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

SilvaLady Anxiety of not getting a job
  • replies: 11

Hello, I know that there a couple of threads on anxiety and work. I have unemployed close to 5 weeks, but have been looking for jobs in the aged care sector. I have joined couple of agencies, being told that I would get shifts. So far I haven't been ... View more

Hello, I know that there a couple of threads on anxiety and work. I have unemployed close to 5 weeks, but have been looking for jobs in the aged care sector. I have joined couple of agencies, being told that I would get shifts. So far I haven't been getting shifts. I have applied for close to 10 aged care places, but only 2 have replied that I wasn't successful. A friend told me that they would put in a word in for me, but so far I haven't heard a thing. My anxiety levels go through the roof at times, and my mouth feels dry most of the day (although I drink plenty of water). I like to work, as it makes me feel like that contributing to the community. I don't know how much longer I can cope with this. I stay in regular touch with some friends, but sometimes I feel like a burden as they jobs and family. Thanks for reading, SilvaLady

jackf Post-Pet-Adoption-Anxiety. Does it get better?
  • replies: 4

Hi all, I adopted a 9 week old rescue kitten 5 days ago, and with my beautiful furry friend also came a giant smack in the face of anxiety and remorse. I have never been a pet owner before, and certainly did not know everything there was to know abou... View more

Hi all, I adopted a 9 week old rescue kitten 5 days ago, and with my beautiful furry friend also came a giant smack in the face of anxiety and remorse. I have never been a pet owner before, and certainly did not know everything there was to know about how to raise a kitten prior to my adoption. While it is wonderful having a companion sometimes, and she really is a beautiful pet, I feel like my lifestyle has drastically changed and I feel my emotional state crumbling. Prior to my pet, I enjoyed living alone in my own (purchased) apartment. I absolutely love my alone time - it helps me unwind and settle myself. I need alone time to feel sane. Unfortunately I've realised that this lovely little feline has now taken over that precious alone time, and she constantly needs my attention. I can barely have 30 minutes before she's meowing, or jumping on me, or starting to chew on something she shouldn't be. I attend to her and give her what she needs, but I feel like I've sacrificed my own alone time. As a result I've had constant anxiety over the last several days, lack of sleep, panic, and bouts of depression. I imagine that this period is as much an adjustment for the kitten as it is for me, and that takes time. But I don't know if the long-term responsibility will mean I've sacrified something permanently. I have considered the heartbreaking option of giving her back, but I don't want this to be the solution. I want to explore everything else first. So, I ask pet owners - Have you experienced this before? Did it improve with time? As kittens grow older, are they more self-sufficient? Can I expect to have some alone time returned to me? Thanks in advance, Jac

ATHL2017 Quit your Job due to Anxiety and Depression
  • replies: 18

Hi all, I'm new to the forum but I have been a reader for a while now. I am currently working in a Government job making around 70k a year. I have suffer from social anxiety and depression due to my job. I feel like everything I do is judged and what... View more

Hi all, I'm new to the forum but I have been a reader for a while now. I am currently working in a Government job making around 70k a year. I have suffer from social anxiety and depression due to my job. I feel like everything I do is judged and what my appearance is against people I work with. I really want to quit my job to give me some time to heal and find a way to deal with my anxiety and depression but my family keeps saying how proud they are that I work for the Government and if I quit, I will disappoint them. If you guys have any tips on what I can do or what may help me improve my current situation, please let me know. Thank you for all you posts. Its very inspiring to know that others have been in my situation but have fought through.

LesDave Managing my Anxiety Through 12 Months of Cyber Bullying
  • replies: 1

I would have been totally destroyed if not for the Beyond Blue forums during the past 12 months. The tips and tricks have helped me stay sane when some days I was sure I would end up curled on the floor. Thanks to those who had nice things to say to ... View more

I would have been totally destroyed if not for the Beyond Blue forums during the past 12 months. The tips and tricks have helped me stay sane when some days I was sure I would end up curled on the floor. Thanks to those who had nice things to say to my posts. The big takeaways for me were to try and stay in the present moment and use the acceptance and commitment therapy tricks. '' They really helped. So thanks folks. I figure I have a few more years of this bullying unless a miracle happens. The past few weeks have been difficult, my chest is tight with pain most days. But I get through. I have never let on what has happened. Basically some very nasty people created fake social media wrote things about on the internet in my name. When you search my name, the bad stuff comes up first. When employers search for me, the see the nasty things first - and of course they click on it, thus making it even more popular. Cyber bullies know how to manipulate the internet. Google's algorithm sees that people click on the nasty things and figure they are the most useful things to return in a search. Of course nobody clicks on the good stuff, otherwise it wouldn't be a problem. Anyway, to anyone else going through this, stay in the moment and stay close to what really matters.

Purple4 Anxiety walking down stairs, driving anxiety
  • replies: 12

Just wondering if anyone else suffers from anxiety walking down stairs or driving. If I have to walk down stairs my legs turn to jelly and my foot just hovers over the first step as I'm too scared to take it. When I have finally managed the first ste... View more

Just wondering if anyone else suffers from anxiety walking down stairs or driving. If I have to walk down stairs my legs turn to jelly and my foot just hovers over the first step as I'm too scared to take it. When I have finally managed the first step I hold the rail tightly as my jelly legs some how manage to get down. This also happens to me out of the blue while walking, my legs just want to give out on me. My driving anxiety is extreme. I struggle on the open road or traveling at over 80ks. I struggle to explain how I feel but it basically feels like I am driving on a cliffs edge and one false move my car will fall off the road killing me. Can anyone relate to this?

missbexy Panic Attacks When Driving
  • replies: 3

Hi All, I have been suffering with anxiety for as long as I can remember whether it be anxious I'm going to throw up in public, panicking that I will have a panic attack and faint in public, feeling the urge to run when in a crowd of people, not want... View more

Hi All, I have been suffering with anxiety for as long as I can remember whether it be anxious I'm going to throw up in public, panicking that I will have a panic attack and faint in public, feeling the urge to run when in a crowd of people, not wanting to leave my house and when I do immediately feeling anxious or lately, having mild panic attacks when driving in the car. It seems to be specifically when I have to stop at traffic lights and I feel 'trapped'. I am alright if I am in the passenger seat as I am safe in knowing I can jump out of the car and run if I need to which seems to provide some comfort. But having 3 kids, two of which are at school/kindy means I have to go out every day, multiple times a day. I don't go to the shops during the day anymore, I panic if I have to go in to the city as peak hour traffic sends me over the edge! I suppose I just want to know if there's anyone else out there suffering like this and/or if anyone has any advice it would be truly appreciated. I don't want my life to be like this anymore....

annabay Dizziness/pressure in head
  • replies: 1

Hi there, at the moment I’m coming off a medication (only one week of being on it) as side effects were too severe. Since I’ve stopped it I’m experiencing extreme dizziness and this really heavy pressure in my head which makes it feel really tight an... View more

Hi there, at the moment I’m coming off a medication (only one week of being on it) as side effects were too severe. Since I’ve stopped it I’m experiencing extreme dizziness and this really heavy pressure in my head which makes it feel really tight and like my head is about to fall off! Im wondering if anyone else has experienced this? It’s very debilitating and scary even though my doctors have said it’s normal.

Pixie11 Constant light-headed feeling
  • replies: 2

Hi Everybody, it is good to be here with people who understand what anxiety is like. Mine has gradually been getting worse. I have been seeing a psychologist, which gave me some useful things to do, but it still kept on getting worse. I have been fig... View more

Hi Everybody, it is good to be here with people who understand what anxiety is like. Mine has gradually been getting worse. I have been seeing a psychologist, which gave me some useful things to do, but it still kept on getting worse. I have been fighting medication as I wanted to try other avenues first, but finally decided to try one. The side effects from that one were terrible and after 1 week I had to stop. Since going off it I have been very dizzy and I haven't been able to drive. I would get light-headedness quite often, but now it is worse. The doctor has given me a totally different medication to try, so I am hoping that will help, as not being able to drive has affected a lot of things, and it is especially hard when my kids have all that busy end of year stuff to do. My husband has helped a lot, but he works strange shift hours, so can't help all the time. I am nervous about trying the new one and hoping it doesn't have horrible side effects for me again. Thanks

Beautiful Health anxiety
  • replies: 3

A year later I’m still have health anxiety issues. I’ve resorted to changing drs as I’m becoming paranoid my usual dr will think I’m crazy... I have all the symptoms of ovarian cancer, my two scans showed conflicting diagnosis, the first not showing ... View more

A year later I’m still have health anxiety issues. I’ve resorted to changing drs as I’m becoming paranoid my usual dr will think I’m crazy... I have all the symptoms of ovarian cancer, my two scans showed conflicting diagnosis, the first not showing anything clearly, the second scan I was told everything looked good, but the he questioned me about whether I had a follow up appointment with my dr, I said yes but didn’t go back for results because the gynaecologist told me everything looked fine. I also figured if there was anything untoward my dr would contact me. my symptoms have worsened, and I’m almost positive I’m dying! Waiting for blood and urine tests and the anxiety is killing me. How many times can one ring their therapist!? On top of the anxiety I’m extremely uncomfortable and exhausted but can’t sleep. Any advice would be appreciated

Sareus Should I stick with dating when it makes my already severe anxiety worse
  • replies: 4

My therapist has suggested that I take myself out of my comfort zone because I’ve made great progress towards feeling better and one of the main things she suggested was dating. I have tried numerous dates now and I’ve never made it past the first da... View more

My therapist has suggested that I take myself out of my comfort zone because I’ve made great progress towards feeling better and one of the main things she suggested was dating. I have tried numerous dates now and I’ve never made it past the first date as I keep letting my anxiety get the better of me by fulfilling its prophecies. This wouldn’t be as much of a problem if the side effects of my anxiety weren’t so bad. I end up frustrated at myself, it makes me feel depressed, And most importantly it increases the appearance of my panic attacks and hallucinations. Should I continue trying to find a partner despite the stress it causes me? how do I explain to someone that I suffer from these things? Is there anywhere I can go to learn about dating with severe anxiety?