I am back to my bad habits. I am so useless and pathetic. I worry about the ramifications but I feel powerless to stop. I know I sabotage myself. I try to eat healthy and go for walks and go days on end without the drinks/smokes...then I see the news and what is going on and go back to the old rubbish again. Then suffer major anxiety and the neuralgia comes back. I just cannot see a light at the end of the tunnel and my only real concern is my son. Then again as he is only 16 I feel the full responsibility of being here for him as he really does not like his dad and there is barely any contact between them. I also lost my beloved dog in December and I just feel overwhelmed with loss, anxiety, grief, depression and total chaos. I try to do the right thing! I walk everyday, do my pt exercises daily....keep the house clean and on top of finances etc. I guess we are all in this and nobody knows when it will end. I know I can't keep doing this shit to myself but I truly do not know what else to do. Please help.

Undecided94 OCD? Headaches, Should I seek help?
  • replies: 3

Hi, it feels super strange to be writing this, I think by writing on here I’m looking for others who suffer from ocd to tell me they experience the same things, to perhaps make me feel better. I don’t know. i want to start off with saying I have neve... View more

Hi, it feels super strange to be writing this, I think by writing on here I’m looking for others who suffer from ocd to tell me they experience the same things, to perhaps make me feel better. I don’t know. i want to start off with saying I have never been to the doctor or spoken to anyone about this, so don’t have an official diagnosis. The ocd like “traits” started when I was in grade 3 or 4 over the years the things I do have changed, I’ve stopped some and kept others and added some things includes checking doors are locked before going to bed, checking the stove is turned off, then checking it again and again until it feels right touching something and counting until it feels right. Checking rubbish before I put it in the bin a million times in case I’m throwing something out. moving my head, sort of nodding etc as I think over things in my head that is one I’m really conscious of and worried people can see. If they do notice I just play it off but it’s one that I’ve continued with over time. my worry is that I get headaches from it sometimes, sometimes my ear blocks, behind my eye hurts. im just worried I’m doing something to my head? has anyone else experienced this before? i know it is stress/ anxiety related as when I’m stressed out the things I do get way worse and I have to “redo “ things over and over until it feels right way more. im not sure if I should seek help or not. this is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this. thanks for those that read this far and for those that may be able to let me know if they have felt this way.

anonymous44 first time with intrusive thoughts and I literally want to die yaz has made me have a mental break down
  • replies: 6

hello everyone I’m new here please excuse my terrible grammar I’m not the best with English I started the pill about 2 weeks ago and for the last 2 day I have been having what I now know as intrusive thoughts and they are just devastating I don’t ima... View more

hello everyone I’m new here please excuse my terrible grammar I’m not the best with English I started the pill about 2 weeks ago and for the last 2 day I have been having what I now know as intrusive thoughts and they are just devastating I don’t imagine the act of hurting people or anything I just think what if I was that a person that did hurt people it’s making me second guess everything I do in life and I am a mum of 3 so it’s just debilitating I just feel so broken at the moment and just so scared that it will get worse And I will start thinking about hurting people which I know I would absolutely never do but my brain keeps making me think it’s possible I just really don’t understand what’s happening to me and I’m praying to god it goes away I will be seeing a doctor tonight to start a mental health plan but if anyone else has been through something similar it would be great to not think I am actually crazy I have new I have never had any depression or anxiety every has been pretty cruisy up until now also I’m meant to be getting married in 11 weeks

M1ssjess89 I am exhausted
  • replies: 8

I feel like I am going nuts, and I'm so tired. I just want all of this to stop. I've always had issues with anxiety and stress. I had a family member pass away a month ago and I didn't handle it well. Then I started getting major anxiety about death,... View more

I feel like I am going nuts, and I'm so tired. I just want all of this to stop. I've always had issues with anxiety and stress. I had a family member pass away a month ago and I didn't handle it well. Then I started getting major anxiety about death, losing my husband, not having enough time for anything. Then one day all of a sudden I started getting pins and needles in my shoulders that traveled down my arms. It didn't dissapear. Since then I've had pins and needles in my hands and feet, but it's not always in the same spot. Sometimes it can be one arm. If it's not tingles it can burn or my fingers feel full/rubbery For the past 4 weeks I've basically been in panic mode. I'm only breathing shallow, yawning to breath, my heart goes quick and it makes my symptoms worse. I've got to a physio and doctor and they both think it's all anxiety. I dont have numbness or weakness etc. But because my anxiety is so bad I sometimes think I have weakness. I constantly keep going to worse case scenario. My doctor assures me I'm healthy. I am exhausted from my constant thoughts. I am trying everything to calm down, exercise mindfulness etc and I cannot seem to fully relax I just keep thinking this is the beginning of something bad. Has anybody else had similar physical symptoms for so long? How did you calm down? I've been given medication but I cannot rely on that. I keep getting these symptoms so cannot calm down.

rvch1117 triggers, do i have anxiety??
  • replies: 4

hi guys. i know this might sound kinda stupid because its half a rant but i really need to get this out to someone. i've never been professionally diagnosed but i've always had anxiety inducing symptoms since the end of 2015. i couldnt breathe, bad c... View more

hi guys. i know this might sound kinda stupid because its half a rant but i really need to get this out to someone. i've never been professionally diagnosed but i've always had anxiety inducing symptoms since the end of 2015. i couldnt breathe, bad chest pains, racing heart beat and stomach aches. honestly typing this right now im struggling to breathe and i want to cry. in class when we have ice breakers i find it really hard for me to breathe. i have chest pains and i want to cry in the middle of class if the teacher brings up these sort of self introductory topics. i dont know why. and when in a new group of people, i cant breathe and i struggle to talk to anyone. does this happen to anyone else?? i feel alone because although i have friends who have similar experiences, none of them have the same as mine. is this normal? i dont know whats going on. because it was so bad in 2016 and 17. i would have struggles to breathe and chest pains everyday. and i always felt so nervous on a daily basis. nowadays only certain triggers bring it up though, like social situations or bringing up someone from my past. someone help me figure myself out please.

Allymay94 Lately been very anxious and slightly depressed
  • replies: 3

Hello, I have GAD but I’ve been very good and happy for like 4 months then all of a sudden I had a horrible panic attack about a month ago now recently feeling quite depressed and anxious. I have had my period for over a month due to going on the pil... View more

Hello, I have GAD but I’ve been very good and happy for like 4 months then all of a sudden I had a horrible panic attack about a month ago now recently feeling quite depressed and anxious. I have had my period for over a month due to going on the pill again so I’m hoping it’s that but still doesn’t help how I feel. It may be that my subconscious is scared about the whole covid-19 thing. I live with my friend so I’m not alone and honestly I’ve been unemployed for a while so I’m used to staying at home not doing much. Anyway I feel my anxiety is causing my depression I feel on edge mostly and the depression is a symptom of that. I just need supporting words, some insight on how and why I’m feeling this way, need to be assured again I’m not alone. thanks

Lid Introduction
  • replies: 4

Hey everyone, I'm not exactly sure on what to say here so I guess I'll start with why I am here. My whole life I have suffered from anxiety, but during the past couple of years it has gotten worse. I am a very closed off person and don't let a lot of... View more

Hey everyone, I'm not exactly sure on what to say here so I guess I'll start with why I am here. My whole life I have suffered from anxiety, but during the past couple of years it has gotten worse. I am a very closed off person and don't let a lot of people in. I am hoping to get how I'm feeling out and get some advice on how to handle it. Thanks for listening.

cakeboss High anxiety panic disorder and then it leads to overthinking
  • replies: 3

Hi have found these last few weeks a little challenging.The news everything is about this virus .I have used distraction music being great .I am just starting to think what if i loose my job with this virus outbreak what if i loose my house and finan... View more

Hi have found these last few weeks a little challenging.The news everything is about this virus .I have used distraction music being great .I am just starting to think what if i loose my job with this virus outbreak what if i loose my house and finances .I have drs app tuesday and im trying hard to stay in the moment and dont think ahead .i overcatastrfy situations .I guess this is whats going on in the world right now and i pray it will get better .I live from week to week and yes i guess the whole world is worried for now .I will try swimming today i was told to try that and i have been for my mental health .I suffer anxiety panic disorder and on medications .I try mindfullness and my music whats other people use to distract .I reckon ive played Adam Lambert thousands of time up loud to try and relax hes been my saviour with his music .

Lunak My whole brain is slowed down
  • replies: 1

I’m finding it so hard to process and hold conversations lately because my brain feels so slow and wrecked. I am usually a sociable person but recently I’ve been disconnected from conversations. I can’t start conversations either as I’ve mentally got... View more

I’m finding it so hard to process and hold conversations lately because my brain feels so slow and wrecked. I am usually a sociable person but recently I’ve been disconnected from conversations. I can’t start conversations either as I’ve mentally got nothing on my mind besides my own thoughts. Reading is so hard as well I’m finding I have to read things over and over again. I’m starting to feel anxious seeing my friends again and even being around my family because I don’t want them to think I’m a boring person. I’m just so mentally and physically drained and everyone around me seems to be ok. I don’t know what’s going on