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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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LostAndFound95 Leaving a job with a toxic environment but having anxiety when looking to apply for a new job.
  • replies: 1

Hi, This is my first post here and I hope it's in the right place. I've been working with a company where I had a full-time casual admin job for 2.5 years where management would not put me on as permanent and there's always dramas with management and... View more

Hi, This is my first post here and I hope it's in the right place. I've been working with a company where I had a full-time casual admin job for 2.5 years where management would not put me on as permanent and there's always dramas with management and poor communication so a lot of people have lost hope in the company and are just very bitter. I lost the full time admin job last year which put me into a spiral and was scrambling to find a new job/ direction in life, I eventually got through the hard times and found a passion for psychology and counselling and am going to study a Dip of Counselling this year. I'm still currently at the same place working in admin for a couple days a week where my mind is restless and distracted but I still get my work done and in the warehouse - where there is rivalry between departments and gossip is rampant - the rest of the time (when theres work) I'm waiting to enrol into my course and also waiting for Youth Allowance for study and am worrying about money and paying my mortgage and bills when I think about quitting and trying to find a new job where I am motivated and working with a positive team and not just trying not to mess up so I don't get yelled at or trying not to get caught up in childish gossip. My main problem is when I start looking into applying for a new job I worry about money, and taking time off for the interview, and the interview itself, and how much I don't like my current situation, so this physical anxiety comes over me (tight chest, little shakey, ruminating, wanting someone else to do it for me) and I usually stop to calm myself down and just have a cry and end up avoiding doing it because of how I'm letting it make me feel.

Rango Night panic
  • replies: 4

Hi, I’m new to the forum. I’ve been waking in the night with frightening feelings of panic and physical symptoms like a tingling sensation through my body, sweating and a fear that I’m about to have a stroke. It’s not every night but I’m scared of it... View more

Hi, I’m new to the forum. I’ve been waking in the night with frightening feelings of panic and physical symptoms like a tingling sensation through my body, sweating and a fear that I’m about to have a stroke. It’s not every night but I’m scared of it happening. I’m trying to rationalise it, is it Menopause (I’m 49) am I going crazy? I worry about everything, the health and safety of my 2 sons in particular. Does anyone else have this type of anxiety? I feel like I need help. doe

cfalz I can’t shake compulsive habits that are affecting me - What’s happening??
  • replies: 8

Hi! For as long as I can remember I’ve had many ‘compulsive’ habits that I just can’t get rid of. These include: Having to go over words I’ve written in pen dozens of times Having to type, backspace, retype words dozens of times Having to say words/p... View more

Hi! For as long as I can remember I’ve had many ‘compulsive’ habits that I just can’t get rid of. These include: Having to go over words I’ve written in pen dozens of times Having to type, backspace, retype words dozens of times Having to say words/phrases an even amount of times Having to take the same amount of steps in each ‘block’ of pavement Changing the volume (TV, radio, etc) dozens of times in a certain order (eg. starting from 10, going to 11, then back to 10, then to 9, then to 10) and always having to end it on an even number Chewing food an even amount of times Always eating an even amount of food (eating 4 chips, 2 pieces of chocolate, etc) These really effect me as when I can’t complete these habits I get anxious and feel like there’s a pressure building up inside me. I don’t know why I do this but I really want to find an explanation. Why do I do this??

soggyoats Intense fear of skin injury?
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, I hope this is the correct area to be posting this. I did some googling and couldn’t find any results relating to my problem so I’m beginning to feel like I might be one of few people struggling with this. I’ve spoken to a few psychologi... View more

Hi everyone, I hope this is the correct area to be posting this. I did some googling and couldn’t find any results relating to my problem so I’m beginning to feel like I might be one of few people struggling with this. I’ve spoken to a few psychologists over the past few years and have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression, but I’ve never told a healthcare professional about this fear of mine so I have no idea if it’s part of the anxiety or something else entirely. I’m horribly afraid of any kind of skin injury—bruises, cuts, scrapes, even the tiniest scratch. I plan out any action before doing it to prevent injury, my risk calculation is off the charts (I won’t fiddle with anything that looks like it could hurt me) and if I do happen to accidentally get hurt (even the smallest cut), I start hyperventilating and crying and frantically rushing to do first aid. All because I don’t want scars. I know how vain this is, but it really is consuming my life at this point. I currently have a small abrasion on the back of my hand and have been carefully nursing it for days, crying and stressing over it and spent hours researching thewound healing process. This fear takes over my thoughts and I want to be normal. I’m 21 and was never like this as a child or through most of my teens. This all started around 19 onwards when I started dating my current boyfriend and wanting to be “perfect” for him, I guess. Does anyone know what is happening to me or why I’m like this? My family thinks I’m vain and a crybaby, but I know there’s something deeper to it. Thank you.

Big_Heart Anxious about going to school
  • replies: 3

Hi I’m 40 and diagnosed with social anxiety and many other illnesses but the thing is that I want to achieve in life and I figured going to school would be the best option. the only problem is that I suffer with anxiety and I’m worried other class st... View more

Hi I’m 40 and diagnosed with social anxiety and many other illnesses but the thing is that I want to achieve in life and I figured going to school would be the best option. the only problem is that I suffer with anxiety and I’m worried other class students will pick up on that. It really sucks having multiple diagnoses. i have manic depression with psychotic symptoms borderline personality disorder traits clinical depression social anxiety and so on. i really want to achieve but I’m worried people in the classroom will judge me and isolate me as a loser. ive spoken to the school disability liaison officer and she said I can get someone in the class room to help but that will make it even more obvious that I gave an illness. what do you think ?

EmStoj Intrusive thoughts and postnatal anxiety
  • replies: 3

Need support from people who’ve had experience with PNA/OCD. This is long sorry. Just had my second baby, with first baby suffered badly with anxiety/OCD during pregnancy and after birth, ended up with intrusive thoughts so went onto medication post ... View more

Need support from people who’ve had experience with PNA/OCD. This is long sorry. Just had my second baby, with first baby suffered badly with anxiety/OCD during pregnancy and after birth, ended up with intrusive thoughts so went onto medication post partum, was on them for a year and was doing brilliantly and have been off for 16 months. A few weeks ago the symptoms started coming back but I was ignoring and hoping they would go away. It’s resulted in me having huge amounts of trouble naming the baby. So much so that’s he was called Archie, then Flynn, then James and now he’s Archie again. When we settle on a name I feel at peace for a bit then something comes in to sabotage it and I feel compelled to change it. I was finally getting comfortable with Archie and then bam, into my head - intrusive thought - when I say if out loud it sounds silly and I know it’s irrational but it keeps popping in and giving me doubt. I remembered I used to really like a TV show where the main character was called Archie. As a teenager he gets in a boating accident with his brother Jamie and the brother drowns. Then I started feeling like this was bad luck for my older son (his name is Benjamin) who before he was born was going to be James (Jamie) and then Archie was going to be James (Jamie). Now this thought keeps repeating in my head and I don’t know how to get it out. I feel like changing his name again but then think something else will probably come up and ruin that too. I can feel myself slowly slipping backwards and I’m so scared of going completely crazy and like it’s going to completely effect our bond. I know in my head it’s an intrusive thought/anxiety but I don’t know how to make it move on.

bec126 social anxiety story
  • replies: 6

I wrote this story about my story using a different name and I hope that it can help someone When you walk into a room full of people you are most likely calm and don’t want to leave immediately. I am not calm and I want to get out of there as quick ... View more

I wrote this story about my story using a different name and I hope that it can help someone When you walk into a room full of people you are most likely calm and don’t want to leave immediately. I am not calm and I want to get out of there as quick as I can. Hi, I’m Chloe and I have social anxiety disorder (also known as S.A.D). Well, I haven’t been professionally diagnosed but I suffer from all the social anxiety disorder symptoms. No one knows about my condition, not even my parents. I’m too scared to talk about it to anyone. If can’t talk to people normally, what makes it ok for me to show my weaknesses. If I can’t tell the one person I trust most, how do I tell someone else I stay at home, in bed whenever I can. I wish I wasn’t like this. I wish I could just go to parties and go out without overthinking for hours on end what I’m going to wear and how I’m going to look and what makes me blend into the background the most. I wish I could just go out without thinking about my every move carefully. Without feeling like every eye in the room is watching me, waiting for me to embarrass myself. I wish I could be an outgoing person that could talk to anyone. The reality is that I can never be outgoing so I might as well just embrace my social anxiety. If more people come together that have this same condition, we might not feel so alone. Also, remember that you aren’t alone and that 1 in 7 people in Australia suffer from an anxiety disorder

AnxietyGirl95 Anxiety controls me!
  • replies: 4

Well where do I start. I'm not completely sure whats wrong with me. But I know I suffer from really bad social anxiety. I get nervous around people. I'm too scared to talk. I'm worried about what they will think about me. I over think everything a d ... View more

Well where do I start. I'm not completely sure whats wrong with me. But I know I suffer from really bad social anxiety. I get nervous around people. I'm too scared to talk. I'm worried about what they will think about me. I over think everything a d I create scenarios in my head that are just ridiculous. I'm scared of people in the world. I like to be alone. But I really don't wanna be alone. I wanna talk to people and make friends but I'm just too nervous and shy. I hide away. I stay in my house as much as possible. I'm worried about being ridiculed or laughed at. I'm so scared to just be me... Does anyone else have this problem? Please tell me I'm not alone... I let people walk over me because I'm too scared to act like myself. I'm quiet and insanely shy.... I have no friends anymore. I never used to be like this. Something changed. Maybe something traumatic I'm not sure of exactly what. It's been too long since I've had a real conversation with anyone but my partner and my mother. I'm always so down. Im depressed because of my anxiety. When things get complicated or someone does something to embarrass me even tho it's nothing major I freak out and I cry.... To be honest when I try to talk to someone about these things I cry my eyes out....

kira44 Anxiety & Fear has consumed me
  • replies: 1

Hello, This is my first time posting as I am new to the site. I just wanted to reach out and get some advice, suggestions from others that may have experienced the same feelings as me. I have been suffering with anxiety for the past few years. I have... View more

Hello, This is my first time posting as I am new to the site. I just wanted to reach out and get some advice, suggestions from others that may have experienced the same feelings as me. I have been suffering with anxiety for the past few years. I have tried different techniques to try and overcome and work through my issues but I always seem to find myself back in the same position. Feeling worthless and like I will never be able to enjoy life as much as I possibly could. I hit an all time low last week when I had to cancel an overseas trip to see my family because my anxiety and fears completely consumed me. Obviously this has left me feeling even worse, angry, sad, hopeless but also determined that I do not want to let this monster in my head take my happiness away from me anymore. Has anyone else had these same feelings and can offer treatment ideas or advice? Many thanks for reading

AdamW Hope
  • replies: 1

Hi Everyone, I was a somewhat frequent member of these forums a few years ago and found it and the information on this site really helpful. At the stage I was dealing with bad GAD and was looking for help. I haven't been on here for a while and wante... View more

Hi Everyone, I was a somewhat frequent member of these forums a few years ago and found it and the information on this site really helpful. At the stage I was dealing with bad GAD and was looking for help. I haven't been on here for a while and wanted to follow up because personally things have been good, I still deal with Anxiety on occasions but my relationship with it has changed. Some things that I think have been the most helpful have been seeing a Psychologist, Eating well, Meditation, Exercise and trying to maintain a healthy life style, one of the most important things is also trying to do the things you enjoy doing (Cooking, growing a garden etc ). There is a lot of wonderful information on the internet and it helps to know there are other people going through the same thing. I understand how hard and difficult it can be, but please take one step at a time and remember to be gentle with yourselves. Take Care and all the best to everyone.

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