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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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HarlowWynter Panic Attacks @ work! Looking for help and others experiences.
  • replies: 7

Hi, I am currently sitting at work worrying that i will have a panic attack any second. Last week i rushed to the hospital mid shift because i thought i was about to have a seizure, i had tunnel vision, felt like i was going to faint and felt sick in... View more

Hi, I am currently sitting at work worrying that i will have a panic attack any second. Last week i rushed to the hospital mid shift because i thought i was about to have a seizure, i had tunnel vision, felt like i was going to faint and felt sick in the stomach. I was sent for an MRI and it was all clear, since then i have been doing better with my health anxiety but i feel like since i stepped into the office it has all gotten worse again. Is it likely that because i had a panic attack here before that i have now created my mind to fear being at work? Has anyone else had this? How did you get through it?

Chrissap81 Meeting my Anxiety head on before my children arrive.
  • replies: 3

Hi all, First of all I would like to say that reading this forum has been great for me as it is comforting to know that there is so much support out there to assist with all forms of Anxiety. I am knew to understanding really what Anxiety is but have... View more

Hi all, First of all I would like to say that reading this forum has been great for me as it is comforting to know that there is so much support out there to assist with all forms of Anxiety. I am knew to understanding really what Anxiety is but have been suffering since I had a panic attack 12/13 years ago. Since then I have had several instances where the panic attack has reared its ugly again but the most concerning is controlling my thoughts which tend to race from time to time and often tend to search for something wrong when in fact there is nothing wrong. In fact it is sometimes better for me to have something wrong to focus on as it takes away from the thoughts racing such as finances or work. I have always tried to meet the anxiety fears head and get on with it - but lately I have found myself withdrawing from these events - public speaking - work - social life and I recently had my first panic attack in some time which was triggered due to work performance amongst other things. Anyway I have just found out that I am going to be a Dad and this has sent my Anxiety into overdrive over the past week. I seem to be thinking of anything that can go wrong in the pregnancy and even accidents when the baby arrives - This is obviously compounded by the usual anxiety that I am sure goes along with anyone becoming a parent and I am sure there is elements of it that will pass - but with my history I want to make sure that I take steps to get this sorted over the next 8 months and beyond. I want to be a great Dad and don't think I can be with these types of thoughts/feelings going on in my head. It would be great to hear from anyone who has similar experiences and any ideas as far as first steps to take. thanks all.

bydde1607 How do I make people understand my anxiety?
  • replies: 3

Hi all, I'm new to this site, and I just need some advice from people who have anxiety and understand what it is like to live with it. Since I was a teenager I have been struggling with anxiety and it has taken me years to figure out what I suffered ... View more

Hi all, I'm new to this site, and I just need some advice from people who have anxiety and understand what it is like to live with it. Since I was a teenager I have been struggling with anxiety and it has taken me years to figure out what I suffered from and why. I think alot of it is underlying issues from my dad never being there for me growing up. I still think about it all of the time, I feel like I've done something wrong for him to behave the way he does, even though I understand that it's not my fault but his.. I keep thinking everyone else is going to do the same thing and just abandon me like he has, so I find it hard to trust people. I also worry and overthink literally everything. I don't know how to stop, I'm just caught in a bad way of thinking and struggle to get out of these unhealthy thinking habits. People always come to me for advice and support and it’s so draining when I don’t receive the same back from them. Basically it's starting to get the best of me... I feel like I'm carrying around all of these thoughts and feelings and I don't know how to let it all out. I understand that I have to talk to somebody (a professional) about it but as a student I struggle to find the money for it... I feel like I can't talk to my friends and family about it because they don't understand what it's like to feel like this. I don't want to be a burden on them, which I constantly feel like I am if I talk about things. I just feel so alone in this, when is it going to be enough? How do you explain to someone who doesn't understand anxiety what it's like? I struggle to even get out of bed some days because my feelings are so overwhelming and it's just so hard. What can I do? x

Saltie Sickness Anxiety
  • replies: 6

I have recognised anxiety in myself since my mid 20's. I most likely used drink and drugs to escape before realising it was a thing. I eventually learnt that good sleep, diet and meditation and yoga really helped maintain balance and have experienced... View more

I have recognised anxiety in myself since my mid 20's. I most likely used drink and drugs to escape before realising it was a thing. I eventually learnt that good sleep, diet and meditation and yoga really helped maintain balance and have experienced less panic attacks and been managing anxious thoughts well for over ten years, until recently.......It seems like out of nowhere (although most likely stress based) I have started to get bad panic attacks and anxious thoughts. My anxiety is based around the fear of vomiting and being ill (learnt behaviour from parent) but its like this is used as a mask for other anxiety as although I haven't vomited for years I think I would be able to cope. The anxiety is frustrating as the mind can quickly trigger anxiety about feeling ill (for example the rent is due - cue stomach churn) and if the trigger goes unnoticed it turns into a vicious mind game of am I actually ill or am I stressed. I feel frustrated as I eat and sleep well, don't drink alcohol or much caffeine but am still haunted by really uncomfortable anxiety. I do have a family, run my own small business and my kids although still innocent and lovely are turning into teenagers - so life is hectic. My daughter is similar to me (flighty and anxious) and has recently started stressing about being ill. (We had a bout of gastro in the house so its put her on edge and probably bought up old patterns for me) For the first time in years I feel like drinking to relax but know this would be a short term fix (never had alcohol issues just gave up slowly over time). Just run out of ideas. I think trying CBT and seeing a psychologist would help. Anyway its nice to be able to share thoughts here and know that other people go through the same thing

Tgirll Anxious about anxiety, depressed about depression
  • replies: 3

Hi all. I have a tendency to type a lot and I may have to type 2 post a but I feel like I need to get this out so please bear with me background: I had been diagnosed with GAD in 2014. I wasn't surprised. I had always had some form of OCD or anxious ... View more

Hi all. I have a tendency to type a lot and I may have to type 2 post a but I feel like I need to get this out so please bear with me background: I had been diagnosed with GAD in 2014. I wasn't surprised. I had always had some form of OCD or anxious worrying through out my life (particularly around health) but as horrible as it was at times, I was still always quite optimistic, positive and it never completely consumed me.. Until 2014. I was ina stressful relationship and was partying and drinking more than I should have. Not saying I was an alcoholic but hangovers would always make my anxiety worse so i was doing it to an extent where it was bothering me. One day after a night of drinking I had very scary panic attack and from then on I was just stuck in a scary cycle of constant panic. My concentration was horrible, couldnt stop thinking about anxiety what was wrong what if i have brain damage, I was always scared I was going insane, i felt trapped, that dreamlike scary feeling you experienced during a panic attack lingered (derealisation. This symptom, although harmless and caused from panic really scares me and just triggered a vicious cycle of more panic). I have had moments of that derealised feeling when I was a kid and was in a new place or when i panicked at times but I just sort of thought ' this feeling is weird' but wasn't scared of it. My anxiety was made worse a few months later with a cancer scare. Thankfully it was benign. I was so greatful that I thought I could beat this anxiety and panic. It took time but I just got back out there and with time, life made sense and everything felt good again with lots of hard work. I vowed to myself that I would never let myself feel like that again. Last year in May I had the same operation. It was smoother sailing until after. I had a severe reaction where the emergency hospital team was involved (so scary) I had real bad pain as a side effect, infection, i couldnt breathe they thought i had a blood clot in my lung, a month later they thought I needed heart surgery, trouble at work trouble at uni. It was a stressful few months. I could feel it building. A few weeks after my surgery, I had a bad panic attack and a relapse happened. This was mid June. I was so frustrated and angry. I couldn't believe that after all that hard work I was back in that head space! But this time, for the first time in my life I had negative hopeless thoughts and then depression...

Guest_937 Constantly worried I’ve made a huge mistake
  • replies: 6

Hi I’m constantly worried that I’ve made some huge mistake that will ruin my life. In my mind I’m constantly combing through my past actions to figure out what I’ve done wrong and where the mistake is. It’s like I think if I can find the mistake and ... View more

Hi I’m constantly worried that I’ve made some huge mistake that will ruin my life. In my mind I’m constantly combing through my past actions to figure out what I’ve done wrong and where the mistake is. It’s like I think if I can find the mistake and fix it I will be ok or can at least be prepared for the consequences. Inevitably I do find some mistake I’ve made (like filling out a form wrong, forgetting to pay a bill or forgetting to do something in my volunteer job) and then I immediately jump to it being some huge legal problem and I’m in jail and my family disown me. Does anyone else ruminate and catastrophise like this? Is this GAD?

Indecisive_Butterfly I Can't Make Decisions
  • replies: 7

I can't make decisions. I have severe anxiety coupled with OCD and it is pretty much impossible for me to make decisions on my own (if at all). So my current problem: I am a teacher who has been offered two very different jobs. This term I have been ... View more

I can't make decisions. I have severe anxiety coupled with OCD and it is pretty much impossible for me to make decisions on my own (if at all). So my current problem: I am a teacher who has been offered two very different jobs. This term I have been doing casual/substitute teacher work with 2 days a week on a special education class (whom I adore). I have been offered this part-time gig for next term but it cannot be guaranteed past then. I also applied for a full-time position as a Year 5/6 teacher at another school. I applied thinking I probably wouldn't get it and was shocked when they called me in for an interview and offered it to me on the spot. What's worse is I said yes to both jobs and I feel terrible (I have a very hard time saying no). The full-time position would be a dream for most people. Most of the units are already planned, I would be working together with other year 5/6 teachers who understand that I am a fairly new teacher and they have said they will support me. I could learn a lot from them. But I am scared of meeting new people and being in a new place. I had a full-time position in a school last year and I cried every weekend, my stress-levels were through the roof and I developed depression. I also made everyone I love miserable. In saying that, I had no support last year, so this might be different. If I take it I also worry that I'll miss my kids in my special ed class. I love my class and I love special ed, but it's less days (meaning less pay) and only guaranteed for another term. I have asked everyone around me what I should do and when their answers differed (which they obviously would) I became more confused. It now doesn't matter what they tell me to do because I have overthought every possible benefit and risk to the point where I'm just going in circles. I am crying all the time, and feel like I'm going mad. This agonizing cycle feels like it will never end (and even when it does, there's another horrible decision lurking around the corner). Often, if possible, I end up leaving decisions so long that the choice is made for me by time or by someone else, but it's not possible this time. I have lessons to plan for next week but I am so paralyzed by stress and fear that nothing is getting done. I can't tell what's real anymore and what is just anxiety. I fear that I won't be able to choose and mess the schools around and ruin everything. I'm also scared that I will be like this forever and that maybe there's no help for me.

Meowface Oops unhealthy choices with anxiety
  • replies: 1

When my anxiety is sky high I struggle to make healthy or well thought out decisions for myself. I used to run marathons so know how to do the “healthy” lifestyle thing. But have seen myself deteriorate when things get tough. I are hot chips and a ba... View more

When my anxiety is sky high I struggle to make healthy or well thought out decisions for myself. I used to run marathons so know how to do the “healthy” lifestyle thing. But have seen myself deteriorate when things get tough. I are hot chips and a bag of licorice for dinner tonight because that’s what sort of happened. I stayed in bed all day even though it was beautifully sunny outside. Ill let my hands and lips crack because I can’t feel worthy of looking after them. Its just a share but if you can relate and feel like sharing as well please reply. Xx

Kris92 Anxiety, Travel and Sleep.
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, Hopefully I can get some help with some of the nice, kind people on here. Or people who have shared a similar experience. Since young I've been experiencing anxiety. From the age of 13. It's nothing new for me (I'm currently 25). Ever si... View more

Hi everyone, Hopefully I can get some help with some of the nice, kind people on here. Or people who have shared a similar experience. Since young I've been experiencing anxiety. From the age of 13. It's nothing new for me (I'm currently 25). Ever since I was 18 I've been on and off anti-depressant meds. I've done some travelling with friends from when I was 18. However, because of my anxiety, travel can be really hard for me. The problem is that I hardly sleep well when I'm on holidays with friends (I'm travelling again next week). I'm not sure why that is. It's for various reasons. Sometimes I fear what they think of me and I can't fall asleep. Sometimes I fear that I won't be able to sleep and therefore won't be able to do the fun activities the next day because I will be too tired. Sometimes I don't sleep well next to people because of the temperature being too hot, or I feel I dont have enough room, or I'm not that comfortable around them or their snoring. (The girls I'm going travelling with, I'm not that close to). I can put a lot of pressure on myself to be liked, even though I dont really care to be that close to these girls. I know this doesn't sound like a big deal, but this sleeping problem while I'm travelling has been an issue for quite awhile. Everytime I travel with friends these fears bite me in the ass and it's so exhausting. And I never have as much of a good time as I could because of this issue. If someone could please provide so tips that would be awesome and much needed.

Guest6732 Working through anxiety disorder and minor depression.
  • replies: 16

I was diagnosed with Anxiety and minor depression about a month ago when I had to come back from the snow (training to be a professional snowboarder) because I was having a panic attack at least once a week and was not leading a healthy life style. B... View more

I was diagnosed with Anxiety and minor depression about a month ago when I had to come back from the snow (training to be a professional snowboarder) because I was having a panic attack at least once a week and was not leading a healthy life style. Back home now and my "mask" for anxiety got taken off and I completely broke down and everything got worse, but it made me realise how deep I was in anxiety and avoiding it. I'm on medication now and working through all of my problems with my psych and gp, feel kinda bad that I let it get to the stage where I needed AD's and a sedative to even cope just living at home but I'm staying optimistic. I'm reaching out today to ask if any of you know any good tips or tricks to get better. I'm doing meditation everyday and starting to get my sleep schedule and eating habits in order while also trying to feel my anxiety to get familiar with it. Because at the moment most things over stimulate me in the way of anxiety and its hard to even go out in public for a long time. If I had to put it in a way it would be that you are always feeling alert of everything and focus, hence the meditation and self reflection each day to get be able to not be affected by the anxiety as much and not let it take my focus. 2 things that bother me though is 1. with the depression, it can just make you feel like you aren't doing anything good at times with recovery and makes me more anxious and 2. I have really low self-confidence and I don't mind the AD's cause I know its a long term thing but the sedative is sticking around for a while and I keep doubting the doctors and myself on that decision even though I know its the right balance at the moment. Thank you in advance for any responses.