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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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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!

Concerned_local_Gov_worke Anxiety Costing me my job
  • replies: 3

My names daniel and im 28 years old i have two children and i work for local govronment Today I received a letter from my manager stating that my application for leave at the end of this month had been denied. I needed the time off work for a wedding... View more

My names daniel and im 28 years old i have two children and i work for local govronment Today I received a letter from my manager stating that my application for leave at the end of this month had been denied. I needed the time off work for a wedding i'm to attend and in this letter its stated that i could loose my job if i'm not at work. Since july ive had around 60% attendance, due to depression and anxiety. The way my workplace is centered around control and punishment left me unable to leave the house most mornings. I would be unable to steady my breathing my vision would get hazy or in my worst moments i would become incredibly defensive over the smallest things. Id shut myself down because i wanted to lash out. I even left my workplace after an altercation because i couldn't calm down. I saw a doctor who recommended me to seek help and I saw a physiologist regularly. Ive also been taking medication and i feel that ive returned after being so low. I have made it back into work these past two weeks. With no leave left I had to apply for an accrued RDO and to swap another later in the month, I arrived at work on my rdo and my manager told me to go home. I feel like i'm being punished for being sick, that i should of just stuck it out and sucked it up. My manager has stated that "operational need" is the reason why i was denied. But they are going to fire me if i don't show up. I'm completely loosing it, i'm the best man for the wedding and its an ultimatum that i cant win no matter what i do am i wrong in thinking this is a clever worded and covered up way to fire me for having a mental illness ? has anyone else been in a situation like this ? its like i should never have told anyone i wasn't ok Does anyone know who to talk to about these sorts of things im completely lost

Bigtony Future/Career Anxiety
  • replies: 3

Hello, I'm 20 years old and I am currently unemployed, I dropped out of school in year 9 because of personal family reasons, I'm extremely stressed about my future work life, because I have had no qualifications I have only worked in jobs like labour... View more

Hello, I'm 20 years old and I am currently unemployed, I dropped out of school in year 9 because of personal family reasons, I'm extremely stressed about my future work life, because I have had no qualifications I have only worked in jobs like labouring for tradies ect, I want to pursue a good career and not do jobs I don't want to do for the rest of my life that give little wages, I want to pursue a good career and actually achieve something with my life but I'm not sure how to, I think I would have to go to university or something like that and I'm not sure how I would go about it since I didn't complete year 12.

HJ81 Did I have a panic attack?
  • replies: 10

Hello Im new here so very briefly I am a mum to 2 beautiful girls who are my everything. I also have a part time job that is exhausting but I love it. I’ve been with my husband for 17yrs and married for 12yrs. i was abused sexually by my dad growing ... View more

Hello Im new here so very briefly I am a mum to 2 beautiful girls who are my everything. I also have a part time job that is exhausting but I love it. I’ve been with my husband for 17yrs and married for 12yrs. i was abused sexually by my dad growing up which I never told anyone about until I was in my early 30’s and my husband cheated and I think I had a break down and told all. we moved away and haven’t had anything to do with my side of the family since. My mother however has been trying to contact me, and last year the police got a hold of me as my dad was being charged. I opted to stay out of it all as I fear talking about it will bring things up and make things worse for me. my in-laws have been very supportive and so have the friends I have told. For a few years now I have been getting these moment of lightheadedness and feel a little panicked by them. They can occur anytime day or night with no warning. blood test have confirmed possible hormone issues.. I’m not medicated but on natural herbs. Meds scare me. lately I’ve been having marriage issues and contemplating leaving, work is full on and I’m exhausted and not sleeping week. i do well at bottling things up and hiding things. People describe as happy go lucky and so friendly and chirpy. yesterday at work I felt jittery, next thing felt my heart pounding and was quite tachy, I went pale and felt like I was going to keep passing out... yucky yucky and scary feeling. Bloods and ECG came back fine. Got a referral for 24hr ecg halter and echocardiogram also need to see doctor for a referral to psychologist. Did I have a panic attack? It just came on out of the blue. i feel I’m starting to crumble and I’m so scared. thank you for your replies

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