Support
Support

Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with anxiety.

Start a conversation

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Categories
Start a conversation

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

Start a conversation

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.

SilverLight Anyone else terrified of alarms
  • replies: 1

Does anyone else have a serious fear of house alarms/fire alarms etc... I deathly fear setting off the house alarm or something having a fault and going off while I'm alone or in the middle of the night because the noise instills worst fear in me... ... View more

Does anyone else have a serious fear of house alarms/fire alarms etc... I deathly fear setting off the house alarm or something having a fault and going off while I'm alone or in the middle of the night because the noise instills worst fear in me... I'm talking refusing to walk under a smoke alarm for days in case it goes off again or having to leave the house and refusing to go back in until I'm no longer alone... It's absolutely terrifying for me... Anyone else??

Zody Anxiety taking over
  • replies: 8

Hi I just want to post a thread to see if anyone else has GAD and severe panic attacks and agrophobia and is a single parent I am finding it really hard to keep positive when I feel like every step I take forward I get 3 backwards its a effort for me... View more

Hi I just want to post a thread to see if anyone else has GAD and severe panic attacks and agrophobia and is a single parent I am finding it really hard to keep positive when I feel like every step I take forward I get 3 backwards its a effort for me to Leave my home to take my kids out to shop to even get out of bed but I do it as exhausting as it all is but I have people around always pushing me thinking there is a magic cure if they push me out of my comfort I'll be fixed and that its all in my head of course I've suffered depression and anxiety since I was 16 I'm 30 now and last year I got in a abusive relationship and was beaten severely so I have PTSD as well causing me to invert more I just want to know does anyone else feel pressured by the outside world and is it just me should I push myself before I'm ready or should I take it day by day I feel really alone like I'm alone in this and I just want my kids to be able to do things and not b such a disappointment

MrAnxiety Please help, I have OCD and don’t know exactly what’s happening
  • replies: 22

Hi all, I have just joined as a member recently, I feel the need to say what is going on with me as I am not fully cognizant as to what is happening. I sometimes get racing thoughts throught my mind and it’s difficult for them to stop, this can happe... View more

Hi all, I have just joined as a member recently, I feel the need to say what is going on with me as I am not fully cognizant as to what is happening. I sometimes get racing thoughts throught my mind and it’s difficult for them to stop, this can happen at anytime and sometimes when I am watching TV or listening to the radio, the thoughts can begin and seem to distract me from what I am listening to/watching and I tend to tune out unwillingly as the thoughts seem to just take over, I feel as if I barely have any control or any way to make them stop. The thoughts can start at any random time and sometimes consist of events that have happened in the past or conversations I have had in the past or a future conversation I am planning to have. It also happens if I may be about to see someone, eg, on the way to work and I feel that they may ask me a question and I am thinking what the question may be and I plan my potential responses in my mind, it’s kind of like a version of how the conversation could go is going through my head. There are times where I will also start thinking that my boss is going to call me and either cancel a shift on me or tell me off for something that I may have done wrong, I understand that this falls under the category of timorousness as I work a range of different hours and rarely see my boss and therefore cannot know if she is happy with my performance etc at times, this is usually only ephemeral and passes once I know she has left work for the day. I feel that a lot of this is due to my OCD, I sometimes get random feelings in my body like kind of like some kind of stabbing pain in my chest and it’s kind of like a semi hot feeling, it doesn’t really last that long but I often get scared when it occurs and think I may be having a heart attack or stroke, I try to convince myself that this is not the case but it’s not that easy to do, it scares me that it may happen in future, this event just happened to me last Sunday in the movie theatre and eventually passed, I attempt to manage it with a breathing technique that I was taught and it works quite a bit, the movie started and it eventually went. I’m putting my story on here as I want to know if others are experiencing something similar or have in the past, it would be greatly appreciated if people could answer and attempt to assist in any way or at least share similar experiences. Thanks in advance.

Chick1 General Stress and Anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, This is my second time posting on this forum. I don't usually like to talk about my stress or anxiety as I know that my issues do not compare with a lot of troubles other people are facing in life. I just wanted to post tonight, as I hav... View more

Hi everyone, This is my second time posting on this forum. I don't usually like to talk about my stress or anxiety as I know that my issues do not compare with a lot of troubles other people are facing in life. I just wanted to post tonight, as I have suffered from some anxiety for a long time and it has tended to effect many aspects of my life. Previously, I had more to be stressed about than I do now, but despite the fact that things have been going okay I still manage to find things to worry about, fear and be sad about. I really can't remember the last time I truly, without trying felt fully happy. Everything has become something to panic over, how am I going to go to an acquaintances wedding in a year, will I be late for work tomorrow and what is going to happen at my performance review in 2 weeks time. I struggle to stop thinking and to switch my mind off or relax. When I start getting overwhelming stressed, my heart rate goes a little faster and I start wanting to move things in the house. This behaviour has been happening to me my whole life and everyone has suggested that i need to go and see a doctor, or a psychologist. The thought of doing that is also stressful. I want to be better, not just for me but for the people in my life. But I dont know where to start, everytime i think of booking an appointment I change my mind and pretend like nothing is happening. For all the people in the world that struggle with this, I feel your pain.

nega Is it normal to "pick and choose" what I get anxious about? Is there a reason why it happens?
  • replies: 3

I am a 23 year old autistic male with a strong anxiety disorder and suffer from an extreme phobia which entails panic attacks upon hearing applause and many people clapping. It's weird, I know but I've had it all my life and its quite debilitating. I... View more

I am a 23 year old autistic male with a strong anxiety disorder and suffer from an extreme phobia which entails panic attacks upon hearing applause and many people clapping. It's weird, I know but I've had it all my life and its quite debilitating. I don't watch any video, I play PC games but few with the sound completely muted or I get anxious af. This week I realised something I never did before, somewhat a success actually. I have been in denial and confusion for over a decade around my obsessive gaming hobby. I said I get intense fear when I "hear" applause right? It's definitely not so bad upon seeing a visual representation of clapping, but it's still kinda scary. However, sometimes its not so bad but others can really affect me just as much as hearing it. So here is the thing right? When it comes to videos and TV, it seems I get so upset upon seeing the live studio audience all clap when I walk past a TV playing Ellen, even on mute it just drives me insane. Hearing it will just shock me more than ever before but seeing is almost as bad. But then I play something like GTA, there was a keynote scene in GTA V with so much applause but it didn't phase me at all. Just a bit of heat and chattiness from my slightly anxious voice. That was a couple of years ago but it was fascinating how I dealt with it so much better than watching the audience in a live talk show. That however isn't the worst thing that's stopping me from enjoying a lot of games; it's anticipation. Which I suffered from in GTA even outside of that keynote scene. I'm pretty sure after that scene I was gonna watch Arrow on Netflix, it took me 3 hours to get myself to watch it and I never ended up putting it on, even when I knew it didn't bother me. But now, I just started an MMO called Black Desert which does have a lot of risks to take in terms of seeing clapping, crowded cities and performers etc. and cutscenes that sometimes trigger within these spaces. However, whenever I feel like playing, I just turn it on in seconds and spend hours binge playing. If it was GTA and most movies, it would take me an hour to play and can only stand playing for 20 minutes before turning it off. Even if it was very barren in terms of people like The Last of Us, which took me a while to start playing every sesh that only lasted 2 hours at most until anxiety kicked in... But it never did in Black Desert! Why are some games/movies "fine" to binge but others are like "hell no" with no particular reason? Help!

Unsure of my life Anxious at work
  • replies: 3

I’ve just started a new job recently. The role has a lot more responsibility then my previous role and when hired they knew I had not worked in this particular industry before. I feel like he is expecting so much of me. Most of the others that work t... View more

I’ve just started a new job recently. The role has a lot more responsibility then my previous role and when hired they knew I had not worked in this particular industry before. I feel like he is expecting so much of me. Most of the others that work there have worked with him for over 10 years so they know what they are doing and how he works. For me it’s not that easy and I feel like I have to fend for myself. Things have gotten uncomfortable with my boss to the point where I’m terrified of confronting him even for just a small question. He has become very unapproachable. I’m terrified of him and I feel like he thinks i’m Disappointing him and not going a good job. Feared that he will fire me. The more anxious I get the more mistakes I make and absolutely terrified to tell him. I’ve had to take the rest of the week off work as my anxiety levels are through the roof. Still terrified of returning. Will he take me aside?? What do I say?

Toby_Lace Intrusive thoughts
  • replies: 49

Hi all, this my first post. Hoping to gain some relief from persistent intrusive thoughts that have taken hold and taken control of my life. I am having troubles dislodging them. I feel if I confess the thoughts I might gain some relief but I also fe... View more

Hi all, this my first post. Hoping to gain some relief from persistent intrusive thoughts that have taken hold and taken control of my life. I am having troubles dislodging them. I feel if I confess the thoughts I might gain some relief but I also feel I cant tell anyone because I fear their judgement and the consequences of my confession. I feel hopeless and have little joy in my life. I have started to catastrophise about my life and career and my future. I am at a loss as what to do. I want to feel ' normal', happy and optimistic again.

Cadman8 Work anxiety
  • replies: 7

Hi, I am a people pleaser, I have always worried about my image around others and I would go out of my way to not annoy people or make myself look bad. I have lived like this for years through high school and University and have had issues with anxie... View more

Hi, I am a people pleaser, I have always worried about my image around others and I would go out of my way to not annoy people or make myself look bad. I have lived like this for years through high school and University and have had issues with anxiety because of it. For example I was doing an extra corricular activity at uni and I went on holiday for 2 weeks. As I was on holiday other students were still working on this activity. When I got back I felt I had missed out on so much and that people were thinking negatively of me for going away. I was so anxious about looking like a fool by asking for help that I would often find myself hiding(faking being sick, going to the toilet for long periods at a time). This would then spiral out of control, I would not be able to properly express myself so I would hide which would put me further behind causing more anxiety, it was horrible. I ended up leaving the project at the end of the year and although I felt relief I was really still just running away from a deeper issue. Cue now and I'm in the real world with a real job (engineering) and I feel the same is happening. I am having such a hard time expressing myself properly to my boss. I have been there for nearly a year and I fear that I will not have my contract extended. Sometimes I feel my work is subpar instead of trying to get help I start hiding again, which then obviously makes things worse. My boss is not around too much and some days he seems excited to help me with my work and some days he doesn't seem to want a bar of it. I get so anxious about asking questions because I don't know how he will respond. I dwell on the possibility of negative responses, I hide, I fall behind, I get more anxious. I can't live like this anymore, i feel like I'm going to have a breakdown. I can't stop dwelling on it. I need to make some changes to the way i react to situations. I don't want to care how people perceive me. I have seen a psychiatrist, he did lead me towards mindfulness which has been helpful if I do it consistently, but that is about all I got out of it. I am going to try and set up a meeting with my boss this week to talk about some of the issues I am having. I think this is the right thing to do no matter how much I don't want to do it. I was hoping someone may have been in the same boat. I would like to try to work through my problem with caring about how people percieve me and would like to try some methods to work through this if anyone knows any.

JacobA Not sure where belongs as quite different to what I have read.I
  • replies: 1

I don't know where to start. I am writing this in an attempt to get it out and clear some chatter in my head. I have been living with this condition for my whole teenage/adult life and it is unbearable at times. On the surface I held things together ... View more

I don't know where to start. I am writing this in an attempt to get it out and clear some chatter in my head. I have been living with this condition for my whole teenage/adult life and it is unbearable at times. On the surface I held things together OK for a while. I was outgoing and friendly and had good mates. Inside I never felt comfortable with anyone. I would avoid being in situations where I was with people one on one as I felt I had nothing to offer. At 25 yrs old I headed overseas with the one friend I was OK with and managed to fake it for about 12 months then the wheels feel off. I now realise I had and have fairly severe social anxiety. I got back to Oz and moved towns to avoid people seeing me like I was but I was fairly open with a few that I was in trouble. They encouraged me. Family encouraged me. Everyone said what a great person I was but it made no difference. This holding pattern went on for a few years and I faked it with bouts of really hard times but I simply used the strategy of avoidance to solve my issue........that said I did push myself. Fast forward..............I changed careers by going back to uni. Married an amazing women and now have 4 kids and a good job. Problem is whenever I have holidays or down time this bloody fog envelopes me in self pity. I lay around, watch my wife struggle, spend hours on Internet looking for answers. I keep saying I have tried everything but I don't think I am ever honestly having a go. I just want a quick fix............eg been to hospital, ECT, exercise (which I am terrible with now), counselling (I think I just forget what they say). My brain is doing exactly what it wants and I let it expecting the worst and it becoming true. I am back at work next week and I feel totally incapable and haven't prepared what needs to be done. I just have not meet anyone who has managed to fake it for so long (my faking is getting much worse) but been so empty and lack connection with anyone (I love my family but this condition puts me in a bubble and just flat all the time. I cannot remember a time where I felt OK with people, ever. I can't even complain about anything dramatic or terrible happening as a kid (unlike some of you) but this is now me. Sorry but I think this is also part of my condition expecting one of you to have an answer instead of getting on with it. I have promised people I would be ok.

As an organisation that supports people from across Australia, Beyond Blue acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay respect to Elders past and present.

First Nations Peoples are advised that this website may include reference to and images of deceased persons.

Beyond Blue is committed to safe inclusive spaces, policies and services for people of LGBTIQ+ communities and their families.

Helpful information

Stay in touch

Sign up below for regular emails from Beyond Blue, filled with information, advice and support for you or your loved ones.

Stay in touch

Talk it through with us, we'll point you in the right direction.

Call 1300 224 636

24 hours / 7 days a week

Chat Online

24 hours / 7 days a week

Email us

Get a reply in 24 hours

Copyright � 2026 Beyond Blue Ltd

All rights reserved

Contact us Terms of use Privacy policy Site map