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

Purple_Polka_Dot Panic attacks, fear of panic attack again and hightened anxiety
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, I recently (3 weeks or so ago) had a panic attack that lasted I think for about an hour, where I was hyperventilating and my arms and legs were going numb. I felt like I was going crazy at the time. I had a series of events on a trip I w... View more

Hi everyone, I recently (3 weeks or so ago) had a panic attack that lasted I think for about an hour, where I was hyperventilating and my arms and legs were going numb. I felt like I was going crazy at the time. I had a series of events on a trip I was on, that I had planned, go wrong that were sort of out of my control to an extent. At the time I felt like it was all my fault, I know now that it was really just bad luck. At the time I was with two friends who called 000, and an ambo helped me calm down by talking to me. This is the second panic attack I have had in the last 6 months, first one also lasted at least an hour, but was brought on by sharp sudden pain caused by a health condition that has now been resolved. Since the most recent panic attack, the first week after, almost every day I could feel my breathing getting faster, and I was terrified I was going to have another panic attack. I decided to go see a doctor 2 weeks ago, and she asked me to do the K-10 test, which I did and she said I had moderate signs of anxiety. I really just felt like I needed some medication to help calm me. I had tried meditation, and wasn't working for me, and tried to slow my breathing, which also wasn't working. I severely dislike tea and ginger, so that was a no go. The doctor gave me the referral to see a psychologist, but I don't feel like it is for me. She told me some excuse saying she wouldn't give me any meds, and I have only just realised that the medical clinic I went to, have signs up saying all doctors are not allowed to prescribe the meds that I wanted to talk to her about. I feel a bit like, she didn't want to be honest with me, that she just couldn't prescribe them. Do you think it would be okay to see a different doctor about my options? I feel like at the moment, as much as anxiety is a normal response to stressful situations, every time anything small happens my anxiety goes through the roof and it takes me ages to get over it or calm down, even if it is a silly thing to be anxious about. Sorry for the super long question.... Thanks in advance, I guess!

Oneforever Anxiety is ruining my life
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone So i have been with my partner for a year and a few months and it wss the best year of my life. He is just th ebest person in the world he is my family and my love and he helped through lots of things like when my famy abondened me and i ... View more

Hi everyone So i have been with my partner for a year and a few months and it wss the best year of my life. He is just th ebest person in the world he is my family and my love and he helped through lots of things like when my famy abondened me and i was almost a honeles person but he believe in me and i got a job and studied at uni and living the best life until recently i got a major anxiety and depression just feeling like nothing has meaning and not have no feelings for anything and started feeling that im emoyionally unacailable with him and that scared me a lot i experiences panic attack and went hospital twice because i keep thinking that i lost him or lost my life and i love him so much but my anxiety keep giving me bad thoughts. I suffered anxiety a while ago because of my family i had a bad childhood and i committed suicide when i was a kid because of my parents but i worked hard to live the life im leaving right now but my anxiety its not letting me and i told him about how i feel and hes being so supportive and understanding and he said to me we will neve lose each other. I manager now to not have a panic attack but sometimes i get anxiety when im with him and feel like i wanna run away and hide and i cant look at his eyes and i just remember myself when i was very anxious before i manager to handle it. I love him so much and i dont wanna lose him but anxiety is killing me. Im not gonna give up but please guys any advice on how to manage it? And should i go on medication? My doctor recommended me antidepressant what should i do? I dont wanna lose my life bwcaus eor anxiety and my past

Willo123 My dad doesn’t understand
  • replies: 2

Iv struggled with anxiety very badly for the last 5 years. Iv had it my whole life but has been the worst in the last 5 years. I’m currently going through a huge struggle. Iv been in so much mental pain and exhaustion that my brain thinks of ways to ... View more

Iv struggled with anxiety very badly for the last 5 years. Iv had it my whole life but has been the worst in the last 5 years. I’m currently going through a huge struggle. Iv been in so much mental pain and exhaustion that my brain thinks of ways to inflict a physical pain, so I don’t have to feel the mental anymore. The one huge thing that is stopping me from getting back into my old routine and being happy in my comfort zone is my dad. Everyone else understands on some kind of level what I’m going through but not dad. He thinks why can’t I just get over this and do what I want. He just doesn’t understand and it makes me not want to talk to him when I feel this low. I just don’t know how to make him see that I’m struggling.

Jamber2000 Isolation Anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hey everyone, I've been wracking my brain for a few weeks now trying to work out where to go and what to talk about. I've never really been one to have many issues or qualms about anything in my life but recently I've been feeling an overwhelming sad... View more

Hey everyone, I've been wracking my brain for a few weeks now trying to work out where to go and what to talk about. I've never really been one to have many issues or qualms about anything in my life but recently I've been feeling an overwhelming sadness associated with being isolated or alone. Being quite a social person in the past, I'd never realised how much other people influenced my mental state and now that I've tried to become a bit more of an independent person, I've found myself constantly upset and on the verge of crying. I feel really alone. I'm not sure if this is just a phase that I'm going through or if I'm having legitimate problems that need help with and I'd like to know if this is a common thing that people just go through or if i need serious intervention. Thank you.

whyismylifesomessedup old
  • replies: 2

I have struggled a lot recently. I have an obsession with seeking reassurance, needing to know that something bad isn't going to happen - for example, earlier in the year, I became fixated with the idea of what happens after we die and constantly see... View more

I have struggled a lot recently. I have an obsession with seeking reassurance, needing to know that something bad isn't going to happen - for example, earlier in the year, I became fixated with the idea of what happens after we die and constantly seeking reassurance from people that it isn't the end, et cetera. I also like to keep things perfect - e.g., dented my brand new MacBook Pro 5 or so months ago and have been unable to get it out of my head. I also am obsessed with looking perfect/hate any blemishes on myself. Is this possibly obsessive compulsive disorder?

Willo123 Given up on trying
  • replies: 10

I’m 21 years old have have been struggling with serious anxiety disorder. Im happy in my life when I’m in my comfort zone. I have recently started a new job and that is making me feel extremely anxious. Im about to give up on it because I can’t feel ... View more

I’m 21 years old have have been struggling with serious anxiety disorder. Im happy in my life when I’m in my comfort zone. I have recently started a new job and that is making me feel extremely anxious. Im about to give up on it because I can’t feel like this anymore. I need this feeling to be over, so I just have to go back to working for my parents on the farm even tho it’s not my dream. But I can’t do my dream job because this anxiety is too much. The medication doesn’t feel like it works anymore. I wish I could be normal.

245AM WOMEN: Stress/Anxiety affecting menstruation
  • replies: 4

Has anyone experienced a very late period due to intense weeks/months of stress and anxiety or a traumatic experience? I've been to my doctor and am definitely not pregnant, and she believes it's mostly stress related so we have discussed some techni... View more

Has anyone experienced a very late period due to intense weeks/months of stress and anxiety or a traumatic experience? I've been to my doctor and am definitely not pregnant, and she believes it's mostly stress related so we have discussed some techniques and practices I can use in order to lower stress and control spiral thinking - and most importantly stop focusing on my period being late. I was just wondering if anyone out there has ever experienced this? If you were late due to stress, how late?

Fillicks Possible anxiety??
  • replies: 6

Hi im not too sure how to articulate all of this accurately but I may (possibly??) Have anxiety. I’m just going to list a bit off the top of my head. I don’t want to see a GP or school counsellor or anything as i’m scared that I’ll be wasting their t... View more

Hi im not too sure how to articulate all of this accurately but I may (possibly??) Have anxiety. I’m just going to list a bit off the top of my head. I don’t want to see a GP or school counsellor or anything as i’m scared that I’ll be wasting their time and then they’ll hate me forever. basically, I can’t catch buses, everytime I try I feel sick to the stomach and my chest feels tight, I always miss buses as I’m afraid to signal drivers in case there’s too many people and I get kicked off. I wake up really early (3-4ish) in a cold sweat if I have to catch a bus the day after. Idk I just generally sweat a lot whenever I get on a bus/go to work or school. This has caused me to walk over an hour to get home (on multiple occasions) rather than catching public buses. I have the same feelings (tight chest and nausea) throughout school and in literally any situation that I’m alone. I overthink e v e r y t h i n g to the point that my mum laughs at me, i guess it could be funny but it just makes me so angry at myself. I’m so scared of other people?? I just avoid leaving my house unless it’s absolutely necessary, whenever I go out I can feel everyone judging me and it’s just so terrifying. I don’t like talking to other people because I get really nervous and start to ramble and I can feel their annoyance which makes me even more nervous because I know they don’t like me. I get claustrophobic In crowds of people, i get panicky and can’t breathe right. On the way to work the nausea is a lot more intense, I try to distract myself with music but the feeling is constant. I cant talk to managers at work without tearing up bc I’m so scared of what they’ll think of me, (I don’t want them to think I’m weird or anything) i always rehearse everything I need to say regardless of the situation, and I spend so much time worrying about what I’m going to say or do that my fear of doing it just builds and then suddenly I’m breathing really fast and the tightness has increased and I get this rush of cold. this is all so incredibly frustrating, i try to get over my fear and act like a “normal teenager “ but I Just can’t do it. I don’t know why I can’t just do a simple task like asking a teacher a question (still building up the courage for that though) or making small talk to a classmate without sweating and rehearsing everything over and over again... im not sure if these are symptoms of anxiety or if I’m just being dramatic about everything lol

BballJ Overthinking and Highly sensitive
  • replies: 3

Hi all, Some of you may know me from the forums, I haven’t been on for quite some time. Quick background is that I suffer from anxiety and depression. Self confidence is a major thing I am working on at the moment. one question I wanted to raise to t... View more

Hi all, Some of you may know me from the forums, I haven’t been on for quite some time. Quick background is that I suffer from anxiety and depression. Self confidence is a major thing I am working on at the moment. one question I wanted to raise to the forum was about overthinking and being highly sensitive. I am a chronic overthinker which I know is attached to my anxiety. I have the tendency to always think the worst in situations but mainly it comes down to my partner. Problem is every single thing she does that I deem “out of the ordinary” to be wrong, I am constantly questioning her on it which she has bought to my attention is starting to annoy her. If she doesn’t reply to my messages in time, I think the worst and think she is angry at me (classic anxiety move) until she responds to then I question why she took so long to reply even though I know the answer, I for some reason need the clarity. Another example would be if she simply had a tone that wasn’t happy, I would ask what’s wrong over and over again, she would be fine but it’s like I need to know if it’s something I’ve done wrong or something wrong in her life. It’s this silly constant need for reassurance. I’ve never been like this in a relationship before. I am not a big person for change and when things change in my world I cannot handle it. I know my partner hasn’t done anything wrong but my need to constantly question her is starting to annoy her and definitely annoying me. another thing is, she will happily stay home and watch a movie where as, I cannot do that and would rather be messaging or talking to her, so when she can do that and I cannot, I sit there and question why am I so dependant on her. She doesn’t deserve that pressure, no one does. We talk morning, lunch and after work then after she gets into bed usually each night. I understand this is a problem and it’s why I am seeking help from anyone who has been in a similar situation before and how they have been helped? thanks in advance, J

Col82 Is it all in my head ?
  • replies: 2

Hi all I’m new here I’m not sure where to start where to start so here’s a little background . About four weeks ago I started getting pins and needles in my hands and feet this then went to a feeling that my left hand wasn’t working properly still ha... View more

Hi all I’m new here I’m not sure where to start where to start so here’s a little background . About four weeks ago I started getting pins and needles in my hands and feet this then went to a feeling that my left hand wasn’t working properly still had all my strength but just felt clumsy and not working right.I had a lot of shoulder arm and neck pain to so I went to my doctors who has done various tests .. i’ve had spine MRI blood tests CT scan on my brain everything is comeback clear. I now have similar symptoms in my right arm and have had burning and itching and tingling over various parts of my body . In the past I have suffered with thinking that there’s been things wrong with me and then worrying myself sick only to make it worse .So my doctor is under the impression that this is probably stress or anxiety related I have two young kids and I’m going out of my mind with worry that is something more serious like MS or MND .My Dr has given me tablets for nerve pain and anxiety.I have to see in the neurologist in a week and a half I’ve already looked on Google and made my situation a whole lot worse so I’m staying off dr Google now . I’ve never spoke to anyone about this or even admitted that I probably overthink things and make my situation worse I know the mind is a powerful thing but I just keep thinking surely it can’t make me feel like this .