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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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steelcity What is wrong with me?
  • replies: 1

I think I’ve got SAD.. & just feel like I need to vent a little. Just abit of a background. Put simply.. growing up I was the wild, chubby, loud kid who had plenty of friends.. from pre school up until 7th grade. And now, hardly any friends. There’s ... View more

I think I’ve got SAD.. & just feel like I need to vent a little. Just abit of a background. Put simply.. growing up I was the wild, chubby, loud kid who had plenty of friends.. from pre school up until 7th grade. And now, hardly any friends. There’s one particular thing that I can remember from my childhood that sort of stands out to me.. not really the reason for my situation today but I think important nonetheless. As I said, growing up I was the loud outspoken one. I loved tennis and was one day playing with my friend, & my brother his friend.. from memory I was about 12-13 years old. Fast forward back at home arguing with my brother, he tells me that his friend ask him who I thought I was? Why do I have to be so loud & energetic? Why do I have to be such a smartass? And that I’m not normal. Dunno, but pretty normal & average behaviour for a 12-13 year old I think? Now you would think this would have no bearing on me at this age. But for some reason it began to really sink in and I became abit more self conscious. Through high school I became reserved & not as out going. I had a couple of friends but was considered the outsider when it came to big groups & I didn’t really have any contact with girls as the high school I went to was an all boys school. I didn’t realise how bad I was until I’d finished school. I started my first job & the thought of making new friends was exciting, but never really happened. I was quiet, shy, weird & seen as weak and the easiest person to make fun of. I felt as though people were judging me whenever I said or did something. So I made no friends at my first job. Started my second job at 18 & was again the same thing.. just this time a little different because I was working mainly with older people. I noticed I became a little ‘depressed’, walking around slumped all the time & just not wanting to talk to people. I made a couple of older friends here.. but none that I really have a close bond with. Stayed at this job for 7 1/2 years & made my way up the ranks. It was here that I realised I’m naturally switched on & smart.. but I simply had no confidence in myself at all. Super fast forward to today & I’m 2 weeks into another new job. To get here was no easy feat.. 2,000 applicants whittled down to 30. Again, I’m finding myself left out of groups. I’m currently interstate in a shared hotel room as the job requires it. There are groups & close friendships forming, but I’m not part of any of them.

StuH89 Relationships & anxiety
  • replies: 1

My girlfriend and best friend has said numerous times that she suffers from anxiety, low self esteem, depression etc. As a result, I have witnessed may times her losing confidence in not only herself, but her studies and our relationship. She is with... View more

My girlfriend and best friend has said numerous times that she suffers from anxiety, low self esteem, depression etc. As a result, I have witnessed may times her losing confidence in not only herself, but her studies and our relationship. She is without a doubt the best person that I could ever imagine being with, thats why it has been so hard having her push me away, because she cannot cope with the relationship and everything else going on in her life. I have suggested a few times that she seek out some assistance that her family and myself cannot provide properly. Maybe time apart from me, being in an environment where she needs to do more for herself and not have to rely on those around her will be good for us? I hope so! She has dealt with a lot throughout her life and from what she has told me, she has never properly addressed these issues. They have been stewing inside her mind for all these years, until she met me. She has said that I am the only person that she has ever opened up to about a lot of her issues and that she doesn't feel as comfortable being herself around anyone but me. I hurts me knowing that while she's in need of some independence and space, because of our history and relationship, she can't turn to me to feel any comfort or reassurance. I genuinely want her to seek out help because I hate seeing her like this, but part of me wants her to do it because it may mean she'll come back to me in a relationship sense. It comes across as selfish, but I know that if she can find the help she deserves, hopefully it will get her back on track. How do I approach the subject with her without making her feel like I am pushing it? That is the last thing that I want her to feel. Cheers

TinyDancer2017 Overthinking - it's driving me crazy!
  • replies: 9

Hi everyone, Lately pretty much every social occasion/interaction I have seems to go fine, but as soon as I go home I start to replay things I said/shouldn't have said.... my mind twists in knots overthinking of how certain things might have offended... View more

Hi everyone, Lately pretty much every social occasion/interaction I have seems to go fine, but as soon as I go home I start to replay things I said/shouldn't have said.... my mind twists in knots overthinking of how certain things might have offended people, or how they might have found what I said embarrassing/stupid. Rationally I know this doesn't really matter, but the play-by-play leaves me really overwhelmed by anxiety. Has anyone else experienced this? How did you get over it?

Tizzles Feeling so stuck
  • replies: 2

Hi all, New to BB... I feel as though I’ve always had some anxiety. I don’t cope well with change and have constant panic attacks and bouts of nausea when anything in my life changes. I’m honestly not Ute what it all stems from. I’m a bit of an intro... View more

Hi all, New to BB... I feel as though I’ve always had some anxiety. I don’t cope well with change and have constant panic attacks and bouts of nausea when anything in my life changes. I’m honestly not Ute what it all stems from. I’m a bit of an introvert and find it difficult to make friends. My main issue is recently I came down sick while in a job that I really didn’t like. It’s now been 3 and a half months since I have worked. I am no longer sick but I cannot bring myself to go to work. I have quit that job and gotten a new one but I ha e been stuck calling in sick for the last 6 weeks as I just cannot bring myself to go. I think I’m worried that I’ll be judged, especially as I had so much time off. I know I’m good at my job but I just struggle to be confident around others. Another problem is that I work shift work and hate it. All I want is to be able to go to work and be able to come home and have dinner with my partner and watch the news and feel normal. I have no body clock when it comes to sleeping as my work is all over the place. Sadly it is very hard to get a mon-fri 9-5 job in my profession. i have since enrolled to start studying something entirely different and have thought about quitting my job and going back to retail while I study but I don’t want people to judge me or be disappointed in me. I care way too much about what others think and that’s a major down fall. i haven’t seen a GP or spoken to anyone because I don’t know how to approach it. I’m a pretty closed off person. My partner knows what’s going on and that’s the only person. I just don’t know if it would be acceptable for him to come to the GP and speak on my behalf. I’m a grown adult, surely I should be able to do it myself. Just feeling very stuck in life at the moment and I don’t know how to get on top of it. It is all spiralling out of control. Any advice would be great.

penny-lane Talking with friends about mental health
  • replies: 3

I want to tell my friends and family about my struggles with anxiety and depression but I am worried about how to start the conversation and what their reactions might be. I feel as though they will be understanding/supportive of me, but once before ... View more

I want to tell my friends and family about my struggles with anxiety and depression but I am worried about how to start the conversation and what their reactions might be. I feel as though they will be understanding/supportive of me, but once before I have tried to talk to my friends about my mental health and they didn't really take me seriously and they sort of hurried off the subject, not really saying much. This really put me off trying to talk about it again, especially since one of them always makes jokes about serious topics, including mental illness. Just thinking about having to talk with them about it is making me really anxious. Do you have any tips on what I should do, or say?

The_Recluse Failing At Life
  • replies: 3

I’m 18, 19 in a few days. Last year I dropped out of college half way through the year and I have literally done nothing since. It’s been over a year of doing nothing, no job, no drivers license and no real socialising. I feel like I’m stuck. I’ve be... View more

I’m 18, 19 in a few days. Last year I dropped out of college half way through the year and I have literally done nothing since. It’s been over a year of doing nothing, no job, no drivers license and no real socialising. I feel like I’m stuck. I’ve been applying to jobs but I have no real qualifications and any job I do qualify for is too hard to get to. As stated above I can’t drive and I live too far out, the buses don’t come this way very often. I’ve thought about going back to study but without a job I can’t afford it. I still live with my parents and they make just enough to be considered too much so I can’t get a study allowance. To make matters worse I’ve lost touch with all my friends. I’ve always been shy and introverted, preferring to stay at home and read a book rather then go to parties but now that I don’t go to school I don’t catch up with my friends every day like I used to. For a while they would invite me out but I just kept making up excuses because they’d made new friends and I didn’t want to be an awkward tag along. Now the invitations have stopped and I feel so alone. I know it’s my fault. This Sunday is my birthday and I asked those friends if they’d want to go to dinner on Saturday night but most of them were busy and two of them didn’t even bother to reply to me. I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m just sad all the time and the thought of having to force myself out there, back into the world of socialising, after being extremely anti-social for so long makes me want to scream and ugly cry. But I feel it’s necessary to get myself out of this horrible rut. Like ripping off a bandaid. I just really need some advice/guidance please. I get really bad anxiety over all this and about having to socialise. I’m constantly getting bad migraines and feeling sick.

Molly123 How do I help someone with anxiety
  • replies: 9

My husband has always been a happy fun person but recently he has been having sleep issues and now.anxiety....having a tightness of chest and difficulty breathing .... it come on him out of the blue for no reason. He also gets feelings of anxiousness... View more

My husband has always been a happy fun person but recently he has been having sleep issues and now.anxiety....having a tightness of chest and difficulty breathing .... it come on him out of the blue for no reason. He also gets feelings of anxiousness on and off and it's really got him down. He is on medication but each time his body gets used to it ...seems to return again. He is always tired and just sad.... sometimes angry. It's so hard as I worry about him but try to stay positive but I miss my husband...I don't know who he is anymore and I'm terrified he.will never be the same. Help.

AtxSi Hi all - role play troubles.
  • replies: 8

Hi all. Not sure if this where I post my troubles or just the intro, but here goes. I'm a 28yo male medical student from Australia. I'm usually a very sociable and friendly guy, I used to run and own a small business and did all of my own quotes, mee... View more

Hi all. Not sure if this where I post my troubles or just the intro, but here goes. I'm a 28yo male medical student from Australia. I'm usually a very sociable and friendly guy, I used to run and own a small business and did all of my own quotes, meetings etc. But since starting med school, there have been a tonne of role play scenarios (you are a patient interested in vaccines/you are a doctor, how would you discuss vaccines with a patient etc.) and for whatever reason I cannot put myself in the role, it brings out my inner neurotic traits or something. The situation gets worse with simulated patients (actors with fake relevant symptoms). To the point I sometimes can't even speak. There is a very rigid structure to what we're required to say, and I struggle at role playing, remembering my lines (and I've read them 1000's of times) and listening to the patient. It's gotten so bad I just cut some compulsory classes which will have be sent to a disciplinary board. I'm here now looking for anyone who has ever experienced this before. I'm fine on hospital placements with interactions with real patients. The problem seems to be with 'acting' in front of others, Imo. And that's a big problem as it is a barrier to graduating. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me

Hippychic New to BB old slave to anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hi, well, here I am! On the outside people see a calm, caring, supportive, educated, creative mother and health professional. In real life I'm a terrified, totally dependant mess and shell of a person. I have experienced anxiety and panic attacks tha... View more

Hi, well, here I am! On the outside people see a calm, caring, supportive, educated, creative mother and health professional. In real life I'm a terrified, totally dependant mess and shell of a person. I have experienced anxiety and panic attacks that I can remember from my early teenage years, I'm told I was always an anxious child. I have had several negative experiences in childhood, and a strong family history of undiagnosed mental health conditions - so yay me - the trifecta for risk of developing a mental health issue! I was in denial for many years, then I stepped into seeing psychologists, psychotherapists, did mindfulness, meditation and started telling friends and family that I have anxiety. I have two beautiful sons ages 8 and 11, I'm now in my early 40's and after an emotionally taxing 7 years of divorce issues finally have a supportive ex husband and unbelievably supportive, strong and secure current partner. After re-establishing my career (after kids) that I always found stressful, I now have a job that I love (but don't feel good enough for) and am financially on the up. By all accounts, my life is in the best position it's ever been - but I'm far from it. I got to a point where I became frustrated that I could not take my kids anywhere on my own, I can't even take myself a decent distance from home alone. I stress if I am at home alone with the kids, though they have been an amazingly mature support for me recently. But even that stresses me to not burden them with the emotional distress of me not coping. My recent career advancement has involved my studying the impacts of early childhood experiences both relevant to mental health and family violence - too close to home as a previous child and current parent. I hit breaking point and saw a psychiatrist to try medication which I have always been adverse to - also because taking medication triggers anxiety as I have experienced a number of adverse reactions to various meds in the past - I also have health anxiety! So, I tried a ssri knowing it would exacerbate anxiety initially. First three days were awesome - placebo effect! Then I crashed, the anxiety became unbearable, I lasted 6 days. A referral for dose titration as an inpatient is now in process. Im terrified. I don't know what's right for me. I don't feel like I can go through the med effects again, I can't stay like this either. If I take the meds again for longer and it still doesn't work or gets worse will I ever be ok again?

Mattsmum Employment anxiety
  • replies: 2

Long story short I was fired a few days ago. Now trying to find a new job. I manage ok til I start job searching then it’s all downhill from there. I start looking and my stomach turns to sick knots and I become a mess. I’m booked in to see a psychol... View more

Long story short I was fired a few days ago. Now trying to find a new job. I manage ok til I start job searching then it’s all downhill from there. I start looking and my stomach turns to sick knots and I become a mess. I’m booked in to see a psychologist who can’t see me til November 21st 🤷🏼‍. So the longer story. Is me trying to work out where is this all coming from? Rewind 3 years ago I was happily employed had been with the same company 8 years when my marriage ended. My 45yo husband took off with a 21 yo! Needless to say I was stressed. Work kept me sane but I had noticed I was beginning to make mistakes, needless to say one of those mistakes cost me my job. I had been studying while at this job and was lucky enough to land a great job within 2 weeks. However this job was way way above any experience I had and the job lasted 9 months before I lost that job. It took 11 months to get the job I just lost and it was a much more simpler job than previously. The fear was there that I wasn’t good enough. I was trying to be careful not to make mistakes but surely enough the boss asked for a meeting and explained he wasn’t happy with my performance. Surely someone degree qualified would not make such mistakes. He gave me 2 weeks to fix everything up which I thought I did but during that time more mistakes had been found. I’d expect any new person to be simply given direction on how things were wanted done but it was expected that I just know these things. the whole 2 weeks I went to work feeling so sick and anxious. I knew it was just a question of him finding something wrong to get rid of me and he did. I was relieved to be let go so I could stop feeling sick not to mention the boss had some serious anger issues himself. I need a way to move forward somehow. I feel like my life has been painted a portrait of me that is a complete misrepresentation. I know even if I picked up a new job tomorrow I’d be faced with the same issues. I forgot to mention my parents moved in with me plus my sister when I separated. So I feel a duty of care to support them too.I need help! If it takes another year to find a job I’ll go nuts!!! thanks if you read all that Mattsmum