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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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LDOH My stomach
  • replies: 1

Hi all, I’m 29 years old and I’ve been suffering with health anxiety for most of my life.. I have been struggling with cancer as my core trigger.. I have had such a stressful year so far with my business a wedding to organise, as a result my partner ... View more

Hi all, I’m 29 years old and I’ve been suffering with health anxiety for most of my life.. I have been struggling with cancer as my core trigger.. I have had such a stressful year so far with my business a wedding to organise, as a result my partner and I had to move back into my in-laws to save money.. I consistently feel trapped, unhappy and like my whole life has been turned upside down.. I can relax and now my hypochondria is playing up I’ve had 3 different types of cancers in the last 4 weeks brain cancer, mouth cancer and now back to my old favourite, stomach/bowel cancer. Anyone who can talk to me would be great.. I do see a psychologist and I am on medication I just have a lot built up

MikeyLaLa How long do you take antidepressants from when you start feeling better?
  • replies: 2

Hey guys. I am taking anti-depressants now for 2 months. I feel better now and was wondering for how much longer I still have to taking antidepressants? I am seeing my psychiatrist and she says that I need to at least keep taking them for 1 year. Thi... View more

Hey guys. I am taking anti-depressants now for 2 months. I feel better now and was wondering for how much longer I still have to taking antidepressants? I am seeing my psychiatrist and she says that I need to at least keep taking them for 1 year. Thing is I'm not sure if my psychiatrist is just saying that so I keep coming to her and provide her with income or whether she's saying that for my health and benefit. That's why I'm asking how long do you guys generally take antidepressants for from when you start feeling better. I only started taking antidepressants because my anxiety was horrible and I was having panic attacks and agoraphobia.

Katherine37 Anxiety about the future
  • replies: 1

Hi, I am 37 years old and married with 2 children, a 2 year old and a 2 month old. I started having panic attacks about 6 months after having my first daughter and started on medication which I feel has helped with my tendency to obsess over things. ... View more

Hi, I am 37 years old and married with 2 children, a 2 year old and a 2 month old. I started having panic attacks about 6 months after having my first daughter and started on medication which I feel has helped with my tendency to obsess over things. My husband isn’t really into talking about feelings and has the attitude of “just get on with it”. I don’t have many friends and my parents are really religious and live overseas. My dad has dementia and I don’t have too much of a friendship base (although I have chosen to spend a lot of time alone anyway.) Anxiety is starting up again and I know it doesn’t help that I drank some alcohol yesterday. We are about to do a move from city to regional area and I feel overwhelmed about it. I recently found out I missed out on redundancy pay from my company by resigning just a month too soon and I didn’t go back to work after my first child so I’m reliant on my husband. He dislikes his job and doesn’t see a way out. I hate the thought of leaving my babies (although he doesn’t want me to return to work too soon). I guess I feel a lack of control, a fear that I won’t be good enough if I do end up having to work. I don’t know how I’m going to juggle everything with no support system. My husband isn’t there for me emotionally and I feel bad that he has back pain from his job. I’m sure he thinks my job as a full time mother is much easier than his gig and it gets me to. I feel a bit useless yet so happy and blessed to have these children. I often think about things in life that could hurt them and that makes me fearful for their future. I find it hard to relax and go with the flow. can anyone relate?

Bear Spud Where to from here
  • replies: 3

Hello. I’m not sure where to begin or how to ask this question. I’m very uncomfortable posting in forums. I am reaching out to ask how others with anxiety get through their days. For the past week I have simply been repeating to myself, one foot in f... View more

Hello. I’m not sure where to begin or how to ask this question. I’m very uncomfortable posting in forums. I am reaching out to ask how others with anxiety get through their days. For the past week I have simply been repeating to myself, one foot in front of the other. And I long for each day to end, in the hope that I will feel better in the morning. These periods can last for weeks and I’m currently starting week two with not much relief in sight. The days are long. I’m sorry I sound very doom and gloom. I know for a fact that I will get through this as I have been through this cycle countless times in my 41 years. This is the fourth time this year. But even knowing I will get through this does very little, if nothing at all, to ease the pain. I’m so very over this cycle. Any words of wisdom will be gladly received! Thank you in advance.

Whatsinaname Struggling
  • replies: 3

Hi, Firstly, I'm writing this on my phone, so I apologise in advance. I've found my self constantly drift back to this forum in times of need to find someone I can relate with to lessen the feeling of being alone. I'm currently sitting on the couch w... View more

Hi, Firstly, I'm writing this on my phone, so I apologise in advance. I've found my self constantly drift back to this forum in times of need to find someone I can relate with to lessen the feeling of being alone. I'm currently sitting on the couch with my 7 month old son, who I love more than life itself, on my lap. But my mind couldn't be further away. I think the fear of losing him and his mum is a huge part of my anxiety. I also hate putting them both through my "moods" and the fear I'll always do it to them My anxiety seems to stem from constantly regretting past mistakes. We are building a new home, which should be a great situation, but my anxiety is beating me because we are in a competition to win money or car or something. All i can think about is not wanting to win because they will want to put me in some kind of promotional thing. Even as simple as naming me a winner makes me anxious, not really sure why it matters because a simple Google search shows who I am and where I work anyway. I honestly am not sure why I'm posting this and I think that's why I've put it off for so long.

AllegraMayz Overcoming crippling performance anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hello, this is my first time posting so I hope I’m doing it correctly. I recently sent a video application for a dance competition and I’ve surprised myself by getting in. I genuinely did not think i would and was hoping a bit that wouldn’t. When I r... View more

Hello, this is my first time posting so I hope I’m doing it correctly. I recently sent a video application for a dance competition and I’ve surprised myself by getting in. I genuinely did not think i would and was hoping a bit that wouldn’t. When I received the acceptance email I had a panic attack and have been struggling with overwhelming anxiety surrounding the performance ever since. It has become so bad that I i don’t enjoy dancing anymore and dread practicing my routine which in turn is making the anxiety worse as I feel less prepared for the competition. When I do practise I find that simple moves I used to feel confident with now feel extremely difficult and scary. I’m suddenly terrified of falling despite never having this fear in the past. Every practise session the anxiety surrounding falling, being unprepared and just performing in general slowly builds to the point I’m on the brink of a panic attack at the end of every session and actually cried in the middle of a class 2 nights ago. I’ve never experienced anxiety this intense and frustrating and have no idea how to overcome it. I’m hoping some of you may have experienced it and have some strategies to help.

ATHL2017 Face Spasms/Super itchy body symptoms
  • replies: 2

Hi all Strange question but I have come off antideppresants after years of use for OCD and social anxiety. After I stopped taking antideppresants, I now get face Spasms and super itchy when I get nervous or anxious. I want to know if this is the anxi... View more

Hi all Strange question but I have come off antideppresants after years of use for OCD and social anxiety. After I stopped taking antideppresants, I now get face Spasms and super itchy when I get nervous or anxious. I want to know if this is the anxiety causing it or permanent nerve damage from antidepressant use. I can't get any answers from doctors who just want me to put me on pills again. Please help. I don't know how to stop it. Thanks

Chelle88 Morning anxiety
  • replies: 6

Hi, ive been suffering with anxiety everyday for about 2months now. It’s debilitating and I wake up with it every morning, it usually passes by about 4-5pm and then depression sets in and I can’t wajt to get to bed. I’m on medication, see a GP, and a... View more

Hi, ive been suffering with anxiety everyday for about 2months now. It’s debilitating and I wake up with it every morning, it usually passes by about 4-5pm and then depression sets in and I can’t wajt to get to bed. I’m on medication, see a GP, and a counsellor I feel like I’m doing all I can but it’s not getting any better, I’m loosing hope and strength and I don’t know what to do, does anyone else have severe anxiety in the mornings and what have you found to help?

s0m3thing Do I have anxiety?
  • replies: 1

hi, I just want to start straight away: Im 15, I have depression and I’ve been told I have anxiety but I’m not sure??? I get these panicky feelings sometimes, they come out of no where and when I’m really frustrated and not left alone, I start to cry... View more

hi, I just want to start straight away: Im 15, I have depression and I’ve been told I have anxiety but I’m not sure??? I get these panicky feelings sometimes, they come out of no where and when I’m really frustrated and not left alone, I start to cry which results me into doing this weird hiccuping thing that takes a while to stop. I feel like I can’t breath whenever I start to cry like that. Whenever that happens and I struggle to breath, it’s easy for me to calm down but the hiccuping (it isn’t really hiccuping me, just taking short quick breaths really fast) takes a while to go. Do I have anxiety?

Alizerath constantly worried about losing someone
  • replies: 1

i have posted about this once before, but I feel like I should post again because I have gotten so much worse. I am constantly afraid someone in my family is going to die/go missing. i find myself constantly thinking about it, often to the point of b... View more

i have posted about this once before, but I feel like I should post again because I have gotten so much worse. I am constantly afraid someone in my family is going to die/go missing. i find myself constantly thinking about it, often to the point of being unable to do anything else. for example, the other day my mother was about half an hour late home from work, and yet I literally vomited because I was so worried about her. I don't know how to handle this anymore. I think I have gotten to the point of hysterics almost every night this week because someone hasn't come home when they said they would be. I do not want to lose anyone. I think that if I did, it would literally kill me. right now my 20 something year old brother is out late with friends, and I should be fine with that, right? however I'm sitting at my computer googling traffic accidents every few minutes just to make sure he's still alive. I can't take this anymore. It is impossible for me to go anywhere/have fun because I'm so worried someone will go missing. I think it has gotten worse now because recently my close friend lost her father as he went missing and was later found deceased. I guess I keep thinking, if that can happen to her, then surely it will happen to me? I also lost my dog a few weeks ago, and although trivial to some, the impact it has had on me is so much larger then I would like to admit. I keep thinking, If my dog has that effect on me, then how bad would it be if one of my family members went missing? I often think that if that happened, that it would be the final straw and i wouldn't be able to live anymore. I know people will think I'm being dramatic, and I am, but I can't help but feel so incredibly worried for everyone in my family . I just want to be able to live a normal life without panicking for just one day. but i can't help but feel that maybe today is the day that my life will be ruined. It's taken so much out of me recently, that I just can't find any joy in doing anything because I am constantly worried.

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