Immediate support
Immediate support

Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with anxiety.

Start a discussion

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Categories
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

Start a discussion

Bain1979 Anxiety attacks
  • replies: 4

Hi . I recently had a anxiety attack or panic attack i ended up in emergency coz i felt like i was a goner. I had a few of them in past nothing like i experienced that nite... cant seem to shake the chest pain the tightnesss .. do i see someone or ri... View more

Hi . I recently had a anxiety attack or panic attack i ended up in emergency coz i felt like i was a goner. I had a few of them in past nothing like i experienced that nite... cant seem to shake the chest pain the tightnesss .. do i see someone or ride it out

Island11 Physical symptoms of anxiety
  • replies: 4

I have had a sore dry throat since before Christmas and my gp thinks I have had a virus and have globus due to my anxiety. i have now started on medication and am seeing a psychologist but these physical symptoms of anxiety are getting the best of me... View more

I have had a sore dry throat since before Christmas and my gp thinks I have had a virus and have globus due to my anxiety. i have now started on medication and am seeing a psychologist but these physical symptoms of anxiety are getting the best of me. i have sore tight dry throat ear pain loss of appetite early satiety unintentional weight loss (3kg in 10 days) and some diarrhoea. All of my googling tells me i need to see a dr yet he seems unconcerned. I wonder how many of my symptoms are related to the virus/anxiety/. My dr told me to go back and see him in a month but it has only been 10 days and I think I need to go back. this anxiety is exhausting

Ohleaver Health Anxiety & Panic Symptoms
  • replies: 2

Hi all Ive been diagnosed With Health Anxiety & Panic Disorder, also mild depression due to these things. My health anxiety is related to my heart so im constantly monitoring and observing my heart. I had my first panic attack randomly probably due t... View more

Hi all Ive been diagnosed With Health Anxiety & Panic Disorder, also mild depression due to these things. My health anxiety is related to my heart so im constantly monitoring and observing my heart. I had my first panic attack randomly probably due to anxiety\stress of my break up with my recent ex-girl friend. I thought i was having a heart attack and something was wrong with me, got sent to hospital and dis-charged after i calmed down with no issues. Ive been getting stabbing chest pain mostly in my left side on and off sometimes very intense sometimes very mild for about 2 years now since i broke up with her but just lately it has started to get to me thinking its a heart attack. Does anyone else get stabbing chest pain? Ive been to a cardioligist and my heart has been completely checked out and is working fine. Lately ive realised i spike in anxiety symptoms ( Chest pain in left side (stabbing) , skipped heart beats maybe 5-10 times a day and excessive worry that there is something wrong with my heart. On the good side i have started doing alot of things i was scared of, such as physical activity and i have learnt to not fear my panic attacks anymore so they have declined. But the exsessive thoughts, skipped or extra heart beats and stabbing chest pain is still there. How am i supposed to stay calm and be happy when these symptoms occur and cause me more anxiety? Right now i believe im close to coping with my anxiety but the stabbing chest pain is probably the one that still gets me and makes me think oh no what if something actually is wrong with my heart cause it shouldnt be stabbing pain like that? I find it hard to believe that stabbing chest pain in the left side thats on and off is a symptom of anxiety. Even though my heart has been checked out i still worry. Ive had these stabbing chest pains on and off for the past 2 years so surely if it was heart related id be dead by now? Anyone experiencing the same or similar thing?

DuffyMum My Intro
  • replies: 1

Hi All. I've decided to join you all here because I've reached a point in my life where my thoughts seem to be taking over my life and stopping me from enjoying all that I have, that is, a loving husband, two great kids (albeit teenagers, lol), good ... View more

Hi All. I've decided to join you all here because I've reached a point in my life where my thoughts seem to be taking over my life and stopping me from enjoying all that I have, that is, a loving husband, two great kids (albeit teenagers, lol), good health and a roof over our heads. I should be very thankful for all this but I can't help but often descend into thoughts that we'll lose it all or that my husband and kids don't want me around anymore or other unrealistic thoughts like that. This happens every time something happens or is said to me that I think is a bit negative - I blow it out of proportion, shut down and cry. I know what's happening but I can't seem to stop myself. I was diagnosed with mild depression years ago, but in hindsight I don't think that it was depression but anxiety. Hubby has been so supportive over the years but I already know that if I mention anything to him, he will just tell me to just go see our GP. And yes, I probably should but I don't want her to just prescribe some pills (because that's what I know she'll do - that's what she did with my depression). I'd rather see if talking to others feeling the same, and Beyond Blue, might actually really help. Looking forward to feeling better, really better.

TwitchyOne Health Anxiety!
  • replies: 3

Hi ya'll what are the top 5 distraction techniques do you find useful when experiencing a flare up of anxiety? Currently having a MEGA flare up (yikes forever).

Hi ya'll what are the top 5 distraction techniques do you find useful when experiencing a flare up of anxiety? Currently having a MEGA flare up (yikes forever).

Parent 20 year old son has social anxiety and depression
  • replies: 5

Hi, My son has social anxiety and depression that he mentioned he can’t deal with anymore. He is staying in his room at Uni campus and on the odd occasion that he goes out, he quietly sits in a corner isolated and by himself and feels worse about him... View more

Hi, My son has social anxiety and depression that he mentioned he can’t deal with anymore. He is staying in his room at Uni campus and on the odd occasion that he goes out, he quietly sits in a corner isolated and by himself and feels worse about himself after the event. He mentioned that he is not getting any enjoyment out of life, and that he believes he is not capable of being as happy as other people; also that he is lacking socially compared to others. This has been going on for a while and he has previously seen psychologists and counsellors, so he is reluctant to go down this route again, as he is sceptical of the value. My question is, what is the best way/s to address social anxiety? Are there perhaps psychologists that specialise in this and can facilitate getting tangible results? We live in Brisbane. Thanks in advance!

Island11 Losing weight
  • replies: 1

I started taking medication for my anxiety 2 weeks ago and have significantly reduced appetite. I feel hunger every now and again but I don’t feel like food. I used to be a chocoholic and I no longer crave any sugar/sweets/chocolate it’s like a switc... View more

I started taking medication for my anxiety 2 weeks ago and have significantly reduced appetite. I feel hunger every now and again but I don’t feel like food. I used to be a chocoholic and I no longer crave any sugar/sweets/chocolate it’s like a switch has been flicked but I feel like this happened before I started the medication. I also have Diarrhea most days, again, a possible side effect of the medication but I feel like it started before I started the medication I have tmj pain in my temple, ear and jaw.. it feels like I am falling apart. I have gone from 60kg to 57kg in 2 weeks and the more weight I lose the more anxious I get. Sorry I’m rambling.. Is it anxiety causing it? Medication? Or something else that my dr has missed?

helloredrobin Unsure if I am experiencing anxiety
  • replies: 4

Hello everyone. The past half a year, I’ve had some strange symptoms that have become much more apparent recently and I’ve begun to think I’m suffering from anxiety, but I’m unsure. For a 16 year old girl, I’m very out-of-touch with my feelings and t... View more

Hello everyone. The past half a year, I’ve had some strange symptoms that have become much more apparent recently and I’ve begun to think I’m suffering from anxiety, but I’m unsure. For a 16 year old girl, I’m very out-of-touch with my feelings and tend to push anything out of the ordinary away. However, recently I haven’t been able to shake certain ones. Very occasionally in the past half a year, I’d have short periods of time where I’d get a butterfly feeling in my chest and I’d be extremely restless and tense for no reason. I’d feel like something bad was going to happen or like I wanted to cry about something. This didn’t last long and only appeared every month or so, so I ignored it. However, in the past month, these symptoms have become much more frequent and noticeable. When I’m with people, I don’t notice it much. But as soon as I’m alone and can think about it, I get a feeling of a racing heart, even if it isn’t, and an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness. For the past few years, I’ve had an extreme case of frequent daydreaming, I’m very forgetful, and quite impulsive. These never seemed to be affecting me, I thought. But as soon as these anxiety-like symptoms began happening more often, everything has become more noticeable and I’ve been more irritable and moody and frankly unhappy. Because I’m terrible and awkward when it comes to understanding my emotions and feelings, only two close friends know about my feelings, both who have very similar feelings as they have been diagnosed with anxiety. I’m unsure of how to tell my parents if these bouts of anxiety get worse because they’re either extremely dramatic, or will tell me I’m being ridiculous. I just came on for a little bit of reassurance. Are these symptoms of anxiety, or is it something else? Should I be telling someone else or is it something I could try and help on my own first?

Kindbutterfly I need to let it out
  • replies: 3

I’m 25 and I think for as long as I can remember I’ve always suffered from some form of anxiety. It peaked when I was around 13 and I always thought I was sick and I was going to die, I even remember getting my little brother to feel my heart beat to... View more

I’m 25 and I think for as long as I can remember I’ve always suffered from some form of anxiety. It peaked when I was around 13 and I always thought I was sick and I was going to die, I even remember getting my little brother to feel my heart beat to make sure it was still beating ok. I had my first child in March 2018 and since then I have become a train wreck. I am so scared something bad will happen to my child and I hardly leave the house. I visualise bad things happening to her and then can’t get it out of my head. My confidence is gone and I’m always so irritable and my mood is always baseline.. not quite dead but not living either even though I hold so much love in my heart for my child. I feel like I’m getting worse by the day. I constantly check to see if she’s breathing and I can’t even imagine anyone else but me or her dad taking care of her without me watching. I feel like my quality of life is gone. I don’t want to leave the safety of my home. I have no friends and I feel like I’m drowning. I can’t relax if she isn’t in my sight even when we are both in the house. I am starting to have regular panic attacks and feelings of complete doom. Like I can’t keep her safe. I don’t know what my life is anymore

Jmk22 Is health anxiety real?
  • replies: 8

Hi everyone, I'm just looking for some advice. Does anyone experience anxiety majorly about their health? I have been experiencing this and it feels like its getting out of control lately. I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety about 5 years ago. F... View more

Hi everyone, I'm just looking for some advice. Does anyone experience anxiety majorly about their health? I have been experiencing this and it feels like its getting out of control lately. I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety about 5 years ago. For the most part it has been under control but for the past 5-6 months I have been feeling it slowly starting to take over. I have been on medication in the past but I currently am not on anything. I just constantly feel like there is something wrong with me. I'm constantly do the whole dr google thing which I know I shouldn't. There was a point in time that it felt like I was living at the doctors I was going that often for so many different things. I swear he was getting annoyed with me. It started out with me worrying it was my appendix, then it went to something wrong with my brain ( I convinced myself I felt lightheaded all the time and couldn't focus) then I was worried about breast cancer, then my wisdom teeth became the problem and now it's my heart. I was sick with really bad food poisoning about 5 years ago just before my doctor determined I have anxiety. It caused me to have a high heart rate so I did have to go through the whole ECG and 24 hour monitor wearing. It came back ok and they couldn't see anything wrong. I did have to have another 24 hour monitor about a year ago and all that showed was my heart skipping a beat twice in that amount of time which my doctor said was nothing. I was ok about it all for awhile but now it's become a constant anxiety for me. I am constantly checking my heart rate, I am constantly thinking my heart is skipping beats, I'm constantly worried there is something seriously wrong with my heart. I have experience palpations in the past but my doctor has never been concerned about it. Am I crazy for feeling this way? Has anyone experienced anything like this before? I don't want to constantly be worried about my health especially my heart and going to the doctors all the time. It's even getting to the point that I'm that worried about something going wrong with my health I'm thinking of canceling an oversea trip my husband and I have with some friends in 3 months time. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I seriously cant keep going on like this.