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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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ScarlettR Knowing what anxiety actually means
  • replies: 1

I used to have terrible anxiety about 4-5 years ago. Fortunately, since late 2016 I've handled it very well and can live life without too much worry. That said, there are some nights where I feel afraid of the future or of my current living condition... View more

I used to have terrible anxiety about 4-5 years ago. Fortunately, since late 2016 I've handled it very well and can live life without too much worry. That said, there are some nights where I feel afraid of the future or of my current living conditions or my family's wellbeing, and I go to bed early to get some therapeutic rest and reduce the trauma. I looked at Google's definition of anxiety: "a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome." I noted the word "uncertain". All this time, I thought I was worrying of bad things that will come to me, whether I'm expecting it or not (homelessness and death of a loved one are the most common feelings for worry for me). But maybe my thoughts of the future are not definite, but just uncertain, and I'm dwelling on my uncertainty to the point where I coated it with pseudo-truth? In fact, when something sad or terrible did happen in my life - and believe me, they were actually quite rare - I didn't get anxiety that I feel at night. In fact I recovered rather quickly and lived normal. I know everyone has a different life story and reason for their anxieties, so I'm trying to pinpoint an aspect of anxiety that everyone can relate to and overcome, or at least realise the feeling of uncertainty is only daydreaming.

Tiffany1 How to stop comparing self to others?
  • replies: 28

Howdy everybody! I'm not currently going through an episode, so I'm feeling pretty upbeat right now, but I just want to make sure depressed me in the future is prepared a bit better. Sometimes I get this terrible thought process happening where it se... View more

Howdy everybody! I'm not currently going through an episode, so I'm feeling pretty upbeat right now, but I just want to make sure depressed me in the future is prepared a bit better. Sometimes I get this terrible thought process happening where it seems like everyone is getting on with their lives and achieving things and being successful and becoming better people. And my mind tells me that I've achieved nothing. The negative self talk is quite bad when I go on facebook and I see everyone graduating with prestigious degrees and getting jobs, so I avoid fb now and I'm a lot happier. I went to an academically selective high school so it seems like most of the people I knew then are now highly respectable and employable people. It makes me remarkably jealous. When I graduated high school, I figured I wanted to pursue my dream to become an independent creative, and I thought since I was kinda smart and work really hard, I could make it. So I went to university and took a degree in the creative arts instead of the recommended business/law/science/accounting/engineering degree. Now classes have finished, and I do have fellow artists who've got jobs lined up or are working for studios now, but I'm not one of them. I had a tough time in university, at first I was really happy that I finally got to do creative stuff, but the head teacher was a real bully toward me and other students. He refused to speak to certain students because he didn't like their art, belittled other teachers and students behind their backs, and he'd push whom he considered talented artists so that they'd be getting no sleep. His emotional abuse made me relapse into deeply depressive episodes and I started hating creating stuff. I can't share my art online now, and sometimes I just destroy my work because the voices in my head get so loud. I haven't even started looking for creative work even though I have pieces I can show studios. I'm looking for a day job situation too, but it gets me down when I look at receptionist ads because I'm not even qualified for those and I spent so long trying to become a creative it seems like a waste to become a full time paper pusher. I feel like university was a waste and a huge mental struggle. I regret pursuing my dream. And I'm constantly comparing myself to more successful people. I know I have depression and anxiety to some degree. I just want to be happy with myself and what I've achieved? How do I focus on the good, and what good is there?

EllieC The dreaded “networking” event
  • replies: 3

Hi guys, I’m attending a conference at the moment for members of my profession. I’m absolutely loving all the presentations and learning so much so I’m glad to be here, but I’m finding it really quite hard to feel comfortable during breaks when we’re... View more

Hi guys, I’m attending a conference at the moment for members of my profession. I’m absolutely loving all the presentations and learning so much so I’m glad to be here, but I’m finding it really quite hard to feel comfortable during breaks when we’re supposed to mingle and “network” - a word that sends chills through socially anxious people like myself. I’m too shy to talk to people, then I worry that I’m being too weird because I’m not talking. There are some people here that I’ve met at previous events but every time I’ve spotted them they’re already having a conversation with someone else so I don’t want to interrupt Does anyone have tips on how to be a little more confident and forward in speaking to people... or even just to be more comfortable with standing on my own? (I’d take that over feeling like everyone thinks I’m a friendless leper!) If I can reflect, it seems to me like as my anxiety improves I start being able to do things I couldn’t have done five years ago - like going to this conference! - but that presents new challenges, and it makes me wonder if I’m actually improving or whether I’m just transferring my anxiety to new things?

ScarlettR Anxiety about moving from parents?
  • replies: 1

I'm a 30 year old female and had lived with my parents all my life. I also have a sister, who is 28, who lives with the parents too. I didn't feel much shame living with my parents in my 20s, for I knew that a lot of young, unmarried people did the s... View more

I'm a 30 year old female and had lived with my parents all my life. I also have a sister, who is 28, who lives with the parents too. I didn't feel much shame living with my parents in my 20s, for I knew that a lot of young, unmarried people did the same as they studied or were job seeking. Now that time has passed, and I'm feeling more determined than ever to get real world/ independence experience. There is one issue: I love my mum very much and I talk to her every day. If I was on holiday on my own, I get anxious and depressed very quickly and have to email her just for the communication. The main obstacle holding me back from renting is money. I'm hoping my current job wages will increase in the next few months, as my boss promised. The emotional obstacle is my family. I know I'm getting older, but I still get a timid fear of not being around my mum. Is this normal and will eventually resolve itself? Or something abnormal, like maybe I'm too attached to my mum?

Booklover17 I fee so alone
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, I have posted on here before and I have always appreciated the support you give me. I have anxiety and at the moment I feel really alone, like no-one understands how I feel. I am also under a lot of stress at the moment so this doesn’t h... View more

Hi everyone, I have posted on here before and I have always appreciated the support you give me. I have anxiety and at the moment I feel really alone, like no-one understands how I feel. I am also under a lot of stress at the moment so this doesn’t help. Is anyone feeling like this right now?

ScaredBetty Crazy Thoughts
  • replies: 2

Does anyone else get strange thoughts when experiencing periods of anxiety, like the most random thoughts will pop into my head about things that happened years ago that I have never thought about before or strange creatures and scary images will pop... View more

Does anyone else get strange thoughts when experiencing periods of anxiety, like the most random thoughts will pop into my head about things that happened years ago that I have never thought about before or strange creatures and scary images will pop up...I feel like I’m going crazy

Quercus Dreading Halloween
  • replies: 2

Hi Everyone, The only Halloween I like is the song by Jon Bellion. Random strangers knocking at your door in costume...No thank you! This year we're renting while the house is built and it's the first time we don't have a locked fence and the german ... View more

Hi Everyone, The only Halloween I like is the song by Jon Bellion. Random strangers knocking at your door in costume...No thank you! This year we're renting while the house is built and it's the first time we don't have a locked fence and the german shepherd keeping everyone away from our home. I tell myself if anyone comes it will be kids and hubby will get the door but the whole thing freaks me out majorly. Above all it is the costumes. A long time ago an ex decided it would be funny to pick the lock to the bathroom door and 'surprise' me in the shower in a scary mask. I don't deal well with costumes. Am really hating that Halloween is becoming an Australian thing too. Does anyone know if there is a polite way to let trick or treaters know "stay the hell away from my house because I'm frightened"? Hubby says as long as we have lollies it will be fine noone will try any tricks or get up to mischief. If it wasn't for my little kids I would go camp on the floor of our shed and wait for Halloween to be over. Does anyone else dread Halloween too? Nat

bowie66 cant stop stressing
  • replies: 2

hi im new.i cant turn my brain off.having probs at work and have taken some sick leave after describing my sumptom to gp.any techniques to helpswitch off

hi im new.i cant turn my brain off.having probs at work and have taken some sick leave after describing my sumptom to gp.any techniques to helpswitch off

Zel failed courses, bank loans...
  • replies: 1

I failed all my courses from last semester (I know it was all my fault) and I'm suffering financially too

I failed all my courses from last semester (I know it was all my fault) and I'm suffering financially too

Cimmaron phobias
  • replies: 1

Anyone have similar phobias to me out there? I feel a bit alone though friends and family are good to me they don't really understand. 1. Fear of bushfire on my property. 2. Fear of going over bridges and in tunnels. 3. Fear of going to shopping cent... View more

Anyone have similar phobias to me out there? I feel a bit alone though friends and family are good to me they don't really understand. 1. Fear of bushfire on my property. 2. Fear of going over bridges and in tunnels. 3. Fear of going to shopping centres and the movies as there might be a fire and I can't get out. Fear of being on the road as have been in several accidents. Fear of going into banks and takeaway places because of robberies. And also the common ones like fear of flying and ekevators. There are probably a few more but that's enough for now. I know these fears are irrational but can't stop the fear. Am getting help by just feel like I'm getting nowhere at the moment.