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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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roogirl Anxiety & eyesight
  • replies: 6

Hello, I'm going through a particularly rough patch at the moment with my health anxiety. I suffer from dissociation from time to time also. I see a clinical psychologist and I'm about to start some hypnotherapy. Am wondering if anyone else on this s... View more

Hello, I'm going through a particularly rough patch at the moment with my health anxiety. I suffer from dissociation from time to time also. I see a clinical psychologist and I'm about to start some hypnotherapy. Am wondering if anyone else on this site ever has problems with their eyesight/glasses during these periods? I wear glasses all the time and they are driving me crazy. They are multifocals and I have been to my optometrist to have the prescription checked, had them adjusted a couple of times and nose pads changed. Everything seems to be fine from that end. I'm sure it is just me. Can anxiety affect your eyesight during an anxiety attack? Thanks for any responses or suggestions. Roogirl

auschic Emotional breakdowns
  • replies: 2

Ive had a few i guess you could call them emotional breakdowns and i feel terrible about them. They usually happen if i get into an arguement with my partner. I had one last night and ive had some time to think about what caused it. I know i was feel... View more

Ive had a few i guess you could call them emotional breakdowns and i feel terrible about them. They usually happen if i get into an arguement with my partner. I had one last night and ive had some time to think about what caused it. I know i was feeling misunderstood, desperately trying to get my partner to understand my side (he was perceiving me as something negative due to something i said but didnt mean) basically i was trying to defend myself and show him that i wasnt what he thought and what i said was wrong. He wasnt understsnding and pushed me away, said he didnt want to talk to me etc. i gave him space and felt really bad, i kept thinking about how i can say the wrong things at the wrong time and how i can mess things up so easily. I felt pretty shitty at this point. Anyway i went back in hopes i can convince him that i didnt mean what i said. Didnt work, he shut me down saying he doesnt want to talk. I felt rejected, stupid and somewhat angry because what i said wasnt even that bad it was just a simple wrong choice of words. In my mind im thinking why is he so upset over something so small? At this point im desperate for him to just understand what im saying (im not sure why i care so much) and he just keeps shutting me down and this causes a breakdown to happen. There were alot of tears, fast heart, hyperventilating etc. I think it was the fact that i just wanted to be heard and i kept getting rejected and pushed away even when i hadnt technically done anything wrong. This is what caused a breakdown. Not the first time this has happened (the breakdown) i feel stupid about it,and i think he thinks im a child who cant deal with her emotions which makes me feel even worse. I dont know why this bothers me so much. I just remember feeling so misunderstood and rejected and it hurt. Why does this happen to me and how can i stop?

yungtree Just read that OCD could be caused by dietary glutamate, MSG
  • replies: 8

hey guys this might be a helpful post as I just read an article posted by the NCBI. (This is part of the United States National Library of Medicine) So basically the case is saying that dietary glutamate could be contributing to the symptoms of obses... View more

hey guys this might be a helpful post as I just read an article posted by the NCBI. (This is part of the United States National Library of Medicine) So basically the case is saying that dietary glutamate could be contributing to the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. They did a random clinical trial on a 50 year old man who had been showing symptoms of OCD for 39 years. He was put on this dietary trial to test the effects of a low-glutamate diet on fibromyalgia/irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. After 1 month on the low-glutamate diet all of his symptoms remitted, including his OCD, which had previously been non-responsive to pharmacological treatment. They are suggesting biological plausibility for this observation. But future research is needed. The diet is a low-glutamate diet Im going to give this diet a try and see for myself if it works out. Cheers!

SadANDlonely35 Constantly worrying about future and feeling sad and lonely since break-up
  • replies: 1

I have been going through a difficult time recently with a lot of uncertainty, and being a bit of a control freak I haven't been coping with it very well. It seems like it's all hit me at once and I've been struggling with it and feeling lonely and s... View more

I have been going through a difficult time recently with a lot of uncertainty, and being a bit of a control freak I haven't been coping with it very well. It seems like it's all hit me at once and I've been struggling with it and feeling lonely and sad. I am 35 and worry that I will never find someone, but at the same time I have unrealistic expectations and refuse to settle for anything less than amazing. I know that I have to change and lower my expectations since no-one (myself included) is perfect, but the thought of it gives me terrible anxiety. I just feel like I'd rather be single than in a relationship that isn't fulfilling in every way. I am obsessed with travelling as I feel like that's the only thing I have to look forward to, I always plan my holidays in advance so I can daydream and look forward to them - it's what keeps me excited, motivated and happy. I have been looking for a new housemate but have not had luck in finding anyone I'd be happy to live with as yet. I am hoping that just having someone living with me will make me feel less lonely. My circumstances • Five months ago I resigned from a job to travel for 2 months • I was unemployed for 2 months and during this time I started dating someone AND my housemate of 9 months moved out shortly after. • The day before I started the new job, the guy I was seeing broke up with me - this gave me serious physical anxiety even though I knew from the start that the relationship wouldn't last as there were a lot of deal breakers I straight away. As I was unsure about him from the start I didn't show much interest and as a result he ended things for which I'm actually very grateful for. However, it hurt like hell regardless of the fact that I didn't think we were a match and knew it wasn't going to last. The reason I chose not to end it is because it felt good to be in regular contact with someone who adored me and was very affectionate. I was selfish • It took me 2 months to land a new job and start working. The job I landed is only a short term contract and ends at the end of the year, meaning that I've been applying for jobs and will need to go through application rejections and the interview process all over again. • The day before I started the new job, the guy I was seeing broke up with me - this gave me serious physical anxiety of chest tightening etc. This lasted for 2 weeks before it went away. However, the irrational worrying about the future kicked in and has been with me ever since.

Pallavi Anxiety after recent illness and overall anxious personality
  • replies: 4

I was diagnosed with viral gastro in October and i went through hell before a diagnosis was possible had 3 emergency department visits and 4 weeks of sickness and tremendous pain and discomfort. AFter my diagnosis i was put on medicines and i recover... View more

I was diagnosed with viral gastro in October and i went through hell before a diagnosis was possible had 3 emergency department visits and 4 weeks of sickness and tremendous pain and discomfort. AFter my diagnosis i was put on medicines and i recovered well..Howevre i found myself being very anxious and fearing that I shouldn’t fall sick again and just as fate would have it on wed i had another attack ofgastro could be because of lactose is what doctors feel and i was back in emergency for a night. Being there my anxiety and feeling overwhelmed only increased and they suggested i go for counselling. As it is i worry for smallest of things and this episode has engulfed me and i fear i m passing anxiety to my son as well. I keep checking on him since I don’t want him to fall sick or that i am the cause of it and it must drive him crazy. Even when i was healthy i worry about my mom and dad who don’t live here and are overseas and i keep looking them up. I fear loosing them , my friend lost her mom and i was so anxious for days. I have an appointment with GP who will assses me for a mental health plan and i hope i can cope with this. Does anyone here take any antidepressants and do they have any side effects? Counselling and medicines i hope can fix me and my life and i can learn to cope with life.

Sezza_H feeling faint and sick...anxiety?
  • replies: 5

Hello, I only just discovered this online forum and this is my first ever post. Recently, I have started to feel VERY sick and faint whenever I am in certain situations (e.g. social situations). When these symptoms began to appear, I became worried t... View more

Hello, I only just discovered this online forum and this is my first ever post. Recently, I have started to feel VERY sick and faint whenever I am in certain situations (e.g. social situations). When these symptoms began to appear, I became worried that there could in fact be something physically wrong with me, but the strange thing is they never appear when I am just chilling at home. They seem to appear when I am in social situations or when I am about to meet up with someone. I have always felt this but it has gotten worse to the point that I am now content on staying home. I sometimes feel I bring it on somehow…or I make it worse by then thinking about it….I just don’t know and am very confused. Does what I have described above sound like anxiety? Can anxiety really manifest itself into these physical symptoms?

koakes1 social anxiety and job interviews
  • replies: 4

Hi there, I've recently been diagnosed with social anxiety, which is triggered by occasions where I have to talk about myself, such as dates or job interviews. I actually have a job interview this week, so am quite conscious of it - does anyone have ... View more

Hi there, I've recently been diagnosed with social anxiety, which is triggered by occasions where I have to talk about myself, such as dates or job interviews. I actually have a job interview this week, so am quite conscious of it - does anyone have any advice for calming the anxious voices in my head and keeping focused during the interview? I'm practising mindful breathing and I think that helps a bit, but anything else people can recommend?

Kovu1102 Need some help
  • replies: 2

Hi, I just joined here I have severe anxiety and depression.. problem is my wife has gone away for the weekend and I am alone, I thought I could do it on my own bit I can't.. I tried friends,but they can't help. I just can't stay here alone, I need t... View more

Hi, I just joined here I have severe anxiety and depression.. problem is my wife has gone away for the weekend and I am alone, I thought I could do it on my own bit I can't.. I tried friends,but they can't help. I just can't stay here alone, I need to be somewhere else, but got nowhere to go.. anyone have any ideas?

Anonymously_Me How to cope with retail job?
  • replies: 4

So I have a new job in retail and I'm finding it really difficult. So far I've only had 4 shifts and each one I get home and burst into tears. Today I had a panic attack on the way home and ended up hyperventilating pretty badly. I don't know if I ca... View more

So I have a new job in retail and I'm finding it really difficult. So far I've only had 4 shifts and each one I get home and burst into tears. Today I had a panic attack on the way home and ended up hyperventilating pretty badly. I don't know if I can handle it and I don't know what to do. It requires a lot of customer service which I'm fine with and Actually like talking to and interacting with customers but it's more that fact that I'm too shy for the job apparently and it's the management that stresses me. I can't get any more confident even though i'm essentially faking being confident and it works but apparently that's not good enough and I'm trying 200%. So I don't know what to do I took this job to practice socializing and gain confidence and challenge myself but so far every shift I break down after and I can't possibly try any harder and it's not good enough.

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