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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. Remeber, this is anonymous and the Beyond Blue team are here to help if you need it This section is for people who are experiencing anixiety 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 you 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 worthile 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

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believe248 Panic and Fainting
  • replies: 2

I've read that it is rare to actually pass out when having a panic attack. Unfortunately for me, it happens a lot. I pass out very easily when I start panicking. For instance, I passed out last weekend when I started to panic on the tram. I had that ... View more

I've read that it is rare to actually pass out when having a panic attack. Unfortunately for me, it happens a lot. I pass out very easily when I start panicking. For instance, I passed out last weekend when I started to panic on the tram. I had that little "what if" thought, and a minute later it escalated to full panic and then I blacked out. It comes on so fast I barely have time to try calming techniques. I passed out on the tram another time too. I started panicking, so I started walking to try and get off the tram and whilst walking I got really dizzy and fainted. I hit my head on the seat as I fell. I learnt from that, and now I know to stay put, or sit if I start feeling dizzy. I also fainted when I started having a panic attack whilst getting my hair done at the hairdressers. Similar experience - I started to panic, went dizzy, blacked out. The first time it happened was back in highschool, where I passed out doing a presentation to the class after freaking out. I've now developed a bad phobia of passing out. I hate the attention it brings when everyone is concerned (although of course I'm appreciative of their concern), but I hate making a scene. So now I'm to the point of feeling terrified when it comes to riding a bus, going on a plane, being on a tram, sitting in a grandstand, doing a presentation, or generally any situation where everyone will notice if I pass out. I'm wondering if anyone out there has experienced actual fainting after a panic attack. I'm going to try hypnotherapy this week to see if that helps with the phobia. Other than that, not sure what to do as it comes on SO fast and I hate that it is inhibiting my life. Also, I'm in early stages of pregnancy so I've had to stop taking medication, which was helping me, so that's making it worse.

not_really being an empath- energy, more prone to mental health related issues?
  • replies: 12

Hey everyone, I'm not entirely sure if this is the right place to post this thread...? forgive me if it's in the wrong place. Side note: the cause of everyone's individual anxiety is different, and may even be a mix of factors. I'm merely going on a ... View more

Hey everyone, I'm not entirely sure if this is the right place to post this thread...? forgive me if it's in the wrong place. Side note: the cause of everyone's individual anxiety is different, and may even be a mix of factors. I'm merely going on a psychology rant and trying to figure out what exactly was the root of my own anxiety. I've been thinking about this topic for a while (I'd say the past 3 months or so). Later last year I stumbled upon this idea of an 'empath', namely someone who is able to know and feel other people's emotions in themselves on a more acute level. I think everyone's capable of this, since humans are naturally adaptable beings, but in some this ability is significantly more heightened than others. The effects of other people's emotional influence would be increasingly more influential on someone who is an empath- think of it as close friends who eventually adopt each other's mannerisms, but with energy instead. That being made clear, are empaths in fact more prone to mental health issues such as anxiety? ((There is a difference between an empath and a highly sensitive person (sensitive to emotion, energy, vibrations)- not completely sure of the difference?.)) I've been thinking about this because of my own anxiety- I've realised that there was a significant shift in my mindset toward school, grades, things in general at one point in my high school life and that was exactly when I grew closer to my current close friend. I never used to worry about things or care about my grades until I started to hang around her a lot, and then I realised my mindset and my worries had become a lot like hers used to. She is an AMAZING friend, and her mental health and attitude towards school has improved so much throughout these years. In no way am I blaming my anxiety on her! I'm not a high level empath, but I think the energies of the people around me definitely has somewhat of an effect on me, to the point that I can actively notice the influence in my anxiety patterns and thinking. At the end of last year when my grade entered Year 12, I think there was just so much stress and expectation placed on study around me that I took a significant dip in both my mental health and my marks. I myself wasn't consciously stressed at all- but I guess my mind subconsciously was, and was absorbing the energies of those around me. If anyone has any thoughts or contribution to this topic- would love to hear your input!

Damien1 Struggling with anxiety symptoms?
  • replies: 5

Hello my name is Damien I'm 32 and first time poster,I just want to run this by people because I've never been really good at describing the - I guess actual experience of symptoms that I've been having but lately it's getting really debilitating and... View more

Hello my name is Damien I'm 32 and first time poster,I just want to run this by people because I've never been really good at describing the - I guess actual experience of symptoms that I've been having but lately it's getting really debilitating and I just need to know is there anybody else experiencing similar.So late November of last year I was gaming pretty excessively and I was getting off to unwind and grabbed a drink and had a weird thought process in my head that I was like "Oh am I having a stroke" Because I went really weird in the left-side of my body. Following that I started feeling like really light/weak to the point I couldn't feel my muscles in my body and it was like I was just skin and bone sensation across my entire body and I described it to my mum that it felt as if my soul was being sucked out of my body. Went to ER they did x-rays and MRI and scans came back normal yet the symptoms not to that extreme kept persisting. Over the last 5 months it has been really constant with few days being good and most days being bad to the point I have to lay in bed to try shake it off. The soul sucking experience has happened only once since then and that encounter vs the ER encounter was actually nightmarish. But like lately I've been getting unusual onsets of pain around my back, chest that come and go (the best way I describe those two is if someone hits your funny bone but instead it being the back and chest) and constant tingling on the left side of my body. An unusual sensation in the peripheral vision that looks like a grey/whiteish streak across the eyebrows but inside my head which might be floaters but I am unsure. I do have type-2 diabetes which might be flaring up a bit too much and cholesterol problems run through the family. But I've been getting all the standard symptoms of brain fog, dizziness, shortness of breath, sweating, Hyperventilating (which I've sort of managed this was guided meditation to some degree) and weakness But it sucks because overall I feel like I'm actually burdening my family more so my mum with all of my problems while I know she has hers and it's just been rough in the house because I've been tempted to call triple 0 multiple times lately for reassurance that everything is alright. I have been trying to improve my overall wellbeing the best I can but when it becomes too overwhelming I just like making sure that it's all good because these symptoms are too intense to endure alone. My thing is, is it just anxiety?

Myka Anxiety about death
  • replies: 5

Hi, I am a 22 year old woman who has just moved here in Australia this year. I have never had any health issues, but over the past few months, my anxiety has been triggered by a sudden death of a family's close friend because of heart attack. Because... View more

Hi, I am a 22 year old woman who has just moved here in Australia this year. I have never had any health issues, but over the past few months, my anxiety has been triggered by a sudden death of a family's close friend because of heart attack. Because of that I overthink that what if I won't be able to wake up because of a heart attack. Now, I am having severe migraine and panic attacks due to fear. I have already done a check-up with a GP and did an ECG (which comes out normal) but I still overthink that I may have a heart problem. Hoping to know/see what things you have done to overcome anxiety. Also, I just want to have someone to talk to about this, that's why I signed up here. Thank you so much!

Veronica 23yr Bad Anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi I’m new to this platform. I’m 23 years old suffering from bad anxiety and this year had been particularly hard for me and everything seems to be going downhill. I went to college and studied biotechnology with biopharma as I loved science but drop... View more

Hi I’m new to this platform. I’m 23 years old suffering from bad anxiety and this year had been particularly hard for me and everything seems to be going downhill. I went to college and studied biotechnology with biopharma as I loved science but dropped out this year while only having a few months left to complete my degree due to severe burnout and anxiety and also realizing I didn’t enjoy it after placement at a corporate company. I decided I’m going to work anywhere just to earn some money. Went into an accounting admin job in February and only lasted two weeks the people were rude and didn’t want to train me properly I felt stupid and anxious cried everyday going home. But thought maybe this wasn’t the fit. My dog of 15 years also passed away shortly after which made matter worse. Shortly after I was lucky enough to get a position at a food company my mom works at as a food safety officer. Realized that a big part of my role will be to make sure people are doing everything correctly and give out to them (nicely) if they are not. My nature didn’t allow this my anxiety didn’t allow this the leads where rude and always turned me down when trying to talk to them or walked away. Everytime I had to go on the production floor I would fall into a panic attack everyone was looking and and three looks which made my heart race. Another part of my job was admin. But I couldn’t take it and my anxiety made me resign yesterday after three weeks I feel like a failure. My mom text me saying that the manager offered me to strictly just stick with admin work but I don’t think I can face going back. I don’t want to dissapoint her and my guilt is telling me to go back even thought I feel severely anxious about it I feel so stupid and unemployed but yet again I feel like I may have jumped to fast into the world of work after dropping out of college and just need time to get professional help and time to heal. I work weekends as a gymnastics coach and have for the last 7 years love it and I love working with the children. I also started doing nails on the side which I also enjoy I’m thinking of starting a childcare course from September but feel like I’ll be wasting a year not earning much and I’m also afraid that my anxiety will still be as bad and won’t allow me to work. It gets so bad sometimes that I can make myself believe I have something.I also don’t want to disappoint my mom not going back to that job but I really can’t face going there after everything.

dwade3 Can't get over my trauma
  • replies: 1

Ive had struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts for years on and off, caused by strong feelings of loneliness and worthlessness. And as a result of that , Im also scared to meet people and interact , because I fear that I'm just going to keep... View more

Ive had struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts for years on and off, caused by strong feelings of loneliness and worthlessness. And as a result of that , Im also scared to meet people and interact , because I fear that I'm just going to keep feeling alone no matter who I meet. And because of that I just can't not be closed off and push everyone away. And as soon as I'm a little bit attached, I catastrophize whenever something is perfect

Merete First post: Lacking sense of meaning/purpose in life in Australia
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, Greatly appreciate anyone reading this. It feels surreal writing my first post here, but I realised lately I really need professional help with my mental health which I struggled with on/off for the past years. I moved to Australia from ... View more

Hi everyone, Greatly appreciate anyone reading this. It feels surreal writing my first post here, but I realised lately I really need professional help with my mental health which I struggled with on/off for the past years. I moved to Australia from overseas just over 5 years ago. I am a citizen of another country and applying for permanent residence with my Australian husband soon. I lived in Australia previously when I was younger and always wanted to come and live here. I love living in Australia, but moving here has meant I have gone through some big life changes that have had a detrimental impact on my mental health, especially on my confidence, self-esteem and self-worth. I am by nature a very open and social person and come from a culture where it is culturally accepted to show vulnerability publicly, however I find this is different in Australia and struggle to feel accepted/understood by people here. I generally have good people around me to listen and support, but I do not want to overload them with my anxious and negative emotions which means I suppress my anxiety at times. My anxiety is caused from a variety of reasons but particularly from lacking a sense of deeper purpose/meaning in my life in Australia (I find my current job very mentally and socially isolating - I am in academia) and suffering from trust issues with my husband that are trigged because of past experiences in our relationship and in the difficult relationship I had at times with my dad growing up in my home country. I cannot support myself on my current wage which means I have had to rely on my husband financially for almost 3 years now. This has and continues to be challenging for me because I always financially supported myself prior to meeting him. We met just before the first Covid-19 lockdown in Australia and since we moved in together quickly because of this, it has meant I have grown emotionally co-dependent on him. We have moved around quite a bit as well we work in two different states which at times has made it hard for me to form long lasting friendships. Last year, we went through a traumatic work related experience together that really became the catalyst for my distrust in him. We have been in therapy together previously to address the issues outlined above, and while my anxiety has gotten better in the last 6 months, the catastrophising thoughts still dominate my external/internal perception. Thanks for reading and for your understanding.

SLB Social Anxiety
  • replies: 2

I’m really struggling with my social anxiety. My partner knows alllot of people, and it’s that time of the year where there’s allot of events on that we are to attend. And my anxiety is just through the roof. I can’t talk to anymore, I can’t make eye... View more

I’m really struggling with my social anxiety. My partner knows alllot of people, and it’s that time of the year where there’s allot of events on that we are to attend. And my anxiety is just through the roof. I can’t talk to anymore, I can’t make eye contact, I’m awkward, I choke on my words, and I’m so self aware of this, and I hate it! I feel weird and I don’t want to be known as that girlfriend who’s weird, awkward and can’t hold a conversation… I have no idea what I can do to get better at handling social interaction because it makes me so depressed

62442 My claustrophobia is getting to the point where I can't commute on Sydney Trains any longer
  • replies: 7

Pretty much exactly as the title says. Whenever I hear there's multiple delays on the line and trains are backed up, I go into a cold panic. If I'm in between stations and we suddenly stop I can feel the panic attack starting. My partner was once stu... View more

Pretty much exactly as the title says. Whenever I hear there's multiple delays on the line and trains are backed up, I go into a cold panic. If I'm in between stations and we suddenly stop I can feel the panic attack starting. My partner was once stuck between stations for 45 minutes and the sheer thought makes me want to break down. I've just started a new job which requires me to commute to Town Hall during peak hour and every day it makes me feel exhausted when I get off the train both before and after work. I've tried the breathing techniques and every thing else, but am more self conscious about people around me thinking I'm being dramatic or weird. Incontinence anxiety also plays a big role seeing as I have a weak bladder and my ultimate fear is having an "accident" trapped on a peak hour train surrounded by people. How can I overcome this without medication? I feel like it's controlling my life and I've had enough.

Bes Severe paranoia and anxiety
  • replies: 4

Hi all, I'm quite new to this so forgive me if I'm not approaching it right but... I don't know what to do anymore. I have overly severe paranoia issues and its become that bad that its running my friendships and causing tension within my family.. I ... View more

Hi all, I'm quite new to this so forgive me if I'm not approaching it right but... I don't know what to do anymore. I have overly severe paranoia issues and its become that bad that its running my friendships and causing tension within my family.. I constantly believe negative thoughts with situations and can't seem to block them out. I find it hard to communicate with people face to face with my problems and have mild form of social anxiety. I want to join social groups around town but I'm too scared that people will judge me negatively so I just stay home and avoid people altogether.. I guess all I'd like to know is if anyone else is going through the same thing at the moment and how they're dealing with it? Would really appreciate some support.. Thank you. - Bes