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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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greatworrier Struggling with daily panic attacks
  • replies: 2

Hi all, hope you are coping as well as you can be during this stressful time. I wanted to reach out for help as I am really struggling with daily panic attacks & chronic anxiety 24/7. I feel very surreal & dream like, have muscle pain from the attack... View more

Hi all, hope you are coping as well as you can be during this stressful time. I wanted to reach out for help as I am really struggling with daily panic attacks & chronic anxiety 24/7. I feel very surreal & dream like, have muscle pain from the attacks, burning hot skin & then sweaty chills, feel shaky & weak, dizzy, nauseous, experience hyperventilation, have loss of appetite & like I can’t enjoy the things I used to. It seems like I can’t switch off the ‘panic’ mode in my brain. Like something bad or tragic is always about to happen. I find things like medication & therapy helpful, but no one ever seems to have the answers when my raw full blown panic hits & I ask a lot of existential questions. I feel like such a burden onto everyone around me because it completely turns you into a child state & you become very needy. I find routine in my day helps to keep my grounded, whether it’s a good day or a hard day. I feel really embarrassed though to be going through mental health issues when everyone around me seems like they’ve got their shit together. My uncle recently passed away way too young in his 50s & I think that’s what had triggered a lot of my panic. I overthink about - realising that we all die, where do we go when we die, religions & spirituality worries, fears of losing control & possibly wanting to die. I also have somatic OCD so I’m always checking in to see if I’m breathing, which makes me feel like I’m locked into breathing / life, I’m locked into my body with it’s terrible sensations. I often wish I was a spirit enjoying my life rather than being in my body. The body dies, experiences pain & illness, & is very fragile. I just am totally traumatised. It’s such a strange time, I only feel safe when I’m asleep. Escaping. I just want this fog to lift & feel like myself again. It’s comforting to know that I’m not the only person out there experiencing similar issues. I really want to be able to relax again & feel safe in this life, not like doom is constantly chasing me. Just venting it out also helps haha. If you have any comments or tips please feel free to express them

Dakota18 Anxiety is hard to understand / explain
  • replies: 1

Anxious feelings in general as well as the physical manifestations of anxiety which are very real and present are very hard to explain to people who don't understand. My partner constantly tells me that he just does not understand what it is that I a... View more

Anxious feelings in general as well as the physical manifestations of anxiety which are very real and present are very hard to explain to people who don't understand. My partner constantly tells me that he just does not understand what it is that I am feeling and why I am going through this and although I cannot blame him this is something that is very frustrating when I do not even fully understand it myself. There is a very fine line between being open and honest with someone about how you are truly feeling, while also trying not to spend too much time and energy focusing on the way that you feel (and worrying about it). It upsets me and makes me feel down when I constantly explain how it is that I feel and why I think this might be occurring. The point I am trying to get at is that when someone tells you that you need to be stronger, you start to question if you are weak. I am here to be a voice that says you are strong and if anything we are stronger by the way in which we wake up every day and take each day on despite everything that may be going on. I am stronger than I know and I understand what you are going through

kimbo223 Anxiety consuming life
  • replies: 1

Hi guys, im fairly new to this .. But im just wondering if anyone else goes through this and has any suggestions? Anxiety has started taking over my life. Im in my late teens, im to scared to go out and meet new people because of social phobia. I no ... View more

Hi guys, im fairly new to this .. But im just wondering if anyone else goes through this and has any suggestions? Anxiety has started taking over my life. Im in my late teens, im to scared to go out and meet new people because of social phobia. I no longer can go to bed at ease because i get anxious someone is in the house or something will happen in the night... it got to a point of no sleep for a week and now im constantly over sleeping in the day so i can be awake at night. If i get really anxious i get sick as much as throwing up, if someone raises their voice i freeze and cry... I get to anxious to go visit a GP for help cause i don't like admitting that im struggling. I struggle to shower home alone in case someone is in the house... I get anxious from social media constantly checking my phone to make sure nothing bad has happened. I recently had someone try and get into all my accounts and i just started crying and hyperventilating.. Does anxiety consume anyone elses life like this?? Am i being a chicken for being to nervous to speak to someone about it? My partner doesn't quite understand how bad it can get sometimes either...Any advice or suggestions please help!

Mistelwing How are you dealing with COIVD-19? Because I’m not doing that well…
  • replies: 1

Hello! So, this is my first ever post here, and I kind of feel nervous posting my feelings as I’m not someone who commutates on the net. Okay, so about me; normally I never thought of myself having Anxiety, I mean I’ve been worried and stressed about... View more

Hello! So, this is my first ever post here, and I kind of feel nervous posting my feelings as I’m not someone who commutates on the net. Okay, so about me; normally I never thought of myself having Anxiety, I mean I’ve been worried and stressed about things before. But with everything that’s been going on, I feel like my world has been turned upside-down. I work in Retail (in a shop that refused to shut down, though it was non-essential) as well as live with two high-riskers, so this had added a whole new level of risk to me. It’s to the point now the very thought of going into work/social places makes it hard to breathe. I shake, I break down and basically consumed by terror at the idea I could get the virus and potentially cause the deaths of the people I love. It got so bad I lied to work to take time off, but now they aren’t giving me many options and want me to work because we’re super busy again. But I can now barely sleep or eat at the thought of going back. I’ve tried going outside and “slowly” get back to normal, but the moment someone gets close to me I panic. One time I had to quickly run to my car to stop myself hyperventilating. Ironically, a Sales assistant who loved making someone’s day is now terrified of the pubic… It’s made me wonder how are you guys dealing with this? What things are you doing to calm down or help in this weird and difficult time? Or whether I’m just over-freaking out about everything.

Al_KB Online social groups are my nightmare now
  • replies: 3

I'm also scared to post this. But I think maybe this is safe? So first the easier part. I MISS my old life. I see friends doing things and I'm too sick to do stuff too. And then it's all coronavirus all the time and people dying and going broke and a... View more

I'm also scared to post this. But I think maybe this is safe? So first the easier part. I MISS my old life. I see friends doing things and I'm too sick to do stuff too. And then it's all coronavirus all the time and people dying and going broke and arguing about assorted government failures that affect their lives. I have actual real life friends who are teachers and disability home carers who can't get any PPE; and friends of friends are nurses who are being attacked for wearing their uniforms in public, and this is horrifying to read about. The other thing is, I can't bear the thought of being disagreed with harshly. If I agree with something a right wing person says, some lefty friend comes down and say so&so is a racist/sexist/terf/nazi, and therefore by association so must I be! Everything is getting so polarised. And I can't stop it. Yeah, clearly, it's a logical fallacy that they are making. I am a science and logic minded person and even if Adolf Hitler himself thought that 2+2=4, it doesn't make it wrong. But I can't debate calmly; I panic and freeze and get chest tightness and palpitations and have to run away and hide (games, books, meds). It's clearly true logically that it's not my job to make the world over into a rational place where people can discuss things without yelling insults at each other. But I feel it's all my fault and I should just explain better. I have a terrible case of "someone is wrong on the internet". Why can't people be kind to each other? Why can't I MAKE EVERYBODY be kind to each other? I need to stop. I need to feel OK about stopping. I need the world to be a terrible place without it being all my fault. How?!!

jemma09 Health Anxiety, I had my MRI today.
  • replies: 13

Hi all : ) Just to preface... I want to thank this forum and all of you so very much for the positive impact it has had on my life. Reading peoples' responses was so uplifting and helped me settle at the peak of my health anxiety. I can't even begin ... View more

Hi all : ) Just to preface... I want to thank this forum and all of you so very much for the positive impact it has had on my life. Reading peoples' responses was so uplifting and helped me settle at the peak of my health anxiety. I can't even begin to explain how wonderful it is to have a place to get things off my chest like this. Anyway. I made a post on here about a month ago. My health anxiety was at an all time high because I have been getting frequent headaches and also feelings of lightheadedness. My doctor had told me it is likely anxiety, however just to be sure, they sent me in for an MRI to get the all clear. The MRI was postponed for a few weeks, was classed as 'non-urgent'. I finally finally got it done today. I am proud of myself for being able to stay still for 20 minutes and not panicking. My mind was racing and so was my heart, but, I kept my cool. I am also proud of myself that I have not googled my symptoms since my last post! Woo hoo! Now it's a waiting game. The radiologists are not allowed to say anything, they just tell you to see your doctor. The results should be back by the end of the week, I have to have a phone consultation due to the coronavirus. I wish I could know now and I really hope it comes back 'all clear'. I know it doesn't work like that, however, I can't imagine what would happen if something was really wrong with me. Deep inside, I am really frightened it could be some cancerous brain tumour because I like to catastrophise things. I am trying to keep focused on each day and keeping busy. With the coronavirus restrictions, I can't really go out at all. So, I've decided to buy some new video games, learn how to play piano and do more reading. I am hoping these tasks will keep me occupied. Does anyone else have subconscious symptoms of anxiety? Eg. I have headaches/lightheadedness on and off, this happens even when I'm busy or quiet. At work or at home. There's no specific timeline for it. It just comes and goes. Sometimes pain meds do nothing, sometimes they help. Can we subconsciously cause symptoms just with anxiety? Or I wonder if one anxiety symptom can cause other symptoms? Eg. I have extremely tight muscles in my back, my muscles feel like rocks under my skin. I wonder if my muscles are pulling so tight that it's causing my headaches and feelings of being lightheaded. Thank you very much for reading. I hope you are all doing well and please stay safe during this time. I wish all of you the best. : )

Termo 25 years with anxiety, panic attacks , and social phobia
  • replies: 3

I play a phasade most of my life,but behind it 10/10 anxiety to the point of chronic . I have taken myself to the hospital via either myself or ambulance so many times and each time feel a fool. I have been on prescription medication for this and it'... View more

I play a phasade most of my life,but behind it 10/10 anxiety to the point of chronic . I have taken myself to the hospital via either myself or ambulance so many times and each time feel a fool. I have been on prescription medication for this and it's the biggest regret of my life. I even went to a private hospital to get off the horrible stuff and was told I would be given medication for 14 days and I would be cured . I tried TMS trans cranial magnetic stimulation Another 14 days in hospital Tried a private retreat . Have spent thousands and here I am still on my prescription meds and horrible anxiety. It’s eating me alive . Am I the only one?

Jess83 New
  • replies: 2

Hi, I'm new here and never really known how bad anxiety and panic attacks could get. I didn't experience anxiety until recently, specialist called it Somatic symptom disorder and delayed panic attacks. Because I've never experienced it I'm always wor... View more

Hi, I'm new here and never really known how bad anxiety and panic attacks could get. I didn't experience anxiety until recently, specialist called it Somatic symptom disorder and delayed panic attacks. Because I've never experienced it I'm always worried about what's a normal symptom or not. I have twitching all over my body and twitching gets worse on my legs after exercising. I've also noticed that I can see my heart beating on my stomach and also feel the heart beating on my back. Can all this happen?

DisplayName5742 Not Sure If I'm Just Being Paranoid... Need Help.
  • replies: 5

Hello, Recently I moved out of emergency accommodation into a private rental with a co-worker. This co-worker was living with their area manager, which they say triggered their own depression. Living with the co-worker is no issue, however, life at w... View more

Hello, Recently I moved out of emergency accommodation into a private rental with a co-worker. This co-worker was living with their area manager, which they say triggered their own depression. Living with the co-worker is no issue, however, life at work has become unbearable. This area manager, as we have since found out doesn't like being alone. I'm now being frequently pulled up at work for my actions, some things I know I haven't done. One meeting even involved my co-workers area manager. Management never had a problem with me until recently, now I feel like I'm walking on egg shells. I can't go to the site manager, because they're friends with this area manager. The next step is to go to HR, however official procedure states all issues must first be brought to the site managers attention first to be resolved. Not sure if I'm just imagining things, but I have also had other area managers ask questions of other staff members about me and my movements. I don't know what to do. A part of me is also thinking I must just be paranoid and to stop thinking about it. Someone please help!

MMcDonald Anxiety twitching?
  • replies: 4

Hello everyone. I’ve been constantly having what I think might be health anxiety. About a month ago I was sitting in class when I got this overwhelming feeling like I was going to almost pass out. Got very tunnel visioned and felt like I was literall... View more

Hello everyone. I’ve been constantly having what I think might be health anxiety. About a month ago I was sitting in class when I got this overwhelming feeling like I was going to almost pass out. Got very tunnel visioned and felt like I was literally going to die if I didn’t keep myself awake. My left leg went a little numb and tingly and I was able to walk around and calm myself down. I had something similar happen approximately 8 months ago so I was able to keep myself pretty calm and it stopped after about 45 min. two days later I’m sitting on my couch and I can feel a lot of tension in my jaw so I keep thinking about it. After clenching my jaw a few times I felt the right side of my face go numb and the side of my lip and right arm. Again I was able to kind of sit there and calm myself down and it stopped after about 15 min. i went to the doctor and at that point I was told just to get some blood work done. A few does later I found out my ALT liver levels were a little high which freaked me out and I was convinced I had some sort of liver disease. I did two more blood tests within the next 3 weeks and they came back fine so that was cleared. after all of this I called my doctor back and brought up the tingling and numbness and insisted I get an MRI done. just last week I randomly started getting twitches all over the place (calves, feet, thighs, arms). My calves go nuts and it’s literally an all day thing. i ended up falling down the google trap and have literally convinced myself that I have ALS. The twitching is constant and it’s all I can think about and just thinking it could be something serious freaks me out which probably isn’t helping. Don’t know if anyone has any advice or a similar experience. Thanks!

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