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

All discussions

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

Meowface Pregnancy & Anxiety
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It’s been awhile since I said hello on these forums. I’m 21 weeks pregnant now and was plodding along doing pretty well but anxiety has reared it’s head again. I stopped my meds when I got pregnant because I have had severe morning sickness and nothi... View more

It’s been awhile since I said hello on these forums. I’m 21 weeks pregnant now and was plodding along doing pretty well but anxiety has reared it’s head again. I stopped my meds when I got pregnant because I have had severe morning sickness and nothing stayed down. Feeling very raw and scared now. I find it even harder to talk about my anxiety with something exciting growing inside of me - guilt really. I’m dealing with mega stress at work which has been my major trigger but feel stuck because financially we need the job until I go on mat leave. Im crying a lot on my own and feel frozen with others. I had a panic attack yesterday at work and am scared there will be more. I struggle to put myself first and self care has gone out the window. Combined with morning sickness I struggle to put proper meals together and am living off toast when I can be bothered. I might not get a reply and that’s okay but just wanted to get it off my chest.

Mumma7 Anxiety and ocd help
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Hey guys! So I have ocd and anxiety/panic attacks. I struggle to leave the home without feeling like I can’t breath. I’m on new medication and it’s helping but I’m noticing something that I normally notice when I’m getting better, just wondering if a... View more

Hey guys! So I have ocd and anxiety/panic attacks. I struggle to leave the home without feeling like I can’t breath. I’m on new medication and it’s helping but I’m noticing something that I normally notice when I’m getting better, just wondering if anyone else has felt what I’m about to explain? So I used to control my breathing or have constant intrusive thoughts and constantly doing ocd behaviours, and now I’m starting to get better I notice ‘stillness’ so because I don’t control my breathing anymore or do these behaviours I feel when I sit down and am doing nothing I feel like nothings going on inside, like I feel like I need to start controlling my breathing or hearing my heartbeat to know everything’s still working. I find when I feel ‘still’ I almost feel empty inside and feel like I’m going to pass out or die. It’s so frustrating!!!! Does anyone else ever get this feeling?

Anne1303 Severe Work Anxiety
  • replies: 10

I have struggled with depression and anxiety on and off for years. I went off medication six months ago thinking I was feeling great, but since then have slowly gone downhill until I have totally crashed this week at work and have had to take time of... View more

I have struggled with depression and anxiety on and off for years. I went off medication six months ago thinking I was feeling great, but since then have slowly gone downhill until I have totally crashed this week at work and have had to take time off. I have extreme anxiety that I will miss something really important at work and something terrible will happen because I have missed it. I obsess over it now and found my constantly rechecking things just in case but still get into a panicked state just thinking about it. I saw my dr yday and have restarted on medication but am just so obsessed with worry that I am actually thinking about quitting my job and looking for something in a much less stressful environment , but then I worry am I just running away from my fears and will I find something to obsess and worry about in a different job anyway? Just so miserable and down and panicked .

Elda01 Anxiety/ Work
  • replies: 4

Hi. I’ve recently been really struggling with anxiety and my job has been a massive contributing factor. I’ve only been there about 4 months but the nature of the work means I deal with a lot of angry people which has made my anxiety worse. I’ve neve... View more

Hi. I’ve recently been really struggling with anxiety and my job has been a massive contributing factor. I’ve only been there about 4 months but the nature of the work means I deal with a lot of angry people which has made my anxiety worse. I’ve never seeked help for anxiety but I am at a point now where I need to and I’m going to see my GP this week. I informed work about my mental health and basically my work told me thy were suprised I’m only bring this up now and that they will talk to HR but I’ll probably need a fit to work certificate and not just a medical certificate. They were really unsupportive about the whole situation. I basically just want to know my rights, am I entitled to take a week off work and do I have to provide I fit to work certificate?