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

Zoelea9 Panic attacks and the school run
  • replies: 5

Going on nearly 10 years of GAD and OCD. Mostly managed until now. I'm a new school mum, my son has just begun reception. The first 2 days I was okay, a little anxious but manageable but yesterday I had crippling panic attacks and just cried and pani... View more

Going on nearly 10 years of GAD and OCD. Mostly managed until now. I'm a new school mum, my son has just begun reception. The first 2 days I was okay, a little anxious but manageable but yesterday I had crippling panic attacks and just cried and panicked the whole before during and after. These runs are everything that triggers me, Crowded, no escape knowing I HAVE to get my son, getting stuck in car parks etc and now I'm obsessing over having to do them. It's set my whole debilitating anxiety off again. I tried to force myself to go out today but I managed 5 mins before I couldn't take the stomach pain and panic anymore before I sat in my car crying and drove myself home. I'm feeling like a total failure right now and am not coping at all.

Ovenmitt Hello, I'm new and I need help coping with anxiety 
  • replies: 2

So I'm currently studying in Japan (it's a good thing, I know) but I've always had trouble with managing my anxiety. Before I left Australia I was seeing a psychologist who was trying to get me to work through it, but recently I became really ill and... View more

So I'm currently studying in Japan (it's a good thing, I know) but I've always had trouble with managing my anxiety. Before I left Australia I was seeing a psychologist who was trying to get me to work through it, but recently I became really ill and have spiraled into unhealthy thoughts about getting well. Every time I'm alone I am online looking up more and more symptoms and it's starting to make me feel sick all the time. I feel like I can't trust what the doctors are telling me and I can barely even understand them to begin with. I've been so scared and kind of lonely and I feel like everything is falling apart right now and I don't know what to do. How do I stop worrying when I'm probably fine? I feel shaky all the time now and I just want reassurance.

panicaway panic attacks
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I have been having panic attacks for the past 1yr. Overall, my condition has been improving although sometimes it's hard to realize that. However of late, the frequency of the symptoms have changed. There are more short bursts of a lesser intensity (... View more

I have been having panic attacks for the past 1yr. Overall, my condition has been improving although sometimes it's hard to realize that. However of late, the frequency of the symptoms have changed. There are more short bursts of a lesser intensity (2-3) episodes everyday for past week. whereas before, I tend to have a more intense episode that could last couple of days, dormant for 1 week or so before another hits with similar intensity. Wondering if this change in pattern is a sign of recovery at tail end? Are there any literature out there describing the symptoms of recovery at tailored end?

Elle972 Always thinking something is wrong with me
  • replies: 7

Hello , I am new here , I have been wanting to write for sometime and now finally I’m here !! Last year I experienced a traumatic event where I was receiving stabbing pains in my chest/ heart where I was going to faint , dizzy, sick. My family put me... View more

Hello , I am new here , I have been wanting to write for sometime and now finally I’m here !! Last year I experienced a traumatic event where I was receiving stabbing pains in my chest/ heart where I was going to faint , dizzy, sick. My family put me to sleep to relax. I woke up the next morning with a heavy chest,overtime I had constant pain on the left side of my abdomen ribs etc. Constantly wass seeing my gp who sent me for all different test ultra sounds. Went for a endoscopy and everything was fine it was anxiety as per what my gp said when I initially told him the issue. Next day after the endoscopy I got up for work I had no pain but I had a striking head ache I was confused lost felt like I was losing my mind. Don’t know how I drove myself to work but at this point I was freaking out had a panic attack at work and no matter what I did the pain wouldn’t go away. I wasn’t myself I was at breaking point. Two weeks went by I went to my gp and asked for anxiety tablets he didn’t want to as previously discussed. I cried my heart out which he provided them to me. I also went and done a MRI scan because this pain wouldn’t go away it wasn’t a head ache it’s hard to explain. Results came back everything is fine I’m normal !! I was lost why is this happening to me I was losing my mind thought I was going crazy. The pain eased up and as day by day went I was struggling but coping in some what way. After Christmas break I went back to work for two days and quit my job I just couldn’t go back. I am now unemployed, wanting to go back to work but I’m so so scared I don’t want to go back to square one. Trying to tell myself nothing is wrong with me and all my results show good but this pain doesn’t match the results it’s making me think something is wrong. I am seeing a psychologist who is great! But convincing myself is so hard. I have come a long way from when it all started in sepmtember last year , all I wanted to do was sleep , not eat , not move from the couch etc. I hope I can relate with some people, my anxiety has calm down but I’m not 100% yet. Please I also ask with your responses to not mentions anything about doing more test because it will just freak me out even more !! Thank you

Jellybeank Anxiety about traveling help please
  • replies: 5

Hi all I’m new here so sorry if I sound ridiculous. I have generalised anxiety in day to day life which can make things extremely hard. A group of my friends and myself have been talking about going to the USA for years now and finally we took the le... View more

Hi all I’m new here so sorry if I sound ridiculous. I have generalised anxiety in day to day life which can make things extremely hard. A group of my friends and myself have been talking about going to the USA for years now and finally we took the leap and booked and paid for the trip. It isn’t until May but now that it’s booked and set I’m getting major anxiety about the whole thing. ive never been on a plane before let alone left the country. I’m majorly anxious about something bad happening while I’m gone. Now I have a new problem I’m really anxious. I’m currently on birth control pills and I’ve read that it’s a big increase for DVT/blood clots while flying. I’m so scared and stressed about this. Could anyone that’s on the pill and been overseas give any advice? I’m so scared something extremely bad is going to happen to me while I’m flying. Any help would be appreciated thanks

matt48 OCD or ASD or something else???
  • replies: 1

I'm really struggling right now. I have an obsession to be in control of every aspect of my life. I hate changes in my environments, for example, a roof was put up outside my room and I can see it from my window when i'm lying down. I cried for the f... View more

I'm really struggling right now. I have an obsession to be in control of every aspect of my life. I hate changes in my environments, for example, a roof was put up outside my room and I can see it from my window when i'm lying down. I cried for the first week it was up to the point where I made myself physically sick. I purposely make my desk, my room, my locker and pretty much anything i can messy and unorganized. By making everything messy it can't get cleaner by itself and it makes me feel very in control because if it's messy it can't get ruined or messed up. If someone else were to clean my room I would feel nauseous and probably cry and if I have to clean my room I feel very uncomfortable being in that space and would most likely pull stuff out and make it messy again. I also struggle with things study planners and if I do not follow them to the exact time I become very anxious and feel sick so I have also decided not to have set times to do study. I don't know if this counts as OCD or not because most things I see OCD tends to be describe as like excessive cleaning whereas I feel like I'm doing the reverse. When I said I obsess over being control of everything in my life that includes other people. I plan my conversation with other people and how they should react before approaching them and if they don't react in the way I predict then I break out into uncontrollably laughter which is apparently is a coping mechanism according to my former psychologist. I do this in any awkward social situation and I'm not sure if it's linked to this or my sedatephobia but i thought it was worth mentioning I have been diagnosed with ODD and ADHD although as far as I'm aware this is not apart of that. I have also been told by my pediatrician that I show traits of mild Aspergers. I have other things I do like I avoid touching the colour yellow and I can't eat skittles and other colored foods like that without feeling sick because I don't know how I should eat them (although they are delicious). So are these traits of autism/aspergers or OCD or something entirely different? and should I seek help from a doctor?? Please help I am very confused and unsure if I should seek medical help

Aliceinwonder Newbie , over thinker, anxiety and me!
  • replies: 6

Hi guys ive never done this before but thought why not can't hurt right? Well I've just been diagnosed I guess with severe anxiety, been hospitalised 4 times each time I honestly thought I was having a heart attack absolutely horrendous feeling ! But... View more

Hi guys ive never done this before but thought why not can't hurt right? Well I've just been diagnosed I guess with severe anxiety, been hospitalised 4 times each time I honestly thought I was having a heart attack absolutely horrendous feeling ! But each time every test comes back negative of anything serious, should be relieved right? Yep I am but why and how do I stop this happening? It comes on all of a sudden and my heart rate hits about 130 , nauseous, pins and needles sweats you name it . I have a fantastic home life , great friends and I love my job except I'm constantly excluded and treated as I'm incompetent which I'm not ! So any ideas on how to manage this ? I'm currently trying meditation, ive started the ball rolling by starting a mental health plan with my dr and will begin seeing a psychologist but until then any ideas or suggestions I'm all ears! p.s apologies for the long winded intro I like to talk

Mayweather11 Exhausted & Bitter from Stress
  • replies: 1

Hi. I don't reach out like this. But I'm at a point where isolation & exhaustion are destroying me. I'm stressed all the time. I have a medical condition that feeds off my stress, throws my hormones out, I don't eat, I get massive migraines & interna... View more

Hi. I don't reach out like this. But I'm at a point where isolation & exhaustion are destroying me. I'm stressed all the time. I have a medical condition that feeds off my stress, throws my hormones out, I don't eat, I get massive migraines & internal complications. I'm trying not to stress. To take things one moment at a time. But I can't win. I'm in a bad place mentally & my situational environment isn't helping. I'm 27 stuck wih my parents because my financial situation is not strong. I lost my job three years ago to economic downturn & was forced to take on a retail position for bills. Its not living. Its surviving. I feel on edge everyday. I apply for work every other day & receive only negative replies. I feel like I'm drowning with no hope for the future. I feel powerless to change my circumstances no matter how hard I try. I'm overwhelmed. I'm stressed that years are slipping by & I'm not getting anything done. I live on the edge going hard everyday worried about time. I don't know what I should do to pull out or my Armageddon mindset. It definitely doesn't feel like it gets better.

Yogo_6701 Depression
  • replies: 3

How do people deal with depression in their everyday life?

How do people deal with depression in their everyday life?

bubbleman Anxiety and fear of my everyday life (drug use)
  • replies: 18

Hi guys, My name is Nick and i wanted to share my experience with anxiety thus far as a result of drug usage. I've always been pretty easy going and a little bit anxious when I think about it. Early in february 2018 I went to a two day music festival... View more

Hi guys, My name is Nick and i wanted to share my experience with anxiety thus far as a result of drug usage. I've always been pretty easy going and a little bit anxious when I think about it. Early in february 2018 I went to a two day music festival where I had four capsules of mdma over the two days (two each day) after this I went into O-week at my college where I drunk myself silly everyday and had very little sleep. One night i had this incredibly vivid dream and suddenly questioned everything. i didn't feel like myself and I was so out of touch with reality that I went to the hospital at 5 in the morning when I couldn't sleep and stayed there till about 8 in the morning where someone finally told me to go home and I wasn't psychotic (which I was sure I was). I eventually saw a psychologist who diagnosed me with anxiety and it made a lot of sense. She gave me some CBT techniques to calm me down at night and it really worked It felt like I was my old self again. I could drink and have fun with friends without worrying about everything that's going on around me. Having learnt nothing clearly I started using MD again and was spacing it out decently and was having fun but towards the end of the year it got pretty frequent and then lead to the night that felt like everything changed. it was around the 15th of December 2018 when I was extremely drunk and took a random pill from a random guy on the dance floor. I didn't really care about what it was I just went for it, I didn't really feel it's affects and I didn't really think at the time that it kicked in. However I woke that morning in absolute fear, my body felt weird and everything I saw felt weird. I immediately went to wake my friends up because of how I was feeling but i didn't tell them. It's been a bit of a shit-show between then and now (1/2/19). I have this constant battle with my mind that everything isn't real and my brain can't really process information like it used to. I have constant thoughts that I really messed up this time and there's nothing that will heal me. I went back to the psychologist who said it was obviously the same thing but i'm not too sure about it this time. I feel really spaced out and not like myself at all. Like i'm in a hole I can't get out of. From the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed i'm afraid i've lost my old life and can't enjoy it anymore because i'm worried that any second now i'll go crazy and be hospitalised. any thoughts? I just don't knowanymore