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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Chris_B Forums etiquette: give support to receive support
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newb... View more

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newbies are welcomed when they first post, and we understand that it’s a big step to post for the first time on a forum like this, especially if you aren’t feeling great. It’s important to remember, though, that these forums are a community of real people, just like you, not a one-on-one support environment like going to see your psychologist. To get the best out of being here, one of the best tips we can offer is give support to receive support. Being a good community member means: participating in different threads (not just your own), replying to people who have taken the time to reply to you (even if it’s just to say thank you), and... posting words of emotional support and encouragement when you see others who are hurting and reaching out. You don’t have to feel obliged to solve the problems of others: that’s not what we’re here for. But you can offer empathy and what you’ve learned from your own life experiences, even if it’s just a line or two, eg. “I don't know what to say, but I want to give you my support and tell you I care about what is happening to you and hope life will get better soon.” Try to develop an interest in the journeys of others here on the forums. You may be surprised at how good being an active, caring member here can make you feel. For those of you who have had good experiences giving support here on the forums, please post in this thread here and let us know how it has helped you on your journey.

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Squid69 Anxiety and Depression - work realted
  • replies: 3

I have just signed up for Blue Voices, and have decided to share my story and experience, as I continue to struggle with my mental illness and I feel that becoming involved in Blue Voices may just assist others, as well as giving me another outlet to... View more

I have just signed up for Blue Voices, and have decided to share my story and experience, as I continue to struggle with my mental illness and I feel that becoming involved in Blue Voices may just assist others, as well as giving me another outlet to talk about my issues.I have been suffering from Depression and Anxiety for at least 15 years, however in late 2014 I suffered two breakdowns at work within a week and a half. This led to me having four months off work, and subsequently relocating my place of work in March 2015. I was diagnosed as having acute depression and anxiety, which was work related. I work as a Manager in the Banking industry and have been working for the same employer for over 30 years now. My employer went through two restructures which left less people to do more work. This is not unusual in this day and age in many industries. Within two months of the last restructure, and a long running battle trying to fight my way through how I was feeling and dealing with my issues, my body and mind gave up on me. I ended up curled up in the corner of an office, crying and sobbing uncontrollably for half and hour. When my Senior Manager found me, I was told to go for a walk and then meet him in a nearby coffee shop. At that meeting I cried continually still (embarrassing for a 45 year old male). I was given a week off work by my GP, returned to work, and on my third day back I collapsed again. The changes in our office led me to not be able to service my clients to their expectations, nor keep up with the large increase in workload. The feeling of not being able to do my job effectively made me feel like I was letting everybody else down, all the while displaying very obvious signs of not coping. However I chose to fight these feelings, telling myself I would get through this, it would get better, deep down knowing it would not. When my senior manager dropped me at home after my second collapse, he told me that I was simply not able to cope with the increased responsibility and expectations, which made me feel like I was a failure. Over the next three months I struggled to even leave the house. My wife took me out to the shops on weekend, however I couldn't handle being around people, and was very soon wanting to get home. I'm running out of space in this post, to cut a long story short, I am on strong medication. I speak to my medical professionals regularly. I am coping.However I feel that my industry doesn't know how to handle mental health.

Kichi_rou Anxiety on the Road
  • replies: 3

My boyfriend's van is at the mechanic and the other day he had to drive me to work in my car so he could get himself to work. It was raining heavily and although he is a completely safe and competent driver, I was hesitant, knowing that I can get une... View more

My boyfriend's van is at the mechanic and the other day he had to drive me to work in my car so he could get himself to work. It was raining heavily and although he is a completely safe and competent driver, I was hesitant, knowing that I can get uneasy as it is in the car, let alone someone else driving and in bad conditions. I got in the car and we had all but backed out of the driveway when I started shaking uncontrollably (almost dropping my Vegemite toast!). I tried not to say anything but he noticed and stopped the car, at which point I completely freaked out and became hysterical. I felt completely unsafe and was almost certain I would die on the way to work. This was an exaggerated display of what I think to myself on a daily basis when I drive myself to work on a clear day. This has happened to me at a lesser degree when I have been driving the car so I am not blaming the driver and it has happened many times before. I just don't know why. And now any time we are supposed to go pretty much anywhere in the car I stress about it constantly leading up to the journey. I only tolerate driving the 15 minutes to work each day because it is a necessity. I try to avoid driving anywhere unnecessarily, because I fear death or injury if I do. I might mention that my boyfriend rides a motorcycle which I worry about constantly. Sometimes I don't expect him to come home, fearing something horrible is going to happen. These thoughts are exhausting and even though I feel they are justified (the road is a dangerous place), surely there is a way to relax the morbid thoughts I have on a constant and daily basis.

Terrified_and_Trembling I want to be happy and free from panic attacks
  • replies: 2

I'm at school pickup. It's as far as I can drive. I have panic attacks driving in desolate areas that I have conquered b4 but it's all coming back now threefold. My kids want to go to Luna Park I can't drive on the highway. I'm sweating hot flashes. ... View more

I'm at school pickup. It's as far as I can drive. I have panic attacks driving in desolate areas that I have conquered b4 but it's all coming back now threefold. My kids want to go to Luna Park I can't drive on the highway. I'm sweating hot flashes. People notice I'm trembling. Kids holding My hand whilst crossing the road. My gp is useless as he just puts me in waiting lists for support. Apparently I need diareetic therapy DBT and I'm absolutely terrified and anxious as I cry on the floor at home most days. I have outbursts at people. No one understands I mean No harm .I just want help. I asked for stair access to an appointment but was refused and told lift only. I've ruptured all friendships. I don't want to ruin my kids seeing me this way. They are amazing xx please help me be a the person that I want to be happy and free

KeshiaB Anxiety and new kitten
  • replies: 21

Hi all, I have a 12.5 week old kitten and one of the issues I'm facing is that he has to spend 10 hours a day alone whilst me and my partner are at work. On top of this my partner does not want him sleeping with us at night. Essentially he's alone 10... View more

Hi all, I have a 12.5 week old kitten and one of the issues I'm facing is that he has to spend 10 hours a day alone whilst me and my partner are at work. On top of this my partner does not want him sleeping with us at night. Essentially he's alone 10 hours a day and then shut out of our room for 8 hours a night. This has got me feeling REALLY guilty and anxious as it's a long time for any creature to be left alone. I'm so worked up that I've had to miss work for the last 2 days as I started having panic attacks I saw my GP yesterday, he was little help and just told me to go back to the psychologist that I've been seeing for a few years. I can't see her until next Friday. Getting another kitten isn't really an option at the moment (due to cost and the fact that we are going overseas in March) so I'm trying to do all I can to keep him happy. I've left a radio going, food and 2 bowls of water, lots of toys, a cat tree with scratching posts and platforms, the A/C going so he doesn't get hot and he also has a couple of options for beds. Despite all this I'm still incredibly nervous about him being a happy, healthy and well adjusted kitten. On top of all this he's scratched up our vinyl dining room chair so we've had to take them out of the room. I'm planning to pick up a second scratching post, some anti-scratch spray and also catnip spray for the post today. Will this help? I'm also going to get him a nice soft cuddly toy for him to cuddle up to. We've only had him 5 days and I feel silly for feeling this way but I don't know what else to do! I'm sitting at work right now shaking and feeling really on edge. I feel like I could burst into tears any second. I'm almost feeling like I've made a big mistake adopting a kitten and keep doubting myself and my ability to give him all the love and care he needs Am I being silly in feeling this way and letting it eat away at me?

Jezbr How to beat Anxiety disorders
  • replies: 3

Hi all, I'm Josh. I'm a regular reader of these forums and have found some great tips on how to manage day to day with chronic anxiety so thank you to everyone. Unfortunately, I have a phobia of my medication which is like a wall stopping me getting ... View more

Hi all, I'm Josh. I'm a regular reader of these forums and have found some great tips on how to manage day to day with chronic anxiety so thank you to everyone. Unfortunately, I have a phobia of my medication which is like a wall stopping me getting over this illness, I am constantly dizzy and shaky and have a sort of drunk feeling 24/7 I've taken the meds for a few days but stopped because they just amplified my symptoms 10 fold. I'm just wondering if anyone else has the same issue and how they overcome it. How do you take a tablet that makes you feel worse and not start to panic as soon as yo swallow it? I've suffered my entire life with anxiety and panic attacks and want to beat this and feel human again. I miss going out for dinner and a drink with friends without that fear of collapsing or getting so dizzy I collapse. Anxiety sucks! Atm I feel strong and able to manage but that fear that at any given moment I will go into panic is still lingering. If anyone has any advice that would be awesome Thanks

Weazel Tired
  • replies: 2

Alright, where to start. My doctor has diagnosed me with anxiety. I've had an uncomfortable feeling in my throat for a month or so now, pretty much constantly every day. It ranges from a lump at the top of my throat to feeling like somebody has their... View more

Alright, where to start. My doctor has diagnosed me with anxiety. I've had an uncomfortable feeling in my throat for a month or so now, pretty much constantly every day. It ranges from a lump at the top of my throat to feeling like somebody has their hands around my neck. I've also developed a phobia of food, well that's the only way I can describe it. I'm scared that I will have a reaction to what I eat, it will get stuck in my throat and I will choke so now I'm forcing myself to eat each day. I've lost 5kg in the last month. My doctor thinks all of this is due to the stress of the last 12 months. My brother was killed last year in a car accident and my stepfather has stage 4 cancer. I also have an ex-husband who is very controlling in every aspect with my children plus his partner abusing me and telling me I'm a crap parent. I study at uni but I also work part time in the finance industry in a customer facing role. I've been off work for the past 2.5 weeks on stress leave following an incident where I got into an argument with a customer who was abusive and the customer loaded a formal complaint against me and I was threatened with loss of my job. It resulted in a formal warning but I haven't been able to go back to work. My doctor has prescribed me some medication but I can't take it because I feel like I've failed myself for not being strong enough to cope with everything but also because I'm worried about having an allergic reaction (despite not being allergic to anything!) I'm so tired of the constant daily battle to eat and do things. My house is a mess, i do washing and peg it out but then forget to bring it in for a couple of days. I'm so frustrated at being held back by myself but I don't know what to do to fix myself. If that makes sense? I used to be good at fixing situations but right now I'm scared and I can't fix me. I'm hoping somebody out there can relate and help me.

Guest_4DC6D4DC Really struggling
  • replies: 2

Hi im really struggling tonight One night after another when is it going to get easier. ... My anxiety is really bad tonight. Its choking me and i cant breathe and my chest is so tight and i feel really sick Im actually smelling blood which is unusua... View more

Hi im really struggling tonight One night after another when is it going to get easier. ... My anxiety is really bad tonight. Its choking me and i cant breathe and my chest is so tight and i feel really sick Im actually smelling blood which is unusual but its veru strong but no where to be found or for any reason. And my sisters sick and my thoughts keep jumping to the worst which is she going yo end up in hospital and not make it. Im sure that it not going to happen and at this point verh unlikely but i cant help it. And my mums going to work totomorrow so ill have her and ive got appointments that I have to go to and how am i suppose to do it.

Tryhard84 New job anxiety - i always run away
  • replies: 4

Hi Everyone, This is my first post. I normally keep my thoughts locked away but im slowly realising that talking about it can actually help. Over the past 20 years i have shaped my life around avoiding anxiety inducing situations. Ive dropped out of ... View more

Hi Everyone, This is my first post. I normally keep my thoughts locked away but im slowly realising that talking about it can actually help. Over the past 20 years i have shaped my life around avoiding anxiety inducing situations. Ive dropped out of uni multiple times (including 1 week before my finals), ive quit jobs, given up driving, moved cities and even countries. Ive found that although its not been ideal, its kept my anxiety under control to a certain extent. Ive never been able to face my issues head on, ive always run away. For the past 5 yrs I've been (on the most part) comfortable. I started to get bored in my job and felt confident that i was capable of a whole lot more. So i applied for a 6 month secondment and got it, sounds great right?! Well no. Im only 2 weeks in and suffering daily panic attacks, losing sleep and have barely eaten in that time. I would normally quit but this time is different as i care about letting multiple ppl down. I am also sick to death of my anxiety holding me back. I was prescribed medication by my doctor but im so scared of taking meds incase i get stuck on them. And because i know the anxiety could be controlled if i just removed myself from the situation..... I keep reminding myself its only for 6 months, that the 1st month will be the hardest, that its not the end of the world etc. but that doesnt stop the physical symptoms or the nightmares or the constant "on edge" feeling. I feel guilty for suffering because i know other people have it a lot worse than me and i sometimes wonder if im making it all up?!? Sounds crazy i know, but I sometimes feel not worthy of suffering from anxiety and that i dont deserve to say "i have anxiety" because really im just weak and should "snap out of it". Its a funny old mind i have. Anyway, i suppose im here because i feel this may be a platform for me to talk freely to ppl who understand and wont judge. I dont have family close by or friends to confide in so have kept it to myself for so long. I have had cbt sessions but they didnt really work for me as i felt unable to be honest. I know that im going to stick at the job and i know deep down i wont take the drugs, but i want to do everything else that i can to make the next 6 months as easy as possible, and i feel like talking about it on here has helped me already. Thanks for reading x

J_D_F_C_ Any Advice?: Job & Financial Anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi Everyone, I'm hoping that someone might have some advice or suggestions for me..... I find myself in a job that I greatly dislike (OK, I hate it!) and it is the major cause of my current anxiety issues. I would resign in a heartbeat, however I rec... View more

Hi Everyone, I'm hoping that someone might have some advice or suggestions for me..... I find myself in a job that I greatly dislike (OK, I hate it!) and it is the major cause of my current anxiety issues. I would resign in a heartbeat, however I recently got myself into a little financial predicament and unfortunately don't have any savings that I could rely on if I wasn't working, to cover rent or basic living costs. Bit of a vicious circle - need to leave this job (for my mental health and sanity) but need to stay (for the money). I'm only working 3 days a week (10hr days) at the moment and even then, I haven't managed to work every shift - I normally break down in tears within minutes of my arrival at work, or completely lose my cool after dealing with a customer on the phone and then breakdown in tears. I don't have any family/friends or a partner that I could ask for money (and probably wouldn't even if that was an option). The (practical) little voice in my head tells me that I need to keep working otherwise I'll be out on the street, which I absolutely understand and acknowledge that it's right, but I can't keep doing this too much longer. I considered looking for a new job but not sure that I would be able to deal with that right now whilst I'm falling down the rabbit hole, nor do I think that I could put my best foot forward for a new employer in my current mindset. I'm seriously at a loss as to what to do now!! I would love to just leave society behind and live 'off the grid' somewhere, but can't afford to that either!! LOL Anyone have any advice or suggestions on how I could try to turn this around, or make some sunshine out of this thunder storm??

amalee78 Bad thoughts worse after fights?
  • replies: 1

Does anyone else find that their anxiety gets worse after fighting with loved ones? I'm trying hard to use distraction strategies, and feel like my health anxiety is getting slightly better... but any time i have a disagreement with my partner or som... View more

Does anyone else find that their anxiety gets worse after fighting with loved ones? I'm trying hard to use distraction strategies, and feel like my health anxiety is getting slightly better... but any time i have a disagreement with my partner or something like that I straightaway start thinking bad thoughts about my health - even if we were talking about something totally unrelated. does anyone else find this?