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

All discussions

Xyz-12_ Anxiety and not able to eat in public
  • replies: 6

I am an international student who graduated from university last month. I have anxiety problems. The main issue is that I am not able to eat in public ( restaurants, in family dinners , with friends etc). I can only eat a very limited amount or less ... View more

I am an international student who graduated from university last month. I have anxiety problems. The main issue is that I am not able to eat in public ( restaurants, in family dinners , with friends etc). I can only eat a very limited amount or less amounts of food without any drink ( as drinking increases vomiting ). I am going to join job soon. I will not be able to have lunch in my office or any proper meal with others. This is causing me stress . Even if I do not eat lunch in office everyday, I may get some problems or health issues associated with skipping meals .This can lead to some diseases also. I did talk to my therapist about anti vomitting medication , but they cannot be had everyday, as I will be going for my job everyday. I am a healthy person with no medical history till now. I had taken therapy session in my university ( twice every month ) , but it has not been that helpful. I do try sometimes to eat with others , but can only eat very less quantities. Please help with this. Is there any treatment?

BeyondDepression Anxiety over my effect on others
  • replies: 13

Over the years I have been slowly withdrawing from contact with people. In that time my anxiety has been manageable. However lately I have HAD TO have contact with more people and have noticed as a result that my anxiety symptoms are increasing again... View more

Over the years I have been slowly withdrawing from contact with people. In that time my anxiety has been manageable. However lately I have HAD TO have contact with more people and have noticed as a result that my anxiety symptoms are increasing again. This has brought on self reflection, and I think my problem can be summarised as follows: "when I interact with people and have the potential to hurt them in some way, then I catastrophise about the worst case scenarios of the resulting POSSIBLE damage to an excessive degree, and this causes me a huge amount of anxiety. This anxiety really is unfounded as these worst case scenarios have never come to pass, but to me they take over my life until I have shown that they are in fact unfounded" I am not meaning to hurt them, I should make that clear, in fact that is the last thing I want. Examples Physical - when I do meet someone I can catastrophise for days afterwards about whether I am in the early stages of for example covid or some other communicable disease and that I have inadvertently passed it on. Yes I know I cannot possibly help that sort of thing, but my mind nonetheless goes into overdrive thinking of what MIGHT happen, not to me, but to them, who they might pass it onto and how that might affect those people. Emotional - if I am chatting to someone and I say something, and in assessing the response, I may think I have offended someone and caused them some hurt. I will then catastrophise to an abnormal degree about the repercussions of this. How I have hurt their feelings and possibly made them feel bad about themselves. I have come to realise that my withdrawing is in truth due to me not wanting to cause myself unnecessary anxiety, but can also see how this is self defeating in the long term. I KNOW this is not normal, and when people do mention it to me on occasion, it makes me want to withdraw even more as I know it is not normal and feel therefore that I am not normal. It is causing me a huge amount of mental anguish, and so I am wondering if anyone has any tips, books, websites etc or insight on the problem?

Guest_85888434 Anxiety
  • replies: 4

Hello I struggle with very bad anxietyand panic attacks I finally have a good support network that is safe and and am loved but my anxiety is becoming on again and again what do I do any help I'm feeling really alone struggling and ashamed

Hello I struggle with very bad anxietyand panic attacks I finally have a good support network that is safe and and am loved but my anxiety is becoming on again and again what do I do any help I'm feeling really alone struggling and ashamed

Guest_10120 How to cope with anxiety while undergoing IVF treatment?
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, I often lurk on this forum, reading other people’s posts and stories, so it already feels like a safe space. I am currently undergoing the IVF procedure from the best IVF centre in Punjab. My doctors are all extremely accommodating and u... View more

Hi everyone, I often lurk on this forum, reading other people’s posts and stories, so it already feels like a safe space. I am currently undergoing the IVF procedure from the best IVF centre in Punjab. My doctors are all extremely accommodating and understanding. However, I have had a history of miscarriages, and therefore, I am really nervous about it happening all over again. Does anyone here have any experience with undergoing IVF treatment and dealing with anxiety? I would appreciate all the tips and tricks. Thanks in advance!

Guest_10092 Derealisation and managing to detach
  • replies: 5

Hi therejust wondered if others have tips on how to cope with derealisation - I have anxiety and panic disorder, with depression and lately I have had more and more derealisation experiences, after a tough medical diagnosis for my husband (lymphoma b... View more

Hi therejust wondered if others have tips on how to cope with derealisation - I have anxiety and panic disorder, with depression and lately I have had more and more derealisation experiences, after a tough medical diagnosis for my husband (lymphoma blood and likelihood of chemo). i wondered if the derealisation is a reaction to these stresses and my psychological state trying to protect me as I’m very overwhelmed with this diagnosis. i just wanted to ask others if they have at stressful times experienced more heightened derealisation and if they have any tips to manage this experience.. when it occurs I feel like I’m not real, out of my body, not present and the world is a stage of actors who I can’t connect with. I often flee home which is a stable environment and go to a friend or my sisters seeking reassurance of safety and then I have to rest for long periods afterwards as my nervous system is exhausted. It’s a very scary and difficult experience. mum also on a more recent medication (mine is to manage anxiety but in the anti psychotic class of drugs) and was wondering if anyone else has had this experience.i just wanted to not feel so alone and check how I can slow my mind down to get back to reality or to understand how others have helped themselves. thank you - I pray for all people with mental health struggles as we all can use these prayers and support

Tired976 Just need to put it out there
  • replies: 9

Hi, sorry I’ve never really done this before. I just feel so alone right now and I have such a supportive family but they just don’t understand. I have an incredibly stressful job and at the moment nothing is going well and I’m not in a position to l... View more

Hi, sorry I’ve never really done this before. I just feel so alone right now and I have such a supportive family but they just don’t understand. I have an incredibly stressful job and at the moment nothing is going well and I’m not in a position to leave and my team is looking to me to keep things held together, the guilt would be too much. I’m just sitting, crying, feeling nautious and not wanting to sleep because I don’t want to wake up and go to work tomorrow. I don’t feel like I have anyone to talk to who gets what I am going through everyday and I feel like I’m going to be alone forever. I’m sorry this has been such a word spew I just needed to get it out into the world. If you got this far, thank you for reading.

de4d2thew0rld 27 & I can't talk about 53X 🤢
  • replies: 4

I'm weeks away from turning 27 and I am "terrified" of sensuality. Terrified might be a little dramatic.. I mean, I'm not a virgin. But I saw & heard things a child should never when I was young, and I suffer from PTSD due to it. But I also suffer in... View more

I'm weeks away from turning 27 and I am "terrified" of sensuality. Terrified might be a little dramatic.. I mean, I'm not a virgin. But I saw & heard things a child should never when I was young, and I suffer from PTSD due to it. But I also suffer in other ways. I can't talk about the S word, I can barely even say it. I get squirmy thinking about it sometimes, and I get SUPER awkward and UNCOMFORTABLE when S scenes come on in a movie or series to the point I want to rip my eyes out and my skin off. I don't understand why I have such a strong negative response to something that is "so natural". It makes me cry. I do enjoy doing to do when I decide I want to do it, but any other time, I cringe over it. I'm beginning to wonder if I have a physical trauma that I can't recall, because my reaction seems far too strong for someone that only saw & heard dirty things. Unfortunately, from my own mother. I feel so lost and stuck, and I'm a really spiritual person, and I'm trying to heal and grow and evolve, but... apparently sensuality is such a huge part of coming into my divine feminine power, and Idk how to do that when these thoughts alone still make me want to tear the skin off my body and scream until I lose my voice. Is anyone else in the same boat? I feel so alone. The first issue I typically have in a relationship, is that I'll be so "excited" in the beginning due to the dopamine rush, but when that wears off, I can't be touched without flinching, or slapping their hand away (out of reflex, not because I actually want to. I just freak out when I'm not in THE mood.) And it's a huge issue, because my partners end up feeling like I'm not attracted to them anymore, which I very much am, I'm just not attracted to the idea of IT anymore, until I'm ovulating. 🤦🏻‍ I need help here, but every therapist I've seen about it has no idea how to help me, which is mind boggling to me, because isn't it their job to know how to help people in these situations!? I just don't want to feel so alone anymore. I feel asexual 75% of the time, and like a Divine Sensual Goddess the other 25%. And I wish I felt the latter all the time. I don't at all enjoy feeling this way about something I WANT to enjoy, but I have so much fear and yucky feelings around it.

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

FranLoch33 Imposter syndrome at work
  • replies: 1

I feel like an imposter in every work or work-like situation I’m in. I’ve been in my current workplace for almost 10 years and doing the same sort of work for about 3, so it’s not a case of still learning the ropes. I feel that I’m often making mista... View more

I feel like an imposter in every work or work-like situation I’m in. I’ve been in my current workplace for almost 10 years and doing the same sort of work for about 3, so it’s not a case of still learning the ropes. I feel that I’m often making mistakes and that I’m a square peg in a round hole. Unfortunately, though, I have felt like this in pretty much every job I’ve done and I’ve done a variety of them - it’s like my brain just won’t work the right way. I’ve wondered at times if I might have ADHD, but I don’t think I fit all the criteria and what’s the point pursuing that considering it costs so much to see a psychiatrist for a diagnosis (never mind the wait time). Don’t really know what I’m trying to say here, except that it’s distressing feeling like I’m constantly having to run to keep up at work and always making mistakes. Friends have told me to get a new job but I can’t think of another job I might be able to do well and, even more than that, enjoy. Does anyone else feel like this or have you felt like this and found a way through it to a better place?

Guest_06657012 School Stress
  • replies: 3

I shouldn't be on here. but. It's a last resourt. I have post anxiety, I got over it in about grade 9 but It still lingers, recently I put too much preassure on myself I'm stressed with school work to the point of freaking out in class. My heart poun... View more

I shouldn't be on here. but. It's a last resourt. I have post anxiety, I got over it in about grade 9 but It still lingers, recently I put too much preassure on myself I'm stressed with school work to the point of freaking out in class. My heart pounds so hard when I look at the board and try and do my work because I know how much work I need to do, I get so anxious when talking to people I feel as if all my confidence is drained, so I can't ask anyone for help. I have friends but they are very high achievers and I don't want thier dissapproval of me. I just want to fit in, not be talked about behind my back and have my confidence restored! It dosn't help that my parents can't give me any of their time or attention, I have learned everything on my own, I refuse guidance, and I hate it when people help me, It makes me feel so weak! So this is a verrrry last resort option, I hate sharing my feelings. Can somebody help me? I try so so so hard to be a perfect figure skater, earn a pretty body, keep my grades up, get enough sleep, eat healthy, pray and try and be a fun person, but It drais me to much, I know I should cut back a bit or cut the preassure, But I just reallllly want to break my stupid reputation of being a loser lover girl. I'm much more...