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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

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Kelizabeth Would anyone want an anxious doctor
  • replies: 4

I’m 9 months in to my first year working as a doctor and the pressure to perform is immense. You come out of uni and you think you know things but then day in day out you’re dealing with breaking bad news, working hours past finish, having bosses cha... View more

I’m 9 months in to my first year working as a doctor and the pressure to perform is immense. You come out of uni and you think you know things but then day in day out you’re dealing with breaking bad news, working hours past finish, having bosses chastise you for basically not reading their minds, having nurses and administrators on your back constantly about getting people in and out of the hospital and perhaps worse having the people you’re trying to help abuse you. ive just started working in ED and the absurd 4 hour in/out rule means I’m often the sacrificial lamb for specialists who want to meet their performance indicators. Asked to make phone calls to admit patients without all the information or inappropriately on the whim of the boss. Fortunately for them they’re not on the receiving end of the all too common anger and “you’re below me” attitude of the seniors you call. To be honest i feel like I’m a tightly wound spring just about to release and it scares me. I have no plans to end my life but I’ve felt disappointed when I’ve woken up in the morning for another shift, so unhappy I’ve just wanted to disappear. I’ve already ended up in hospital myself this week with a heart arrhythmia and my mental and physical health is suffering. what are you supposed to do when you’ve worked so hard for so long for something only to realise it’s making you sick...and who in reality wants an anxious or depressed doctor.

melltun I can’t seem to control my anxiety
  • replies: 4

Hi there, Nearly a month ago my bf at the time told me he didn’t feel the same towards me. A week later he departs for his trip overseas, two weeks in he is messaging me telling me he regrets it because he misses me a lot... Since then he has been me... View more

Hi there, Nearly a month ago my bf at the time told me he didn’t feel the same towards me. A week later he departs for his trip overseas, two weeks in he is messaging me telling me he regrets it because he misses me a lot... Since then he has been messaging me everyday as if nothing has happened however hasn’t said anything about getting back together. He tells me he’s confused. Now I have been struggling with anxiety on and off for 5 years and for me when I hear bad news I really get to my lowest point. I was completely invested in our relationship and had fallen deep in love. To hear him say that his feelings have changed but for no legitimate reason mind you really crushed me. Till this day I’m still so confused and I constantly have anxiety about what’s going to happen. i find it really hard to deal with as all my friends either have partners or are engaged so it becomes difficult to even go out with them to get my mind off it. I find myself going over and over thoughts in my head until I drive myself crazy. I take sleeping pills so I can fall asleep and not think of anything. But then I find myself waking up and feeling like crap about my life. I do love him and I’m so afraid of loosing him but I just don’t know how to deal with any of my emotions. I would really love some advice on this. Thank you

Bjc1 Anxiety - How to resign from a new job when your boss is a friend of your fiance ?
  • replies: 4

Hi, I am suffering from anxiety and the inability to rationalise what should be a simple situation due to anxiety. I was offered a job about 4 months ago and it is an acquaintance of my fiance (he is the director), there are 3 other directors also th... View more

Hi, I am suffering from anxiety and the inability to rationalise what should be a simple situation due to anxiety. I was offered a job about 4 months ago and it is an acquaintance of my fiance (he is the director), there are 3 other directors also that own and run the company. I have tried to fit into the new job as best as i can but i find the environment not suited to my personality, the people do not speak to each other. I need an environment where i can communicate with people etc. In fact a week ago I was telling one of the other girls about a party i was attending on the weekend and another colleague came over to my desk and crankily told me not to speak as she was concentrating, i felt so embarrassed but i noticed the other staff just put their head down and ignored that it happened. The biggest problem is they let another staff member go a few weeks back and if i leave that means that they will be very understaffed. I feel as though they thought i was working out so let the other girl go so this is putting a lot of anxiety in my head about the potential let down. I have suffered bullying in previous positions and i feel fragile and unable to handle myself to the best of my ability particularly in this situation as i like my fiance's friend and don't want to let him down. My fiance says don't worry just do it, it will be fine, but my mind is telling me otherwise. If anyone can help me rationalise this situation so i can at least resign as i feel so mismatched in this job. In my mind it is easy but it has been two weeks and i cannot say it due to fear, i keep convincing myself it will get better but it is not. How do i let go of this, be strong and resolve this situation so i can move onto a better job? I have tried to get into see a psychologist but the wait times are 6 to 8 weeks.

CoraC Rejection from job interview (job I'm already in)
  • replies: 1

Job hunting. It's hard, right? I don't enjoy going through the motions of trying to 'big' myself up because that feels fake.then the whole selling yourself palaver. It's the worst. But I thought I had worked out my own magic formula for getting it ri... View more

Job hunting. It's hard, right? I don't enjoy going through the motions of trying to 'big' myself up because that feels fake.then the whole selling yourself palaver. It's the worst. But I thought I had worked out my own magic formula for getting it right. 1) take contract role to see if you like job, people etc. all being well, apply for permanent job as one comes available. Then youve established yourself, have good solid work skills, good already formed relationships and you're a known quantity. Well didn't all this come unstuck when I applied for my internal role at work recently. At this point I've done the role a year. Got the interview, told I'd done very well but oh well um we have no perm job to give you (job advertised as perm). We can give you a few more weeks work but that's it. Later a colleague (who I've trained and mentored in the few months he's been there ) announces he's been given a much longer contract than I have. I am genuinely thrilled and pleased he will have some certainty. But now I realise how poorly I have done in their eyes. I have nothing but respect for my colleague who secured the longer role but have lost respect for the decision makers who deemed me to be less suitable, have overlooked my 20 years industry experience, taking on extra duties and helping out the whole team. I just feel like walking out the door and never coming back. Please does anyone have advice? I'm in a pit of despair about this and don't know if I'll be able to interview again without huge anxiety.

RootinTootin Feel like anxiety is ruining what I've set up for myself and creating difficult decisions
  • replies: 4

I recently got diagnosed with GAD and depression. I've had symptoms for a while but I recently moved country and started a postgraduate course, and the stress of this, along with leaving family and friends back home, really brought everything to a he... View more

I recently got diagnosed with GAD and depression. I've had symptoms for a while but I recently moved country and started a postgraduate course, and the stress of this, along with leaving family and friends back home, really brought everything to a head and I essentially had a breakdown. I struggled to look after myself, couldn't sleep and had some really dark thoughts. I've been seeing a counsellor for around 2 months now, and started antidepressants 2 and a half weeks ago. My best friend also arrived last week. It doesn't feel like it on a daily basis but I have made progress from where I was. I guess the reason I'm posting is because I'm not sure whether anxiety is causing me to get really stressed about my current situation, or whether the postgrad course is causing the anxiety. My mental health is awful right now and I have been tempted to sack it all in and return home. But that means leaving my partner here, my best friend, and leaving the course. Due to visa reasons, I don't think I can stay in the country if I quite the course. So far I've really not enjoyed the course and it has caused me a lot of anxiety, but then I am only 2 months in and everyone I have spoken to/read says that the first few months are overwhelming and hard, and everyone says to push on through. I just feel like my anxiety and depression has got me in a horrible situation where I'm not enjoying my days, but that if I quit I have to leave the country due to visa reasons, which makes me feel kind of trapped? I feel like I should keep taking it day by day and give it more time, but in my head I don't know if I can do this and the daily battle against anxiety and depression is exhausting. I guess I'm wondering if anyone has any advice, and I just wanted to get it off my chest and talk about it. Thanks for reading!

sunnydaysarecoming anxiety taking over my life
  • replies: 3

hi, i’m 16 years old and my anxiety is taking over. i’ve had anxiety since i was young (around 10) and lately it’s been hitting me hard. i recently got my first job ever which has been a huge trigger and i’m towards the end of my schooling journey wh... View more

hi, i’m 16 years old and my anxiety is taking over. i’ve had anxiety since i was young (around 10) and lately it’s been hitting me hard. i recently got my first job ever which has been a huge trigger and i’m towards the end of my schooling journey which is terrifying as now i’m facing the real world. my anxiety stops me from hanging out with friends when i’m invited places, ordering my own food, buying something from the shops, getting onto a bus by myself, class presentations, and many other simple daily activities. i have a shift tomorrow for my work which is absolutely terrifying and i can’t sleep. sometimes i feel so alone with my anxiety so i’m hoping there is people out there who feel the exact same way.

greatoutdoors123 Focussing on mistakes in my past
  • replies: 6

Hi there, I seem to have a problem with focussing (and almost obsessing) over mistakes I've made in the past. Whether it be at uni, or work etc, I will just randomly think of them and then replay them over and over. It's really getting to me and make... View more

Hi there, I seem to have a problem with focussing (and almost obsessing) over mistakes I've made in the past. Whether it be at uni, or work etc, I will just randomly think of them and then replay them over and over. It's really getting to me and makes me feel bad about myself. Has anyone else felt this way, or have any tips? Thanks everyone, x

44Max44 A distressing day
  • replies: 16

So today has been pretty difficult for me so far. Some background is I've had nasal polyps for a few months now, but they have never really caused me any worry- until this morning. I went to blow my nose and a little bit of mucus with blood in it cam... View more

So today has been pretty difficult for me so far. Some background is I've had nasal polyps for a few months now, but they have never really caused me any worry- until this morning. I went to blow my nose and a little bit of mucus with blood in it came out, and my nose was bleeding a little bit. I then stupidly googled 'blood nose and nasal polyps' and of course, one of the things Google says it 'could' be is cancer. Great. Now my mind is going crazy and I can't think of anything but that, I went to my friend's house and found it extremely difficult to socialize, I pretty much just stayed silent and was in my head the whole time. On the bright side of things, this rather distressing experience finally pushed me to go down to my GP and book both a normal consult to check up on my nose, and a mental health care plan for Monday next week. I'm seriously considering just going down to the GP tonight (it closes at 10pm) and getting my nose checked then because I'm really concerned. It could very well be (and most likely is) just a slight nose bleed caused by the abnormally hot day (28 degrees compared to 20ish degree days usual), but that still doesn't stop me from being anxious of it. This isn't really a question, I'm just really anxious right now and want to voice my concerns. Let's just say I can't wait for the GP visit tomorrow and see what the doctor has to say. I really need to get out of the habit of self-diagnosing myself because it just makes me panic even when I might have no reason to be panicking at all. I hope that's the case. Thanks guys

Maximprok Please Share - Panic Attacks and Hospital Visits
  • replies: 2

I'm interested to see whether other people have a similar experience to me. The last 2 months has been absolute hell for me. Prior to what I'm going to share, I've never had any anxiety problems or experience a panic attack. To tell you a bit about m... View more

I'm interested to see whether other people have a similar experience to me. The last 2 months has been absolute hell for me. Prior to what I'm going to share, I've never had any anxiety problems or experience a panic attack. To tell you a bit about myself: I'm a 23 year old woman and I do temping for work (

sledz14 Tingling, muscle tension after intense anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hi All, For the past 1-2 weeks I've had a really intense period of panic and anxiety brought on by a health scare. I was so wound up in paralyzing fear, dread, sadness, stress for nearly 2 weeks. I had the occasional moment of calm when distracted, b... View more

Hi All, For the past 1-2 weeks I've had a really intense period of panic and anxiety brought on by a health scare. I was so wound up in paralyzing fear, dread, sadness, stress for nearly 2 weeks. I had the occasional moment of calm when distracted, but it would always come back and hit me like a tidal wave. My sleep has been awful and my body has truly taken a toll. However, today I'm finally feeling a little bit better and like myself. I honestly think my brain just gave up and has no capacity to panic anymore. I feel calm and relaxed, am able to think straight and concentrate, but I'm having these waves of tingles and numbness down my head through my right jaw, neck and shoulders. I know it's not a panic attack. Is it possible that this is my bodies reaction to being so stressed for 2 weeks? I've been reading online that it could be that my stress response is still in a semi-hyperstimulated state. I'm considering popping to shop and getting a massage to help relieve that tension. Has anyone else felt this way?