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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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Senior-Ding-Dong1 Paralyzing fear at work as a new starter
  • replies: 3

Paralyzing fear at work as a new hire I recently started a new new job (2mo ago - effectively facing clients ca 5w) in a worldwide operating drinks business. I have decades of experience, have done similar jobs with ease before and know what to do in... View more

Paralyzing fear at work as a new hire I recently started a new new job (2mo ago - effectively facing clients ca 5w) in a worldwide operating drinks business. I have decades of experience, have done similar jobs with ease before and know what to do in the position I am in (rep job) - just the portfolio of products changes, really.Since the day I started I feel utterly incompetent and make shitty mistake after mistake. I procrastinate on an apocalyptic level.all.of a suddenI have often no idea how to do what even after asking it seems I cannot retain the information. Not a comprehension problem, just a "racing mind" so it is almost impossible to get a straight line of coherent thoughts It's like I will get "caught" that I have no idea what I am doing, "I lied myself into the position" "they will find out out that I am a fraud"I constantly have the feeling I need to run away and hide under a table so "they can't find me therefore they can't do anything to me"I am so full of fear atm that I have trouble to enter the room where my work laptop/tablet/phone are located because ".......they/someone could have sent me a msg/email or called with something I fucked up"I don't know what is happening, nothing seems real

Becjax Health anxiety
  • replies: 3

I’m new here and I’ve never really posted on a forum before so here goes. I have been diagnosed with GAD, depression and OCD I got this diagnosis 8 years ago and after some trial and error with medication finally found one that has worked. I have an ... View more

I’m new here and I’ve never really posted on a forum before so here goes. I have been diagnosed with GAD, depression and OCD I got this diagnosis 8 years ago and after some trial and error with medication finally found one that has worked. I have an amazing GP and psychiatrist but lately I have been experiencing real bad anxiety and having panic attacks more regularly. I use distraction techniques that usually work but I have recently just started having health anxiety. It’s been so bad that can’t sleep because I’m scared I won’t wake up. I’m a single mum to 1 son and it’s just me and him. Physically I am in good health and these thoughts came out of nowhere and my usual techniques aren’t working. I have had a read of some other posts on this forum and it does help me not feel alone in these thoughts and feelings. Im not sure what im looking for out of this post I guess I just need some support and know I’m not alone.

AndreLB Anxiety Support Group
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone! I'm new to Beyond Blue and happy to meet everyone! I've dealing with anxiety for a large part of my life and I wanted to ask if anyone knows of any Australian based anxiety support groups? Something similar to alcoholics anonyms perhaps.... View more

Hi everyone! I'm new to Beyond Blue and happy to meet everyone! I've dealing with anxiety for a large part of my life and I wanted to ask if anyone knows of any Australian based anxiety support groups? Something similar to alcoholics anonyms perhaps. Any help is much appreciated! Thank you

Lost_puppy Missing home
  • replies: 1

I single mum...recently moved back to a place to be closer to my oldest kids & family however I'm finding it hard to find a home here & missing my old home terribly I gave up my much loved pets & happy place to come back for my kids & I should be the... View more

I single mum...recently moved back to a place to be closer to my oldest kids & family however I'm finding it hard to find a home here & missing my old home terribly I gave up my much loved pets & happy place to come back for my kids & I should be the happiest & proud of this achievement but I'm full of anxiety no family support at all & missing my old life greatly . When I first got here I was the best version of myself I've ever bean at peace & very happy person now I'm waking up every morning with anxiety ...

EKS78 New job anxiety
  • replies: 1

I received a redundancy last year and I have been unable to stick with any job since more than a couple of days. The second day I seem to fall into a deep anxiety depression and just cannot continue with the job. I’m having full panic attacks with ti... View more

I received a redundancy last year and I have been unable to stick with any job since more than a couple of days. The second day I seem to fall into a deep anxiety depression and just cannot continue with the job. I’m having full panic attacks with tingly arms and hot and cold down my arms and I just can’t control it. I just don’t know what’s going on. I chuck it in and feel like an idiot for a while because the job was fine then I go again and the same thing happens no matter how I try. I start a new job Monday and I’m terrified I’ll stuff it up. The feeling that I get is a real roller coaster of trying to keep my emotions on track. One sec I’m excited and think I can do this the next I think maybe I should call them and cancel as there’s no way I can do it. I’ve talked to a counselor who doesn’t understand. She thinks I’m hung up over the redundancy but I’m not it was great. I was at my job a long time so I was comfortable with my anxiety there. I just don’t know please help

AT_1 Constantly aware of breathing and hot air.
  • replies: 1

For the last 2 years i have been going through near constant medical episodes related to my health. I feel like I've not had a break and I'm so tired. This year i was hoping that, with all of my health problems over and/or dealt with (chronic constip... View more

For the last 2 years i have been going through near constant medical episodes related to my health. I feel like I've not had a break and I'm so tired. This year i was hoping that, with all of my health problems over and/or dealt with (chronic constipation, prediabetes, ringing in ears, eye floaters, ADHD diagnosis, and more) i could finally move on and live my life again. I do everything the doctors tell me and have had noticed improvements in my health prior to last a few days ago. But last week i for some reason woke up and noticed some hot air in my room, and it took me turning the AC on and standing near it to get a breath of "fresh" air. Ever since then I've had nothing but a growing, and now a complete, awareness of my breathing and how hot the air is. Breathing is now entirely mechanical and i can't breathe without make an effort to. I feel light headed, my chest is tight, I have a pounding headache and nothing distracts me anymore. All i think about is that the air is hot and not fit to breathe but i also have to breathe. I can't work anymore and i have so many other appointments i've made that i have to keep but now can't keep. Anything i do physically causes me to overheat and become exhausted, if I'm not doing anything its like torture noticing how much im breathing. I can't sleep but im so tired. This is so painful, it feels like a never ending panic attack. Has anyone else experienced this? how do you fix it? please help.

stell_a178 I can’t talk to men
  • replies: 7

Since I (20F) can remember I have had a hard time talking to men. I’m also very pale, so whenever I try and talk to men my face goes bright red. I don’t really know why, I’m a queer woman. Even at work when I am serving men, my face goes red. It’s su... View more

Since I (20F) can remember I have had a hard time talking to men. I’m also very pale, so whenever I try and talk to men my face goes bright red. I don’t really know why, I’m a queer woman. Even at work when I am serving men, my face goes red. It’s super embarrassing. Everyone tends to think it’s because I am attracted to them and so I turn red. But that’s never the case. I just find it really difficult to come up with conversation starters with men, but with women I don’t have to even think about it.i don’t know what to do about this because it’s really bugging me. My coworkers boyfriend came into work and immediately my face went red and I got quiet. I didn’t know how to interact with him. He was also with two other men of similar age to me. I just froze. I just feel more comfortable around feminine energy. Any tips or advice?

sera Really want to start dating
  • replies: 16

Hello BB people, I'm a 40 yr old guy who has been diagnosed with social phobia, mood disorder and depression. I see a psychiatrist who is mostly helpful and take medication which also helps. I find that I'm lonely and want to start dating regularly s... View more

Hello BB people, I'm a 40 yr old guy who has been diagnosed with social phobia, mood disorder and depression. I see a psychiatrist who is mostly helpful and take medication which also helps. I find that I'm lonely and want to start dating regularly so I can build up confidence, experience and feel better about my value as a partner. I have had one relationship for 4 years, but it finished badly - my fault - and only came about through a friend setting us up. I've never asked a girl to go out and girls who I like usually already have boyfriends and are too young for me, i.e. more than 10 years. I feel inexperienced as many people my age are married or divorced, have a career and kids. I wish I could go back and be more adventurous in my 20s and ask girls out, but of course, I can't. I've done CBT, but need to take solid action outside therapy, that's my issue. If I had a group of friends - only 1 person I see apart from parents who consider a friend - there would be many opportunities to socialise, meet girls, socially lubricate. I do feel desperate at times because I don't do anything about it and it will not change if I don't. I tried internet dating, sent lot of messages, but didn't hear back or have dates. Thanks for listening. Sera (guy, even though may sound like girl)

ScooterCat Dealing with regrets
  • replies: 5

It sucks. I missed out on a lot of opportunities in high school. I never talked to anyone, made friends or hung out with anyone. I felt everyone hated me and didn’t want me around. I kept isolating myself and staying silent. Now that my teenage years... View more

It sucks. I missed out on a lot of opportunities in high school. I never talked to anyone, made friends or hung out with anyone. I felt everyone hated me and didn’t want me around. I kept isolating myself and staying silent. Now that my teenage years are over, I’ve slowly come to the realisation that no one actually hated me or didn’t want me around. It was all just anxiety in my head. I hurt a lot of people back in high school. So many people kept coming up to me and saying hi, but all I did was ignore them and said nothing. I just wish I could do something to turn this all around. I wish I could talk to all those people and say something back to them. I wish I knew people didn’t hate me at all.

justcant Bad anxiety day - disgusted with myself.
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone, I’ve had a really bad day with my driving anxiety. My uncle passed away last Friday and I was going to take the opportunity to go today and spend the day with my aunty. I had food and other things to bring her. She lives a bit far away, ... View more

Hi everyone, I’ve had a really bad day with my driving anxiety. My uncle passed away last Friday and I was going to take the opportunity to go today and spend the day with my aunty. I had food and other things to bring her. She lives a bit far away, way off my “comfort roads” and I was scared about it last night and this morning but I got up and got everything ready and set off regardless. I made it almost half way there and the anxiety kicked in big time and it was long before it was a full blown panic attack. I tried stopping places to calm down and continue on but I just couldn’t do it. I was terrified and exhausted and it just wasn’t safe. I felt physically sick. I managed to drive home on some back roads very slowly. My next therapist appointment isn’t until the 14th of February. And what’s worse is that my uncle’s funeral is Friday and my whole family are going together. And I know this sounds so contradictory but as much anxiety as I get, I hate it even more when someone else is driving and I’m not in control. And driving myself is really not an option as it’s so far away and I just can’t miss this. I know how selfish I sound. I feel so awful and I don’t know what to do. I feel shattered, stupid and completely disgusted with myself. Thank you for reading.Sarah.