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

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?

Zazu What a year... How to keep up
  • replies: 2

So this year so far, in order, I've changed jobs from self employed to full time employment, moved house, pulled out of uni as it was too much, gotten pregnant (am still), and 2 weeks ago lost my grandfather who I was quite close to, then last week f... View more

So this year so far, in order, I've changed jobs from self employed to full time employment, moved house, pulled out of uni as it was too much, gotten pregnant (am still), and 2 weeks ago lost my grandfather who I was quite close to, then last week find out my Mum has bowel cancer and has to have surgery in 2 weeks and prognosis isn't looking good. A couple of things I could do with advice on: 1. Nothing I say or do for mum is making things better and I don't know what to do. I live 2 hours from her, and have organised with work to adjust my hours so I can be up there with her 3-4 days a week, limited by my own need for doctors appointments for pregnancy and work commitments. My idea was that I can help out with stuff around the house, shopping, cooking meals for the week etc. I tend to 'solve' and be quite practical and have no idea what to actually say to her. She said today that I'm not taking it seriously enough and don't realise she'll be dead soon. She is sure she will not make it through the operation and will only plan for her passing, not plan anything for the scenario of her living.. i.e. how can we make sure she has meals, who can check on her when I'm not there. She will only focus on who gets what and making sure I don't throw out anything of hers that is expensive. How do I handle this? Any ideas? What does she need from me and how do I balance that with what has to be done? 2. How do I keep my own head above water? I'm hormonal, grieving for pop, stressed for Mum, barely getting my job done, strapped for cash and already today felt that lovely breathlessness and heart pumping of my old friend anxiety, where I even had to end a work phone call quickly before I couldn't talk. I know I can't look after others if I fall apart, so how do I summon the strength to get through this and be there for mum?

Anxietyprone 2 week anxiety
  • replies: 8

Over the past 10 years I've suffered on off with severe anxiety spells. They generally last 2 to 3 weeks. Weeks filled with the weirdest. Tightest chest, can't eat can't think straight for more then 2 mins and fear the absolute worst. I know it event... View more

Over the past 10 years I've suffered on off with severe anxiety spells. They generally last 2 to 3 weeks. Weeks filled with the weirdest. Tightest chest, can't eat can't think straight for more then 2 mins and fear the absolute worst. I know it eventually settles but I want to start looking at underlying issues and other methods of getting on top of this? Has or.does anyone suffer similar

Amond New health anxiety need help
  • replies: 10

I need help or just some reassurance I do suffer from anxiety triggered usually by a stressful situation but my anxiety which can be appropriate for the situation can get really out of control. I just hate being in this state. i am mother to two youn... View more

I need help or just some reassurance I do suffer from anxiety triggered usually by a stressful situation but my anxiety which can be appropriate for the situation can get really out of control. I just hate being in this state. i am mother to two young children and recently had a biopsy for a suspicious nodule found internally a bit more than a week ago. I am totally panicked and I’m just not going to be able to handle a bad result. I definitely have symptoms which is why I was referred to the specialist in the first place but I’m just not coping at all I get the results tmw . Please can anyone provide some reassuring words. Thanks

Paulin Feeling extremely anxious about work
  • replies: 3

I am a 20 year old international student in Australia. Just a month ago, I managed to get a job closer to my university and move out of my toxic sister's home which was really far away - it took me 2 hours and 15 minutes to reach university every day... View more

I am a 20 year old international student in Australia. Just a month ago, I managed to get a job closer to my university and move out of my toxic sister's home which was really far away - it took me 2 hours and 15 minutes to reach university every day. I work as a Personal Care Assistant in a privately owned low care facility. Along with this my work also involves doing kitchen duties, ie making and serving tea and coffee, cleaning the floors, wiping tables, doing laundry etc. I am sad to say that even after a month of working in that place I still get really anxious over every small mistake I do, for example forget to close the closet doors after taking something out, forget to place the sppon on the right side of the table, not remembering which resident has been served and which hasn't in the dining room, forget to turn the washing machine on etc. I get scolded for every mistake I make - it started in the 2nd week of me working and continued to get more and more brutal. Although my 1st priority is always making sure the residents are safe and taken care of, the managers are more concerned with the beauty and look of the place to make it pristine for the health inspectors. On my last shift I got scolded by the manager for not noticing that there was spilled milk in the freezer, even though my duties are not in the kitchen - they have 1 chef and 1 kitchen hand for that - just because I had to quickly make a cup of tea for a resident and had to open the freezer to take milk out. I am sure I did not spill it - the bottle was half empty anyway. Next, I got scolded for not noticing that someone had left the heat pack in the microwave for too long, even though I had not put it there, and the smell was in that room. All this got me so anxious that when I was moving a resident with help from another PCA to the bed, my leg was stuck in the walking frame and I tripped and fell. I told the manager what happened as I felt it was better coming from me than have the other PCA rat me out. She basically told me I am not fit to be a nurse and need more training. She said she was ready to give me her reference if I still wanted to work in the same field buf elsewhere. I asked her if I am going to be removed from the roster and she said "no no, you will not be removed from the roster".

Atmraanedgaer Constant anxiety attacks need help :(
  • replies: 2

Hi The past week I have suffered from aniexty attacks alot. I get warm or cold sensation in my arms and then chest and sometimes thru my whole body. I feel sick i dont want to eat and light headed that i struggle to walk sometimes and feel like i hav... View more

Hi The past week I have suffered from aniexty attacks alot. I get warm or cold sensation in my arms and then chest and sometimes thru my whole body. I feel sick i dont want to eat and light headed that i struggle to walk sometimes and feel like i have something stuck in my throat 24/7. Its effecting my sleep as i wake up with these feelings and find it hard to sleep again. I have a million things going on in my head...what is wrong with me am I dying i cant just be aniexty i must be sick. My husband took me to hospital earlier this week as i was having a brake down saying i was dying (infront of my kids) and i have had alot of tests done on my heart and blood to see if i have an infection but it all comes back normal. I did have a CT and colonoscopy done and waiting for the results tomorrow so anxious about that. I guess its a long time coming. My mum past away to cancer 2 years ago, then my grandfather past away shortly after, my husband had a mild heart attack last year and found a tumor in his kidney which he had removed and at this stage is ok. I live in Gippsland Victoria and my family is in South Australia so i do feel alone alot. Im a stay at home mum that stopped uni this year to get my health back on track which i think made this worse for me. Im really struggling with this i keep thinking im sick and will die and leave my kids, i cant stop the thoughts and i struggle to meditate as the thoughts are just too much. Its affecting my life and my family i just want to be normal again. Does anyone else feel these symptoms too and is there any support groups that i could meet new people with similar issues to talk to as my husband just doesn't get it. Amanda

Coskra Reaching out for support
  • replies: 5

Hello everyone, I've been snooping around this forum a lot recently and iv decided to come out of the shadows in hopes of support. I'm going through a kind of anxiety crisis... and I'm just overwhelmed and having difficulty hanging onto hope. Without... View more

Hello everyone, I've been snooping around this forum a lot recently and iv decided to come out of the shadows in hopes of support. I'm going through a kind of anxiety crisis... and I'm just overwhelmed and having difficulty hanging onto hope. Without going into detail, I had a significant conflict with someone at work about 2-3 months ago that got very ugly. It's really what triggered off my anxiety episode. I just couldn't leave it at work, and was obsessing all the time over and over.... anyway, it passed. Things have settled down Yet this sense of anxiety remained. I'm second guessing everything I do. I've lost confidence to take action on things in my life. I'd feel like a fraud, a relic, having nothing to offer. I'd convince myself everyone else can see it too... none of this matches reality, and I know that intellectually. Yet, thoughts are there. It's like I'm possessed. Anyway, a few days ago i had an episode that I've never had before. I guess it was an anxiety attack, although I've never had one before so i cant be sure. I'd had an OK day. I couldn't really rationalise it. It sorta just happened. Anyway, i started to feel unwell, and the very center of my chest started to hurt. I'd felt stress pain in my chest on prior occasions, but this was next level. I put on some soft music, laid down, and tried deep breathing to relax. Unfortunately, I was breathing REALLY deeply.... as if i could somehow stretch the chest pain away.... and it got way way worse. Eventually, breathing was really painful in the middle of my sternum. If I laid down on my side, I could hardly breath from the pain. I had to lie on my back, perfectly still, and breath slow and shallow. I relaxed a little, breathing became easier but still painful. I slept like this eventually. The pain was still there in the morning, but less intense. Its been 3 days. It doesnt hurt to breath now, but the chest pain is still there somewhat. Its most apparent when I lie down, but fades after a few minutes. I've now also developed a tension headache I've had for a few days too. Saw the Dr yesterday. ECG was fine. Got a mental health care plan, and I'll be seeing professional about this soon. For now though, I guess I'm wondering if anyone can relate, especially to the chest pain and headaches. Thing is, I don't feel particularly stressed right now, but tension headache and chest pain is there. Its like it lingers. Does that sound weird? Thanks for reading this far, and for any support possible

361525 Excessive Worrying
  • replies: 3

Hello all, I haven't posted anything before, but lately I have been extremely worried about a lot of things in life, even more so than usual. Overall I have always been a worried person. This has progressed from being worried about meeting/talking to... View more

Hello all, I haven't posted anything before, but lately I have been extremely worried about a lot of things in life, even more so than usual. Overall I have always been a worried person. This has progressed from being worried about meeting/talking to people I don't really know or being in an uncomfortable/unpredictable situation, into continuous worry. For example, I am always worried about my family members safety - I feel that if I don't continuously tell them to be careful something bad will happen to them. The same goes if I'm not with them, I feel like I have a responsibility to protect them, and if I'm not there, something bad will happen to them - for example travelling in a car, I want to be there so I may be able to prevent any accidents (even if I may not be able to do anything, somehow I believe I can keep them safe). This has also come to me constantly checking doors, switches and the oven repetitively, as I don't want a fire to start or someone to get into the house etc. At times, I feel as my actions can lead to the death of somebody, or the occurrence of something bad. For example, If I choose where to go for dinner, and somebody I'm with gets hurt travelling to or from the place (or even at the restaurant) that is my fault and I don't want that to happen. I don't like making decisions as my input could result in somebody getting hurt. Even my thoughts I feel have the same impact. My thoughts also happen to make me believe I am being watched, or people can read my mind - which I know isn't true but I'm still worried about it. I often cover the cameras on my phone/computer as a result, or immediately change my thoughts if I think something even slightly inappropriate I feel as if I'm going crazy with all these thoughts and others I can't be bothered to write, and even though I know they are irrational I can't stop just in case something does happen. I want these worries to go away and stop interfering with my life, does anyone have any advice/experience the same thing? Or believe these are symptoms of something? Thank you to any one reading this, and sorry this was a rant about my problems. I just really want for these thoughts to stop and to be able to get on with my life.

shfer Headaches on every antidepressant!
  • replies: 10

Hello all, I have been taking antidepressants on and off but mostly on for about 10 years. Then suddenly last year i started getting Headaches that would not go away. First i had no idea what they could be but they would never go away then i figured ... View more

Hello all, I have been taking antidepressants on and off but mostly on for about 10 years. Then suddenly last year i started getting Headaches that would not go away. First i had no idea what they could be but they would never go away then i figured it was from my AD. I have to be honest i was not taking them every day as i should have! I was taking them every 3/4 days and i have done that for about 1 year and then the headaches started to show up! Now 11 months later i still get them and they don't seem to disappear! Its incredibly frustrating and they affect my mood big time! I have tried many things to elevate them and only thing that does is if I take a benzo! Then it will clear it! I think i must have messed up something on the neurotransmitters or so by not taking them regularly or maybe it just started on its own I have no idea but I know that its insane and its driving me crazy and don’t know what to do! Please if anyone has any experience or have any idea what to do I would so appreciate it as I don't know how much more i can take and i do t wanna be dependent on Benzos. Everyone I know including my 2 sisters are taking ADs and none of them have any trouble while i have insane headaches and even sound sensitivity , its like my head cant tolarate much of outside stimuli. As I said for 10 years i never had this it started one year ago and it only stop if i do not take the meds! I was off them for 4 months and never had even one headache! Please please help if someone has any clue! Thank you!

Mineof4 Where do I start? My whole world is upside down!
  • replies: 3

Hi I have so much anxiety, I'm married with 4 kids three of them have been diagnosed with either ASD or ADHD or CDD. My youngest has severe non verbal autism and takes up a lot of my time which I don't mind one bit. I'm absolutely feeling the anxiety... View more

Hi I have so much anxiety, I'm married with 4 kids three of them have been diagnosed with either ASD or ADHD or CDD. My youngest has severe non verbal autism and takes up a lot of my time which I don't mind one bit. I'm absolutely feeling the anxiety lately as everything is just getting too much on me and I feel like I can't deal with everything anymore. My husband is usually supportive but lately he has been saying that I'm obsessed with our youngest and it's starting to really upset me as I know I'm only doing what is best for him. I had a massive fight just the other day over my son having a asthma attack and he is hardly talking to me now. I'm feeling depressed stuck and angry that this is my life, I absolutely love my kids but it's hard work being a mum and a full time therapist 24/7. I am unsure what to do I feel completely hopeless and honestly I just want to run! I have been on meds for depression when I was younger and they made me very tired unable to get out of bed and I'm scared that the meds are going to do it all again to me and with my kids I can't have that. I know I need medication for this as some days I feel like I can't breathe and most nights I can't sleep just bad thoughts constantly running throught my head, I desperately need something to help me but I don't know what I can have that won't take complete control over me. Any help would be greatly appreciated