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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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CoraC Finding a suitable job when you have anxiety
  • replies: 8

Does anyone have insights to share about how they found a job that was a good balance for coping with anxiety? I have been in corporate roles for about 20 years and have suffered from anxiety and depression during much of that time, the vast majority... View more

Does anyone have insights to share about how they found a job that was a good balance for coping with anxiety? I have been in corporate roles for about 20 years and have suffered from anxiety and depression during much of that time, the vast majority of my stress relates to work. Basically my worry about being not good enough at my job. I am so worried about making a mistake I check, check,check everything and then check it again. This of course slows me down and it takes me ages to do my work. I'm devastated if I get a critical performance review or anything like that. I find if I don't have a supportive manager, a kind team who treat each other well and a clearly defined role, I will run into problems. But I have found very few workplace are actually like this. I've just started a new job hoping this would be the one that would be smooth sailing but I've struck a terse manager, toxic team environment and limited training which has been extremely stressful. So I wake up every day thinking should I just leave now, but unconvinced I'll find this work 'wish list' I'm after anywhere. Can anyone relate to this?

MrA77 Anxiety due to fear of unsolicited advice and intrusion from strangers in public
  • replies: 4

I've had anxiety since I was 16 years old and I've learned this skills how to manage it (daily exercise and socialising work best for me). Yet over the years I have had too many experiences where I've attracted the attention of officious strangers wh... View more

I've had anxiety since I was 16 years old and I've learned this skills how to manage it (daily exercise and socialising work best for me). Yet over the years I have had too many experiences where I've attracted the attention of officious strangers who feel entitled to give their opinion about my appearance or assume I need assistance without asking (e.g. offering a hand or telling me how to do something). These incidents have been really intrusive and unsettling and I've felt intimated, overpowered and my personal space intruded, my personal agency violated and it's triggered my anxiety and made me hypervigilant in public. I've discussed this in therapy over the years, yet with mental health campaigns like R U OK, I've noticed there's an increase in people who consider themselves rescuers and saviours and imposing themselves on strangers who they perceive to be distressed or having a bad time. Most of the time it comes across as these people need help themselves. Everyone has their own way of managing their mental health and yes sometimes a stranger may be of great help, yet they can also cause more harm and be toxic. Has anyone else had this experience and how do you manage these situations?

ferrerorocher Health anxiety towards loved ones
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone I've been on here for a bit, occasionally reading your posts and so on, but I feel the need to share this and wonder if there are people experiencing something similar. In my teenage years I had a history of depression and struggled with ... View more

Hi everyone I've been on here for a bit, occasionally reading your posts and so on, but I feel the need to share this and wonder if there are people experiencing something similar. In my teenage years I had a history of depression and struggled with self-esteem and eating disorders back in the day, but now that I'm older and married and in a stable, supportive environment, I seem to be able to manage things pretty well. Or so I think anyway. One thing that does crop up every now and then is what I think might be health anxiety? It's not so much for myself (in fact, I think it's the opposite with myself and I honestly CBF about my own health, which is a bad thing right?) but towards my husband and my children. I think I had it in my previous relationship before I met my husband too - my boyfriend back in the day had asthma and used to get colds and sometimes asthma attacks regularly, and I used to overreact a bit about it (which he thought was cute, bah) and I used to get really anxious and be over the top 'caring' like running to get food and meds etc. and act like he was probably just about to have cancer and die or something. When I met my husband, I thought I would be okay with it but then he got a bad case of glandular fever/tonsilitis and the curtain of anxiety just fell on me. It's like an overwhelming feeling of worry but also feeling bad and guilty for what was happening, and in this particular case I even resorted to self-harm because it was the only thing to relieve that stress. I think it also strained my relationship with him a bit because I felt I was treading on thin ice around him and I could no longer emotionally connect, probably a response to minimise my erratic feelings. My husband is a pretty healthy guy but I've found that if he ever gets sick or something, I just go into this anxiety sort of state and disconnect etc. I have three beautiful kids too and I realise that I might be doing the same about them. I'm one of those avid Dr Google mothers who reads academic journals about my kids symptoms and so on - strangely enough it's not too bad when they have things like colds, conjunctivitis or gastro, but particularly with my first son, he has some sensory issues and also constipation issues (which possibly are caused by low muscle tone etc.) and I realise I am quite fixated upon them. Just wondering if anyone had such issues and if you would share how you tackled these feelings.

Overthinkingmum Made a silly decision now anxious
  • replies: 4

Hello all , I am really embarrassed about what I’m about to speak about , I’m a grown adult and I’m so disappointed about myself . I do not take drugs but a month ago now I was a complete sheep on the odd occasion I was out and joined in at a party a... View more

Hello all , I am really embarrassed about what I’m about to speak about , I’m a grown adult and I’m so disappointed about myself . I do not take drugs but a month ago now I was a complete sheep on the odd occasion I was out and joined in at a party and snorted coke , an hour or so into the “ session “ I realised I didn’t like what I was going . I snorted with maybe four friends with a rolled up bank note . I regret this and I will never do it again however since this I haven’t been able to focus on anything else . I have read I think every single medical website about the transmission of hiv and hep c . Most say hep c is definite and hiv is low or non existent . I am not sleeping properly and have been in tears numerous times . I am too embarrassed to go to my local gp as he birthed my children and I feel so so so silly let alone dealing with the judgement that will come . Anyways it for so bad that I rang a local hepatitis help line the other day . The professional on the other line said hiv is not a worry at all ( I can’t understand this ) and that hep c risk is so so low that he wouldn’t even advise a test . he said for piece of mind I could test in 2 more months but he would worry and he thinks I’m completely fine . now my question is why would all medical websites state different and why would a professional advise not to really test if he thinks I had a real risk ? I am very confused and cannot hey this feeling of doom out of my head . I’ve learnt a big lesson so please no judgement but if anyone can understand how I’m feeling and talk with me I would be greatly appreciated

Farthing Anxiety ruining my life
  • replies: 3

Hi I have what seems like constant anxiety. I am extremely worried about my future. I took on a new job but quit due to anxiety and depression. I drink every day to try and ease the tension. I only have a few friends who I do not see very much. I pul... View more

Hi I have what seems like constant anxiety. I am extremely worried about my future. I took on a new job but quit due to anxiety and depression. I drink every day to try and ease the tension. I only have a few friends who I do not see very much. I pull out of activities because of anxiety. I always think the worst will happen. What should I do?

Exhausted19 I want this to stop
  • replies: 1

I don't know where to start. I've been in a job nearly 10 years, they aren't paying me the correct wage and they bully me. I'm planning on resigning soon once I reach my long service. I'm currently on a months sick leave as my anxiety is too much and... View more

I don't know where to start. I've been in a job nearly 10 years, they aren't paying me the correct wage and they bully me. I'm planning on resigning soon once I reach my long service. I'm currently on a months sick leave as my anxiety is too much and my employers resolution was for me to just resign then and there when I handed the Drs cert in. I'm going back early Jan and I don't feel welcome. My mum passed away 3 years ago from brain cancer and I had to deal with the loss all by myself. I guess in a way it was good it happened quick as she was diagnosed 3 months prior to her passing. It was hard visiting her in the hospital and she kept asking me when she could go home, thankfully she didn't know that she was never coming home just staying there till she died. It cut deep seeing the strong woman she was soon not recognise me and wearing adult nappies. Soon after she passed i started to fear that i was dying. Everyday I think I'm dying. If it's not my heart beating out of my chest it's pains in my chest, thinking I can't breathe or swallow. It's taking over my life.... my only escape is when I'm asleep, if I can manage to sleep. I am seeing a gp and a psych which has helped me a lot but my silly brain just goes off by itself sometimes and it's hard to reel it back in.

Monkeysss Sudden increase in panic attacks?
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone I’ve never posted here before so sorry if I’m in the wrong place or whatever. I’m 22 years old, diagnosed with GAD and depression in high school. I had a couple panic attacks here and there but nothing to complain. Recently it’s gotten a ... View more

Hi everyone I’ve never posted here before so sorry if I’m in the wrong place or whatever. I’m 22 years old, diagnosed with GAD and depression in high school. I had a couple panic attacks here and there but nothing to complain. Recently it’s gotten a lot worse with no trigger that I know of. I had an iron infusion I have major health anxiety, so for the iron infusion i was quite anxious, In the end I felt a bit dizzy and my blood pressure was a bit high that was last Thursday (13.12) as I was walking out of the medical centre I started feeling really dizzy, hot, and just felt like I was gonna pass out. I wanted to go back and see the nurse but my mum assured me that it was just anxiety and if I was gonna have a reaction I would have had one while the infusion was happening. On Saturday I went to a bday party w family. I started feeling a bit sick and had a stomach ache, then I just started feeling dizzy, my skin felt hot and I thought I was gonna pass out. I made my mum take me to the drs I thought I was dying. Was put in with the nurse who took my blood pressure and it was too high for my age, and my heart was fast. Which he said can be normal since I was panicking, he sent me to wait for a doctor just to make sure everything was okay. The doctor said it could have been side effects to the iron infusion with anxiety on top of that. Sunday I woke up with a headache and it was with me all day. I went to a concert I had been looking forward to for ages and couldn’t enjoy myself bc I was just feeling so out of place and on edge the whole time. I went back to my GP yesterday bc I still don’t feel normal and he has given me anxiety meds. I’m convinced there’s an underlying medical condition like a brain tumour or cancer somewhere in my body bc it all just came on so suddenly and with no trigger no warning etc. I brought this up with my doctor and he said if symptoms persist he’ll definitely run some tests to rule it out. I get a lot of physical symptoms like racing heart, dizziness, pins and needles/aching in my arm (this has only happened twice but is disturbing anyway) a lot more I can’t write bc of the character limit. I’ve also started getting headaches daily for the past week. So ever since the Thursday from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed I’m just anxious and I just don’t feel right I guess I just wanna see if anyone else has ever experienced this so I don’t feel so alone and can hopefully calm my mind a little bit.

bethechange86 Ready to slay my chronic anxiety
  • replies: 1

I have started off my post with a positive title (even though I do not feel positive yet) as I am hoping this will be the start of me slaying my almost three year battle with anxiety, which over the last few months has become chronic. I have always t... View more

I have started off my post with a positive title (even though I do not feel positive yet) as I am hoping this will be the start of me slaying my almost three year battle with anxiety, which over the last few months has become chronic. I have always tried over the last couple of years to deal with it myself, trying to tell my brain that I am better than this and I know better than what is going on internally in my mind. But I now find myself here, and at my GP and soon to be at my first psychologist appointment as I cannot do it on my own. I am scared, terrified even. Rattled to the core with fear that this will never go away and this state of being is as good as it gets. However sometimes I have flittering moments where I step outside of the shadows and I see a glimpse of the other side, of reality, of being present, of being excited about life and all that it offers. So somewhere inside me a small part of me believes that this can be beaten and I am not dying or going crazy or giving up on life. The almost constant dizziness/off balance feeling, heart palpitations and feelings of almost constant fear will go away with hard work and dedication and I will go back to being the present mum of two who was successful at both parenting and her career. I was of the mindset that this could not happen to me. I was the one who used to say that you just need to be strong and anxiety is weakness. Well I know now how wrong I was. It can hit anyone at any time and for any reason. Over the last couple of years I have said I will get better to be better for my kids or my job or my family, but no, I need to get better for me, then I think the rest will fall into place. I take my hat off to you all, being brave in sharing your stories and fears. May we all slay these awful states of mind and enjoy this magical adventure we call life.

K4te08 GAD & panic disorder
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone. I have recently been diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder, it’s all extremely new to me considering never in my life have I ever experienced mental illness. I have not found how to properly cope with anxiety & p... View more

Hi everyone. I have recently been diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder, it’s all extremely new to me considering never in my life have I ever experienced mental illness. I have not found how to properly cope with anxiety & panic attacks, I’ve been through countless amounts of therapies and counselling and nothing has helped. I have also been for blood tests I feel anxious on a daily basis and experience 1-2 panic attacks a week, with no known triggers. I went from being an extremely happy & outgoing person to the complete opposite! I experience numbness in my left arm and leg, heart burn, chest pains & so on. My most recent symptom is getting flashes of light in my eyes, is this normal? It can be pretty scary. I would like to know anyone else who has been through this situation and what has helped them as right now I feel like I’m a dead end. I know that’s not the case but it’s very deliberating. thank you

sk2801 Surgery Anxiety
  • replies: 10

Hi everyone I have an appt to see a specialist early Feb 19 and surgery should follow at the end of March 19. The procedure I will be having is quite minor but the thought of surgery is consuming me every day. I have had surgery back in 2013 and frea... View more

Hi everyone I have an appt to see a specialist early Feb 19 and surgery should follow at the end of March 19. The procedure I will be having is quite minor but the thought of surgery is consuming me every day. I have had surgery back in 2013 and freaked out right up to the day of it. It was actually a really pleasant experience so I dont know why I'm freaking again??? I understand that it is normal to feel a little anxious prior but this is ridiculous. I just wish I could accept it and park it till later but easier said than done. Does anybody have any advise or tools I could embrace to get me through this? Thanks