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
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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

kitykate I just don't know what to do anymore anxiety rules my life.
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It impacts everything I do, I started a new job after leaving a really awful situation with work place harassment at my old job. I started getting paranoid that I wasn't doing things to my bosses liking and they were annoyed with me which made me sca... View more

It impacts everything I do, I started a new job after leaving a really awful situation with work place harassment at my old job. I started getting paranoid that I wasn't doing things to my bosses liking and they were annoyed with me which made me scared to go to work I'd have panic attacks in the bathroom trying to get ready, this lead to me calling in sick a few times, then I actually became geniunly unwell and was unavailable for a week to be rostered and now they want me to come in for a chat and I'm just freaking out about it thinking how I've gone and messed up a good opportunity for me. I keep convincing myself that people close to me are fed up and annoyed with me so I constantly ask if we're ok and I'm not being annoyed which ends up, you guessed it, making them annoyed. I feel like such a burden and that I'll never be able to hold down a job properly, I have so many bills to pay that I can't sleep at night, how did I get here? I don't even want to be awake most days I just want to stay asleep in bed and avoid all my problems, I'm speaking to my GP and she wants me to see a psychologist but I've done it so many times before and still have the same outcome because I never have enough motivation to help myself, it makes me so frustrated that I can't just live a normal life and I feel suffocated daily by a feeling this is all my life will be, I can't go 10 minutes without thinking how much of a failure I am and how much I've disappointed my friends and family with my constant failures. Why can't I just stop being anxious and depressed?

Elsta What I’ve been telling myself all day
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I’m someone who is allergic to pollen and has asthma, and I frequently have panic attacks worrying that I’m having asthma (it usually turns out to be panic and not actually asthma). I live in Melbourne and today was forecast to have an asthma thunder... View more

I’m someone who is allergic to pollen and has asthma, and I frequently have panic attacks worrying that I’m having asthma (it usually turns out to be panic and not actually asthma). I live in Melbourne and today was forecast to have an asthma thunderstorm epidemic. Today was one of the hardest days for me, and at one point I was lying on the floor in my house saying to myself, if this is asthma and I die today, then it’ll all be over soon and I won’t know the difference. This thought process helped ease the anxiety, but it’s really upset me. I don’t want to die, I don’t want to leave my family behind to mourn for me. I love living, and I want to keep experiencing life for as long as I can. Does anyone here have a less depressing thought they use to help manage panic?

Busy_busy_bee Panic attack
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I made some really stupid decisions last night now I am riddled with anxiety. I need to stop drinking... I haven’t slept and feel awful about myself. I seem to set myself up to fail all the time. I hate myself

I made some really stupid decisions last night now I am riddled with anxiety. I need to stop drinking... I haven’t slept and feel awful about myself. I seem to set myself up to fail all the time. I hate myself

Lacie Physical symptoms
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Hey everyone, For around a month now I have been experiencing different physical symptoms... started with pins and needles in my arms, and sharp pain randomly in my chest, and occasionally my breathing, the feeling like I can’t catch a full breath. I... View more

Hey everyone, For around a month now I have been experiencing different physical symptoms... started with pins and needles in my arms, and sharp pain randomly in my chest, and occasionally my breathing, the feeling like I can’t catch a full breath. I then get worried about it all and then start getting hot, feeling shaky and have to just try to relax and calm myself. I am a very anxious person, and I feel like I suffer with mild anxiety. I have been to see 2 doctors I had a blood test done when I spoke about pins and needles. And then I went back last week because my chest (more so breast) was feeling very achy and a dull pain. She listened to my chest but she didn’t seem worried. I’m know freaking out as to it being something cardio/ respiratory related, but I just feel like to doctors don’t really help with what you actually want from them. I’ve just been feeling emotional aswell and occasionally just cry! But I’m freaking about it all to be honest. But the strange thing is I don’t feel overly anxious about anything.

Haitchy New job
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Hi Folks. New to this forum. I have suffered from anxiety for a few years on and off now. It came about after an abusive relationship and more recently my fathers sudden death. I left a long term job recently - it was an unhealthy environment for mys... View more

Hi Folks. New to this forum. I have suffered from anxiety for a few years on and off now. It came about after an abusive relationship and more recently my fathers sudden death. I left a long term job recently - it was an unhealthy environment for myself and many others but that being said, I was comfortable with the work and in my comfort zone. Importantly, I was really good at my job. Ive just started a new job. The environment is quite high pressure and I'm struggling a bit with learning new and very unfriendly software. I've had a little training but I'm there alone effectively and trying to do my best. Im finding that I'm getting quite frazzled when it's busy and I've made a couple of mistakes. I'm trying to tell myself that this is normal but the brain is saying I'm useless and the people around me will think I am too. ive actually started to dread going there - it starts when I wake up on the days I'm working with 'that feeling' in my chest. Any advice on how to deal with this much appreciated.

Missandrea Constant worrying in relationship
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Been with my partner for about 2 years and sometines if we're apart I convince myself he'll realise that he doesn't need me around. Then I lay in my room thinking about it, I start getting defensive and come across blunt because my head has convinced... View more

Been with my partner for about 2 years and sometines if we're apart I convince myself he'll realise that he doesn't need me around. Then I lay in my room thinking about it, I start getting defensive and come across blunt because my head has convinced that this is what he's thinking. I have no idea why I think that sorta thing and not sure how to snap out of it? He's on night shift at the moment so we aren't really speaking so my brain has obviously said to me this is what's going to happen and to be prepared hes going to leave.

Danberg Light Therapy
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Hi, I have suffer from agoraphobia and have had a flare up with the change of light coming into spring. Just wondering if anyone has had light therapy or know of anyone who specialises in Light therapy. I think I have linked my flare ups with the cha... View more

Hi, I have suffer from agoraphobia and have had a flare up with the change of light coming into spring. Just wondering if anyone has had light therapy or know of anyone who specialises in Light therapy. I think I have linked my flare ups with the change of seasons.

Manalishi Been a while, wish I had better news
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Hi, so, it's been around a year since I last posted here, I'm Catherine. When I was last here I was plagued with health anxiety, and well, the old demon's back again. Couple of weeks ago now I came down with a case of what appears to be haemmorhoids,... View more

Hi, so, it's been around a year since I last posted here, I'm Catherine. When I was last here I was plagued with health anxiety, and well, the old demon's back again. Couple of weeks ago now I came down with a case of what appears to be haemmorhoids, or a fissure; Pain when I wipe, bit of fresh blood from the back end etc. etc. Sadly, that is not how I see it, in my mind, it's bowel cancer, a veritable death sentence. Since then I've been experiencing little stabbing pains in my abdomen, aches in my lower back, a feeling like I always need to go to the toilet, and constipation when I do. All these signs are adding up and basically just screaming to me "the end approaches!", which, well, I have cause to fear death a little more than usual at this point in my life. You see, I'm transgender, and just started medically transitioning 3 months ago to this day; the thought of dying now, or having my lifespan reduced to a handful of years, now that I'm just, after 23 years finally able to see and explore who I truly am, is too horrible to bear. I've seen a gp who prescribed me some cream, which doesn't seem to be helping much, but at my follow up appointment for hormone therapy I found out I wasn't anemic, which is somewhat encouraging, and I'll be doing an FOBT soon. Where I'm going with all this is that today at work I essentially spent the afternoon in the throes of an anxiety attack, certain that death looms, and, I started to wonder if these symptoms are even real, which led to even more terror over not being able to distinguish reality from my frenzied imagination. I'm getting so scared that I just want to go to the ER and say "I know something's wrong with me and I'm dying, find it!" I hope someone can make sense of these ramblings and give a scared girl a little comfort.

goose1888 I’m struggling with relationship anxiety
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Hey everyone, I’ve been seeing someone new for the last month and a half or so, and whenever we’re in person I feel awesome and really at ease, but between dates I’m finding myself getting really in my own head. For example, we had a date yesterday a... View more

Hey everyone, I’ve been seeing someone new for the last month and a half or so, and whenever we’re in person I feel awesome and really at ease, but between dates I’m finding myself getting really in my own head. For example, we had a date yesterday and I feel like it went really well, and I messaged her after to say I had an awesome time and so on, then I didn’t hear back from her (and still haven’t) so I’m really anxious that it wasn’t as good as I thought it was or something. I’ve told her my feelings for her (that I like her) and she has said she likes me too and really enjoys being around me. I just keep getting anxious that somehow that’s changed, or she’s changed her mind about it, or something. It’s getting in the way of me being able to just enjoy dating, and just my day to day life. Could anyone offer some help so I can stop being so anxious about all of this?

Malaalsieh Dizziness and neck pain driving me insane!!
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My dizziness is driving me crazy! I also get neck pain and stiffness. this dizziness can last all day or come when it wants. With it I get pins and needles, sensations all around my head and my face always feels like it’s going to go numb. So then I ... View more

My dizziness is driving me crazy! I also get neck pain and stiffness. this dizziness can last all day or come when it wants. With it I get pins and needles, sensations all around my head and my face always feels like it’s going to go numb. So then I think it’s a stroke or something bad is going to happen to me. I always end up in tears because it stops me from doing a lot of things. I haven’t even been able to work. I want to go to the gym but I can’t because I’m dizzy! To put it bluntly I’m so frustrated and don’t know what to do. Would love to hear if anyone else experiences this. Also when I go to the shops it all starts! I get dizzy, my legs stiffen up and I have to hold onto something. What is going on? Is this normal when you have anxiety? The thing is I’m not anxious about going to the shops I find I just can’t walk through their anymore. Would really like some support on this because I feel like I’m slipping back into depression again. The pain in my neck is really sore and goes all around my neck. I saw an Osteo but he made it worse the second time I went. I also get head sensations especially across my forehead. I know fighting it doesn’t help but I have no one around me to give me the support I need.