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

Nati-R I wanna be happy again.
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, I am so happy to be able to share my story with you, I am a student at the moment, met a guy oversees, and we clicked we had this online long-distance relationship. I have many things to deal with at the moment and one more added just ye... View more

Hi everyone, I am so happy to be able to share my story with you, I am a student at the moment, met a guy oversees, and we clicked we had this online long-distance relationship. I have many things to deal with at the moment and one more added just yesterday; he told me how it is so difficult for him to communicate and at the same time deal with his issues, he is working on his thesis. Next two month he said will be hard to communicate, and he needs time to concentrate on himself which may affect our relationship. And I on the other side of the world crying and can't sleep, woke up with a rapid heartbeat as if I have a coffee shot, pushed myself to get out of bed and went to uni, but all I want to do is cry....

Layla21032000 Feeling weird and anxious and having scary thoughts
  • replies: 6

I don’t know how to begin how I’m feeling, all I can say is I have been feeling super anxious and scared of everything around me, for example I recently went to a water park and I couldn’t stop having thoughts about different ways I would die, and th... View more

I don’t know how to begin how I’m feeling, all I can say is I have been feeling super anxious and scared of everything around me, for example I recently went to a water park and I couldn’t stop having thoughts about different ways I would die, and they were not just little ‘oh no this could happen’ I kept being flooded with gruesome horrible ways to die! This was when I was on holiday, when I went back to my hotel I couldn’t sleep each night because every night I couldn’t stop thinking about demons and the devil and I kept thinking I saw little devils in the corners of my room but there obviously was nothing there, and then I would stay up all night being really scared of religion and god, I am not religious!! I have never even been to church or anything but for some reason ever since I was little I have always been scared of religious things and I had to tell my boyfriend I was crying because I just missed my dogs because I didn’t want to freak him out, the next day when we were getting home there was a piece of rubbish on the ground outside my hotel and the wind was about to make it roll inside and I got so anxious because I didn’t want it to come inside incase it was possessed or something, like what?? What is going on with me? And I have these crazy vivid dreams almost every night of the most strange and bizarre things that are so scary I don’t even know how my subconscious mind is even coming up with it? These thoughts are so intrusive that even when I’m driving I always have this bad anxiety that a truck is going to squash my car and if I’m driving near one I freak out, and then the other day I was hanging out with my dogs and all of a sudden I kept imaging them getting run over and it was making me so upset because I love my dogs why was I thinking about that? I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I feel like I keep going out of touch of with reality and I’m scared of everything and have horrible nightmares that I’m actually even scared to talk about anonymously! I’m constantly scared of everything and especially if I’m by myself! When I’m with people I feel okay but when I’m by myself I have to watch a funny movie or YouTube video to distract myself from having weird and scary thoughts! There’s so much more but I just want to see if anyone has ever experienced this before

MkMk Attachment Anxiety i need advice
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Im in a crisis right now. I suffer from seperation anxiety. I dont mind being alone as such its more that i depend heavily on those that care for me. More specifically, my bf. I cant help but juat feel like he has had enough of my overbearingness and... View more

Im in a crisis right now. I suffer from seperation anxiety. I dont mind being alone as such its more that i depend heavily on those that care for me. More specifically, my bf. I cant help but juat feel like he has had enough of my overbearingness and having to be my carer so has decided either to leave or to pay me to go overseas for three months untill he gets himself together. its complicated. He is 6 years my junior, 22 and we have moved to melbourne and are in our own place. All of his family and friends have moved in and that in itsef was challenging I am trying to settle down and he is now free to go out and wants to just get out and about. I feel like there is nothing else more important for him thn his freedom. He loves me he says but im just too controlling. He is over trying to tend to me and my mental health and just was his alone time. For me to leave id be leaving my job and everything in the hope that when i get back he will have sorted himself out. though if he goes he will have to go back to his country and id be left with all of his bills which are in my name and i cant afford that. Im at a loss about what to do as he just keeps telling me to go and return to him but im not sure of leaving for 3 months is a solution. He says its nothing to do with me etc and i get he wants his own space. I am in a panic about the best way to move forward, living in aus without any support and my family have little to do with my life He is moving back to the islands to take over his family business. His mother is a control freak too. This move has changed everything and he’s realised he needs to learn to live without being controlled and i dont know whether to trust him and give him the benefit of the doubt or just move on as i risk losing my job and then dealing with all of that anxiety. How can i go away for three months with that crap hanging over me He is so easily infuenced by his friends that i just feel like im unsure that a three month break is gonna work. Plus, he and his mates are for sure gonna be doing the whole strip club scene etc He has changed so much and i cant cope with the type of changes. my seperation anxiety is only a part of this issue as i have become so reliant on him for everything. Ive strangled him. He is trying to make me leave so he can have peace. My mother has a personality disorder and her traits have been passed on to me at times i just will not let issues go i have to fight until i get my way. I need help.

Justme00 Newbie with GAD
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Hi I'm new to this website. I've been struggling with anxiety for my whole life. It got worse after I had my last child quite awhile ago now. It has got worse over the last year or so. Stress from my marriage break up & from negativity from my workpl... View more

Hi I'm new to this website. I've been struggling with anxiety for my whole life. It got worse after I had my last child quite awhile ago now. It has got worse over the last year or so. Stress from my marriage break up & from negativity from my workplace. I'm so confused as what to do next. I'm not sure if I want to give my marriage ago again or not. I've found a new independence in myself since my marriage breakdown so I'm not sure if I want that to change. My workplace has seemed to cause me a lot of stress at the moment. I'm so sick of my anxiety & how it makes me feel. It's hard for others to understand it. I feel so lonely.

LoVeMyBaBiEs How to make friends?
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How do you make friends when your anxiety stops you from talking to new people! I just want to make a friend that I can go for walks with and lives nearby but I’m too nervous to go to any groups.

How do you make friends when your anxiety stops you from talking to new people! I just want to make a friend that I can go for walks with and lives nearby but I’m too nervous to go to any groups.

Jermimah Anxiety and feeling lightheaded/faint all the time
  • replies: 9

Hi There, This is my first post. Im 26 and have suffered from anxiety all my life when i get sick but since going off the pill 3 years ago my anxiety has got so bad and every time i walk or leave the house i get lightheaded/ feel faint and have to le... View more

Hi There, This is my first post. Im 26 and have suffered from anxiety all my life when i get sick but since going off the pill 3 years ago my anxiety has got so bad and every time i walk or leave the house i get lightheaded/ feel faint and have to leave. Just wanted to know if anyone gets this symptoms and how to get rid of it. Its so horrible because i can't go anywhere or walk to far from the car or house as i start to feel faint. Its just anxiety but haven't known of anyone getting these symptoms Thanks so much

Guest_9467 Your therapist
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I watch reddit on youtube and happened to have this one pop up this morning . As someone that took 8 years and many bad counselors to find the right one i thought that this might give a insight into what you can look for in one . I wish that i had th... View more

I watch reddit on youtube and happened to have this one pop up this morning . As someone that took 8 years and many bad counselors to find the right one i thought that this might give a insight into what you can look for in one . I wish that i had this at the start on my recovery . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoe3R8eGQKA

tryingtofeelbetter Hello, I'm looking for some guidance on anxiety
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Hello, i have had anxiety ever since i was born. I've never received proper help for it due to my sisters mental health being so much worse that mine seemed fine. I have panic attacks that go to the extent of me vomiting. I've never told anyone in de... View more

Hello, i have had anxiety ever since i was born. I've never received proper help for it due to my sisters mental health being so much worse that mine seemed fine. I have panic attacks that go to the extent of me vomiting. I've never told anyone in depth about my condition and am really struggling as of late due to my anxiety becoming an everyday thing now. I really want to be able to control this with my own strength and fine mindfulness apps don't clam me down and frankly nothing really does until it just passes. I don't know what triggers my anxiety besides obvious things like nightclubs and stressful events in my life. But i don't get why I get anxiety when nothing is wrong. I would love to hear someones response on this whether i'm not the only one. I really want to be free of this terrible lifestyle and would love some guidance PLEASE.

Madammortus Explaining self-care without feeling shame
  • replies: 7

So recently I finished my first year of postgraduate study. It was really hectic (final assessment included a video essay and an hour long presentation, along with a normal essay). And since I know I'm going to have a work placement very soon, I've b... View more

So recently I finished my first year of postgraduate study. It was really hectic (final assessment included a video essay and an hour long presentation, along with a normal essay). And since I know I'm going to have a work placement very soon, I've been trying to lower my work load so I actually get some rest. Now I've still made sure I've sent important emails and kept a bit of stuff going, but I've also been spending a lot of time reading and going on minecraft adventures. Because of being a broke student I moved in back with my parents. As I'm trying to tuneout mum keeps coming round and asking "shouldn't you being doing work?" I've tried explaining to her multiple times that I've still sending emails and making lists but I'm trying to have a bit of a break. Apparently because "I didn't do anything all weekend" that isn't good enough. I keep trying to explain it to her but I feel caught. I know that if I don't stop for a bit I'll end up collapsing horrible later but apparently everyone else is able to keep going and going so maybe it's just me not being good enough. And everytime mum brings it up I just want to pull back and disengage completely. I really don't know how to explain it all to her. All the google options just kept bringing up cliches instead of helpful advice. I just don't know what to do.

kned Careers for someone with social anxiety?
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I've accepted that being outgoing and the centre of attention is not me. I don't feel comfortable or confident in group situations and much prefer one-on-one interactions. Im looking at retraining and trying to decide on a new career. Is anyone able ... View more

I've accepted that being outgoing and the centre of attention is not me. I don't feel comfortable or confident in group situations and much prefer one-on-one interactions. Im looking at retraining and trying to decide on a new career. Is anyone able to share their experience of what jobs work best for someone who has social anxiety?