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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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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

white knight Panic attacks limited remedies
  • replies: 0

Circa 1987 and a sharp chest pain led to a GP visit- diagnosis, heart attack (31yo). 3 months later a full test revealed it was a panic attack. Such is the severity of the chest pain. I eliminated anxiety. It took me 25 years. (search - anxiety, how ... View more

Circa 1987 and a sharp chest pain led to a GP visit- diagnosis, heart attack (31yo). 3 months later a full test revealed it was a panic attack. Such is the severity of the chest pain. I eliminated anxiety. It took me 25 years. (search - anxiety, how I eliminated it). However last weekend although I didn't have chest pains I had my first panic attack in many years. I flew from Melb to Perth to support a school friend I've known for 52 years. He has terminal pancreatic cancer. He is in his 3rd year since diagnosis. A nervous flyer didn't help nor did being out of my comfort zone staying in someones home. On the 2nd day our chatting turned to his feelings for a lady he was intimately involved with. My friend is very rich and his voice got louder as he explained that he "wont let any woman take his millions". Several times I asked him calmly to simmer down and why is he taking it out on me. He did not relent, I walked out. I'd like to tell you of the 60 seconds before I walked out. I went quiet, looked down (not at him), I was in a corner, I had a feeling in my head like hot water being poured over it...I was totally uncomfortable. Anywhere to go but not stay there. I left, walked 10km then flagged a taxi to the airport. I had a return ticket for two days later and couldn't make it earlier (long weekend) so resigned to the fact that I would sleep under bushes for two nights. Our car broke and my savings for this trip was soaked up till next pension day. I cared not. After some breathing and muscle exercises I fell asleep under the stars at the airport. 5am my mate rang. Reluctantly I answered, we worked out some differences, many apologies from him and I spent my time with him again. With some its "flight or fight"...with me its "flight and flight"...I run from situations when panic sets in. Been the same for 62 years. My sister has the same reaction. I now accept that this is me. There is little that can be done except time out. Time alone gives you fume release. In this case it gave my friend reflection time. He is also dying so his anger is at times uncontrollable. It also told me that keeping some relationships at arms length is an art in itself. The most important thing is not to do anything in excess. Massive spending, irresponsible driving and/or drinking etc Those things compound the situation. Care for yourself. In my case sleeping under the stars didn't hurt anyone. Allow time to heal the anxiety. Reflect, relax. It's all ok. TonyWK

paxomatic Anxiety and Futility and Human Connection
  • replies: 3

I am 52, divorced, full-time employed in the public service for over 20 years and have suffered anxiety interspersed with bouts of depression my whole life. I am also highly introverted. Anxiety is the mainstay of my life. I don't have friends except... View more

I am 52, divorced, full-time employed in the public service for over 20 years and have suffered anxiety interspersed with bouts of depression my whole life. I am also highly introverted. Anxiety is the mainstay of my life. I don't have friends except those people that have to work with me in my immediate work environment, not a single one of whom choose to have anything to do with me outside of work. I am able to be social in that environment, to a limited degree. But come the end of the day, I want nothing to do with people either, as I find social interactions of all kinds fatiguing and confusing. I understand the logic of small talk and all its attending processes. I have had plenty of counselling, different kinds of medication, CBT, a degree in communications, and have read very widely on social interaction, social anxiety, etc. I have made every effort to bring positive change in myself and my life. On the topic of medication, the only medication that actually reduced my anxiety I cannot take because doctors tell me it is addictive and should only be used short term. Sorry, my memory is crap and I cannot remember its name. I'm sure most readers here would know what it is. Part of me would rather be addicted to that and have less anxiety, than be full of anxiety most of the time. But I don't take them or any medication. I loath the SSRIs in all their variances. They don't really reduce anxiety, but they do negatively impact my interests in playing music and running. Two things I do find pleasure in. Lately, however, I have come to the conclusion that this is very much like an incurable disease, or a life long disability. A disability that colours all my human interaction with a layer of threat (to me), fatigue at having to very consciously negotiate my interactions with people, and a profound sense of futility. I won't go to counselling anymore. I genuinely see no point. I won't take medication, for the same reason. I know that I am not alone in this, hence, my post in this forum. I don't think for a second I am special or unique in any of this. One of the problems with knowing that is knowing that people with these same issues don't really socialise and so don't find each other. So maybe we can find each other here, from the safety of our homes and phones?

Kat19855 Anxiety attack while falling asleep
  • replies: 3

I'm currently 35 weeks pregnant and cannot fall asleep. Everytime I go from wakefulness to the 1st stage of sleep, I get a rush of doom and cortisol floods my body making me feel so scared and hyperoused. The only way I can fall asleep, albeit for 4i... View more

I'm currently 35 weeks pregnant and cannot fall asleep. Everytime I go from wakefulness to the 1st stage of sleep, I get a rush of doom and cortisol floods my body making me feel so scared and hyperoused. The only way I can fall asleep, albeit for 4ish hours, is if I take a sedation anti depressant which I know is only a band aid solution. I tried falling asleep without it last night and my mind just goes into freak out modeonve I start to get drowsy. I have an appt with a sleep psych tonight to try EMDR. Has anyone experienced this before or has a solution?

K1489 Anxiety and insomia
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, My name is Kate, I’ve been diagnosed with anxiety late last year. Unfortunately this has been difficult as it also regularly causes me inosomia. The doctor gave me melatonin to help me sleep and medication for anxiety as well as sleep di... View more

Hi everyone, My name is Kate, I’ve been diagnosed with anxiety late last year. Unfortunately this has been difficult as it also regularly causes me inosomia. The doctor gave me melatonin to help me sleep and medication for anxiety as well as sleep disorder. Towards the end of 2018, I’ve been feeling better, actually I only take medication when my anxiety and insomia are really bad. I also saw a psychologist last year to help me understand why I am going through this and why now. Since beginning of 2019, it seems like my anxiety and insomia are worsening, I am now taking medication average of 2-3 nights a week instead of ‘when neede’. This causes me to gain weight approx 5-6 kgs which worsen how I feel and now causing me to feel more depressed and anxious. I have anothe psychologist appointment on the 13 of February hoping we could try other meds without the side effect of gaining weight as well as better management of my anxiety. Could I please ask for helpful advise to help me get through with what I feel? thanks, kate

Meowface At work - not knowing the answer
  • replies: 3

This might seem like an odd topic but I hope it fits here. Does anyone else with anxiety struggle to admit that they don’t know the answer to a problem or question?? Im in a corporate role with very unclear processes and procedures. Last year when I ... View more

This might seem like an odd topic but I hope it fits here. Does anyone else with anxiety struggle to admit that they don’t know the answer to a problem or question?? Im in a corporate role with very unclear processes and procedures. Last year when I was suffering badly with anxiety and in hindsight was very unwell I made some poor decisions because I felt pressured to have the answers. I’m determined not to do that this year, but as a people pleaser I’m finding it hard to say “I don’t know”. Other people seem to have no problems doing this but I compulsively feel like I should be the one to fix the problem - even if I’m not really fixing it!! Any thoughts or experience with this??