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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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sadvet Excited but terrified of leaving current job
  • replies: 2

Hey everyone, I have made a previous thread of how my boss at my current job has been talking down on me since I started. Rather than being encouraging, she comments on how I fail at doing things (it's funny because I've ask my fellow ex coursemates ... View more

Hey everyone, I have made a previous thread of how my boss at my current job has been talking down on me since I started. Rather than being encouraging, she comments on how I fail at doing things (it's funny because I've ask my fellow ex coursemates and none of us are proficient at blood collection and yet, their superiors are very supportive and encouraging). I've found myself unmotivated to improve myself (she did say my university teaches crap) and more importantly, I've been so anxious and dreadful about going to work, because I'm just dreading the next time she belittles me in front of others (which happens almost always on a daily basis). After much talk with my family, friends and the wonderful people here, I have decided that I wish to look for another environment that is more supportive, and I have decided to quit at the end of May. In the meantime, I will be job hunting. But the more I think about it, the more frightened I am at quitting. It's not so much that I have second thoughts, but about how my current place would react. What if the boss comes to find me (she will be overseas when I plan to resign)? What if the rest of the staff at the clinic spams my phone number? They do have my address and contact details, and I live very close to the clinic. I fear going to the nearby shopping mall, just in case I run into any of them. And I feel like my boss will not take my resignation very well, knowing her personality. Yes, I do realise that I am afraid of her, hence the reason I am reacting this way. I know it's not ideal to burn bridges, but I do have more bad experiences than good ones there, and ideally I'd just like some space from the clinic for a while.

SoFedUp Fired because of anxiety attacks
  • replies: 3

I applied for a casual job recently as I felt it was all I could handle at the time. I was offered a Store Manager position instead. I said I was hesitant but with the assurance of ongoing support and training I thought I should challenge myself and ... View more

I applied for a casual job recently as I felt it was all I could handle at the time. I was offered a Store Manager position instead. I said I was hesitant but with the assurance of ongoing support and training I thought I should challenge myself and said I would give it a try. A new store, new staff, an unfamiliar product and no clear daily plan meant lots of stress and self doubt. I put unrealistic pressure on myself which led to feeling completely overwhelmed which always leads to sobbing, shame and self loathing. I was told I needed to give myself a break as I wasn’t expected to know everything immediately and to always ask for help. It got better but it took very little for me to feel I was floundering again because I was always stressed knowing there was so much more I needed to be doing but didn’t know what. Stupidly I felt I shouldn’t bother other managers all the time with questions even though they offered their help. Learning how to read financial reports was so overwhelming that I shut down and sobbed “I can’t do this! I’m not smart enough!” Again I pulled it together and began coping once again. Even enjoying it at times My one month review was positive when my boss said I had come so far and seemed like a much more positive relaxed person than before and wasn’t I silly for stressing so much before. Then came Manager Development Training. Coaching staff to develop skills and using psychology principles to get the best out of them. I was so focused on my discomfort people management that I left the room to have a meltdown doubting my future as a manager. I did commit to giving it my all and improving on a personal level and apologised for causing such trouble. “No trouble, it’s my job!” Next day I am being fired because of my meltdowns. The same meltdowns she had talked me through with assurances of support and encouragement. “You are too negative about things and keep having these meltdowns so we’ve decided to terminate your probation effective today. I need your keys and diary back.” I had never taken time off and the store’s performance was improving. I was told I was doing really well and to be proud. Sure I was struggling with so much to learn but it had only been 3 months. My probation was 6. They didn’t even let me show how far I could get in another 3 months. Decision made. No discussion. I was thrown out like I had been accused of theft. If only people could understand how difficult it is to live with anxiety each day.

xristine Anxiety is ruling my life.
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, this is my first post and would love to gain some advice from anyone who has or is going through the same thing as I. Lately I have been feeling so anxious and nervous about every day life. Recently I took 2 sick days off from work, beca... View more

Hi everyone, this is my first post and would love to gain some advice from anyone who has or is going through the same thing as I. Lately I have been feeling so anxious and nervous about every day life. Recently I took 2 sick days off from work, because my job has been really testing my anxiety. I'd find myself waking up at about 6:30am each day before work and I would wake up to sweaty palms, a beating chest, jelly like legs and a blocked nose. I'd wake up feeling so nervous and for no reason at all. I'd try to lay there to relax but it just gets worse. When I do get out of bed, I start tic coughing which I've found that I usually do when I'm feeling nervous. I would then start to clear my throat a lot, even though I had nothing to clear. Then my mind would start thinking about it and then I'd start coughing so hard that I start to dry heave. This causes my panic attack to take over and then I feel doomed. My body shakes and I feel that I would throw up all because of the anxious feeling I have when I wake up. Apart from work, I don't have anything else to be worried about. Last week I was fine, but this week I have been a wobbly, coughing for, dry heaving, exhausted human. I feel at times that keeping my mind busy would settle the nerves and worry but I don't know how that works when clearly my brain is making me think of things that causes the stress. I literally look forward to sleeping because that's when my body is naturally tired and calm. Any tips of on how to stop your mind from waking you up in a worry and how to stop nervous coughing? Thank you, X

Dan90 Anxiety is back stronger than ever
  • replies: 14

Hi All, This is my first post on these forums, hoping writing it all out will help calm my nerves. Yesterday I had a huge panic attack and for the first time in my life I called an ambulance, truly thinking I was having a serious medical episode. I w... View more

Hi All, This is my first post on these forums, hoping writing it all out will help calm my nerves. Yesterday I had a huge panic attack and for the first time in my life I called an ambulance, truly thinking I was having a serious medical episode. I went downstairs to make myself a coffee around 5pm. Just as I walked over to the fridge to grab a some milk I felt an intense dizzy spell. I tried to shrug it off as being unwell but by the time I got to the coffee machine again I felt sure I would collapse, so I called over to my wife to tell her something was wrong. From there the usual panic symptoms kicked in, heart racing, feeling of impending doom, feeling short of breath and eventually some slight tingling in both my arms, towards my fingers. My wife phoned an ambalance as things seemed to keep escalating and I wasn’t able to calm down. Once they arrived I was sitting on the couch, they hooked me up to their Heart monitor and took my blood pressure. Although both were quite elevated they told me everything looked normal and I was most likely having a bad panic attack. They sat with me for a good 20mins until my heart rate lowered to a safe level and said in their opinion I did not need to attend hospital, but could If I wanted. My wife and I decided since they check me out we would stay home. From then on it took me hours to fully calm down. I had this horrible feeling (and still do) that something serious might be wrong with me. I should add I have had Ecgs in the past few years, blood pressure, and even an echocardiogram and Chest CT scan for an unrelated genetic test a couple of years ago all of which were normal. I have had a cold the past few days, a slight fever which the doctor said was nothing to worry about although I have been feeling generally unwell whilst I try to shake it. Anyone else had a massive panic attack out of the blue like this? I’m still shaken up today, but am finding. More moments of calm as the day goes on. I do have a few big things happening at the moment, work is laying people off and my wife and I are expecting a baby in about 4 weeks, which is great but obviously a big change. I’ve also noticed some irrational thoughts about death, health issues etc. happening more and more over the past few weeks. Cheers, Dan

abc123xyz Anxiety attacks that come and go
  • replies: 2

Hi I am new to using beyond blue and the online forums. I believe I suffer from anxiety, OCD and sometimes depression, although I have not seen anyone about this. The OCD is constant and I am forever rechecking things even when I know in my head that... View more

Hi I am new to using beyond blue and the online forums. I believe I suffer from anxiety, OCD and sometimes depression, although I have not seen anyone about this. The OCD is constant and I am forever rechecking things even when I know in my head that I need to stop but I just can’t. I get anxiety about different things such as health concerns and things that are out of my control, such as the “unknown”. I am currently expecting my first child and have been getting anxiety a lot about this lately. Things such as labour, financial situation, how to raise a baby and my living situation. Out of nowhere I will just start panicking and crying and be sad and angry at the same time. Then a couple of hours later I’ll be completely fine again and feel stupid for losing control. Does anyone else go through things similar to this and is there anything that you’ve tried that helps with it?

Rhysb93 Anxiety problems help.
  • replies: 5

Hi guys my name is Rhys I’m 26 and believe I have a severe anxiety, wanting to see if anyone has had side effects or symptoms from taking prescribed medication for anxiety. what im taking currently is an SSRI and as of last night it is only the secon... View more

Hi guys my name is Rhys I’m 26 and believe I have a severe anxiety, wanting to see if anyone has had side effects or symptoms from taking prescribed medication for anxiety. what im taking currently is an SSRI and as of last night it is only the second night I’ve taken it. i woke up last night in middle of night with quite bad stomach pain diarrhoea and sweating and racing heart, heart rate was about 145 ( Apple Watch) and then I started shaking I’m not sure if that was because I was panicking or not. so my question is does medication have these side effects just because I’ve only started taking them or is this my anxiety playing up? Ive had all necessary heart stress tests and ultrasounds etc about a year ago and I’m fit and healthy so I believe everything is fine there but it’s the first thing I worry about if something odd happens to my heart/heart beat. if someone could shed some light for me would be amazing thank you!!!

IT What is this?
  • replies: 3

Hello, So, my psychiatrist diagnosed me with severe anxiety amd depression and laughs and says that i am the best worrier, i laugh back because i domt know what he really means. I went to a weddi g recently and got drunk, something that i rarely do. ... View more

Hello, So, my psychiatrist diagnosed me with severe anxiety amd depression and laughs and says that i am the best worrier, i laugh back because i domt know what he really means. I went to a weddi g recently and got drunk, something that i rarely do. As always after i drink a fair bit, a couple of days later in the week i see a different view to life where things seem so much simpler and life seems like it can be much more enjouable easier. This is wjere i realose i know what that psychiatrist is talking about. I am that overwhlemed, overthink, anxious, depressed and sad that i life in it all and am tying to build a lofe with it, and not noticing that this is all a mental illness. All my decions would be so much easier amd different in life if i always was in this normal state of mind. I rhink wrong and negative amd evrything seems to hard bit i still do it all with mental struggle, but i say to myself i dont like doing these things they arent for me. I find this so interesting because these state of minds always come and go every once in a while and not always when i drink. I can relate to eveything in life and everything in life makes sense when i see this. I would actually ne somewhere in life by now if i would not think like this all the time. I am going to my psychiatrist and psycologist next month, but i want someone to confirm these state of minds being true so that i can gain confidence and try to remember them everyday to train my mind this right way of thinking. Thanks

Sam42 Stuck in Anxiety
  • replies: 4

I have had some problems with overwhelming and crippling feelings of anxiety and not coping with stress for several years now. A lot of the time I just live with the slightly-sick anxious feeling, with it flaring up at different times. It leaves me t... View more

I have had some problems with overwhelming and crippling feelings of anxiety and not coping with stress for several years now. A lot of the time I just live with the slightly-sick anxious feeling, with it flaring up at different times. It leaves me tired, with headaches, unfocused and scattered. At 20 years old I feel as though my anxiety is getting worse, being unfocused and unmotivated and then feeling guilty about it makes it a huge struggle for to get anything done or be self-disciplined. University is one of my biggest struggles right now, I can barely manage my work, but I feel I have no alternative and feel incredibly stuck. I have no job, I have never had a proper job, and the thought of having one qives me anxiety attacks. I do not know where the anxiety comes from, I feel anxious about a lot of things, but it's not always the same, some days I might feel really anxious and sick and afraid just driving to the local shops, and the next day not have nearly as much as a problem with it, but I'm always anxious at the thought of driving. I'd rather never drive again. Generally I am always anxiety, I just feel anxious and tired without reason, and at times very fearful and anxious for reason that I cannot explain/don't understand. Often my anxiety is like a psychical barrier that stops me from doing things. Because I never really felt like I could talk to either of my parents about it growing up and now, I mostly suffered and beared it in silence. On and off for ages I wondered if there was actually something wrong with me or not. I don't believe my parents think there is anything wrong with me and nor do they want to hear about it. Now, the thought of talking to them almost and sometimes does give me a anxiety attack. The best way I could actually cope with things, especially towards the end of high school, was to just repress it. To shove it as far down as possible and just deal with break downs every so often. But this isn't working any more as I must move forward in my life, but I feel as if I have and can do nothing. I have never sought out any kind of professional help for this before, excluding a brief session with a uni counsellor when it went through a rough patch at the start of University. I have only ever relied on my aunt and friend, and often I was and am trying to support her through her struggle with depression.

Annabel I'm having scary thoughts
  • replies: 4

Hi, I had a stressful incident at work that has now triggered severe Anxiety. I had a scary OCD thought last night which I sometimes think about from time to time and able to put it out of my mind but now that I have Anxiety, it's made the Anxiety so... View more

Hi, I had a stressful incident at work that has now triggered severe Anxiety. I had a scary OCD thought last night which I sometimes think about from time to time and able to put it out of my mind but now that I have Anxiety, it's made the Anxiety so much worse that a my heart is racing and I can't sleep at all! Last night I had a panic attack and I'm feeling extremely drained today. I've started on medication and been taking them for 4 days, I'm wondering if I need to increase this dose? I'm worried about my racing heart as I'm 46 years old so thinking that it can't be good for me at my age. I distract myself as much I can and going out and keeping myself busy but when I get home, the Anxiety is still quite overwhelming. If there any advice as to what I should do next and if I should increase my Anti-depressant? Thankyou. xo Annabel.

upwardcoast Anxious from work. Possibly in unsuitable job role?
  • replies: 3

Been feeling anxious for a couple of months now. Started to affect my work performance and losing focus at work as well. Everytime I leave the office, the work follows me. Either via a phone call, or just me generally be thinking about what will go w... View more

Been feeling anxious for a couple of months now. Started to affect my work performance and losing focus at work as well. Everytime I leave the office, the work follows me. Either via a phone call, or just me generally be thinking about what will go wrong at work. I am in the construction industry, so naturally it is a very high stressful working environment. In my first year working in this industry, it was actually quite fun and not all stressful or anxious about it. Since my promotion to it, the feeling of anxiousness and stress amplifies. Again, which i expected. However now it is taken to the extreme, i am not sure what caused it, but i am unable to relax or wind down after work at home no longer. Eating or playing my video games does not seem to distract me anymore. My GP do prescribed me a tricyclis antidepressant to help me to go to sleep which i have problem with too. I have yet to take any of it as I am afraid that it will makes me sleep past my alarm at 6am. What are your suggestions to reduce my anxiousness from work and able to enjoy my free time after work.

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