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

Seekingaddvice8 Neighbour causing issues
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Hey, My neighbour has been using a low frequency subwoofer or speaker of sorts, I'm guessing anyway - with the sole purpose to bother me. So basically during the night, they use low whispering tones and when I even managed to finally get some sleep, ... View more

Hey, My neighbour has been using a low frequency subwoofer or speaker of sorts, I'm guessing anyway - with the sole purpose to bother me. So basically during the night, they use low whispering tones and when I even managed to finally get some sleep, they boost it up to abruptly jolt me awake. Even when listening to white noise background music with earphones on, at high levels. The offending sound seems to get amplified as an result. Recording is not realistically as it doesn't quite catch the tone. Any recommendations? I was thinking about using some sound blocking material and somehow stick it into my earphones? Or captive the sound somehow? What do you guys believe I should do? Or what type of speaker could do this?

Meowface So long until psyc appt....
  • replies: 7

So a lot has happened since I’ve last shared. I’ve had a baby and moved interstate. All was tracking well but I’m now about 5 months post partum and anxiety has hit hard. I mustered the courage to see a brand new gp (daunting) for a new mental health... View more

So a lot has happened since I’ve last shared. I’ve had a baby and moved interstate. All was tracking well but I’m now about 5 months post partum and anxiety has hit hard. I mustered the courage to see a brand new gp (daunting) for a new mental health plan. I felt like the hardest part was over. Then I’ve found out today that the earliest I can see a psychologist is January. This has sent me into a spin. I had worked with my psychologist in my home state for 10 years and was devastated to leave her. Now to think I have to wait 3 months and build a new relationship makes me feel so alone and like the help isn’t there. I should have sought help sooner. I’m trying to put in place some other supports in this new state like finding a new yoga studio but I’m just feeling lost. I’m seeing another GP on Monday for a post-pregnancy issue. I might talk to her as well and see if she can get me into anywhere sooner.

Guest_1246 Anxiety symptoms/dizziness/off balance
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Ok so im not sure if im in the right place but here it goes. Im, a 25 year old female, ive been going through this for nearly 5 years, Any anxiety symptom you can imagine. But my main concern and fear is my off balance and dizzy feeling which i get m... View more

Ok so im not sure if im in the right place but here it goes. Im, a 25 year old female, ive been going through this for nearly 5 years, Any anxiety symptom you can imagine. But my main concern and fear is my off balance and dizzy feeling which i get most of the time and out of the blue. Sometimes it starts off by a fuzzy feeling kind kf thing in my head, then a random dizzy off balance feeling and i feel like im going to pass out. Ive done blood tests which have all come out good ive also done a ct scan for my brian to rule anytbing serious out which also came out clear. Does anyone else go through this? I always seem to relate it to my heart that im having a heaet attack whihc makes things worse I hate ittt

GregtheEgg Work Anxiety
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Hi, I have anxiety (specifically panic disorder) and it's particularly apparent in relation to my work, and it's having a very negative impact. I'm so anxious about checking for details that I miss details. I'm so anxious about researching the right ... View more

Hi, I have anxiety (specifically panic disorder) and it's particularly apparent in relation to my work, and it's having a very negative impact. I'm so anxious about checking for details that I miss details. I'm so anxious about researching the right area that I end up researching the wrong area. I'm so anxious about doing a good job that I make stupid, easily avoidable mistakes. I feel like I'm drowning and that I will never get to the place I want to be, careerwise. It's getting harder to motivate myself to go into the office each day. If anyone has gone through this or has any experience I would love some tips/strategies/advice/anything.

SwansandSharksMan Asking for a payrise
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Hi I have been in my organisation for nearly 5 years. As part of my role, I can see payroll. I can see that there are others getting paid better than me. People who have started after me, are younger than me, and in some cases are part time and even ... View more

Hi I have been in my organisation for nearly 5 years. As part of my role, I can see payroll. I can see that there are others getting paid better than me. People who have started after me, are younger than me, and in some cases are part time and even have lesser roles. It is kind of frustrating as I feel I am putting in as much effort as them. I may have made the odd error, but so have they. It makes me very anxious, as I used to earn almost double. I was fortunate in this other role. I came in and progressed well. Then I quit so I could move the family to a new area (long story). I just haven't been able to get back to the same sort of level. Just wondering how I should go about asking for a payrise? It is not something I feel comfortable about doing. I am a little bit shy. TIA

Underwood Do I need extra help?
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So very long story short, I have anxiety and have been dealing with it for the past 8 or so years. I am on medication and have been to various psychologists. I have only just started thinking about my obsessive thoughts/behaviours and the fact I have... View more

So very long story short, I have anxiety and have been dealing with it for the past 8 or so years. I am on medication and have been to various psychologists. I have only just started thinking about my obsessive thoughts/behaviours and the fact I have never told a doctor about them and if I should. I have discussed other anxiety issues but not this and was wondering your opinions of these specific behaviours. I have been a bit anxious lately and notice I need to count things three times - sometimes cans, sometimes signs. Or I’ll tell myself I need to read something in its entirety or something bad will happen - like a bad omen. I will reread sentences in books if I feel I have missed a word - otherwise something bad will happen. I will scroll my phone and can’t look to the next heading on the article I’m reading or I need to scroll through the next three to make it an odd number. I drive certain routes in order to prevent things. Even the yesterday I told myself if I stood on the cracks in the pavement something bad will happen. Even when I’m walking I think about which direction to walk past a pole - right could be bad, left is better as it’s unexpected and nothing bad will happen. There are plenty more but these are just a few. I’ve been doing this my whole life and I guess it’s such a habit I never thought it to be a problem. Even writing this I can see it’s not ‘normal’ but should I be getting help with this or is this just another branch of anxiety - Specifically health anxiety. No wonder I feel so tired all the time! Thanks so much!

Sirhc2 Performance anxiety and beta blockers
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Hi all, hoping someone can help. I have social anxiety that presents badly at times around performances I.e panic attack mode, get me out of there and run away. I have been taught various techniques with 2 different psych’s who focused on CBT however... View more

Hi all, hoping someone can help. I have social anxiety that presents badly at times around performances I.e panic attack mode, get me out of there and run away. I have been taught various techniques with 2 different psych’s who focused on CBT however I don’t seem to get the results when it comes to the crunch. I’ve ready through anxiety aus and this website that Beta Blockers can provide some great assistance in reducing the symptoms of anxiety come performance time, I put this to my GP who advised me that he had never heard of it and didn’t think there was an option for me with pharmaceuticals. Wondering if anyone has tried this and what my options might be for going down this path if my GP has r heard of it? Any help would be great. Thank you

Samyol Anxiety and Depression Hittin' Hard
  • replies: 11

I posted here a while back discussing the health issues I was plagued with and this post is not much different. I'm suffering from anxiety and depression in many different ways as a direct result of gastrointestinal issues. Ever since a young age I'v... View more

I posted here a while back discussing the health issues I was plagued with and this post is not much different. I'm suffering from anxiety and depression in many different ways as a direct result of gastrointestinal issues. Ever since a young age I've been anxious, especially anxious of eating food in public or being sick in public. I think this comes down to a fear of vomiting otherwise known as I've been told "emetophobia". The last few months the GI (gastrointestinal) issues I've had my whole life have taken a serious affect on my whole, the point in which I never feel good. Always queasy, always nauseous and always terrified of vomiting even in the comfort of my own home. As this has been on-going and my hospital referral to see a specialists for my GI issues is not for another 10 days (Just so happened to be an urgent case), I've been confined to the spaces of my home and at this point have pretty much lost all motivation and my ability to get outside of the house, let alone ever work again (I'm an 18 year old male that quit my job because of these very health conditions). I'm curious as to what in my stage of health mentally and physically what can I do? I'm limited to non-physical activities and any activities involving leaving the house is beyond what I can handle because of how I feel physically daily. My relationships including that between myself and my girlfriend are slowly falling apart. I can't ever see anyone nor hang out with anyone just because of the nature of how I feel. Quite frankly I just feel left alone, my mother tells me constantly that my GI issues are in my head and that there's nothing wrong with me and although I believe this to be false, it really makes me question my sanity. Am I living a big lie? Is this a trick my mind is playing on me in order to run from the real world where a hard working job is necessary and just a part of life? I really don't know what to do anymore, I look like crap, I feel like crap everyday and even now it's 5AM and I'm yet to sleep solely because of nausea. I'd appreciate any responses of support. Thank you very much.

Samsonsam Panic attacks + inflammation
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I've been having panic attacks a couple times a week every week this year. I've recently started on medication for anxiety again however lately I've been getting bad joint pain and inflammation. My doctor told me this is due to the stress I was just ... View more

I've been having panic attacks a couple times a week every week this year. I've recently started on medication for anxiety again however lately I've been getting bad joint pain and inflammation. My doctor told me this is due to the stress I was just wondering if anyone else had this and was able to get rid of the joint pain once they got their stress under control?

Tricky92 I had an anxiety attack at work..
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I had an anxiety attack at work.... I work in FIFO, I am the only female in my team so fitting in has been hard. ive always felt like I’ve never fitted in anywhere, and find it hard to maintain friendships and relationships from a very young age. I g... View more

I had an anxiety attack at work.... I work in FIFO, I am the only female in my team so fitting in has been hard. ive always felt like I’ve never fitted in anywhere, and find it hard to maintain friendships and relationships from a very young age. I grew up only knowing my parents, no family. im searching for what kind of anxiety I have so I can get some answers and understand why I am the way I am. one of the boys who is close to my age (27) he’s 38... I’ve always butted heads with, sometimes I do get a bit defensive because I fear failure. This person I feel takes this personally and starts to attack me. Yesterday I jumped on the fork lift and was my first time unloading the big centurion truck and had him being my spotter. (I work in warehousing) I was using the peddle like an automatic not realising that this particular fork had a semi clutch peddle, instead of explaining how to use the other peddle, he went on the defence and was saying that I don’t listen when all I was doing was laughing at the fact I was unco on the peddles. All he needed to do was explain that I was using the wrong one. But he started going off at me, all of a sudden I started crying and was trying to get him to talk to me professionally. But he lost the plot, walked off and told everyone else in the office and then got someone else to come spot me. My silly mind goes into you are not enough mode, and all I had running through my head repeatedly was you are pathetic and you will never succeed .. yay! Should not have continued, but un be known to me I was suppressing a bloody anxiety attack. Everytime I got off the fork it felt like I was numb, floating I guess. i built up the courage to ask this person for the paper work, and he literally just said I’m doing my own thing and walked away, and then I lost it, walked into the lunch room and just lost it. I couldn’t breath, my heart was racing and I was sobbing. I kept telling myself just to breath, mostly because if someone walked into the lunch room, that would have been embarrassing. I’ve only had an attack maybe twice in my life, my body hurt and I had after waves of my muscles spasms and shaking. Had to leave work. ive tried to search into what anxiety I have. I get really intrusive negative thoughts when negative things happen or I feel like I have failed, can fail or people don’t like me. I get inside attacks. I’m not that shy tho on the outside, I guess there’s one side of me I show to the world and one I don’t