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
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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

stressedteacher Afraid that my anxiety is going to ruin a new relationship
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My anxiety and my lack of self confience is starting to affect my new relationship. I’ve avoiding getting involved with anyone for years and this feeling of helplessness is probably why. I’ve got some trust issues and the guy I’m seeing has commitmen... View more

My anxiety and my lack of self confience is starting to affect my new relationship. I’ve avoiding getting involved with anyone for years and this feeling of helplessness is probably why. I’ve got some trust issues and the guy I’m seeing has commitment issues so it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. I’m trying my best not to seek out constant reassurance but I know I’m guilty of doing it. The frustrating past is I know when I’m being illogical or a bit needy, but even though I don’t say 9/10 of the stuff I worry about out loud the tenth I do say is enough to seem ridiculous to others. Imagine if they could hear my thoughts! Has anyone found any strategies that help them with this? I’m scared that I’m going to have the opposite effect of what I want and I’ll push this guy away.

Jo40 I’m wasting your time.
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I thought I’ll try and put my thoughts done here. Unfortunately straight away I feel I’m wasting everyone’s time that might read this. I have anxiety/depression since I was little but not knowing what it was. As I’ve become older the last 12years I’v... View more

I thought I’ll try and put my thoughts done here. Unfortunately straight away I feel I’m wasting everyone’s time that might read this. I have anxiety/depression since I was little but not knowing what it was. As I’ve become older the last 12years I’ve been taking medication and going back and forward with psychologists. I have anxiety attack and then I don’t show up for my appointments and then they say I can’t have you as patient. I have for the last 12 years have had over 85 jobs. I have no problem getting them but then something happens and I call in sick or tell them I’ve lost a family member. Everyday I can’t look at myself as I am fat, ugly and I feel like it would be easier not to be in this world. I do have support in my husband but apparently I still go through this pain every time I quit my job. Thank you for listening/reading

Mark1968 New to admitting my anxiety
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this is very hard to come out, and say I'm anxious. yeas I can say it to my partner, she knows everything about me. but to tell you is difficult. I don't consider myself to be a whinger, or someone seeking attention. I'm sick of feeling like this. iv... View more

this is very hard to come out, and say I'm anxious. yeas I can say it to my partner, she knows everything about me. but to tell you is difficult. I don't consider myself to be a whinger, or someone seeking attention. I'm sick of feeling like this. ive passed this crap onto others, my kids, and my partner to some degree. I'm fed up with the talking to myself, the hindsight conversations of what I should of said, and the self loathing, and lack of confidence that sits behind a wall of confidence, the procrastination that follows because you worry what people think. its crap, and I'm sick of it. does anyone else eel this way

Birdy3 Panic attacks and reassurance
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During a panic attack, I understand that people are by my side to help, and that there are ways to deal with anxiety; during a panic attack however, I feel worse symptoms when I’m with someone. This causes me to become distant which in turn causes mo... View more

During a panic attack, I understand that people are by my side to help, and that there are ways to deal with anxiety; during a panic attack however, I feel worse symptoms when I’m with someone. This causes me to become distant which in turn causes more harm for both myself and others involved. Why is it when being assisted, a panic attack gets worse? Or is more likely to occur when around a person or more.

azarrah Does anybody else get dizzy?
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Hi all, hope you're doing well at the end of a busy year! Ever since I had the panic attack which triggered my anxiety, I've had bouts of dizziness, with varying levels of severity. Sometimes it's constant and at a low level, like I just feel a bit o... View more

Hi all, hope you're doing well at the end of a busy year! Ever since I had the panic attack which triggered my anxiety, I've had bouts of dizziness, with varying levels of severity. Sometimes it's constant and at a low level, like I just feel a bit off-kilter. Other times it rises up suddenly and I have to sit down, because the whole world begins to spin. To be clear, it's not a spaced-out kind of dizziness, but rather a vertigo-type thing. Actually, when I first came to uni, I was under a lot of stress subconsciously, and I really did have full-on vertigo for the first couple of weeks. I know the dizziness is caused by anxiety, but it's extremely annoying. It doesn't seem to correlate with times or more or less stress, or even with my (occasional) panic attacks - it just seems totally random, which makes it more irritating. Anyway, I'd love to know if anybody else has similar experiences. I would also be interested to know the more scientific explanation, if there is one. I hope I'm not the only person who feels this way! azarrah (For reference, I am currently not seeing a psychologist as it made no sense to try so close to the end of semester, when I will be moving. That's a job for once I'm back home! I would like to, though).

Snee Terrified the world will stop turning
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Any strategies for panic attacks caused by an irrational fear of the Earth ceasing rotation and gravity stopping, causing myself to drift into space? It is destroying my life and no psychologist or psychiatrist has been effective.

Any strategies for panic attacks caused by an irrational fear of the Earth ceasing rotation and gravity stopping, causing myself to drift into space? It is destroying my life and no psychologist or psychiatrist has been effective.

Dmo1 Can anxiety cause symptoms to become long term?
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Greetings everyone After 6 months of pure hell, I’m at my wits end & trying everything possible to find a solution to my current symptoms I’ve had a chronic cough for 6 months - which I feel has gotten progressively worse since googling “cough hoarse... View more

Greetings everyone After 6 months of pure hell, I’m at my wits end & trying everything possible to find a solution to my current symptoms I’ve had a chronic cough for 6 months - which I feel has gotten progressively worse since googling “cough hoarse voice” and getting the worst possible suggestions all pointing to “C” I’ve seen countless amounts of doctors and so far, this is my results: * chest x Ray twice - both times clear * camera into my throat - clear * full blood counts - clear * kidney ultrasound - clear * abdomen ultrasound - clear All doctors have said it’s either post viral & will go on its own after time OR one doctor stated it’s possibly a habit??? From the cough, I’ve also had a sore back in certain spots and sometimes chest pain I’ve been SUPER ANXIOUS all the time - it’s really consuming me & I don’t seem to get a break I don’t cough when I sleep .. Doctors have assured me it’s not lung cancer BUT I still can’t stop obsessing over it I’m 34, previously super fit & healthy, all my bloods are really good levels Doctors cannot understand why I have the cough. Could this be some kind of anxiety symptoms? How can I break a habit? If that’s what it is Doctor has prescribed me medication but I’m scared to take it

Shymumma Wanting advice on how to deal with a scary experience
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Yesterday while driving a guy cut me off and was yelling at me, he then followed my car for over half an hour (changed lanes behind me, followed when i turned off several times). I called a friend then the police who said for me to drive to the polic... View more

Yesterday while driving a guy cut me off and was yelling at me, he then followed my car for over half an hour (changed lanes behind me, followed when i turned off several times). I called a friend then the police who said for me to drive to the police station in the city. I was starting to get panicky and by the time i got to the police station i was crying. I parked out the front and he drove past. Police said someone would come out and to stay in my car. Waited a few minutes and still no police then saw same car in my rear view mirror - he’d gobe round the block!! He stopped next to my car for about 3 minutes and finally left, by that time i was having a full blown panic attack and still no police. Finally they turned up & i gave a statement. my question is, how do i deal with this mentally? Do i try ont to think about it and keep busy or should i talk to my friends/family about it and maybe seek professional help. It keeps popping into my head and ive already cancelled going to a party because i didnt want to bring the party down with my story. Im also angry that this idiot has upset me so much

skinnylegend all my friends leave me and i dont why and soon im gonna have no one
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i moved to a new school and for the first semester i had no friends but 2nd semester i made friends and it was all good but the beggining of next year my best friend got another best friend and i was pushed away and it wasnt peaceful, i had no idea w... View more

i moved to a new school and for the first semester i had no friends but 2nd semester i made friends and it was all good but the beggining of next year my best friend got another best friend and i was pushed away and it wasnt peaceful, i had no idea why but i just had to accept it and try and become best friends with someone else from the same group. that was a year ago and i was dumb and regret so much but now we've moved on and both live in peace and occasionally talk to each other without drama. I made a new best friend and life was great, we would talk so much and go and just hang out with each other and talk about anything and everything without a problem for the sake of this ill call this person Rebecca. At the same time as i was friends with rebecca i was trying to make friends with the people in my classes and i made good friends with this one person who we will call Damien and damien was pretty quiet but a really cool and funny person and eventually he would sit with me and my friends at lunch instead of his usual group so we would all talk and he would talk to rebecca so it was just a bunch of friends hanging out and it was great. until this year, now damien hangs out with us instead of his old usual group and one day he was talking about a game and rebecca heard and was like oh cool and bought the game and they would discuss it and probably play the game with each other. Im not really interested in games and nor do i want to spend $100 on a game its just not quite my thing. rebecca and i where in the same class this year so would run out of things to talk about a lot which rarely ever used to happen and throughout the year rebecca gradually became more hostile. i would routinely be called a moron and be sweared at for no reason, i never said anything rude or offensive and she knows that and its gotten to the point where i have to be careful what i say so i dont get humiliated, ill make a tiny human mistake and ill be sweared and yelled at by my "best friend" and you remember damien yeah well they are becoming best friends now and im being left behind and yelled at constantly for no reason, i introduced them together only for this to happen to me and on friday we had a special scholsay where the year group was seperated into groups and they where in the same one and at recess and lunch they would be so happy and had all these jokes and they are at the beginning point of friendship where everything is 10x funnier and im left behind and have no one

Anxiousrose Anxiety & graduate role
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I am having issues at the moment with a constant high level of anxiety. I started my first role out of uni two months ago and it is making me miserable. Every day I wake up an hour before my alarm and my anxiety starts about possible things I may hav... View more

I am having issues at the moment with a constant high level of anxiety. I started my first role out of uni two months ago and it is making me miserable. Every day I wake up an hour before my alarm and my anxiety starts about possible things I may have done wrong at work & May get in trouble for. The company I work for are very strict and when I make a mistake it is always made out as a big deal and people get really angry at me. The company culture is negative and it is taking a great toll on me. My stomach has been upset for the past month due to my anxiety and I am unsure how to solve this problem. From talks with my colleagues the company does not care for things like this and I won’t get any help (it is a small company). As it took me a year to find a graduate role I then have anxiety that if I quit I won’t find another, especially as a two month stint might make me look weak on my resume. Please give some advice, I spend my whole weekend & week nights in a state of anxiety and I don’t know how much longer I can put up with it. Thanks.