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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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IsaJett Do we care or do we not care ?
  • replies: 15

I have been seeing a guy who is younger than I am ..everything is so so sweet ..until he mentioned one time that he feels that he thinks people are judging him or us ..when we go out . i was mortified ...because I was never one to care what others th... View more

I have been seeing a guy who is younger than I am ..everything is so so sweet ..until he mentioned one time that he feels that he thinks people are judging him or us ..when we go out . i was mortified ...because I was never one to care what others thought ...cos I got my own life to live and it isn’t anybodys business . I learned these a while ago ..people are gonna judge you regardless ..that’s what people do . So you would do your head in if you cared at all about what anybody thought . I got that down pad ..but my boyfriend was like so distraught by it , and I was so taken back because I was oblivious to how he was suffering . i told him how I viewed it in the hope of him being able to get another perspective ..so he doesn’t feel so judged..cos that sounds really painful for him , he felt that it’s important that I know how he’s feeling about it , and I’m glad he did ..because I was absolutely clueless...thinking omg what’s the big deal ...we just go out get some dinner. ....but apparently it is a BIG deal to him ..he hides it rather well ...times when we out ..I thought oh he’s very quiet but at times he just looks like he doesn’t want to be there , so I am just in a world of pain for him ...because I don’t care about what others think ...but he does. He would say ..he doesn’t care either ..but clearly he does ..hAha i harped on it a little while as I wanted him to see it my way ,..and then I realise he gonna have to do this on his own . its not even just the age gap thing ...it’s everything ..people judge or so we think ...but whatever the case is ,..we just cannot care ..we have to choose not to care ..so we can operate normally . Hmm just a rant session ..anyone feel the same ..would love to hear similar survivor stories . i thought he wanted to end the relationship and freaked out until I realise he is in a way opening up to me and I can’t just go all personal on him ..cos it isn’t about me ..it’s about him and how he thinks the world views him .

roogirl Lavender for anxiety
  • replies: 5

Hello everyone, My GP has suggested I try lavender capsules/tablets for help with my anxiety. Has anyone out there tried them and if so how did you go with your anxiety? Did you feel calmer etc? Any comments on this subject welcomed. Thanks Roogirl

Hello everyone, My GP has suggested I try lavender capsules/tablets for help with my anxiety. Has anyone out there tried them and if so how did you go with your anxiety? Did you feel calmer etc? Any comments on this subject welcomed. Thanks Roogirl

emmalilac Some help needed please
  • replies: 6

Hi there, as you can tell I am new to this place. I came onto this platform in a cry of help as I am in currently in a vulnerable state. So here is my situation: For a week I have been avoiding my friends and everyone on social media to the point whe... View more

Hi there, as you can tell I am new to this place. I came onto this platform in a cry of help as I am in currently in a vulnerable state. So here is my situation: For a week I have been avoiding my friends and everyone on social media to the point where I have deactivated my instagram account. This is not the first time I have done so this year but it is a way of me to cope in a way with my issues. Usually my friends would check up on me, call my number and message me. But this time it's different. I feel so lonely and guilty like I had brought this onto myself and on the other hand disappointed with my friends for not reaching out in my most difficult of times. I am especially disappointed with one of my friends who knows my current situation which is god awful but not even she has bothered to call me or anything during this week of hell. I understand that they have their own lives and everything but they are acting like everything is okay. No one has bothered to ask what happened to my Instagram account or bothered to message me as clearly something is upsetting me. I feel so anxious and sad and I have cried ever since I decided to isolate myself from everyone. Maybe I just want attention, maybe I just want someone to ask me "Are you okay?" and I can't even get that. I am scared of what's to happen next because I don't want to be friendless in the next year of school. I am really sorry for venting but I really need some help or opinion to this matter of mine. Thank you for reading Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

MrRobot Anxiety.....I think!!!
  • replies: 7

I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression after speaking with my GP a few years ago. The past few days I had feelings of nausea, hardly any appetite and just emotional and want to cry. These feelings are the strongest in the morning when I look at ... View more

I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression after speaking with my GP a few years ago. The past few days I had feelings of nausea, hardly any appetite and just emotional and want to cry. These feelings are the strongest in the morning when I look at the time and realise I have the day ahead. I have never had such strong feelings like before and to be honest I really don't like it. My daily routine has completely changed as my wife has gone away for a week on a birthday trip and is out of mobile range and I have taken time off work during this time to look after the kids. I thought I would be fine but have moments where I really struggle. I have found going for a walk helps, but after that I keep watching the clock again. I want to try to keep busy but lack the motivation to do so. It seems like a crazy circle. I found myself here just wanting to ramble I guess and see if anyone out there has had similar feelings and ways to combat it. I am currently on medication for my anxiety and depression and and currently not seeing a psychologist. I don't like to burden people with my problems (damn male gene) but I know I can't keep going on like this, I am mentally exhausted!!! Any tips/advise would be welcome, or even jus knowing I am not alone I guess.

Monkeysss Constant feeling of impending doom? Good distractions?
  • replies: 7

How does one distract themselves from impending doom? Ive been having an increase in panic attacks and I had the worst panic attack I’ve ever experienced yesterday and ever since I have a constant feeling of impending doom. i woke up anxious about ha... View more

How does one distract themselves from impending doom? Ive been having an increase in panic attacks and I had the worst panic attack I’ve ever experienced yesterday and ever since I have a constant feeling of impending doom. i woke up anxious about having another panic attack and the thought hadn’t left my mind I had another mild panic attack today but nothing compared to yesterday. I constantly feel like something bad is gonna happen to me. Like I’m gonna pass out or die. Which makes me start having a panic attack. What are some distractions or ways people have stopped these thoughts? Or both impending doom and the fear of having another panic attack? Btw I’ve recently been put on medication, which my dr said should help but can take 6 weeks to take effect. So I need ideas until then

agobella Why does anxiety creep up when you are having a good time?
  • replies: 3

Hi Everyone Today I went out for lunch with my friends, lunch went ok, but when we sat down after lunch a wave of anxiety swept over me. With me, when this happens, I have physical symptoms-have to run to the toilet, my nose starts running and I star... View more

Hi Everyone Today I went out for lunch with my friends, lunch went ok, but when we sat down after lunch a wave of anxiety swept over me. With me, when this happens, I have physical symptoms-have to run to the toilet, my nose starts running and I start sneezing. I did double one of my meds last night and now I am wondering whether the two glasses of champagne that I had at lunch would have exacerbated my anxiety. Looking for answers if anyone has any.

lilykitten Anxiety and alcohol
  • replies: 4

I was wondering if any other anxiety sufferers find that alcohol triggers anxiety. If I have 2 glasses of wine I am fine but on the third glass the slight dizzyness seems to trigger panic attacks. The next day (after only 3 drinks) the "hangover" is ... View more

I was wondering if any other anxiety sufferers find that alcohol triggers anxiety. If I have 2 glasses of wine I am fine but on the third glass the slight dizzyness seems to trigger panic attacks. The next day (after only 3 drinks) the "hangover" is stomach upsets and shaky legs, not the traditional headache.

ScarlettR I feel I am slowly going crazy?
  • replies: 1

Hello people, I hope you are all doing well this Christmas season. So here's my issue: Lately, I've been feeling a palette of bad emotions. I let myself overthink and overanalyse people and situations in life, and then I inflict mental abuse on mysel... View more

Hello people, I hope you are all doing well this Christmas season. So here's my issue: Lately, I've been feeling a palette of bad emotions. I let myself overthink and overanalyse people and situations in life, and then I inflict mental abuse on myself by being angry and frustrated. I guess a lot of it comes from boredom. The strange thing is - when I had done a big task (wrapping presents for an upcoming birthday, gone for a walk, run errands), at first I am content and happy and ready to take on what ever faces me... then I mentally unravel and I can't face the world anymore. I don't ever lash out or make a scene. No one knows if I'm having a bad day unless I told them. The worst that happens is I cry a bit and stay in bed for some comfort. But it's not comfortable or pleasant. I'm on meds for schizophrenia and depression. I like to add that I sometimes have trouble sleeping so it adds to my worries.

PsychoBear Extreme health anxiety/hypochondria
  • replies: 6

Male-23yrs 2 weeks ago I overheard a conversation between my mother and sister, my sister was found to be anaemic in her blood test aswell as having one positive and one negative FOB test. I heard my mum tell my sister "Make sure to let them know we ... View more

Male-23yrs 2 weeks ago I overheard a conversation between my mother and sister, my sister was found to be anaemic in her blood test aswell as having one positive and one negative FOB test. I heard my mum tell my sister "Make sure to let them know we have a family history of bowel cancer." (My dad's mum died of it in her 70s, there are rumours that 2 of my great-uncles on my mum's side also died of it in their 50s) At first I didn't think much of it but then something started creeping in. I started to pay attention to my stools after this and noticed a slightly dull pain in the lower left of my abdomen which wasn't intense and would fade in and out sometimes. I've gotten paranoid about checking the consistency of my stools, looking for signs of black or red and convincing myself every time I saw either that it was blood (despite diet consisting of red and black foods). Over time I've slowly gotten worse, noticing these things and seeing how the shape of my stool would be on the change constantly, a different shape almost every single time I go. I'm freaking out because it might look flat/low calibre and then the next one will look relatively normal, the one after that will just be mostly water/bile and then back to normal again. I'm constantly getting paranoid about the overall colour or smell. Within the last week or so I've barely eaten at all because I feel nauseous at the idea of food and bloated when I do push myself to eat, even water is difficult for me to deal with. I'm up strange hours and wake up feeling like I barely slept at all even if I go back to sleep for more time, I'm scared to go to the toilet in-case I see a large or noticeable amount of blood, every time I do see a small bit of blood on the toilet paper I get scared, even when it's just a barely visible dot of it (I have an external hemorrhoid, which I've had for years and generally I wouldn't worry about seeing blood as it was always attributed to that by my parents) and now I'm convinced I've got bowel cancer and it's stage 3 or 4 and that I'll be dead within a couple years at absolute best. I'm constantly googling and finding stories of people who went through this around my age and how many of them were absolutely fine and then suddenly were diagnosed with stage 4 cancers. I cry at the smallest things and the idea that my life is over. The doctor believes it's IBS and is running tests but the wait is killing me. Please help.

Trav24 Driving and anxiety
  • replies: 13

Hi all, I’m new to this but at this stage I’m getting kind of desperate and don’t know what to do. I’ll try and keep it short - I’ve got epilepsy and anxiety that stems off that as symptoms for panic attacks feel like the coming on of a seizure (on a... View more

Hi all, I’m new to this but at this stage I’m getting kind of desperate and don’t know what to do. I’ll try and keep it short - I’ve got epilepsy and anxiety that stems off that as symptoms for panic attacks feel like the coming on of a seizure (on a separate note if anyone has something similar and would like to share that would be amazing!) I struggle a lot with a phobia of not being able to ‘escape’ places so I don’t like going to a new shopping center that I don’t know the exits for, or somewhere that I can’t access fresh air/a drink of water etc. I also struggled a few years ago with being alone in case something happened to me and no one was around, and I went through a phase of not being able to leave Mum/dad/my sisters side and couldn’t do anything. im a lot better than I was but as I’ve gotten older I’ve struggled a lot with driving. I can’t drive anywhere that I’ve never driven before because I’m not familiar with the roads and don’t have an ‘out’ in case I have a panic attack. I was doing really well for a while and felt almost normal but I had a panic attack recently while driving out of the blue and now feel like I’m back to square 1. I have to get someone to either drive me to work or to follow behind me ‘just incase’. Sometimes even with someone there I’ll panic, and it’s just the fear of being stuck on the side of the road with no one around who can ‘get me’ if my family are at work for example. I’ve spoken to multiple counselors, changed medication three times and had hypnotherapy which didn’t work, and I just don’t know what to do because I can’t keep living like this, it’s having a massive impact on me and my family as well. any suggestions would be appreciated so much