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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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Tasguy Vitamin b
  • replies: 3

Hi all I was wondering if taking vitamin b will help with anxiety even though my vitamin b levels are in the normal range

Hi all I was wondering if taking vitamin b will help with anxiety even though my vitamin b levels are in the normal range

Shelbyshine Overwhelmed and going in circles
  • replies: 3

Over the years I am always the person who is there for others, which is fine and part of who I am. It just now I don't know where to turn. I went to see a counselor for a couple of sessions. Which helped but I dont feel that I have moved forward. I h... View more

Over the years I am always the person who is there for others, which is fine and part of who I am. It just now I don't know where to turn. I went to see a counselor for a couple of sessions. Which helped but I dont feel that I have moved forward. I had a rough time at work with a bad mngr and lots of other issues. which I dealt with well. On top of that a couple of friends and family passed then I had a major OP. Incremental stress I believe. Now, I have lost so much confidence in myself, my abilities, I don't want to go to work and keep having days off. I also carry on drinking when I have a couple, which I never used to before. Not every day and I avoid it allot. My sleep is bad and my head wont stop ticking. Concentration levels are low and I am avoiding situations and people with conflict and hardly speak up in meetings. I'm slowly becoming a shadow of my old me and I dont like it. My work has been affected as well as my motivation and I am considering telling my mngr bit don't know how or if I should. It's so different when its yourself you are giving advice to and not others. I'm scared that I am going mad and will lose my job and that people think I am not very good at my job.

Michael_E Should I tell someone
  • replies: 1

I’ve been biting and tearing at the skin inside my mouth since about 2012 and sometimes I swallow it. I also have a bad habit of of picking at the skin around my nails. Is this bad? Please don’t tell me the side effects of doing this.

I’ve been biting and tearing at the skin inside my mouth since about 2012 and sometimes I swallow it. I also have a bad habit of of picking at the skin around my nails. Is this bad? Please don’t tell me the side effects of doing this.

elderwolf Help getting a job in IT when unable to take phone calls
  • replies: 3

I love IT and am passionate for it, i have looked and so far all jobs i can find require me to make phone calls but the issue is every time i do a phone call either receive or make i have a panic attack sometimes that bad i literally freeze for 40+ m... View more

I love IT and am passionate for it, i have looked and so far all jobs i can find require me to make phone calls but the issue is every time i do a phone call either receive or make i have a panic attack sometimes that bad i literally freeze for 40+ minutes. So far no luck and i can't get government benefits so finding a job i can do is crucial for me.

eelsforever First time poster, long time sufferer
  • replies: 1

Hi All : ) I am a male in my late 30's and was diagnosed with GAD about 10 years ago though I've probably had it for about 20 years. I always wake up tired even though I get sufficient sleep. I find my short term memory is quite poor and have stopped... View more

Hi All : ) I am a male in my late 30's and was diagnosed with GAD about 10 years ago though I've probably had it for about 20 years. I always wake up tired even though I get sufficient sleep. I find my short term memory is quite poor and have stopped driving as I find it hard to concentrate. I also suffer from shyness and have been that way all my life. I've never had a girlfriend, not even a date and no social life outside of work. I think my anxiety issues started from high school where I found it increasingly harder to fit in, no longer had a good friend like I did in primary school and got picked on/bullied a lot more often. During my early 20's I was alternating between study and work but not doing much else and rarely going out. Then one day at work all the guys from my area went out for lunch however no one invited me (presumably they assumed I didn't want to go). It really hurt however it made me realise that trying to avoid people and social situations was getting me nowhere so I attempted to become more social at work. I also tried things outside of work such as taking martial arts lessons, going to the gym, dancing lessons and toastmasters. This all took place over a period of about 7 years. For about the last 4.5 years I haven't done anything. I've been dealing with joint and muscular aches and pains that make even simple things like regular household choirs difficult to do. This has made me feel quite depressed as I feel quite useless cause I can't do much. For me, the worst things is I'm constantly craving female companionship, intimacy and affection and really want to give these things to a woman but am not even able to get dates. I feel online dating is my best shot but no one will give me a chance. My inability to obtain companionship is really eating away at me and is getting worse as I get older. I know I have so much love to give but not being able to find someone to give this to is so frustrating! I have tried so many things (except medication) to try to get better inc seeing 2 different psychologists but cbt didn't seem to work for me. Now I am considering seeing an alternative medicine practitioner. Anything else that you think may help me would be greatly appreciated.

Snoopy88 Anxiety attack find it paralysing
  • replies: 3

I feel like a complete failure. I’m 31 working in the checkouts 3 days a week for 5 hours shift. So in total I work 15 hours. I get really bad anxiety attacks first week of the day back at work. So I work Friday Saturday and Sunday I usually get it o... View more

I feel like a complete failure. I’m 31 working in the checkouts 3 days a week for 5 hours shift. So in total I work 15 hours. I get really bad anxiety attacks first week of the day back at work. So I work Friday Saturday and Sunday I usually get it on Friday even when I have days off I get really bad anxiety attack I feel paralysed and can’t do much. On my off days I need to lye down and relax til the anxiety goes away. On the Friday at work I can’t focus much and I get uncomrtable body sensations and racing thoughts. I feel scared am I going to get better one day? I’m starting this new medication in July I really hope it can help me with my anxiety and eventually I can work 5 days in a week doing basic admin job that’s my dream. I even went counseling for a year it didn’t help. I saw a holistic counsellor. Now I’m going to start a session with a clinical psycologist who does CBT and ACT. I wanted to know are there others out there who work 5 days a week 8 hours shift and suffer from anxiety? Do you manage well at work? I feel like crying I just want to be normal and work more days and earn money. I’m scared in the future I’ll be homeless. At the moment I have support but my dad is getting old. I don’t know how to overcome this anxiety it’s so distressful. Any suggestions will be highly appreciated.

Miss-K Do I Resign?
  • replies: 6

Hi and thank you to whoever might be reading this. I have come to recognise (with the help of my GP and family) that my previous condition of anxiety and depression is no longer under control. I was just prescribed medication for severe sustained pan... View more

Hi and thank you to whoever might be reading this. I have come to recognise (with the help of my GP and family) that my previous condition of anxiety and depression is no longer under control. I was just prescribed medication for severe sustained panic attacks and after one week I feel the edge is off and the noise has quietened. My docs have plans in place but this is something that will be with me for life (I previously saw it as a temporary blip) so it will be an ongoing journey. I need time off, therapy and re-evaluation. I am in a marketing role and have been high performing and career driven for a long time but I can’t keep up and my productivity and skills are significantly impacted. The remainder of the year is going to be very intense work with deadlines and expectations I don’t think I can meet. Do I resign? financial and potential career impacts aside, does anyone have a similar story they can share as to how they got the treatment they needed? Thank you.

miranda95 Physical symptoms of anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi I have had some strange health problems with my throat since December last year. I have seen my GP, THREE different ENT specialists and a respiratory specialist. I have had lung function tests, 'camera down nose' and CT scans of neck, sinuses and ... View more

Hi I have had some strange health problems with my throat since December last year. I have seen my GP, THREE different ENT specialists and a respiratory specialist. I have had lung function tests, 'camera down nose' and CT scans of neck, sinuses and chest. My GP has concluded that my symptoms are simply anxiety/psychosomatic, so he has put me on medication but I haven't noticed anything. I'm still convinced there is something physically wrong which is why I'm resorting to this forum to see if anyone else has had similar problems? My parents are getting desperate for me as I am uncomfortable/distressed 24/7. The best way to describe my symptoms are - throat feels swollen - a lump in your throat - a band is around your neck - something is blocking your throat and making it hard to breathe - throat muscles are locked - pressure in the throat - throat closing - short of breath - blockage The difficulty breathing is so uncomfortable I wonder how I can live like this The fact that I wake up like this and go to bed like this and the feeling doesn't go away leads me to believe it cannot be anxiety. I also have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which can cause random symptoms.

Ash___ Night Panic Attack
  • replies: 5

I’ve woken from my sleep with the feeling that I was having a panic attack. The feeling has lasted over an hour... Initially, my chest had butterflies, sweaty palms, nauseous and jelly legs. The butterfly feeling in my chest faded once I was able to ... View more

I’ve woken from my sleep with the feeling that I was having a panic attack. The feeling has lasted over an hour... Initially, my chest had butterflies, sweaty palms, nauseous and jelly legs. The butterfly feeling in my chest faded once I was able to calm myself down, but I’ve experienced a number of waves of panic, resulting in a full panic attack. I still have the butterfly feeling in my chest... Im wondering if anyone has ever experienced this? This is my first ever night time attack and I haven’t had a daytime one in over a year. Being a completely new and unexpected feeling, it’s really not helping the feeling of panic... Note, I haven’t had anything significantly stressful occur recently but I do suffer from (self diagnosed) day to day anxiety.

Kable72 Long period of anxiety symptoms
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone. First post here. Sorry for the formatting I’m on mobile. Im really struggling at the moment, I’ve had some sort of trigger related to my health and since then for about 8 or 9 days straight I’ve had a huge amount of nausea, pretty much l... View more

Hi everyone. First post here. Sorry for the formatting I’m on mobile. Im really struggling at the moment, I’ve had some sort of trigger related to my health and since then for about 8 or 9 days straight I’ve had a huge amount of nausea, pretty much lost my appetite and I’m feeling really tired and I have an elevated heart rate. All of this pretty much non stop constantly. If actually dropped about 5 kg in that time already and I wasn’t very big to begin with. Im terrified. My fiancé thinks it’s likely anxiety and doesn’t seem overly concerned but in the back of my mind I don’t want to brush it off as something so mundane. I went to the doctor and she didn’t seem overly concerned and ran a thyroid test which nothing came back for and I have a session with a psychologist at the end of he month but it’s a long time away if I’m to feel like this for that entire time. Ive never felt this vulnerable before and I hate it hate it hate it. I cried in front of my fiancé last night. God she’s amazing. She wants me to go on medication and a week ago I would have told her to jump off the house for suggesting it but if it gives me reprieve from this hell then I will do whatever it takes. I feel like im drowning. Its non stop never ending and oppressive. Has anyone else had symptoms last for so long before?