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

EeeDee Is it me or anxiety?
  • replies: 4

Hi, this is my first post here. I suppose I'm writing this in hopes someone reading this has the answer. I have had anxiety all my life but I used to manage it well, even through the seven years of my teaching career. A little bit of withdrawel now a... View more

Hi, this is my first post here. I suppose I'm writing this in hopes someone reading this has the answer. I have had anxiety all my life but I used to manage it well, even through the seven years of my teaching career. A little bit of withdrawel now and then, over compensating other times. But recently some changes have occurred at the school I've been a teacher at for four years, the changes will affect my future there. In a nutshell I won't have a job next year as they are making changes to the lessons being taught - goodbye art and hello science. My issue isn't the changes, although it devastates me to think that my art program was not valued enough to hold on to despite community support and positive feedback. My anxiety took hold when it was revealed to me at a staff meeting with no heads up or prewarning. I was told the other teachers had voted for science. So there I sat, next to my colleagues thinking I have just been betrayed and no one thought to pull me aside and council me on the changes. Or even talk to me afterwards. It broke my spirit. I respected these people but they obviously did not value me or the hard work and relationships I had built. I went home and cried, I hid myself beneath a blanket to ashamed to tell my family I had failed. What were they to think except that I must have done something wrong. My son said the handling from the school was brutal. Whats worse is I spiraled and had to take sick leave. I had a collegue at school who supported me but recently I have not heard from her. I'm frightened I scared her away with my behavior. I texted her an apology recently for drawing her into my mess but she has not replied. Now I'm telling myself I'm a self absorbed shit that should be worrying about bigger things. That even she thinks I'm nuts and over reacted. I want to call the school make things right, but I have developed a tremor in my hand that disturbs me and I feel ill thinking f walking into my classroom again. I loved that space, it was a happy place of learning. Am I crazy, selfish or is just the anxiety? Why do I keep reliving how I handled the situation and wanting to turn back time. Its really pathetic really when there is so much more heavier problems in the world. Am I alone in this. I'm seeking help but I worry they might think I'm narcissistic or paranoid. I used to think I was tough, caring and emphatic but now I'm not sure. This anxiety has me tied up in knots.

onlymct I don’t know what’s wrong
  • replies: 2

I’ve had this constant pit that lingered from my chest into my stomach and I hate it. It’s like I want that feeling when you’re about to cry and then it releases when you do, but when I go to cry, nothing comes out. I’m tired all the time, I barely h... View more

I’ve had this constant pit that lingered from my chest into my stomach and I hate it. It’s like I want that feeling when you’re about to cry and then it releases when you do, but when I go to cry, nothing comes out. I’m tired all the time, I barely have any energy. I can’t eat properly, my sleeping sucks. I’m losing motivation for a lot of things. I can barely get myself to reply to a message. I’m having random panic attacks throughout my day, over almost nothing. Nothing will be happening and I’m struggling to breath, freaking myself out. What’s wrong with me? I had depression. I thought it went away. This feeling only lasted a little bit and then it’d go away. But I’m constantly on edge and I just want this feeling in my stomach to go away.

browniesdh Intrusive thoughts
  • replies: 2

hey so i think i have been struggling with intrusive thoughts i think for a while. they have made me question things really core to me like my mountain biking and things about my relationship. my latest intrusive thought episode has been about my sex... View more

hey so i think i have been struggling with intrusive thoughts i think for a while. they have made me question things really core to me like my mountain biking and things about my relationship. my latest intrusive thought episode has been about my sexuality and i think i have convinced myself that i am not what i thought i was i guess i am wondering if this is just another episode or something more as it is hard to tell, also any tips for dealing with this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

LP80 Mums group anxiety, is it worth it!
  • replies: 4

I am finding the same thing as Stina, but with a mothers group. I am a new mum and have always been open about my anxiety and have not made quite a few outings due to it. Now I find myself being excluded and it is awful. Even found out they have a se... View more

I am finding the same thing as Stina, but with a mothers group. I am a new mum and have always been open about my anxiety and have not made quite a few outings due to it. Now I find myself being excluded and it is awful. Even found out they have a seperate group chat from the one I am on. I find most days I cannot sleep from thinking about it and feel sick leaving the house with my daughter little alone going to events with these people. It is a small town and I fear leaving the group will bring more stress... if possible

Zxllakami I need help with soical anxiety please
  • replies: 6

I am really afraid of anything soical like large crowds, school, family gatherings etc. I hate talking to anyone and can’t be my true self around anyone. I feel really sick in soical situations. I know people won’t always be judging me but I feel lik... View more

I am really afraid of anything soical like large crowds, school, family gatherings etc. I hate talking to anyone and can’t be my true self around anyone. I feel really sick in soical situations. I know people won’t always be judging me but I feel like they are. I don’t dress how I want because I fear being judged and made fun of. Please so advice please. Thanks.

Benji321 How to Over Come Social Anxiety and Social Blushing **Advice Needed**
  • replies: 5

Hi, What advice to people have to overcome social phobia and social blushing. I seem to blush and get nervous in every social situation where the pressure is on me. I have seen a Psychiatrist and a psychologist with not much help or answers except a ... View more

Hi, What advice to people have to overcome social phobia and social blushing. I seem to blush and get nervous in every social situation where the pressure is on me. I have seen a Psychiatrist and a psychologist with not much help or answers except a bunch of meds which don't help. Has any one else been through something simular and work and how did you go about getting help or what techniques did you use. This is really ruining my career and my life I now tend to avoid social situations and meetings where I can. Thanks all

Guest_1211 At the limits of coping. But what happens when I cease to cope?
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I feel absolutely overwhelmed. I feel like I have reached my limit and my capacity to cope has almost been stretched to breaking point. my psychologist has been warning me that she is concerned that I will push myself past my limit. That at some poin... View more

I feel absolutely overwhelmed. I feel like I have reached my limit and my capacity to cope has almost been stretched to breaking point. my psychologist has been warning me that she is concerned that I will push myself past my limit. That at some point I won’t be able to keep coping. I always seem to be able to keep taking on more and just make it work, but what actually happens if you can’t? What does this look like? I can’t imagine not coping, but I don’t know if I can keep this up.

neverstopneverstopping Anxiety is constant again.
  • replies: 2

Hi guys. I've been on medication for anxiety for just over a year and a half. Originally it was stress related to my job, but during that time, my Dad was diagnosed with Cancer - again. In the time since I've been on anti-anxiety medication, his diag... View more

Hi guys. I've been on medication for anxiety for just over a year and a half. Originally it was stress related to my job, but during that time, my Dad was diagnosed with Cancer - again. In the time since I've been on anti-anxiety medication, his diagnosis has been made terminal. This last week things took a bad turn and the end is looking nearer than it did last week. Since finding out that our time with Dad is very much limited, I am noticing that my breathing is constantly shaky or I am struggling to catch my breath. I'm not sleeping again - because I'm afraid it might happen overnight. I'm also starting to dread leaving the house, but at the same time, I don't want to be here because watching him slip away is freaking me out too. I'm sorry if this triggers anyone, this is not my intention. I'm just looking for outside opinions and options of what I can do to try and calm down a little. I know that it's not going to be easy, but I'd like to react normally and not feel anxious constantly.

KiiKii Is my anxiety becoming depression
  • replies: 5

I've previously been diagnosed with GAD and have coped alright the past few years. In the last few months I've had a lot of exhaustion, it's been hard to engage with work, episodes of sleep disturbance and I've moved back in with my parents (it puts ... View more

I've previously been diagnosed with GAD and have coped alright the past few years. In the last few months I've had a lot of exhaustion, it's been hard to engage with work, episodes of sleep disturbance and I've moved back in with my parents (it puts me quite far from friends). My psychologist has usually used the term 'anxiety' even when I've reported feeling a bit down and has previously reassured me that my symptoms are not depression. I'm trying to figure out if this is my anxiety flaring up or if I'm crossing over into some depression. I'm booked in to see a psychologist in two weeks (on the waiting list to go earlier). Bit nervous because my regular psych is on maternity leave and the person they recommended is on holidays so seeing someone else

Anonymous1507 I get anxious just for reading aloud
  • replies: 3

I get nervous reading aloud in front of a class but not in front of friends or a tiny group. It is the worst feeling, I can feel my heart beating out of my chest, I get sweaty palms, my hands shake, I get out of breath and my voice cracks. This happe... View more

I get nervous reading aloud in front of a class but not in front of friends or a tiny group. It is the worst feeling, I can feel my heart beating out of my chest, I get sweaty palms, my hands shake, I get out of breath and my voice cracks. This happens even if I’m just reading devotion (in the morning at school in home group), I even try to be late to the first lesson just so I don’t have to read. I used to be a confident reader but now I’m stumbling on easy words. It seems like such a dumb thing to be worried about everyday and I feel like I overthink about what people think of me even though they probably don’t even give a shit. I don’t know if it’s stage fright, or if it’s certain people in the room. I am good at doing orals where I don’t read can someone please give me advice even just a little because this is all I can think about and tomorrow I have school which I have a feeling that it’s my turn to read devotion. Thanks