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

All discussions

Bennotmyrealname Visit to the doctor's
  • replies: 5

I looked at my doctor's screen and it said .... Drug dependent. I had asked for some ongoing help with medications and I was made to feel like nothing less than white drug abusing trash...... I've struggled with depression which I thought I beat.... ... View more

I looked at my doctor's screen and it said .... Drug dependent. I had asked for some ongoing help with medications and I was made to feel like nothing less than white drug abusing trash...... I've struggled with depression which I thought I beat.... And I suffer anxiety multiple times per day which manifests itself physically...the media took helped !!! Can I be honest? Tonight I want to jump in my car and drive away and never come back to my life......I'm withdrawn ... I don't want to be around anyone including my family I don't even want to be around myself ..... I feel like I've failed them, failed my self, failed my wife, failed everyone around me.... I know I work hard and I know people love me .... But it feels like it's never enough... Don't feel like you have to post messages of encouragement, I just want to be alone... That feeling of your on that last piece of rope and it's about to slip out of your finger tips

Flapmon Medication
  • replies: 2

Since my little incident, the burning, the constant panic attacks and paranoia it’s now been 7 days since ive been on medication. I’ve had my ups and my downs, days starting positively and then ending negatively and in reverse. Some nights I’m riddle... View more

Since my little incident, the burning, the constant panic attacks and paranoia it’s now been 7 days since ive been on medication. I’ve had my ups and my downs, days starting positively and then ending negatively and in reverse. Some nights I’m riddled with anxiety and it lasts over till the next day and I’m useless and not one someone should ask for help. i don’t know if it’s the medication that’s affecting me physically but I’ve got constant headaches, neck pain and like I’m gonna pass out. My eyes are sensitive to the light and they pulse and don’t even get me started on the lack of sleep I’m dealing with. I don’t have a very good support network in my family because I’m not sure they know how to soothe me when I’m scared of dying, I’m scared my symptoms are me dying or something sinister like a Tumor... I can’t convince myself otherwise and it’s scaring me. its exhausting and I’m over it. i just want to feel normal instead of dissociating or being left in a 4 hour panic attack that I can’t calm down from, I’ve made calls. I’ve got another doctors appointment and I see a counsellor soon. I don’t know why I’m posting here, I guess because I have no one who understands or who will really talk to me about this or maybe because I just .. need to vent and this is the perfect place.

Happy_camper Beyond an itch
  • replies: 1

I would say that I am an over thinker. My brain is constantly going and it doesn’t stop. There is a few things particularly that are constantly on my mind. But recently I’ve noticed something new... I have noticed sensitivity to my own hair touching ... View more

I would say that I am an over thinker. My brain is constantly going and it doesn’t stop. There is a few things particularly that are constantly on my mind. But recently I’ve noticed something new... I have noticed sensitivity to my own hair touching my back or tags on my clothes. My brain keeps telling me that there’s an itch and it just won’t go away! All will be normal but then all of a sudden, my brain tells me I have to itch my back and it won’t stop. It’s all I can think about and I have to keep scratching until my brain stops thinking about it. I have also noticed that I become paranoid that my underpants are in an uncomfortable position. It generally happens in the car before stepping into the public eye. Even though I am not uncomfortable, my brain keeps telling me to readjust myself and I can’t think of anything else until I do. I have spent the last few months unemployed and feeling as though I’m losing control of myself and my independence. Do you think I’m subconsciously doing this to take back control?

99isthebest Anxiety about performing sexually
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Hi all, this is is my 2nd post relating to anxiety /ocd as I’m currently really struggling with a lot of worries and intrusive thoughts. I just had my first session with a therapist so that’s great. But I also take comfort by reaching out and hearing... View more

Hi all, this is is my 2nd post relating to anxiety /ocd as I’m currently really struggling with a lot of worries and intrusive thoughts. I just had my first session with a therapist so that’s great. But I also take comfort by reaching out and hearing if people have encountered similar issues and find out how they overcame them. My most recent issue is being able to perform in bed. It’s been 2 years since I’ve been intimate with anyone and finally during what has been a tough time for me with my anxiety/ocd issues I met someone. Which you’d think would be great, unfortunately I began worrying about making the first time awesome and it was all downhill from there. I was unable to get aroused and I just kept thinking about how embarrassing it was and also that I let her down. To her credit she was really understanding about it and helped me get through it and we even managed to make love for a bit until of course I got back into my head. So I guess my question is this, has anyone else experienced this particularly as a male? Is there any advice you’d give me. I’ve been doing a bit of research and a lot of them talk about being honest with your partner and trying to make sex not so stressful. But what upsets me the most is I’ve just met this girl and I feel like a burden asking her to deal with this but it seems like the only way I may overcome it.

worrier82 Rumination and Worry
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, i am just writing on here to seek advise, suggestions, clarification I’m not a bad person and just support in general for a situation I am currently in. To give you an idea my husband has no relationship at all with his parents, this is ... View more

Hi everyone, i am just writing on here to seek advise, suggestions, clarification I’m not a bad person and just support in general for a situation I am currently in. To give you an idea my husband has no relationship at all with his parents, this is for multiple reasons and something that I haven’t had a saynin, I just support him and stick by him. However, in saying this, I know why he doesn’t talk to him and I get it totally!, so last week I hear they may be considering moving back to the state we reside and possibly the same town. I reacted straight away messaged and asked them not to, and then responded when I was told it was none of my business. Anyway, me personally I know that I could just ignore them and walk straight past them, however my husband not so much. As a result of things we have found out he blames his mother for some pretty serious things that happened to him as a child ~ he believes it is karma for things she has also done. Anyway I sat on this a few days and then sent them a message telling them how he feels and that I am scared of what he may do or say if he were to see her. I didn’t want to send this but I knew I had to so that they could understand why I don’t want them living here. Once I knew they had seen it I blocked them so they couldn’t reply, I knew that depending on what the response was I would read more into it and then worry more and it is a stress I don’t need right now. Personally, I don’t think they will come here, I think they will go elsewhere. Anyway I can’t stop worrying it’s been almost a week, I cannot eat and I keep thinking of all the things that could go wrong. I know I cannot change it and what happens will happens, so I need to stop worrying until I know what is going to happen and where they are moving to. My husband doesn’t seem overly fazed by it right now but I’m sure that will change depending on where they go to. What can I do to just push it away and let it go until I know what’s happening, because right now I’m worrying about things that may never eventuate. Thank you

Hasno_Frenz Between a rock and a hard place.
  • replies: 4

I have worked for my current employer for 11 years. I am autistic. I am 50 years old. On Thursday night, the night before this looooong weekend; a manager I don't know, decided he didn't like the way I spoke to him. Never mind I am a mimic and I mere... View more

I have worked for my current employer for 11 years. I am autistic. I am 50 years old. On Thursday night, the night before this looooong weekend; a manager I don't know, decided he didn't like the way I spoke to him. Never mind I am a mimic and I merely responded to him as he was speaking to me, and so he told me to sign off and go home. And decided to formalize a complaint against me. So now I've been marinating in anxiety for a day and a half and it is driving me insane. I can't see my doctor because it's the long weekend. I can't see my psychiatrist becos..... it's the long weekend. I've sent a letter to my union but they can't support me becos... it's the long weekend. So what do I do? I can't really talk to my wife about it because she will get sad and I have to be careful what I say and do as I have an autistic daughter and I don't want her to start feeling anxious and depressed. I can't sleep because my mind just won't let up. So I dwell in fear getting steadily more depressed and withdrawn. There are still two and a half days to go. It's killing me.

anxiousdragon Google Anxiety
  • replies: 5

Hello again.. im sure this post will seem very common.. I recently started seeing my psychologist regarding my anxiety and OCD and intrusive thoughts.. I am aware the road is long but I feel like I’ve made the hardest step first - seeking help. like ... View more

Hello again.. im sure this post will seem very common.. I recently started seeing my psychologist regarding my anxiety and OCD and intrusive thoughts.. I am aware the road is long but I feel like I’ve made the hardest step first - seeking help. like medication, psychotherapy is slow. Does anyone ever find themselves falling back on bad habits and googling symptoms, and discovering they have every mental illness known to man? Haha - I mean I think Ive convinced myself I’m this or that even though my GP and psychologist is 100% sure I’m not. how do you get off the band wagon of googling and then “feeling” the symptoms? I know my anxiety is the root of all evil here, and because I’ve worked myself up into such a hyper state the last three weeks I’m not convinced I’m bipolar when there’s actually no evidence to prove as such.. just a very over active mind. Looking for suggestions to ditch the googling. I hate to say it but I hate this forum because I feel it feeds my anxiety as I look for reassurance I’m going to be okay. my latest haunt was endless reading about paranoid thoughts and now what started as “what if I have them” now is like “what is my family doesn’t love me” blah blah its ridiculous because when I have a moment on sanity and calm I am fully aware that I’ve manifested that silly idea.. and it has no substance.

something_missing something missing
  • replies: 22

hi to everybody. mmm where to start. pretty sure i got social anxiety.dont like a crowds. if i go i will stay for a while but then i need to get out. i usually leave without anybody knowing.used to laugh alot [no not camalot] and joke a fair bit but ... View more

hi to everybody. mmm where to start. pretty sure i got social anxiety.dont like a crowds. if i go i will stay for a while but then i need to get out. i usually leave without anybody knowing.used to laugh alot [no not camalot] and joke a fair bit but it has gone by the way side. i have always been an outsider but still mangaged to socialise a bit. i live by myself on a station which is not helping the situation ,i have come to relise this . am medatating atm but i have neg thoughts more than i care. i catch myself doing it and stop and try to be positive. probably joined up on this site to look for help but have some communation as well. have been thinking of going back down sth to my cousins farm next yr to be around more people which is oxymoron as i dont like a lot of people around me.

JustAnotherOtaku Social Anxiety - Do I have autism?
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I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I might have autism. Ever since I can remember I’ve come across as being shy, but I definitely hid that throughout high school. I even came to think of myself as almos... View more

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I might have autism. Ever since I can remember I’ve come across as being shy, but I definitely hid that throughout high school. I even came to think of myself as almost being outgoing, although straight as the school day was over, I felt incredibly drained. Now that I’m in my second year of Uni (I’m a female btw), a lot of this stuff has come back to bite me. It’s meeting new people all the time, having to have group projects all the time and having to perform in class (I’m a musician). They constantly talk in classes about performance anxiety and the amount of times teachers have outright tried to diagnose me with symptoms of performance anxiety is ridiculous. I don’t really get nervous performing in front of people at all - I’ve done it since I was about 3. It’s the thinking of what comes after. Do I have to go out for a drink afterwards? How do I connect people who have come to seen me perform with each other who have come from different parts of my life. One of my biggest problems is spacing out. I can’t focus the same as other people. I don’t know where to look at people, sometimes I smile too much and I spend a whole conversation with my face hurting and trying to stop smiling but I don’t know how to make it look natural and not like I’m suddenly against what they’re saying. But yeah, the focus thing. I zone in and out constantly, and it’s almost become a joke in classes. This only used to happen in really stressful examinations in high school, but when I would make mistakes in front of a panel when performing (something like a simple scale) I would freeze. I couldn’t remember a single thing in my head, and the panel members would be talking to me, but my head would almost be like the static you get between radio stations or on the wrong TV channel. I can’t hear them and it’s a buzzing in my ears and I’m so worked up by everything. It’s started to happen a bit more even in more typical situations (albeit not to such an extent) but it’s still highly frustrating and kind of confronting. Whenever anyone talks to me I almost cry, and I don’t know how to make myself not do that. I’m not sad, but it just happens. Too many people in my life now treat me like I’m fragile (other students - not close) and I don’t really have any close friends anymore because they went to different Unis in other countries (or maybe we were never really that close???) Can I get a free diagnosis?

TaySmith HEALTH ANXIETY
  • replies: 2

I have suffered with severe anxiety for roughly 7 years and in recent years it has been mainly health related. I have recently for the longest time had no symptoms and been able to live care-free... then I got off my medication. I had an issue with m... View more

I have suffered with severe anxiety for roughly 7 years and in recent years it has been mainly health related. I have recently for the longest time had no symptoms and been able to live care-free... then I got off my medication. I had an issue with my ears, they were feeling blocked up and I was diagnosed with a condition that results in a progressive loss of hearing. The anxiety started from there. Headaches lasting for days, even weeks. I started to google my symptoms... diagnosing myself with a brain tumour. I started to worry myself so much about the symptoms that I began giving myself them. My speech was fine until I read it could be affected, I was worrying so much that I began to forget words and stutter. It is affecting my relationship, my partner thinks I am overreacting but how do you determine what’s anxiety and what’s a physical condition needing medical attention? I have an MRI booked in but it is 6 days away and I am worrying myself sick. I struggle to sleep, and not wanting to get out of bed and face the day. I am so caught up in my thoughts that I will be out for dinner with friends and go minutes without talking, and not notice. Have you overcome health anxiety? What’s your advice? If my MRI comes back all clear, I am worried I will begin to think of something else I can diagnose myself with.