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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Chris_B Forums etiquette: give support to receive support
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newb... View more

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newbies are welcomed when they first post, and we understand that it’s a big step to post for the first time on a forum like this, especially if you aren’t feeling great. It’s important to remember, though, that these forums are a community of real people, just like you, not a one-on-one support environment like going to see your psychologist. To get the best out of being here, one of the best tips we can offer is give support to receive support. Being a good community member means: participating in different threads (not just your own), replying to people who have taken the time to reply to you (even if it’s just to say thank you), and... posting words of emotional support and encouragement when you see others who are hurting and reaching out. You don’t have to feel obliged to solve the problems of others: that’s not what we’re here for. But you can offer empathy and what you’ve learned from your own life experiences, even if it’s just a line or two, eg. “I don't know what to say, but I want to give you my support and tell you I care about what is happening to you and hope life will get better soon.” Try to develop an interest in the journeys of others here on the forums. You may be surprised at how good being an active, caring member here can make you feel. For those of you who have had good experiences giving support here on the forums, please post in this thread here and let us know how it has helped you on your journey.

All discussions

Haystack Seeing a doctor for the first time
  • replies: 10

Hi all this is my first post I'm 53 and suffering from what I believe is OCD. I have had this condition all of my life I believe from birth. I have to get on top of this before it takes me. I am seeing a doctor in about 4 hours for help. Can anyone g... View more

Hi all this is my first post I'm 53 and suffering from what I believe is OCD. I have had this condition all of my life I believe from birth. I have to get on top of this before it takes me. I am seeing a doctor in about 4 hours for help. Can anyone give me some advice on how to pull this appointment off because I'm really nervous and I need to be taken seriously

Alel How to stop being affected by anxious people
  • replies: 3

I live with a mum that's always anxious. She always says her anxious and intrusive thoughts out loud. Which, as a child, caused me to think the same way. I now have severe anxiety and depression. As well as agoraphobia and emetophobia from watching m... View more

I live with a mum that's always anxious. She always says her anxious and intrusive thoughts out loud. Which, as a child, caused me to think the same way. I now have severe anxiety and depression. As well as agoraphobia and emetophobia from watching my mum freak out everytime she was nauseous or going out. I am working on overcoming these thoughts, but my mum just makes things worse as well. My mum wouldn't leave me alone even as a grown teen because my mum always says "what if smth happens". The times where I was left alone at home (because my family went next door to my relatives), I had panic attacks (that at the time I didn't know were panic attacks). Now I don't know what to do. I'm taking antidepressants and I'm working on my anxiety and depression. But I feel like my mindset is so ruined that I never feel better even tho there is evidence that I am doing better (like now I can go bathroom alone without being afraid or make my own food or eat without feeling sick or sleeping without thinking in going to die) I just don't feel better and my brain still feels the same as before. Wasn't what I went through supposed to mean smth? Wasn't it supposed to make me stronger and give me a new life? I want to go out by myself and have fun. I want to see people without panicking. I want to do my daily tasks without getting burnt out or overwhelmed so fucking easily. I want someone to tell me that there is a better life for me, so I can know I'm not wasting my time trying.

Jaylo18 I don’t know what’s wrong with me
  • replies: 2

I have tried searching everywhere online and haven’t found anything . So I’ll try here. I am 26 years old , I have Borderline Personality disorder as well as ADHD , OCD , PTSD , chronic depression and anxiety. I also have anemia, which I get iron inf... View more

I have tried searching everywhere online and haven’t found anything . So I’ll try here. I am 26 years old , I have Borderline Personality disorder as well as ADHD , OCD , PTSD , chronic depression and anxiety. I also have anemia, which I get iron infusions from. I have endometriosis and PCOS . I’m just completely run down , I’m unable to do anything anymore. I don’t want to do anything , I’m trying so hard but everything is just getting harder , I have a 4 year old with level 2 Autism and ADHD . He does not sleep throughout the night , he has so much energy and is non verbal . I’ve gotten to the point I’m just exhausted by everything , I can’t do anything , I don’t leave my house anymore , I’m starting to slowly not take care of myself , like shower , eat . I don’t sleep I have insomnia . I don’t have friends , my family don’t help me out with my son. My partner works 5 days a week and long hours from morning till night. I’m un able to do anything with my son because I’m constantly exhausted and just don’t know what I can do to help me. I’m losing the ability to have a normal conversation these days. All I want to do is just stay in bed and not do anything , not eat , not talk , just nothing. I’m not interested in anything anymore . I don’t know if I have more of a problem with my body or not on the right medications for my mental health or both . I’m losing the ability to get any positive energy or look into the future: everything just seems to not fall in to place and I’m just tired . I’m unable to do anything anymore. I just end up staring at the wall . I’m irritable , my hair is thinning and falling out . Im super stressed all the time. I’ve had a lot of suicidal thoughts , always think about it but never end up doing anything. I just don’t know what to do anymore. I’m at the point of not return .

x_BLUE_MOON_x Video Game Collecting Addiction
  • replies: 9

I have a video game collecting addiction. I spend most of my money on video games, even if i owe money to my parents. I have spent $1000's on video games, and most the time I don't even play video games. The worst part of this is that i'm totally obs... View more

I have a video game collecting addiction. I spend most of my money on video games, even if i owe money to my parents. I have spent $1000's on video games, and most the time I don't even play video games. The worst part of this is that i'm totally obsessed with the condition of my video games that's including the paper inserts, case and the disc. Recently the paper inserts of my video games, got a little bit ruined by moisture, and now some of them have wrinkly artwork which very makes me obsessed, anxious and depressed. A few years ago, I threw out all my video games, because I thought they were contaminated with germs. And then after that I started re-buying them again. This is a problem I have been having for a few years. And what makes this problem worse, is that I have no friends, I'm lonely, I have anxiety and depression , OCD, ADHD , very low self esteem, and no life really. Please any positive feedback would help, thanks.

Alel Tips for showering
  • replies: 3

Hello! I struggle with taking showers. I was wondering if anyone has any tips on: how to stop being afraid of showers?And how to stop procrastinating/how to stay consistent? The feeling of being wet and naked just makes me panic. I don't know why. I ... View more

Hello! I struggle with taking showers. I was wondering if anyone has any tips on: how to stop being afraid of showers?And how to stop procrastinating/how to stay consistent? The feeling of being wet and naked just makes me panic. I don't know why. I ger dizzy and nauseous and start freaking out. I don't know how to just do what I need to even tho I don't want to or I'm scared to. I used to have alot of discipline in the past, but now it just dissappeared out of nowhere.

Nahs Overwhelmed
  • replies: 1

Feeling overwhelmed by so much lately. Finding just completing basic tasks is difficult to do. getting dressed, sweeping the floor, doing my job… none of it’s hard, none of it makes me feel anything once I do them I just find it so hard to start. I h... View more

Feeling overwhelmed by so much lately. Finding just completing basic tasks is difficult to do. getting dressed, sweeping the floor, doing my job… none of it’s hard, none of it makes me feel anything once I do them I just find it so hard to start. I have no motivation to do them. I don’t know… I feel panicked and stressed because I know none of these tasks are difficult and it’s infuriating to not physically be able to get up and just do them. I'm so overwhelmed.

Bellanana Anxious mum is making me anxious
  • replies: 1

My mum has anxiety that is similar to mine. We both mostly get panic symptoms when it comes to showers and going out. When I go out with my mum or watch my mum take showers when I was younger, it cuased me to always freak out. Eventually causing me t... View more

My mum has anxiety that is similar to mine. We both mostly get panic symptoms when it comes to showers and going out. When I go out with my mum or watch my mum take showers when I was younger, it cuased me to always freak out. Eventually causing me to have anxiety too. I don't know what to do. She refuses to get help and I can't move out because I need assistance to do basic tasks and I don't have the money to move out. I also hate being like her. She is toxic, as is my dad. They both used to be abusive and still are verbally. I feel bad for them because they delt with alot in life. But I want to be someone different from them. I don't want to end up like them. Are there any tips?

spiralshapesun Putting My Needs First
  • replies: 3

does anyone else struggle to put their needs first? I’m always worried about how the other person will feel if i say no and worried of some terrible consequences. Even for something really simple. eg i’ve been under a lot of stress with work and I ha... View more

does anyone else struggle to put their needs first? I’m always worried about how the other person will feel if i say no and worried of some terrible consequences. Even for something really simple. eg i’ve been under a lot of stress with work and I had to take Wed off for my mental health due to not sleeping and panic attacks. I’m literally so burned out. I was supposed to focus on my own needs for the day and take it slow but i was worried about how my partner was working and probably didn’t want to clean or cook after work so instead of just relaxing and doing what i needed to do for myself, i spent most of the day just making myself more exhausted by cleaning everything. I never actually did the mindfulness and journaling i planned to do… this was all to avoid even any slight criticism from him or slight change in mood. When someone seems even slightly disappointed in something i have done, then i get a heavy scared and guilty feeling in my chest and start to feel like i’m the worst person ever and I always just assume I’m in the wrong even when i know the other person was being unreasonable about something… So yeah, I guess I’m just wondering if i’m the only one?

Zeeko Health Anxiety - Possible Neuropathy or just simple anxiety etc...
  • replies: 13

Hi all. For a month now I have been having tingling, occasional burning and muscle aches in my feet. I also feel my heart pulse in my foot if I put pressure on it for a while and even temporarily when there is no pressure at all. The symptoms feel li... View more

Hi all. For a month now I have been having tingling, occasional burning and muscle aches in my feet. I also feel my heart pulse in my foot if I put pressure on it for a while and even temporarily when there is no pressure at all. The symptoms feel like they get worse when I am wearing shoes. They also feel like they are worse when I am sitting down. I can recreate tingling in feet when I put my legs in certain positions (like hamstring stretches, sitting on the toilet seat). I have foolishly used Google to self-diagnose and I am now terrified on a daily basis that this can be small fibre peripheral neuropathy. To me it seems to match all the symptoms I have and I am constantly worried every day. Its disrupting my daily activities because its a life long condition that only gets worse over time. Now I will say that the tingling started on my left foot for a month (it then spread to my right foot) and ONLY after my doctor asked me whether I had tingling in my feet which I didnt at the time. So that seems to suggest anxiety right? But I just dont know. AIl the symptoms seem to match peripheral neuropathy!!! I am seeing a neurologist but i have to wait a month and the wait is driving me crazy. I dont know how I can live with that condition and the effect it would have on my family and my future. I cant stop thinking about it and I know things are worse the more anxious I am. I will say as well that I can still sleep. I dont get any pain that disrupts my sleep except for the anxiety which has been disrupting my sleep. But i know neuropathy starts off mild and gets worse... I am just trying to keep myself together until my appointment and needed to get this off my chest. Thank you for reading.

Bellanana What if I made myself mentally ill?
  • replies: 5

When I was younger, I used to always do research about mental health and decide which one I related to the most. Then I would spend hours or days reading about it and thinking about it. Consuming media about it. Making everything in my life about it.... View more

When I was younger, I used to always do research about mental health and decide which one I related to the most. Then I would spend hours or days reading about it and thinking about it. Consuming media about it. Making everything in my life about it. Than I'd get distracted with something else and forget about it. Then eventually go back to obsessing over mental illness and figuring out what's wrong with me. I feel like I manipulated myself into having mental illness because I was never like this when I was younger. If anything I was the opposite. What if I convinced myself I had depression when I was just a little sad and then over time it turned to depression? What if I made myself mentally ill without noticing? What if I did notice but I just can't admit it to myself? What if I just like being sick and will never be able to move on?