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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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sera Anxiety has ruined my life
  • replies: 4

Hello, I was diagnosed primarily with social anxiety and secondarily, with depression, in my early twenties; and they've had an negative impact in every part of my life - friends, family, work, relationships, etc. I take medication for these conditio... View more

Hello, I was diagnosed primarily with social anxiety and secondarily, with depression, in my early twenties; and they've had an negative impact in every part of my life - friends, family, work, relationships, etc. I take medication for these conditions daily; and visit a psychiatrist every 3-4 weeks, and will starting seeing a psychologist as well. I work infrequently - less than 5 hours a week and not even that at times - do not socialise with anyone, apart from my parents and one person who I met through a mental health organisation. I have a lot of spare time, most days, unless I have a work shift or an appointment I need to go to; and tend to sleep late and wake up early afternoon, go on computer, eat junk food, and not a lot else. A lot of years have passed since mental illness entered the picture and I don't see that things, or more specifically, that I will change. I've become used to a sedentary and isolated routine and can't see that a girl would want to be with me, especially someone who is unemployed, no friends, and doesn't do anything. The idea of someone liking me is a bit overwhelming. Actually, I tend to avoid social or intimate situations and deny the possibility that someone could be interested in me, as a friend or partner. Anxiety amplifies the possibility of making friends and getting a girlfriend, in fact, I think I'd rather have a tooth pulled without anaesthetic than ask someone out. I sometimes literally flee to avoid such a situation. In social situations - this includes work as quite social - I get anxious before the event (in the past I just wouldn't turn up to work and find myself being terminated) and also, after the fact, I berate myself internally about what I've said and how I think I was perceived. I have joined clubs/volunteer positions in the past, but often drop out, shortly after starting, finding excuses. It is not easy trying to find people who you can relate to in a capital city - Melbourne - when you don't socialise and have groups of friends, e.g. work, university, etc. I have started babbling, so I will stop now and thank you for reading this post. thanks, n. btw, my moniker sounds female, but i'm a guy.

TheatreGal Feeling low starting new medication- normal?
  • replies: 2

I am on day 3 of taking a new SSRI to manage anxiety, more than depression. I know they take quite some time to work, but is it relatively normal to feel quite low the first few days/weeks? Also experiencing a lack of appetite and insomnia, which are... View more

I am on day 3 of taking a new SSRI to manage anxiety, more than depression. I know they take quite some time to work, but is it relatively normal to feel quite low the first few days/weeks? Also experiencing a lack of appetite and insomnia, which are probably contributing, but I just wonder at what point should I be more concerned about the low mood?

justmatt ex believes anxiety is an excuse or justification for my past behaviours
  • replies: 4

Hi All - my wife left our relationship about a year ago, just after she got me to finally get a professional assesment on my mental health (Ill admit, my behaviour over the years significantly contributed to the breakdown of our marriage) So It turns... View more

Hi All - my wife left our relationship about a year ago, just after she got me to finally get a professional assesment on my mental health (Ill admit, my behaviour over the years significantly contributed to the breakdown of our marriage) So It turns out I have suffered worsening severe depression and anxiety for goodness knows how long (maybe 20 years) - Having embraced that, working with clinical psyc. and a good GP and medication plan, I feel I'm in a much better place than I have been in years. Which is a great feeling. The hardest thing for me is to try to get her to understand that those behaviours came from a place I didn't realise I was acting from - rather than her point of veiw, which is that she believes i'm just using the explanation of anxiety and depression as an excuse for the way I acted in the past, and that old patterns will just re emerge over time, which is very much standing in the way of us becoming friends again and working towards reconciling. I'm sure I cant be alone with this scenario, I'd just really welcome some suggestions about how to tackle this. P.S. - I have asked her to have a look at some of the stories on here, but there is a lot to take in if it's not specific. Thanks in advance M

Lumlo Panic attacks
  • replies: 27

Hi. I have been struggling with anxiety for a while now. There are lots of stressful things going on and the stress seems to have become constant anxiety. I started having panic attacks recently but didnt know what it was till I saw my Dr. I feel lik... View more

Hi. I have been struggling with anxiety for a while now. There are lots of stressful things going on and the stress seems to have become constant anxiety. I started having panic attacks recently but didnt know what it was till I saw my Dr. I feel like life is so bad and just out of control I dont want to see any friends or do anything anymore. Its hard to get motivated or function. Does anyone have advise on how to manage or ideas to help.?

Thunderdog Pushing my limits with social anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi All, I'm 25 and was diagnosed with social anxiety almost 1 year ago. I'm about to really push my limits this coming week and I'm extremely nervous I've got myself in to something I can't handle. I'm hoping someone could share some advice on how to... View more

Hi All, I'm 25 and was diagnosed with social anxiety almost 1 year ago. I'm about to really push my limits this coming week and I'm extremely nervous I've got myself in to something I can't handle. I'm hoping someone could share some advice on how to cope and make the week a success! So my typical story... In high pressure group social situations like parties or meetings I tend to get very anxious and go really quiet, not talking and struggling to answer basic questions as well as the more normal sweating, elevated heart rate etc. I then start getting the more worrying symptoms like dizziness, lightheaded and nausea. These will usually get to a point where I will either faint or vomit, especially if it's something that goes over more than a day, like a university residential school or business conference or trip. So I applied for a leadership program in the industry I work in thinking it would help boost my confidence and communication skills and got selected to attend. It starts on Monday and I'm already getting really nervous thinking about that most people there are going to be rather outgoing and confident and I'm likely going to be fainting or something, especially since it's likely we're going to be encouraged to be more outgoing... I also tend to not be able to eat food around strangers which is also a worry since it goes for a week... I'm not sure what to do... I still want to go but I just don't want to get sick or faint. I do have a friend going as well but they are also very outgoing and social so I can't trust or expect them to hang around me the whole time. They also know I struggle with anxiety but seem to think being thrown in the deep end is the answer, thinking that I'll do it, be fine and realise there's no reason to worry. But I've tried similar things in the past and ended up in hospital from fainting and endless vomiting. Do I try to explain to my friend what's happened in the past? I'm not sure what they could do to help me anyway? Any other advice to keep cool in a really stressful situation? Sorry it's a bit long and thanks in advance.

izzysmith19 Anxiety from family
  • replies: 3

I find that family arguments, insults, disputes etc. triggers my anxiety to increase then plateau. After arguments or put downs, i feel anxious, on edge, sometimes angry and emotionally drained. Does anyone else feel this way too? Do family members c... View more

I find that family arguments, insults, disputes etc. triggers my anxiety to increase then plateau. After arguments or put downs, i feel anxious, on edge, sometimes angry and emotionally drained. Does anyone else feel this way too? Do family members cause anyone else an increase in anxiety? Thankyou.

sometimesanxious Can’t get on top of the physical symptoms
  • replies: 3

For the past 6wks I have had really bad physical symptoms that I just can’t get rid of which has been brought on by a health issue that hasn’t given me any answers... i have tried meditation, distraction, really strict healthy eating and nothing is w... View more

For the past 6wks I have had really bad physical symptoms that I just can’t get rid of which has been brought on by a health issue that hasn’t given me any answers... i have tried meditation, distraction, really strict healthy eating and nothing is working. Usually with a bit of effort I can manage my symptoms. should I see my GP and ask for some short term medication to help get on top of the symptoms before they spiral even further out of control? im starting to get quite panicky and it’s consuming my thoughts 24/7.

Lovedogs9 Anxiety Ruining Everything
  • replies: 3

Hi all, I have posted something to this a little while ago, but things have changed slightly and I wondered if anyone had come out of this the other side. long story short; I can’t stop overthinking my relationship, and it’s ruining it. We broke up (... View more

Hi all, I have posted something to this a little while ago, but things have changed slightly and I wondered if anyone had come out of this the other side. long story short; I can’t stop overthinking my relationship, and it’s ruining it. We broke up (again) last night, happy Valentine’s Day to me . We do argue a lot but I’ve come to realize that I accidentally start a lot of these fights. Especially when I’m anxious. My latest thing is, he’s not overly interested in traveling, which concerns me as it’s one of my big passions and I want to travel together. He has slightly different priorities, and is currently seeing a family court lawyer to get custody of his son who he hasn’t seen for almost a year. We recently terminated a pregnancy, which was really difficult, but if anything I feel like being pregnant made me less anxious, maybe just because my mind was preoccupied with that. I got home last night and saw all the cute stuff that my sister had left for her bf for Valentine’s Day, including a photo of her that said “love you forever” which really set me off. In the beginning, I was so happy. I had found someone who was everything that I had ever wanted. But then the anxiety crept it and started ruining things. He has never actually done anything wrong, yet we argue a lot. I feel like I am trapped in my own head. On the one hand I am worried that we are not the perfect fit for each other, and on the other hand I am worried that my anxiety is just ruining everything. Is it that big of a deal if we don’t have all the same interests or hobbies? We have the same values and sense of humor and are very comfortable around each other. I feel like an idiot for asking for advice, as most people say that when they’ve found the one “they just know”. But I feel like you can’t be sure of anything when you have anxiety. if anyone has ever felt like this and gotten over it, or had doubts but still ended up with their partner, I would love to know. I am really struggling, thanks for reading.

Sophie_S Depersonalization and anxiety
  • replies: 3

Hello everyone, my name is Sophie I’m 21 years old from Queensland. Over the last 8 weeks my life has been living hell, I have been suffering from depersonalization and sever anxiety. I’ve lost 8 weeks of my life and 8 weeks of watching my newborn da... View more

Hello everyone, my name is Sophie I’m 21 years old from Queensland. Over the last 8 weeks my life has been living hell, I have been suffering from depersonalization and sever anxiety. I’ve lost 8 weeks of my life and 8 weeks of watching my newborn daughter grow up (she’s now 3 months old) my anxiety is stemming around death and the fear of dying. I’m sruggling SO MUCH! I’m struggling to see the end of this. The depersonalization feels like I’m living in a dream, like I’m seeing everything around me happening but feeling like I’m not there. I’m losing a lot of sleep, having panic attacks nearly every night. My anxiety is horrible, every physical change in my body, I panic. Every colour change in my skin, I panic. Every bad thought, I panic. I’m at a loss, I’m waiting to hear back from a psychiatrist but that seems like it’s taking forever. I just don’t know what else to do. I need help, I need tips, I need strength, I need to be here for my 3 kids, I need my life back. Thank you for taking the time to read this, any tips could be helpful right now.

Lovedogs9 Anxiety Affecting Relationship
  • replies: 6

Hi All, Every time I end up looking for advice on the internet I usually end up feeling disheartened or worse, but I figured this would be the right place to look for advice. Basically like a lot of people on here, I unfortunately suffer from the “ev... View more

Hi All, Every time I end up looking for advice on the internet I usually end up feeling disheartened or worse, but I figured this would be the right place to look for advice. Basically like a lot of people on here, I unfortunately suffer from the “evil twins” aka, depression and anxiety. Long story short, my relationship is really suffering. My partner is everything that I’ve ever wanted in a man. I’ve waited a long time to find him and god knows I’ve been through some shit with guys. Our relationship has moved quite fast, and I’ve had my fair share of freak outs, most of which he has been able to calm me down over. about a month ago we had a fight, and usually after we would argue I would never feel too stressed because I knew that we were meant to be and that everything would be okay. After this fight I just didn’t feel right, and I feel like that feeling has carried over until today. I keep questioning whether or not we are right for eachother, because if we were, I wouldn’t be so worried, right? These are the sorts of thoughts that I beat myself up about. I am constantly asking myself if this is a mistake, If it is doomed, if there is someone better suited to me out there etc blah blah. I’m really hoping that things get better soon because it’s really starting to get me down. Most times we end up seeing eachother I end up crying because I start feeling anxious. I just want things to go back to how they were. Hoping someone might have been through the same thing and come out the other side. Thanks for reading. x