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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Chris_B Forums etiquette: give support to receive support
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newb... View more

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newbies are welcomed when they first post, and we understand that it’s a big step to post for the first time on a forum like this, especially if you aren’t feeling great. It’s important to remember, though, that these forums are a community of real people, just like you, not a one-on-one support environment like going to see your psychologist. To get the best out of being here, one of the best tips we can offer is give support to receive support. Being a good community member means: participating in different threads (not just your own), replying to people who have taken the time to reply to you (even if it’s just to say thank you), and... posting words of emotional support and encouragement when you see others who are hurting and reaching out. You don’t have to feel obliged to solve the problems of others: that’s not what we’re here for. But you can offer empathy and what you’ve learned from your own life experiences, even if it’s just a line or two, eg. “I don't know what to say, but I want to give you my support and tell you I care about what is happening to you and hope life will get better soon.” Try to develop an interest in the journeys of others here on the forums. You may be surprised at how good being an active, caring member here can make you feel. For those of you who have had good experiences giving support here on the forums, please post in this thread here and let us know how it has helped you on your journey.

All discussions

Morganc Who try to use CBD.
  • replies: 5

My doc advise me to buy CBD. Its really help?

My doc advise me to buy CBD. Its really help?

ruminator_ Mistake at work and rumination
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone, I have struggled with anxiety my whole life. I have never been formally diagnosed or visited a psychologist (except for a one off visit when I was little) and strongly suspect I have ocd. I constantly ruminate and obsess over things that... View more

Hi everyone, I have struggled with anxiety my whole life. I have never been formally diagnosed or visited a psychologist (except for a one off visit when I was little) and strongly suspect I have ocd. I constantly ruminate and obsess over things that I’ve done in the past and doubt myself to the point where I could pretty much convince myself of anything. Yesterday I had a bad day at work and received a disgruntled parent phone call that could have been avoided if I had handled a situation a different way. At the time, I did as much as I could do but hindsight is 20/20 and there were other things I also could have tried to help the situation before resorting to other solutions. I just can’t believe I overlooked it! I know this all seems vague but I’m paranoid and have never sought personal advice online. It wasn’t the end of the world and I talked to my manager who I’m close to about it and she agreed that I could’ve done things differently but said not to worry about it. Except, I AM worrying about it! Last night I thought I had put it to rest but now I’ve woken up this morning and can’t stop obsessing over it. What if this and what if that, what’s going to happen now, is this going to keep getting brought up etc. I am a perfectionist and have a huge fear of making mistakes. I don’t tend to usually and have become quite confident in my role and always try to remember to not become complacent because that’s when things can go wrong. I don’t think I was being complacent with this particular situation but now I’m thinking I must’ve to have overlooked something so simple.I’m really beating myself up over it. While I know the world didn’t end, I keep going over everything the parent scolded me about and can’t stop thinking about how I handled the situation leading up to the call. This parent isn’t the most rational so I feel like it’s going to come up again which also worries me. I just don’t know how to move on from it and stop my intrusive, obsessive thoughts from taking over. I try to be present and in the moment but I feel like I can’t enjoy my weekend now because I have to sort it out in my head first and rationalise my actions. I usually find comfort in learning about mistakes other people have made at work and knowing that they would have handled the situation the same way. A coworker said she has done and would’ve done the same thing as me but it still isn’t helping me get over it.Sorry for the rambling, my thoughts are all over the place! I know it doesn’t seem like what happened was a big deal because I haven’t explained what exactly occurred in great detail but it’s probably one of the biggest oversights I have made at work in a long time. Any guidance or help would be much appreciated!!

Marg-87_ Anxiety
  • replies: 8

Hi. I think I suffer from anxiety and am finding it difficult to cope. I suffered a stroke seven months ago and nothing seems the same since. The stroke affected my balance only so I know people are suffering more than I am. I feel unsure of myself w... View more

Hi. I think I suffer from anxiety and am finding it difficult to cope. I suffered a stroke seven months ago and nothing seems the same since. The stroke affected my balance only so I know people are suffering more than I am. I feel unsure of myself when I am moving about. I always feel something is going to go wrong when I go out. I am still working and work myself into a state each day I go to work. To outsiders I appear to be doing well but I’m not. Thank you for reading.

gloria10 Anxiety about mum going away
  • replies: 2

Hi, I'll be looking after mums place while she's away in a few weeks and I'm already nervous. I guess I feel more isolated with lack of support if something goes wrong. In order to manage it Im trying to plan some nice things to do including walking ... View more

Hi, I'll be looking after mums place while she's away in a few weeks and I'm already nervous. I guess I feel more isolated with lack of support if something goes wrong. In order to manage it Im trying to plan some nice things to do including walking the dog, but appreciate any help. I've also had a messy time with job trials and now I may be able to get a permanent part-time one, so its all happening at once. The role is different to what I've done before too. The heat has not helped either this week. Gloria10

mypositiveside Travel Helped Me Break Free of Anxiety
  • replies: 16

Hi everyone, I wanted to start a discussion about how traveling has helped me break free of my anxiety-ridden mindset. While anxiety is still an everyday challenge, discovering new places gave me an outlet and a fresh perspective to better cope. When... View more

Hi everyone, I wanted to start a discussion about how traveling has helped me break free of my anxiety-ridden mindset. While anxiety is still an everyday challenge, discovering new places gave me an outlet and a fresh perspective to better cope. When planning a trip, just having something exciting to look forward to lifted my mood during stressful times. Being immersed in new environments provided a healthy distraction from worries. It engaged my mind in the present instead of getting stuck in thoughts about the past or future. Not only did the physical change of scenery calm my racing thoughts, it also helped me gain a new appreciation for life's simple pleasures. Meeting people so different from me yet similar in so many ways eased my social anxiety. Overall, travel left me feeling grateful instead of anxious. Of course, it depends on the individual experience. Too ambitious a plan could potentially cause more stress. But in general, getting out of routines and comfort zones has done wonders for my mental wellbeing. It gives me renewed confidence that I can handle life's challenges. Has anyone else used traveling to better manage anxiety? I'd love to hear your experiences and how exploring new places has helped your mental health and outlook.

Amd_123-432 Feeling lost
  • replies: 7

Hi there I feel completely and utterly lost The last couple of years have been jobs upon jobs and I can't seem to make anything stick and all my life I have been told that I'm stupid or not good enough so that keeps going through my head and I wonder... View more

Hi there I feel completely and utterly lost The last couple of years have been jobs upon jobs and I can't seem to make anything stick and all my life I have been told that I'm stupid or not good enough so that keeps going through my head and I wonder if the issue is actually me any advice would help Thanks

AndreLB Anxiety Holds Me Back
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, I'm hoping some of you can provide me with some advice or share your experiences with me on this. For the past year I've been feeling really anxious all of the time. I've had a hard time committing to events and I'm always anxious to org... View more

Hi everyone, I'm hoping some of you can provide me with some advice or share your experiences with me on this. For the past year I've been feeling really anxious all of the time. I've had a hard time committing to events and I'm always anxious to organise events myself and ask people to hang out. I've had a hard time lending help to people as I don't want them to take advantage of me and I feel like I need to control everything in my environment. I know it all sounds silly and it probably is but I don't know what to do to escape this nightmare. Prior to 2023 I used to be super comfortable with myself, my studies were good, I had good friends, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, I had a good job and I was volunteering a lot at a mental health group. I loved it! Sadly by the end of 2022 I was burnt-out from studying, I received little support during my time volunteering, and I had friends who projected their mental health issues onto me. I had a lot of weight on my shoulders and it took a toll on me. By early 2023 I was a mental mess, irritable, angry, resentful and I began questioning whether people deserved my help or not. I began saying no to people and anytime someone asked for help I immediately thought to myself "they're just using me". This all led me down a really dark pathway where I struggled to commit to events (I would often cancel at the last minuet), I didn't want to help people anymore, I struggled to put myself out there to the point that I would often delete messages before anyone saw them, I was a mess. My life is still good though, I have an amazing girlfriend in my life, good family, good friends, my studies are going well and I just got a new job recently. But I can't shake this anxiety, I force myself out of my comfort zone and I'm still able to live my life but this anxiety just won't go away. Does anyone have any ideas that would help? Thank you

o0 3ree6ixty 0o I got into a fight and don’t know what to do and what will happen
  • replies: 1

I was hanging around a group of guys and girls having my lunch they were all just talking shit about everyone and just joking around and they started to make up roumers about me wich iI thought were just jokes and everyone being silly, a few minutes ... View more

I was hanging around a group of guys and girls having my lunch they were all just talking shit about everyone and just joking around and they started to make up roumers about me wich iI thought were just jokes and everyone being silly, a few minutes past and Jacob comes up behind me with a DARE bottle and tips it down my shirt there isn't much in the bottle, I was just thinking that it was all a joke and a prank like something that you do as a teen so I grabbed the bottle off of him and throw the rest of the contents in the bottle back at him, he didn’t seem to like that and some got on his shoes and me with a playful smile on my face say that we are evan, Jacob takes off his shoes and starts chasing me so I ran away not like scared for my life ran more like a speedy walk as I thought we were still playing around he chases me and grabe me by the back of my neck and pushes me to the ground it hurt alitle but me still thinking he was playing was smiling and laughing and than he started to kick me, and gestured towards stomping on my head, me finally realising that he was mad about what happened and I was in in abit of shock so I was inbatween bursting out laughing and bursting out crying because I was really confused about the situation, we both start walking away and I head towards the bathroom to go to the toilet and I am in there and hear Jacob talking about me and so i peak my head out to see what was up and apoligise and he won’t listen Paul De’crest was in the area and told us all to go to class so I went to my class room and he went to his after him saying to meet him mount druit a go to class and things go as normal and I slightly rush to the station as I have work and I get to work and just start freaking out and have to come home because of the fear of what could happen next time I see him. I go home and unloaded all of what happened to my mum and she advises me to talk to the police and out in a report about the incident not to press charges but just incase somthing further happens,

anonymousmouse Cannot think positively
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone. I recently just found out that my mum plans on downsizing in about a years time. I live with her and my two younger brothers. There are only 2 rooms in the new house I have already been having a hard time, but this is tipping me over the... View more

Hi everyone. I recently just found out that my mum plans on downsizing in about a years time. I live with her and my two younger brothers. There are only 2 rooms in the new house I have already been having a hard time, but this is tipping me over the edge. Mum says that we can buy a caravan to put at the back of the house and that she can sleep in it so myself and my brothers have room inside. But it still feels pretty awful. I keep seeking advice/sympathy, but it only feels like a temporary band-aid. Every time something good happens, the reality will then hit me that in a years time, someone (either me or my mum) will be sleeping in a caravan. She keeps telling me not to worry and that everything will be okay, but I really can't control my anxiety over the situation.

Centaured Scared of success
  • replies: 3

In my life I feel like I've never accomplished anything. I've never had a job, im nearly 31. I havent been to uni. I have been in hospital for probably half my adult life due to mental and physical health problems. I think I'm scared of success and s... View more

In my life I feel like I've never accomplished anything. I've never had a job, im nearly 31. I havent been to uni. I have been in hospital for probably half my adult life due to mental and physical health problems. I think I'm scared of success and sabotage every opportunity I get. Well, today I'm freaking out. I'm launching my own business. I am an artist and hosting my first ever market stall to see if I can start selling it and to put myself out there. I am so nervous and anxious, im scared I will mess this up like I have messed up my life. The worst thing is that they are forecasting thunderstorms this evening when the market is on. Even the universe doesn't want me to succeed.