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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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Athina Addiction, Anxiety and Acceptance
  • replies: 1

Hello, I am new to this forum and truly appreciate its existence and allowance for posts. I once was, and still somewhere inside an optimistic - perhaps even too naively so - person. However, following a series of losses, failures and pains that I ca... View more

Hello, I am new to this forum and truly appreciate its existence and allowance for posts. I once was, and still somewhere inside an optimistic - perhaps even too naively so - person. However, following a series of losses, failures and pains that I cannot manage, I have ruined my life and am barely existing. The anxiety and depression this brings on is palpable, so I often self medicate by smoking, responding aggressively to protect myself or following through on daring activities. In one way, these are all distractions to the anxiety and anticipated pain that will come from rejoining a purposeful life. But now I in a circulating existence that I never expected or believed to be in, so I am depressed about the anticipated disillusionment and anxious about the impending pain. I have completely broken my spirit and exhausted both my physical and emotional energy and tolerance levels. I am facing imminent financial ruin and have created unforgettable harm to my family. That was never me and so I want to go back. Which I cannot do, so I want to move forward positively in a definitive and consistent way with less anxiety and more acceptance. I have a strong faith in a higher power, help from a very good specialist and strong family support - however, the emotional toll I have taken on them, has forced both them and I to protect each other from my actions and inactions. I am not sure if this post makes any sense. But I am writing here in hope that someone will hear me. I am in dire need of urgent advice on how to improve my situation outwardly and be better equipped to cope with my internal battles. Thank you

Tes5sa Help with Anxiety?
  • replies: 1

uh hi this is my first thread but basically; i have social anxiety and i just took a job in which i work at a checkout and am interacting with a lot of people because i really needed a job, and my first shift is in an hour and im not sure how to star... View more

uh hi this is my first thread but basically; i have social anxiety and i just took a job in which i work at a checkout and am interacting with a lot of people because i really needed a job, and my first shift is in an hour and im not sure how to start. I've been unable to breathe properly all day even though i know that nothing too bad will happen but i stilll feel nauseous and everything and its really just not fun. I've tried to regulate my breathing but it isnt working, is there anyone who could give me any advice?

gloria10 Saying no
  • replies: 3

I've started to notice that I have trouble saying no to my family whether it is attending birthday parties or going to their place even if I'm not up for it. I feel I cant stand up to them if they get angry about it and then I feel pressured to atten... View more

I've started to notice that I have trouble saying no to my family whether it is attending birthday parties or going to their place even if I'm not up for it. I feel I cant stand up to them if they get angry about it and then I feel pressured to attend, which leaves me stressed and unhappy about going. It becomes a bit of a nasty cycle. I don't want to have to cancel plans either as I know people get disappointed so I sort of feel stuck. One thing I am slowly learning though is that I do need time to slow down a bit, even though everyone else can push themselves, its just not me. I know it may come across as lazy or that I don't care, its not that; I just need time to clear my head. I must admit I've cleared my plate a bit more the last two days and it has helped a lot. I'm not feeling as tired and feel I can cope with a little bit more. Has anyone been through this? What are some things that have worked for you with declining invites? Any advice is appreciated. Gloria10

em415 Anxiety Medication, Weight Gain and how to get back on track?
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone, I am going through a fair bit of stuff at the moment and needed some advice and I have read this forum quite a bit so here I go. I have been on Anxiety medication for a year now, now this year has been great wit my anxiety, barely had an... View more

Hi everyone, I am going through a fair bit of stuff at the moment and needed some advice and I have read this forum quite a bit so here I go. I have been on Anxiety medication for a year now, now this year has been great wit my anxiety, barely had any anxiety attacked, social confidence grew and felt really confident. When I first started taking this medication a year ago I weighed 60kg which was a massive achievement I had spent years working towards. Then jump ahead to now, 12 months later I am 20kgs heavier and it is taking a huge toll. So seeing my health decline like this was really tough and in the past 2 months things have gotten quite bad. I started going to bed really early and struggled to get up for work, smoking almost full time. I now hate mirrors and photos again, my eating during the days is varied, some days I eat nothing and some I can't stop. So I did the right thing and saw my GP who has changed my group of anxiety medication which I am now in the middle of changing (not fun at all) and she also diagnosed me with depression which hit me like a freight train. I never thought this would happen to me as I am a cheerful fun person, great family, amazing boyfriend of 4 years, stable and exciting job but guess depression doesn't pay attention to those things. So my questions are: Is there anyone else who has gained weight while on medication? (even though they say weight gain isn't a side effect) How do I get back to fitness and exercise? Every time I try I just feel like a failure for getting this bad and want to cry instead of run. I am going to start seeing a psychiatrist, how do I prepare for this? Anyone else in the same situation? Ps. Even writing this made me feel a bit better listing my areas I need to work on, so thanks I guess.

Mel24 I can’t cope with social situations.
  • replies: 2

I’m a 17 year old and struggle with anxiety and depression (though I take medication to manage it) I can’t cope with social situations and I end up breaking down and leaving or not going to social events because I find it hard to cope. Recently, I we... View more

I’m a 17 year old and struggle with anxiety and depression (though I take medication to manage it) I can’t cope with social situations and I end up breaking down and leaving or not going to social events because I find it hard to cope. Recently, I went to a couple small parties, (non raging parties, just chilled out get togethers), and I didn’t go to one because I got so anxious I convinced myself not to go. The other party, I went to but ended up crying and ringing my Mum to come get me before the party even really got started. I find it hard to cope in social situations and am looking for a way to manage the anxiety I get that comes with social situations. Im missing out on so many things because of it and I want to be a ‘normal’ social teenager, rather than crying myself to sleep, in bed, alone.

tesla Work and Panic Disorder
  • replies: 1

I suffer from frequent Panic attacks currently. Have been on medication for over 10 years but seem to be well out of control again and Psychiatrist is refusing to change this medication indicating it could make me worse. I have been referred to a Psy... View more

I suffer from frequent Panic attacks currently. Have been on medication for over 10 years but seem to be well out of control again and Psychiatrist is refusing to change this medication indicating it could make me worse. I have been referred to a Psychologist who is trying to hynotism techniques and grounding techniques from GP. The Psychologist has also suggested that maybe the Psychiatrist is also wrong on medication. I work in an IT technical role in a school environment. Suddenly they want me to start teaching large groups of teachers how to use software. In my whole career i've never had to do something like this and fear public speaking hence why I work well in a technical role. Is it possible to get a medical certificate that indicates I am not able to perform public speaking due to current anxiety condition? It is actually not in the statement of duties of my job so potentially could get my union to advise on this also.

Belle32 Can anxiety destroy a relationship or is it a get out of jail card
  • replies: 2

My partner broke up with me on Friday after almost four years together. We started having real problems about three months ago. We were engaged to be married, it was about two months out from the wedding and he started crying often and having mental ... View more

My partner broke up with me on Friday after almost four years together. We started having real problems about three months ago. We were engaged to be married, it was about two months out from the wedding and he started crying often and having mental breakdowns. during these times he would not be able to communicate to me what was wrong, causing fear and frustration. All he would say is that he felt anxious and panicked and didn’t know why. we tried couples counselling. He still couldn’t communicate. He started having panic attacks which were really scary. I encouraged him to see a counsellor on his own. Immediately after his third appointment I came home to him crying and saying he had worked out with his counsellor that the relationship was the problem and that there were things that had upset him for years which he had never been able to communicate so they built up. We broke up. to this day, he’s nomever been able to really express what these were or give me an opportunity to address them. after a few weeks of no contact he called me and we reinstated the relationship. Things seemed to be going well for a month or so and the same thing happened. I’ve tried to reach out but he is not responding to any calls or texts. my question: does this seem like a common form of anxiety? Or does it sound like an excuse to break up? And is there any hope of repairing things?

kel32 GAD tiredness and symptoms
  • replies: 3

hi guys, this is my 1st post on here. To cut a long story short after many tests I was diagnosed with severe anxiety almost a year ago now and am currently on medication. This came completely out the blue and still struggle to this day looking for an... View more

hi guys, this is my 1st post on here. To cut a long story short after many tests I was diagnosed with severe anxiety almost a year ago now and am currently on medication. This came completely out the blue and still struggle to this day looking for answers as to why I now have this as dont feel anxious at all!! My question to u all is this.......I suffer more from the physical symptoms of anxiety rather than the emotional side and they are driving me insane. They range from tight chest, unbalanced, weakness, tiredness and achy muckes especially my shoulders and neck. However I feel they are 10x worse when Iv had a bad nights sleep or run down with a cold or something. These synptoms will then linger for a good few weeks then start to reside again then start up again as soon as somethings happened again to make me tired! I am so over feeling like this, especially after almost a year. I suppose Im looking fot people who experience similar things as I keep thinking my doctor is missing something even though i had numerous blood tests, brain mri and been to an ENT about my balance!! please help! Thanku so much, Kel

ZiggOh My Severe Anxiety= Survival-Mode-Brain?
  • replies: 8

Hi all! I am new to Beyond Blue even though I have known about it for years and am finding it so helpful to read about your experiences and advice I was diagnosed with GAD in 2012 and since then (well I think I actually have had anxiety since I was a... View more

Hi all! I am new to Beyond Blue even though I have known about it for years and am finding it so helpful to read about your experiences and advice I was diagnosed with GAD in 2012 and since then (well I think I actually have had anxiety since I was a child but since 2012 things have been much worse), I have had a lot of issues with my mental health including a "mental breakdown" which was caused by me studying and not having any healthy coping mechanisms and also negative life events involving family. My breakdown consistent of panic attacks, insomnia (not sleeping at all), severe anxiety (that one psychiatrist labelled it as a psychotic episode but I was not having hallucinations or hearing things, just losing control of my thoughts and making no sense to people) and depression following this awful time. During this mental breakdown, I felt very isolated and did not have on-going psychological help as I have trouble sticking to things and avoiding things that are emotionally hard. I feel that now and in the past year or so, I have managed to sustain a job, friendships, a relationship (although very hard at times!), I have a pet and have a good living arrangement. So things are seeming good, and I am actually very happy for this. However, the problem is that I feel so anxious still, like my brain is in survival-mode. I cannot actually feel much happiness or pleasure from things. The only emotions I ever feel are anxious/over-arousal? and all I really focus on is my anxiety, my worrying thoughts and my neck and head tension. I was wondering if anyone feels the same way as I do? and also would like to hear from people who have felt this way and how you have gotten through it. Thanks everyone

Amiejai Meningioma and Anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi there! I hope I’m in the right place, I feel like I need to tell my story... over the past 20 years (I’m 43), I have suffered in and off with anxiety, tried various medications, therapies etc and generally had what I would refer to as an unusual d... View more

Hi there! I hope I’m in the right place, I feel like I need to tell my story... over the past 20 years (I’m 43), I have suffered in and off with anxiety, tried various medications, therapies etc and generally had what I would refer to as an unusual disposition/feeling about living in my own body. I’ve managed to be a teacher that whole time, have a couple of kids and maintain what I suppose are ‘normal’ relationships. About 3 months ago, my anxiety stepped up a notch and I put myself back on medication which seemed to help things. Now this is where it gets interesting: last Monday, I was at school and had a seizure (thankfully not in front of a class and thankfully I don’t have any recollection of it). Fast forward to today (10 days later), I have had brain surgery to remove a tumour from my right frontal lobe and I am back at home recovering (remarkably well given I have a nice new headband of staples across my skull - not even a headache). I find myself here because since I’ve been home I have had this incredible sense of clarity that wasn’t there before, for years I feel like I e been living in this haze of confusion and nervousness. You’re probably thinking I’m on some pretty serious brain surgery recovery drugs but I’m not, not even Panadol. I do continue to take my medication in the morning but I am wondering if that’s something I might even be able to consider stopping. Who knows, I might be completely crazy but I can’t help wondering if something putting pressure on a particular area of the brain might even be the cause of an anxiety disorder. For now I’m going to choose to celebrate the fact that I’m here! Considering myself an interesting case study that’s for sure!