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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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Dee_14 Anxiety Attacks
  • replies: 7

Although I am new here, I am not new to anxiety, I hope that by joining in here, I can both learn and offer my experiences. Right now, I am in a bad place with my anxiety and I am having trouble dealing with it. I just want to stay in bed under the c... View more

Although I am new here, I am not new to anxiety, I hope that by joining in here, I can both learn and offer my experiences. Right now, I am in a bad place with my anxiety and I am having trouble dealing with it. I just want to stay in bed under the covers and not leave the house. But, I have to get up and go to work, and that is the hardest. I'm sitting there, dealing with the public and my boss sits right beside me, my arms, face, legs are tingling, i feel like I'm going to pass out, or die, so I try to deep breath, but although it does eventually pass, it just keeps happening, and it's gone on longer this time than ever before. There was a trigger that started if off this time, but i just can't get control this time. What once was maybe once a week, is slowly becoming multiple times a day, and I just hate it, that out of control feeling, the doom, it makes me feel stupid. I can't tell anyone i work with what is happening to me, the environment is quite small and confined as far as work space goes. I'm hoping it passes soon, and I'm hoping that venting here will help me to at least put down in words what i can't say out aloud. I have visited many psychologists over the years, and the one thing I have learned is, it never goes away, it subsides. I don't think there is a cure for anxiety, and if there is, I'd love to hear about it.

anita24 Pyschatrist
  • replies: 4

Is there anyway I can see one without the costs? I can’t afford it but I feel I really need to see one.

Is there anyway I can see one without the costs? I can’t afford it but I feel I really need to see one.

Slap_Bass So sick of it
  • replies: 2

Hi everybody, I'm new to the beyondblue forums. I signed up today because I had another panicky/anxiety-scare moment and I just want to tell some people about it and maybe compare what they might have gone through with what I am experiencing. I've ha... View more

Hi everybody, I'm new to the beyondblue forums. I signed up today because I had another panicky/anxiety-scare moment and I just want to tell some people about it and maybe compare what they might have gone through with what I am experiencing. I've had problems with depression in the past, but I think I'm through all that. I've also had very occasional panic attacks in the past; one when I was about 16-17, one in 2012, one in June last year, and one in December last year. In almost every situation except the one in June, I had just been through a very stressful event, so I always kinda saw it as a normal response. Anyway, since early-mid last year, I was living with a person who was really stressing me out. In the second half of last year, I also had a lot going on and was getting very little sleep. Then, around February this year, I had an argument with a housemate (a different one to the stressful one), then had a joint, went to bed, couldn't sleep, had another two puffs on one and then freaked out, though I was having a heart attack, and called an ambulance. By the way, this was the only time I'd had this reaction to this drug except in June the previous year. Anyway, since then, I've quit weed, I've massively reduced my tobacco smoking (about 5 per day, gold strength, two filters), and I've quit coffee. But I'm still anxious every day and nearly panicking every couple of days. I'm super anxious about my heart and my general health. I often get a racing or pounding heart when anxious, and I start thinking I am going to have a heart attack and die. Today, for example, I had two sips(!) of a coffee that someone bought for me, then about two hours later, I had two drags on a cigarette, and suddenly I had the racing heart, a pain in my armpit, feeling of dread...I'm just so sick of it. I'm seeing a therapist but I only have three sessions left and I don't know what I will do when they run out. Even though I can rationalise all of this - it's muscle pain, I slept funny, it's a stress response, etc. - it doesn't make it any easier to cope with. I just want to be able to live my life without freaking out over the slightest things! I'm quitting smoking in two weeks, but I want to be able to drink coffee! Or not be afraid of panicking on a theme park ride! Or just have one day where I don't think about it... Anyway, almost at character limit, so I'll leave it there. Anyone else had this experience? Especially re: the heart fears

James1008 could I have adult adhd? How do I get diagnosed?
  • replies: 11

I base my assumption off the fact that I have a history of continual failures, horrible grades in every grade of school repeated grade 2 dropped out of grade 12 never went to uni I struggled to listen at work in one ear and out so hard to listen and ... View more

I base my assumption off the fact that I have a history of continual failures, horrible grades in every grade of school repeated grade 2 dropped out of grade 12 never went to uni I struggled to listen at work in one ear and out so hard to listen and follow instructions with any sort of depth I have years in between employment one workplace got rid of me as soon as they found out I can't understand basic math I did work for the dole for years, my whole life I just considered that I was just dumb low iq? ,maybe I am?, but I recently found out about ADHD in adults and the problems it can cause but I also found out apparently many Australian doctors don't believe in adult adhd is that true, is it even worth telling anyone about this?

Sunnyside6 Terrified and ready to quit
  • replies: 12

I am at my wit's end and I can't see a way out of this except leaving this world. I have renovated my house and it may have asbestos and I am having samples tested in a laboratory after I have been told by 2 people who deal in it that it isn't I can'... View more

I am at my wit's end and I can't see a way out of this except leaving this world. I have renovated my house and it may have asbestos and I am having samples tested in a laboratory after I have been told by 2 people who deal in it that it isn't I can't let it go. I have two kid's and I can't live with the guilt of thinking I have harmed them in some way.

PBelle How do i explain?
  • replies: 33

Just wanting to ask if anyone has any suggestions on how to tell someone that the reason I acted a certain way was because of my illness without it sounding like an excuse or a cope out? Talking about on here is easy but, I don't how to explain it on... View more

Just wanting to ask if anyone has any suggestions on how to tell someone that the reason I acted a certain way was because of my illness without it sounding like an excuse or a cope out? Talking about on here is easy but, I don't how to explain it on the outside. Will they understand that it wasn't my fault, I couldn't control my actions? Or does using my anxiety and saying that I wasn't well an excuse for the behaviour? Should I not say anything or should I be honest about having anxiety issues?

54321 I don't like talking to new people
  • replies: 7

Hi I've always known I'm an introvert and have lived in this world by not putting myself too much out of my comfort zone. I don't like talking to new people and some would think I am rude when I perhaps don't acknowledge them. Recently I went on a co... View more

Hi I've always known I'm an introvert and have lived in this world by not putting myself too much out of my comfort zone. I don't like talking to new people and some would think I am rude when I perhaps don't acknowledge them. Recently I went on a course for work which has made me super aware of my introvert-ism and social awkwardness. I was a stressed out and had high uncontrollable anxiety on this course as I had to present, think on the spot and talk to new people. This following week I have been more aware of myself and today culminated in me being totally dissapointed in myself. I dropped my son off at school late, as his class was in a PE lesson his teacher was there alone, it was a perfect opportunity for me to ask how he was doing but I couldn't even do that for my son. I smiled told her why he was late and walked away. The thing is in my world where I surround myself with people I am comfortable with I can be quite talkative and even dare I say funny! I am wondering whether I do have social anxiety and if I do is it getting worse and I'm only just realising it. Should I get help and talk to someone. How do I get to the point where I feel ok to talk to necessary people. Thanks for any response, I have only just joined this forum today.

Cashman Dealing with anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone I have dealt with mild anxiety for a while now, its been manageable until a month or so ago. My Wife and I recently moved states for work purposes and its been the best move we ever made, never been happier! Earlier this year the job come... View more

Hi everyone I have dealt with mild anxiety for a while now, its been manageable until a month or so ago. My Wife and I recently moved states for work purposes and its been the best move we ever made, never been happier! Earlier this year the job come to an end and i decided to take some deserved time off. It didn't take long for the anxiety to creep back in and my self confidence is at an all time low. I get very anxious in social situations, to the point where i don't even want to leave the house and i always think the worst of all situations. Its gotten to the point where its having major effect on our relationship. My wife has been great support for me but i hate putting too much on her so i made the stupid decision of trying to deal with it in my own head. That outcome has gone as expected, she feels like i am pushing her away, I'm emotionally unavailable and not there for her (understandable) My head goes straight to the worse case scenario, "You are a terrible husband, she doesn't deserve this, she needs to find someone better" We have spoke about this and she reassures me that she will always be there to support me. My rational thoughts knows that my wife loves me and she will always be there to help. I then get the other side that says, "she won't put up with your crap, she is going to leave you and find someone to treat her better." I get stuck on the irrational thought loop (to the point where i feel sick and can't sleep) and I'm scared if i can't stop thinking that way i will eventually push her away. I find it very hard to make that first step of picking up the phone up to get help, i start sweating and get shortness of breath so i put it off to the next day and so on. I badly want to get back to being the positive and confident person she first married, i owe that to her and myself.

Concernedwife2018 Do i have anxiety - what can i do?
  • replies: 3

HI Everyone Initially when I joined these forums I did it for support surrounding my husband and his illness. But as time goes on I cant help but feel there is stuff going on in my own head that I need to sort out. This stuff, isn't new and has been ... View more

HI Everyone Initially when I joined these forums I did it for support surrounding my husband and his illness. But as time goes on I cant help but feel there is stuff going on in my own head that I need to sort out. This stuff, isn't new and has been going on a really long time, its just now I feel I have to do something. I am constantly worrying and when I think I have moved past it, I start again. For a really long time I have been worried about what people think of what I say, what they think of me and then when things happen I will overthink them to a point where I am at the worst case scenario without even meaning it. I go over a conversation i have had in my head to see if I said something wrong every time. As little as this may sound it is similar to our household budget, every single day I reassess it, add things, take things out, write lists etc etc.. it is relentless. I got to a point where I told myself that I would only look at the budget the day before pay day to work out what I needed to do, but I don't every single morning I do it again and until I do, I cant stop thinking about it. I know where every single cent goes even the $8 purchases my husband spends on drink, I think over everything. More recently while my husbands head hasn't been in the best spot, I have been riddled with worry, to a point where I couldn't eat, sleep, felt sick, didn't associate with anyone and imagined the worse case scenarios - those worse case scenarios are now the things I cannot get out of my head. Simple things like- we don't drink due to my husbands mental illness, what happens when our kids want to drink? my overthinking mind tells me it will end badly, but then I tell myself, it will be fine, we don't drink for a reason doesn't mean the kids should miss out? Chances are these things I am imagining will never happen and it a month or six we will be back to where we were and all my worry is for nothing - but how do I tell my brain this now? In saying this a lot of the things that may or may not happen are out of my control and I will pretty much just need to deal with them if and when they arise. I don't know what to do to get myself right especially considering while my husband is unwell I need to be here and strong for my kids and him. Thanks for listening.

Tvdforeverfan Struggling with OCD
  • replies: 17

Hi everyone I'm new here so I'm not sure how to use these forums properly but as you can tell from the title I struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder daily and I've tried to overcome it on my own which isn't working very well. I'll try my best t... View more

Hi everyone I'm new here so I'm not sure how to use these forums properly but as you can tell from the title I struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder daily and I've tried to overcome it on my own which isn't working very well. I'll try my best to keep this short and I'm so sorry if I sound weird or crazy. It started about 2 years ago when I started over thinking things which then turned into compulsive behaviours that I felt like I had no control over. I would check the stove over and over about 8-10 times because I had this thought in my head that if I didn't check it a certain amount of times then my house will burn down and I had the same thoughts about this with light switches and a few other things. It got better after a while and suddenly got a thousand times worse. In almost everything I do I need to tap things a certain amount of times and I replay scenes of a tv show if I look at fire or jewellery because I'll have a thought that something will happen to my family if I looked at those things before the scenes changes. It's weird I know and I can't understand why I'm like this and I never get a break from these thoughts. The worst part is recently I'm always thinking about blinking and how many times I should blind and I don't understand it. And it's the same with swallowing, if I think about it a lot Its like I forget how to swallow and I end up struggling to eat meals. I have googled this and it could be something called 'sensorimotor obsessions' but I'm not a doctor so I'm not 100% sure. Sorry for rambling on but these obsessions have been really irritating and time consuming and I would love some advice of any sort.

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