Immediate support
Immediate support

Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with anxiety.

Start a discussion

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Jump to
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

Chris_B Forums etiquette: give support to receive support
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newb... View more

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newbies are welcomed when they first post, and we understand that it’s a big step to post for the first time on a forum like this, especially if you aren’t feeling great. It’s important to remember, though, that these forums are a community of real people, just like you, not a one-on-one support environment like going to see your psychologist. To get the best out of being here, one of the best tips we can offer is give support to receive support. Being a good community member means: participating in different threads (not just your own), replying to people who have taken the time to reply to you (even if it’s just to say thank you), and... posting words of emotional support and encouragement when you see others who are hurting and reaching out. You don’t have to feel obliged to solve the problems of others: that’s not what we’re here for. But you can offer empathy and what you’ve learned from your own life experiences, even if it’s just a line or two, eg. “I don't know what to say, but I want to give you my support and tell you I care about what is happening to you and hope life will get better soon.” Try to develop an interest in the journeys of others here on the forums. You may be surprised at how good being an active, caring member here can make you feel. For those of you who have had good experiences giving support here on the forums, please post in this thread here and let us know how it has helped you on your journey.

All discussions

Start a discussion

Agnes09 Oh My! This is horrible!
  • replies: 1

I grew up in a very critical home and have always struggled with anxiety and low self-esteem. I then married a very critical man who occasionally used his fists to express his disappointment in me. The day my 6 y/o called me stupid "cause daddy says ... View more

I grew up in a very critical home and have always struggled with anxiety and low self-esteem. I then married a very critical man who occasionally used his fists to express his disappointment in me. The day my 6 y/o called me stupid "cause daddy says so" was the day I took 3 children, and no belongings, to the park and never went back home. I got tough and nothing was going to put me down again, especially my own negative self-talk. I put myself though uni, raised the 3, whose father refused to see or support, met a wonderful man and welcomed a new baby into our home. Things weren't always easy and sometimes anxiety would get in my way, but we were tough and we found a way around, over or though all obstacles. Life was good. The bushfires came and we lost everything, our home, some good friends and our ability to live with anxiety. But we were tough and most importantly together, and with help we got back on our feet and found a way though most problems. The anxiety was the worst problem because now the whole family was suffering and who has time to calmly deal with their own anxiety when one child refuses to go to school because they think you will die if they leave you, and another child starts self-medicating illegally. Time for professional help, and it did help. It took a while but life was good again. At the age of 50 I decided to became a nurse. I loved every moment of school and had the makings of a good nurse until my final placement, where I had a critical educator who made life difficult for all his students. I couldn't deal with anxiety anymore. I messed up all my interviews and so stayed in my job as a carer for a year, until I finally got the courage to sign up as an agency nurse. The 2 shifts I've had have been marred by extreme thirst, nervous poo, blurry vision, nausea and palpitations. The palpitations aren't new but the other symptoms are. This all means I'm working slow and can't think straight. I'm too scared to talk the senior nurses, they're getting frustrated which only makes my anxiety worse. I feel so stupid and don't know what to do. I can't take another shift but I don't want to quit nursing. How did things get so bad? I saw my GP today. He has diagnosed me with GAD and I have an appointment with a psychologist in 2 weeks time. I'm not sure what to do in the meantime because I can't take all that time off a casual job and I can't risk an anxiety attack messing up another shift.

Booklover17 In a funk - not excited about anything
  • replies: 18

Hi everyone, For the past week I have felt deflated, dreading going to work and I have this heaviness in my chest. I am seeing a psychologist and do get anxiety and depression. I guess I just wanted to unload here a little and ask if anyone is feelin... View more

Hi everyone, For the past week I have felt deflated, dreading going to work and I have this heaviness in my chest. I am seeing a psychologist and do get anxiety and depression. I guess I just wanted to unload here a little and ask if anyone is feeling the same way or has in the past and what strategies you used?

Whazp Is it Anxiety?
  • replies: 17

Hi All, Back when i was a teen i suffered from OCD (Obsessive thoughts about food poisoning) & some sort of GAD - cant remember the specifics. Was put on medication and after a while everything picked up and life was good. Stayed on it for about 12 y... View more

Hi All, Back when i was a teen i suffered from OCD (Obsessive thoughts about food poisoning) & some sort of GAD - cant remember the specifics. Was put on medication and after a while everything picked up and life was good. Stayed on it for about 12 years until 2 years ago i decided that i didn't need medication anymore because i was doing so well. What a mistake that was... Got hit with some work stress pretty bad and started having faint dizzy spells. Had brain fog, irratibility etc. Ended up re-instating the medication after a little over a year & things started to pick up again. After a few months of being on the medication again i started having strange physical symptoms for around 2 hours each evening after eating and taking the medication. Thought that the medication was hurting me and i tapered off it in about 3 weeks. Ended up with'discontinuation syndrome' - id never wish it on my worse enemy. Its now 5 months out from last taking the medication. What im not sure about is am i still experiencing discontinuation syndrome or is this what anxiety feels like? I have the following symptoms in isolation or sometimes together. Intensity varies and the sensations are not always the same. Tightness in forehead like a constant pressure in the head. Difficulty concentrating. Regular tension type headaches - usually left side. Weakness in the body - find physical exertion bombs me quickly Numbness in limbs Constant tingling sensations in the body and limbs. Feeling like going to pass out - not too often. Burning sensations in the face Some tightness in the chest Slight tremble Derealization - feels like im watching a movie picture. Feels like on drugs but without any euphoria. Has improved slightly. Random ringing in ears - only lasts a few seconds. Happens occasionally. Sometimes rapid heart rate. Confusion occasionally. Is this Anxiety? I always thought anxiety was feeling nervous about something. Often i get these symptoms but im not worrying about anything?

JustM3 Should i get help?
  • replies: 3

Hi, I think i have anxiety but i am too scared that it will be dismissed if i see a mental health care professional. I'm still in school and don't want to cause a hassle for my family but i have been struggling with this for a while now. Here are som... View more

Hi, I think i have anxiety but i am too scared that it will be dismissed if i see a mental health care professional. I'm still in school and don't want to cause a hassle for my family but i have been struggling with this for a while now. Here are some things i struggle with: -Watching movies that involve monsters or ghosts (this sounds dumb but even after i watched the PG rated movie Gremlins i had trouble sleeping for a month) -Performing (i'm a musician) -Talking to people (if i think i've said something wrong i avoid people so i don't have to talk to them in case they confront me) -Sleeping with the lights off (some days i literally cannot sleep because i look at the clock and freak out over the fact that i should be asleep while checking the doorway every five seconds to make sure there are no immediate threats) -Physical activities (i am self conscious and avoid sport and school camps in case people make fun of me) -Freezing (when i hear a noise at night i freeze and lie as still as i can while wishing i could move to get across the room to turn the light on) -Stress (at school i can feel all the work piling up and i sometimes end up hyperventilating when i get home i am usually very grouchy and end up in tears by the end of the night, this happens most nights) -Seeking help (i am terrified of seeking help i asked my mother to book an appointment once and backed out after she organised it and i told her i was fine) This list looks like nothing now i've written it but i really feel that the issues i'm having aren't normal, or maybe no one ever talks about it? I think lots of people have anxiety but social media has dismissed it as the norm and that people say that people who get help don't actually need it they are just looking for attention. I've taken the anxiety quiz on this site and i have contacted headspace and i think maybe i should get help. I'm still too scared to mention this to my parents in case i end up in tears (like i did last time) which is humiliating. How can you deal with anxiety anyway, even when i try breathing slowly and counting to 10 i know it's still there. What kind of solutions do mental health care professionals provide? and do they work? Thank you for reading this and if you think that the stress i'm feeling is normal please just tell me

Fred22 Does it ever go away
  • replies: 3

Hi I suffer from GAD with frequent anxiety panic attacks. It has been off and on for most off my life but I never seem to be over it. I have a trigger of when I am criticised or feel I am failing or less then perfect; what do i do? Will it ever go aw... View more

Hi I suffer from GAD with frequent anxiety panic attacks. It has been off and on for most off my life but I never seem to be over it. I have a trigger of when I am criticised or feel I am failing or less then perfect; what do i do? Will it ever go away?

Mina19 Digestive issues long term stress and anxiety
  • replies: 6

I don’t want to get into too much detail but a few years back something really bad happened to me at high school one of my teachers exposed themselves to me and some other girls he’s in jail now but since all that happened I’ve gotten really bad anxi... View more

I don’t want to get into too much detail but a few years back something really bad happened to me at high school one of my teachers exposed themselves to me and some other girls he’s in jail now but since all that happened I’ve gotten really bad anxiety and stress and on top of that out of nowhere my stomach started playing up and when I think about what happened I have to run to the bathroom. I don’t know if it’s because technically you are alone in the bathroom and it’s a way to calm down but it’s almost like all this has caused my stomach to mess up anyone going through something similar like the physical symptoms?

Ruby44 Work is causing my anxiety but the idea of leaving & starting over makes me feel just as anxious...
  • replies: 5

Just joined BB and hoping for some advice please! I've been at my work for four years & it has always been a high stress environment, particularly since taking on a management role two years ago. Recently the company has experienced huge growth & the... View more

Just joined BB and hoping for some advice please! I've been at my work for four years & it has always been a high stress environment, particularly since taking on a management role two years ago. Recently the company has experienced huge growth & the pressure & stress has gotten monumentally worse. To add to this there have been a lot of senior managers enter the business trying to prove themselves so a lot of power struggles going on. I am caught in the middle of these & it is mentally exhausting having to be careful what you say & who you say them to. For six months everything has been a struggle, it started as feeling fatigued & short of breath so I visited a heap of doctors looking for a physical reason why I felt this way. Then I started to have chest pain (particularly at work) to the point where I ended up in the emergency room...After a string of tests I was basically given a clean bill of health with some signs of POTS. It became clear that the chest pain was only happening when I was feeling stressed at work. I've tried many coping strategies to deal with the pressure at work (yoga, meditation, hypnotherapy for anxiety), reduced sugar and caffeine but still it's not enough. I love my job & have a great team but I have had multiple panic attacks in the past 4/5 months. I thought these were calming down but then I have had 3 in the past 2 weeks, turning to vmedication when I get home to take the edge off. It's clear that work is the cause of a lot of this stress & anxiety but the thought of leaving & having to prove myself all over again if I leave makes me feel just as anxious. That being said there are a lot of changes coming in management at my work (so I probably have to prove myself again there too). Do I try & wait to see if things improve or do I need to get out ASAP? I know that this job is good for my career but at the moment I feel like I am collateral damage in all the battles going on at work. A few people have suggested trying some medication to deal with my anxiety but it doesn't feel right to have to medicate myself to deal with my job!? Has anyone been in a similar situation? I also looked at moving house by the beach etc to try & have a more relaxed lifestyle but would mean being slightly further from my family who I have been leaning on a lot recently. My husband really doesn't understand how I am feeling, I have tried to talk to him but he is very laid back & never really gets stressed. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!

bunnyxxx Anxiety After Bad Job Experience
  • replies: 1

I'm really not sure how to deal with this at the moment as my anxiety hadn't been bad in ages and it's only just flared up lately.... I've been off work for two months now after being dismissed unfairly in regards to my employer finding out about my ... View more

I'm really not sure how to deal with this at the moment as my anxiety hadn't been bad in ages and it's only just flared up lately.... I've been off work for two months now after being dismissed unfairly in regards to my employer finding out about my mental health conditions. The whole thing has been resolved legally, but it still seems to be affecting me heaps. I'm due to start a new job tomorrow and I'm really anxious to the point I'm now worrying I'll panic beforehand and not be able to get myself to go... I know I'm capable of managing this situation just fine, I've worked similar jobs for as long as I've been old enough to work, but this two month break makes getting back into it seem so scary... it probably doesn't help I don't know what tomorrow involves beyond the time I need to be there. I'm so anxious I can't sleep, I feel sick. I'm so scared of having a bad experience again or no longer being able to work cause of this time away from working... I'm really bad at distracting myself when I feel this bad and I'm not sure what to do... The past few months have been so hard, I just want things to progress and be somewhat normal for me again. This would be a good first step, but if I even can't do this, why am I even trying anymore...

Jason_G New to anxiety and wanting to share my experience
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone I thought I would share my experience with you since I had a anxiety attack last week and again today. A bit of background, the only other time had felt an anxiety attack was 3 years ago before I had one of teeth removed! My breathing pic... View more

Hi everyone I thought I would share my experience with you since I had a anxiety attack last week and again today. A bit of background, the only other time had felt an anxiety attack was 3 years ago before I had one of teeth removed! My breathing picked up, my right hand and then left hand felt really tight and I just felt really bad. The doctor at the time gave me a paper bag to breathe into and a bit of sugar under my tongue which solved the ill feeling and that was that. Two weeks later I caught a plane with my partner and I realised my hands got stiff again and well, I was having a mini attack during take off! I guess I didn't realise but I was probably not in a good state of mind after what had happened at the dentist but i managed to calm myself down and the stiffness subsided. Now fast forward to last week when I experienced a second anxiety attack. I was sitting around the house and resting since I had ruptured my Achilles several weeks beforehand. Over this resting period I continually checked my fitbit to check my heart rates etc, and started searching stuff online about my injury, where I found other health issues that could come about due to my injury. This seemed to stress me out heaps and last week while I was along and noticed my heart rate elevate after I went to walk a bit, well I guess I panicked which in turn elevated my heart rate even more, and I found myself breathless and running outside of my house with crutches yelling for "help". I was so concerned as I didnt know if I was having a heart attack or what. I got the ambulance on the phone and they came over, and to be safe, I went to hospital where a few tests were run and the Doctor told me what happened was an anxiety attack. Fast Forward to today! and I was once again sitting at my house reading a book and I got up suddenly hopping about to grab my crutches on the ground, which in turn seemed to elevate my heart rate again and BOOM, I realised I was having another attack which I managed to calm myself down by sitting down and do breathing exercises for a few minutes... Once that subsided I ate a banana real quick and drank like 4 glasses of water and boom, I feeling so bloated and tight around the chest and another attack but this time I called out for help and my neighbor came over and sat with me for about half hour until I felt calm. Anyway I just wanted to share my experience with you all as I feel really good talking about it, hoping I can overcome this.

michc04 Right Back where I started
  • replies: 9

Hi all, i really felt like I had made some great progress this week with getting my panic attacks and anxiety to a somewhat manageable level but had a very bad episode on Friday even after having dinner and movie plans which I usually really enjoy do... View more

Hi all, i really felt like I had made some great progress this week with getting my panic attacks and anxiety to a somewhat manageable level but had a very bad episode on Friday even after having dinner and movie plans which I usually really enjoy doing and now again on Saturday morning. i feel like I’m back to square one again just as things where starting to look up. im very new to feeling this way (and at this level) so it’s been very disheartening and I’m struggling to get myself off the couch today. i just want to get better and live my life again. I know it’s a process but could use even a little bit of relief from the symptoms to let me know there is hope.