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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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AplaceToStart how can i tell my parents about my issues?
  • replies: 2

I'm having trouble right now. I have been struggling with anxiety and what i assume to be depression for up to a year now and i'm fed up. I have plans to get my mental health checked out at somewhere like 'Head Space' to see if it's anything really w... View more

I'm having trouble right now. I have been struggling with anxiety and what i assume to be depression for up to a year now and i'm fed up. I have plans to get my mental health checked out at somewhere like 'Head Space' to see if it's anything really worth worrying about. however, there lies the problem. I am a 15 year old boy. I can't tell if i'm right or wrong and i don't know where what i say sits in this day and age. this is the kind of thought that keeps me from asking my parents to take time out of their day to take me to see someone about my mental health. It's just a scary thought that they won't listen to me or they'll think i'm lying and laugh it off like it's nothing. And even if they do listen, what if it's nothing and i'm just overreacting? what happens then? Have i wasted their time on something that was never there in the first place? I really need help with this. I can't keep thinking the way i am now without someone knowing that i am like this. Your help and advice would heavily be appreciated.

Avoider Avoiding Relationships & People
  • replies: 2

Hi, It has recently been pointed out to me by a close friend that I push people away. She's not wrong. 3 years ago I lost my mother very suddenly and ever since I have avoided building relationships with people. This is for both friendships and roman... View more

Hi, It has recently been pointed out to me by a close friend that I push people away. She's not wrong. 3 years ago I lost my mother very suddenly and ever since I have avoided building relationships with people. This is for both friendships and romantic partners. In my mind when I meet someone I can already see the 'beginning' 'middle' and 'end'. If someone starts to get close to me my head and my anxiety tells me to run, so I do. This never used to bother me before because to me this was a protective mechanism stopping me from getting hurt, however I now have no social life and spend all my time working or studying and not interacting with people. I do not put effort into creating new relationships and get incredibly anxious when i even think about inviting people into my life. This has become very lonely and has made me scared of pretty much everyone. How do I get over being so scared and meet people without the voice in my head telling me to run every time?

Eadie Mothers anxiety about dying
  • replies: 3

HI, I just came on here to see if anyone else has felt the same feelings of overwhelming responsibility for a child that they had a panic attack about it. Im generally ok, have never spoken to a counsellor before or seeked help apart from talking wit... View more

HI, I just came on here to see if anyone else has felt the same feelings of overwhelming responsibility for a child that they had a panic attack about it. Im generally ok, have never spoken to a counsellor before or seeked help apart from talking with friends and my partner. We have a 2 year old and I am at home with him 2 nights a week while my partner away for work. I guess I am a sensitive and emotional person who can empathise with others to the point I can get quite upset putting myself in their shoes. Last night I had this horrible sinking feeling that I wasn't going to wake up. I felt sad about myself dying but the thought that sent me into a panic was that our child would be stuck in his cot, without food or water and may not be found for a day or so. I kept picturing that he would be crying out for me and would be so upset that I wasn't coming to get him. I kept picturing his little face, him collapsing from being exhausted from the crying, hunger and unchanged nappy that I had to get up and put food and water out for him incase I didn't wake up and unlock the door so the neighbours could come in. It was horrible because it could happen right? I know that the chances are pretty unlikely but bad stuff does happen. what am I supposed to do now? It was horrible and still lingers today 12 hours later. I texted my partner to get him to call me in the morning and if I didn't answer to send help for our baby. A few weeks ago I had a nightmare where I saw my baby looking for me, crying with his head down, dissapointed and loosing hope that I would find him. I saw him from afar and couldnt find him. I had this awful feeling of letting him down and not being there for him. I don't know if this is normal for a new parent or if im going through a stage of adjustment or if I am needing help. I want to be there for my family. im irritable, tired and feel guilty alot these days. Mothers guilt is a word that gets thrown around but not sure that what im experiencing is that, hormonal changes, survival instinctual stuff or anxiety. Does anyone else have a similar story or any thoughts on this?

pierrette random anxiety triggers
  • replies: 3

Hi, Does anyone else have random/specific triggers to their anxiety? For some reason, open doors and windows stress me out so much, in summer when my mum has opened everything I have to go around and close all of them, and I feel bad because of cours... View more

Hi, Does anyone else have random/specific triggers to their anxiety? For some reason, open doors and windows stress me out so much, in summer when my mum has opened everything I have to go around and close all of them, and I feel bad because of course she wants them open when it’s hot, but just having them open makes me so angry and anxious, I freak out and my heart beats fast and my palms get sweaty. Also, autotuned voices in music annoy me in general but whenever I hear it playing really quietly, but still able to be heard, I have a similar reaction and puts me on the brink of tears, sometimes making me cry or scream. Sometimes the sound comes up in my dreams too or I can just imagine it so clearly it has the same effect. Am I alone in this? Do you have things like this? Thanks

mood I'm confident but I'm anxious
  • replies: 2

Hi, I want to thank you for reading this first, this is my first forum post. I'm 13 years old and I'm in the hardest point in my life right now, school anxiety is overwhelming, I've been diagnosed with a severe anxiety disorder and I often feel like ... View more

Hi, I want to thank you for reading this first, this is my first forum post. I'm 13 years old and I'm in the hardest point in my life right now, school anxiety is overwhelming, I've been diagnosed with a severe anxiety disorder and I often feel like an outcast, even when i know I'm not and when people make the effort to be my friend I still feel unsteady, school has always been a problem for me, even more so now. I've always been sensitive but i guess these unfavourable events forced me to toughen up a bit and guard myself more, I'm very confident in myself but it isnt the same for my ability to go back to mainstream school, every time i think about walking into the school gates and being in the presence of people make me very nauseous, dizzy, tired and often it physically paralyzes me , I have no idea why. My therapy sessions are fine, I feel like im more and more confident, but the second I think about going to school everything i've talked about and learnt is thrown out the window, it's like someone reached into my head and pulled out every nice thing about school and replaced it with unrealistic doubts which is even more confusing because i know it's unrealistic, i know that nothing bad will happen yet my mind gets so hysteric and my entire body shuts down still, Im so confused to my situation, im confident but im anxious and it's really draining, i dont want to give up but i know i cant muster up enough willpower to actually go through with any of my psychologists plans and i feel helpless

Taylen_Bucello Iphone apps to help panic attacks
  • replies: 4

Hi!!! Does anyone know of any good apps for my iPhone to help me with my panic attacks? i have been getting them a lot and need something g to get my mind off it thank you in advance

Hi!!! Does anyone know of any good apps for my iPhone to help me with my panic attacks? i have been getting them a lot and need something g to get my mind off it thank you in advance

sharpie2 Adjustment, health anxiety. Help!
  • replies: 14

Hey guys, I'm a 23 year old mate fit, generally healthy and new to this forum, so hello to you all. The past 4 months have been different for me, after I was told that I was being made redundant at my old job. Sure enough when you think of the potent... View more

Hey guys, I'm a 23 year old mate fit, generally healthy and new to this forum, so hello to you all. The past 4 months have been different for me, after I was told that I was being made redundant at my old job. Sure enough when you think of the potential consequences of redundancy, you get anxious, feel hopeless and de-motivated. Anyway, the days and weeks after this moment brought me light headedness, muscle vibrations/twitches, pins and needles in my body, and brain fog/spaced out, tinnitus as well? Yep. It's almost like it all snuck up on me! I broke down about it one night. I then noticed that this worry affected me on the soccer field as well, didn't want to make that 5 extra metres for a slide tackle, shortness of breath etc. I was worried (love a good bit of health anxiety after a friend of mine died of brain cancer earlier this year) so went to my GP, had blood tests done, all clear, then he diagnosed me with mild depression and anxiety, referring me to a psychologist in the process. It took me 2 months to have the balls to see a psychologist, and in the mean time I couldn't help myself with Dr Google (which you guys talk about a lot) I've stressed over life threatening illnesses and debilitating diseases. Bare in mind I'm a great eater and a good exerciser. Psychology helped me a lot, he said I had a bit of adjustment disorder, and also he went about changing my thought processes with my ill health obsession. I started feeling better and felt confident in managing it. I also started taking b complex and fish oil caps to boost energy levels at work, because some days I just could not function. I felt great for 2 weeks, been playing my soccer as normal, going out etc and enjoying myself. Recently my symptoms have come back and also I've had tightness in the front of my neck, shaky, weak, fatigued, naturally I think thyroid issues or lymphoma etc and my mind is in overdrive! So I started stressing over them and bang I'm off to the GP tomorrow again to discuss it. Can anyone relate to this? Sorry for the rant but I feel better putting this out there!

Puppies Trichotillomania
  • replies: 2

Hello. I’ve posted on these forums before, seeking assistance with supporting my partner who has depression/anxiety but have not previously thought to post about my own struggles. I have had Trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder) for 10 years. I we... View more

Hello. I’ve posted on these forums before, seeking assistance with supporting my partner who has depression/anxiety but have not previously thought to post about my own struggles. I have had Trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder) for 10 years. I went through my entire high school years and uni with trichotillomania. Throughout this whole time it has only been my eyebrows/eyelashes. I have only started getting help (seeing a psych) at the beginning of this year. I’m not sure if it is working as well as I had hoped because we often go off on tangents about other aspects of my life (such as uni, partner etc) and the focus isn’t always the Trichotillomania. I find that I get increasingly anxious before each appointment. Sometimes I may not have an appointment for a month or two , and when I am called about the opportunity for an extra appointment I just say I can’t go (even if I am available for it). I’m not sure what to do in regards to the psychologist - whether I should keep going to the appointments or just stop going altogether. I also haven’t spoken to anyone else who has/had Trichotillomania. I’d like to hear from others who have been dealing with the feelings that surround the urges (guilt, anxiety, anger, sadness, feeling unattractive, like a failure, etc.) and how you overcame trichotillomania. I have been doing research and have recently come across some sites that talk about medication that actually stops the urges. I feel that if I could get rid of the feeling/urge that it would be easier for me to overcome it. The urges are 99% of the time uncontrollable (and the feeling doesn’t go away until I pull hair). I also find that my anxiety spikes when I try to fight against the urge. I don’t feel better until I pull hair. Has anyone been prescribed medication for this? Or has anyone stopped trichotillomania in any other ways? thanks - puppies

NotsobraveVesperia Tired, miserable, feeling trapped and anxious about the future
  • replies: 5

Hello all. Been looking at the site and forums a little for the last few days but finally braved it up enough to make an account and make my first post here. Figured I'd post an introductory of sorts and explain my situation as anxious as posting her... View more

Hello all. Been looking at the site and forums a little for the last few days but finally braved it up enough to make an account and make my first post here. Figured I'd post an introductory of sorts and explain my situation as anxious as posting here is making me.. I'm in my late 20s still living at home with parents, stuck working the same part-time retail job for just over 10 years now and thought I was coping just well enough to survive. The past month has been a complete nightmare, and then a few days ago a switch inside me flipped and now I cannot shut it off. Can only cope working part-time as my patience for both people and work pressure/drama has worn thin and been an overwhelming source to fuel my stress and anxiety. I have nightmares about work and highschool several times a week most weeks, and I'm lucky to get up to 3 hours sleep every night. My parents don't support me and I'm too scared to open up to them about my mental health (trauma from highschool years still affects me to this day and because of that still trust my parents to handle another situation concerning my mental health). Been staying up late drinking almost every work night in order to 'cope' with all the stress and lose myself playing video games, watching streaming videos on Youtube etc. and communicating with online friends if they're around. On my days off I'm always tired and have no motivation and little energy, lately work has been calling me in for extra shifts but now I'm at the point of just ignoring my phone because every day in that place makes me feel worse than the last. Feel like I need to quit my job, I don't have anything lined up but I just need a break from everything before things get any worse. Used to spend a lot of time composing music and coming up with lots of song ideas, and that has been happening less and less as the years go by, people tell me I'm good at it and I get sad thinking the last time I made anything was almost a year ago. Also find enjoyment in game development which I tried getting into for a while but then my job sapped away my motivation for that too. That being said I hope to be able to talk with others who may be in a similar situation or anyone out there who could give me some guidance, I have no place to go but home. I'm also particularly active online so hoping I can also be helpful to others too. Sorry this post is a bit of a scattered mess, kind of how I'm feeling at the moment aha. Guess I'll leave it here for now :).

fallenone Extreme guilt from past mistakes, what can I do?
  • replies: 4

Hello, This is my first time posting and I’ll try to keep it brief! I happen to be autistic and also have long line of family mental health issues. I struggle lots with social interactions and have tried my entire life to fit in with others around me... View more

Hello, This is my first time posting and I’ll try to keep it brief! I happen to be autistic and also have long line of family mental health issues. I struggle lots with social interactions and have tried my entire life to fit in with others around me. I have been struggling with anxiety since the age of 8 and about 2 months ago it sparked up again and I had to go to hospital. This time it seemed to latch itself onto memories of when I was younger, specifically stupid things I said or did when I was a kid. I feel guilt over things which aren’t even my fault, so remembering things which WERE just completely broke me. This led to panic attacks and uncontrollable guilt over things which I was told weren’t even that bad by others, and even people I said them to. Everyone tells me it’s becase I’m autistic but I feel like saying that is just an excuse, and now everytime I try to reassure myself I feel like I’m just making up excuses too. What I feel guilt over were never meant to be offensive and at the time I was simply young and socially clueless - yet the guilt won’t go away. It’s like I constantly need reassurance and forgiveness from mistakes that were childish jokes, statements and ignorance. Upsetting people has always been my worse fear, so when I look back at these things I cringe so much and just wish I could change them. I tried so hard to impress others and get people to like me that it ended in me hating myself. I would also like to clarify I don’t think I actually offended anyone by anything I said. Most of the things were ironic dark humour which others thought were hilarious, so I joined in because I wanted to be liked and make people laugh. I feel horrible by it, especially because I’m pretty sure some of it was actually bullying as they would say things behind people’s back and I would join in as everyone else did. Some of the things I also worry over happened when I was 15, and although that was over a year ago now I keep beating myself up over it as I should’ve known better... I feel like an idiot and a horrible person. I was so desperate for people to like me because I was lonely and scared of being bullied and disliked as I’ve had horrible experiences of being bullied before that I sometimes said things I loathed others for saying because I realised they were LIKED for it. I feel like a hypocrite. In short, how do you overcome guilt? How do I learn to move on, especially when my anxiety keeps telling me I don’t deserve to be forgiven?

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