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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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Spud48 I am going to get a Jack Russell
  • replies: 8

HI all, I am thinking of getting a dog, I really think it would be good for my anxiety . Like a companion dog. I am lucky that I will be able to take him or her to work and my kids love the idea. A friend is going to have a litter with their JR but j... View more

HI all, I am thinking of getting a dog, I really think it would be good for my anxiety . Like a companion dog. I am lucky that I will be able to take him or her to work and my kids love the idea. A friend is going to have a litter with their JR but just have to wait. Any pros and cons to my thoughts other then handling the first 3 months of puppy stuff? Spud!

BE51 Understand the condidtion for others
  • replies: 1

Hi All, Newbie here, how do you help the people around you understand you? I am trying to get people around me to understand the struggles of everyday tasks/planning and just getting through the day. I have been asking that they try to look things up... View more

Hi All, Newbie here, how do you help the people around you understand you? I am trying to get people around me to understand the struggles of everyday tasks/planning and just getting through the day. I have been asking that they try to look things up to educate themselves on these debilitating conditions but they seem to think that I’m not an extreme case like some of the story’s they read. Little do they know how hard things are for me and how hard it is to talk and explain it. That brings even more exhaustion, and makes the problem even more real.

leash182 Seperation Anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi Everyone, first time poster Ive got pretty bad anxiety, specifically separation anxiety from my husband. Day to day things like going to work are fine but I cannot spend a night away from him without getting extremely upset and nervous. Its taking... View more

Hi Everyone, first time poster Ive got pretty bad anxiety, specifically separation anxiety from my husband. Day to day things like going to work are fine but I cannot spend a night away from him without getting extremely upset and nervous. Its taking a toll on our relationship and I feel extremely guilty as I hate holding him back from doing things. I don't think he understands that I actually have a mental illness and im not just being clingy. I don't know how to go about getting help and fixing this situation. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

ZiggOh Sometimes I just want to take the day off work and do nothing
  • replies: 9

As the title implies, sometimes I call in sick to work (who know about my anxiety issues), stay in bed and relax and read things on my phone and not change out of my sleep clothes. however, how can I do this without feeling guilty? I’ve had a tough y... View more

As the title implies, sometimes I call in sick to work (who know about my anxiety issues), stay in bed and relax and read things on my phone and not change out of my sleep clothes. however, how can I do this without feeling guilty? I’ve had a tough year that’s involved dropping out of my PhD due to negative feedback about my progression, working a new job due to this but back at my old work which was hard to get used to after being a student, a relationship were we almost broke up but is going good now, family members in hospital for serious illnesses, boyfriends friend commit suicide and Grandpa dying, boyfriend away for Work etc. which are all new experiences. Plus I’ve two House twice in the last 2 months (however we have signed a 2 years lease so hello stability!). So I know I really need to have nothing days sometimes but why can’t I just accept it’s okay to stay home and feel good about it? Can any one relate? Your help would be great! Zig

Lizard123 Sick or anxious?
  • replies: 4

Hi, First time posting. About a month and a half ago and began feeling a bit unwell for a couple of weeks. Random sore throats, body aches, lots of fatigue. I saw my GP who sent me for a blood test. Thyroid and most other thing were fine. My blood co... View more

Hi, First time posting. About a month and a half ago and began feeling a bit unwell for a couple of weeks. Random sore throats, body aches, lots of fatigue. I saw my GP who sent me for a blood test. Thyroid and most other thing were fine. My blood count was a little up and my liver enzymes were a little bit out of whack. GP said this was normal of a virus and that I needed to rest. This was right before christmas I had the whole school holidays to recover. These symptoms persisted a little bit until a particularly bad night where my levels of fatigue prompted some palpitations and as a result what I realise now was a night full of rolling panic attacks. I ended up at a random weekend doctor who gave me an ecg and talked me down and gave me reassurance that I was ok. I actually ended up trying some anxiety medication from my GP but was taken of them after 3 days due to some nasty side effects. After that was out of my system I felt better and didn't see the need to try another medication. It has been 6 weeks now and I have been back to the gp several times as symptoms have progressed. I am constantly bloated, going to the bathroom frequently or having bouts of diarrohea. I tried cutting out foods and taking probiotics etc to no avail. I would have random days of complete normality and I would feel like myself again and think it was over only for it to begin again that night or the next day. Recently I have experienced lots of reflux and indigestion/stomach pain (i already take prescription antacids).I still have physical fatigue including muscle cramps etc as well as occasionally brain fog. I have had and abdominal ultrasound which only showed that my liver has become a bit more fatty (family history of NASH). I am waiting on one more blood test result as my GP wants to test sugar, hepatitis, glandular fever etc I thought seeing my GP and getting some results that told me I was ok would help my mental state but it's jut becoming frustrating. I have all these symptoms of feeling unwell with no answers and it seems the longer that I have no reason for how I'm feeling the more I become convinced something is seriously wrong with me. I wonder if this just started as a virus and snowballed into anxiety/IBS which is making be feel stressed and anxious which is manifesting more physical symptoms. Is it possible that I am just in a vicious cycle of anxiety that is responsible for my illness? I would love to know if anyone has had a similar experience.

StaticGhost Being Emetophobic.
  • replies: 3

I have had Emetophobia for as long as I can remember. For those who don't know, Emetophobia is the fear of vomit. Dealing with Emetophobia has been extremely difficult for me. If people say they feel sick I panic and try to get away from them as soon... View more

I have had Emetophobia for as long as I can remember. For those who don't know, Emetophobia is the fear of vomit. Dealing with Emetophobia has been extremely difficult for me. If people say they feel sick I panic and try to get away from them as soon as possible, of course, in a way that isn't obvious. Telling people I have it can be annoying, most people don't believe that it is an actual phobia and that I'm being silly and It'll eventually stop being a bother. Obviously, It's a real phobia and many people actually have it, and it isn't just a bother. Emetophobia is ruining my life. Usually, when I have a panic attack caused by this fear, I start to shake violently, sweat profusely, start to cry and so on. It's much like any other anxiety attack, so It's a horrible feeling to go through. does anyone else go through this and know any ways to cope with this fear? It's controlling my life and I'm sick of it. Thank you.

MargBrown Older adult daughter living with me
  • replies: 1

This is my first post and I would like some pointers as to how to deal with an older adult child who has been living with me this time for ~4 years. I would like her to find her own place but I am scared to approach the subject as she is quite a heav... View more

This is my first post and I would like some pointers as to how to deal with an older adult child who has been living with me this time for ~4 years. I would like her to find her own place but I am scared to approach the subject as she is quite a heavy drinker and can get nasty with her responses at times. The situation is exacerbating my own anxiety/depression status and I'd like to resolve the situation before it becomes irretrievable. I had previously lost contact with her for about 5 years due to her drug taking and involvement with undesirable relationships. I do not want to return to that no contact situation. Thanks for your help.

Landj Obessive thinking
  • replies: 7

Hi, lately I have had so many obsessive thoughts. I get fixated on a problem and I can’t distract myself. I have trouble sleeping and staying asleep. I have bipolar disorder and my anxiety is really bad. I’m wondering if my meds need a review. Any ad... View more

Hi, lately I have had so many obsessive thoughts. I get fixated on a problem and I can’t distract myself. I have trouble sleeping and staying asleep. I have bipolar disorder and my anxiety is really bad. I’m wondering if my meds need a review. Any advice on how to change my thinking?

SamHose Sever Sleep Anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hello everyone, I am undergoing a crisis of this weird extreme case of sleep anxiety to the point where I am petrified to fall asleep because the whole general idea of sleep scares me severely. This has only occurred recently and I have been so emoti... View more

Hello everyone, I am undergoing a crisis of this weird extreme case of sleep anxiety to the point where I am petrified to fall asleep because the whole general idea of sleep scares me severely. This has only occurred recently and I have been so emotionally worn out and depressed. I ended up having to stay up the whole night because I was to scared. Can I please get your guys’s Advice as I am lost in it all and have no solution to help me. I use Melatonin for my sleep which doesn’t work one bit. I also take medication for my depression and anxiety. If there are any tips or solutions for this please reply to this and let me know Kind Regards Sam.

99isthebest OCD about poison symptoms
  • replies: 6

Hi Guys, So I have spent the past night worrying extremely long (to the point of not getting to bed until 3pm) about Fuel inhalation. I was helping a friend fix his car and since we were changing an in tank fuel pump to state the obvious fumes from t... View more

Hi Guys, So I have spent the past night worrying extremely long (to the point of not getting to bed until 3pm) about Fuel inhalation. I was helping a friend fix his car and since we were changing an in tank fuel pump to state the obvious fumes from the fuel could be smelt. To be honest he did most of the work in the car and probably went home and slept like a baby. I on the other hand have been worried to the point of feeling symptoms. I just wanted to put this up and see who can relate and if you have any tips on how to get through this. I felt faint and like passing out then I also felt sick and drowsy. Surprise surprise all the symptoms that you could get if you inhale to much fuel fumes. But somehow I knew it wasn't because of the fuel it was because of my worrying and yet here i am its the next day and I still feel like I've been poisoned and am sitting here waiting for something to happen. I have a long history of worrying about poison. I'm sick as well at the moment which doesn't help and am going to see my Dr. I feel almost embarrassed to tell him the story but right now I'm doing the OCD thing and searching for reassurance I just want someone to tell me i'm not poisoned. Any help or input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks