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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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Lori32 Claire Weekes self help success stories please
  • replies: 10

Hi there Has anyone had any success with the techniques Claire Weekes explains to use in her books for panic attacks/agoraphobia ? Accept-float etc she makes so much sense and was wanting to hear from anyone that has had any type of success no matter... View more

Hi there Has anyone had any success with the techniques Claire Weekes explains to use in her books for panic attacks/agoraphobia ? Accept-float etc she makes so much sense and was wanting to hear from anyone that has had any type of success no matter how small. Ta

Pumpkin777 Anxiety/panic disorder
  • replies: 3

Hi guys I’m new at this so go easy on me I don’t really know what to say, but I’m hoping maybe someone out there may have some tips and advice or may be able to share their story with me, I recently quit my job due to being under a lot of stress, I h... View more

Hi guys I’m new at this so go easy on me I don’t really know what to say, but I’m hoping maybe someone out there may have some tips and advice or may be able to share their story with me, I recently quit my job due to being under a lot of stress, I have had anxiety since I was about 13 I’m now nearly 20 and have been diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety.. I ended up quitting my job because my anxiety started getting worse and worse and I began to have panic attacks as soon as I entered work and my work place couldn’t deal with me not being able to focus on my work, after I quit my job I began to experience more and more panic attacks out of no where like going down to the supermarket or just sitting at home with my partner, situations which I have been in about a million times in my life time, but I couldn’t seem to understand why they’re happening now, like what has brought on these panic attacks to start happening? Anyway I began to take new medication and got a medical certificate from my doctor saying I am unfit for work due to my anxiety and panic disorder, this was 2 months ago I’d say, and I’ve began to notice that it is not seeming to get any better... my anxiety seems to take over just a bit more every day. Last night I got very upset due to these horrible thoughts I get in my head which are like really disturbing things I would never think of doing but because they’re so horrible I’ve been to scared to tell anyone due to them being so awful, which leads me to become more and more over whelmed, I ended up telling my partner last night as it was driving me crazy and I did some googling about anxiety and disturbing thoughts and found that it is quite normal to have them, but my boyfriend doesn’t suffer from such extreme anxiety as I do so I still felt really embarrassed to tell him about it as they were so horrible, but I had to get it out!!!! I have lots of positive people around me, but I felt maybe if I posted something on here maybe someone could help relate to me and perhaps give me some tips on how they deal with it, that’s not really the whole extent to my anxiety and mental health issues but a breif outline of what kinda happens, any advice i would really appreciate, like I said I’ve got a few people to talk to but I’m a very quiet person that bottles things in so if anyone else out there is or has been like that I’d really like some tips on how you’ve over come bottling stuff up and being more open about your feelings!. Thanks!

PhoenixEmoria Worried about illness??
  • replies: 7

Hey, So abiut 2 months ago i started to get problems with eating where I'd started feelimg sick whenever I ate, and i'd lose my appetite. And this for some reason didn't bother me until about a week ago when I began getting anxious over it. In the na... View more

Hey, So abiut 2 months ago i started to get problems with eating where I'd started feelimg sick whenever I ate, and i'd lose my appetite. And this for some reason didn't bother me until about a week ago when I began getting anxious over it. In the natural progression of anxiety, I'm now anxious that I might have stoamch cancer?! I have some symptoms like the bloating and the loss of appetite as well as the nausea, but i have pain in the wrong spot (above the hips instead) and lots of symptoms now from anxiety (throat closing up, chest pain on both sides)?! I can't sleep anymore, I can't eat, all of my relationships are falling apart and I honestly don't know how i can go on like this. Please help?!

Matt_T Anxiety vs. Hope – Hope wins!
  • replies: 4

A dark cloud continually consumes & plagues my thoughts day & night. I wake exhausted feeling I’m on the verge of going insane. My palms are sweaty, my head is oppressed & I can’t sleep. I’m taking medication each morning just to get out of bed & fun... View more

A dark cloud continually consumes & plagues my thoughts day & night. I wake exhausted feeling I’m on the verge of going insane. My palms are sweaty, my head is oppressed & I can’t sleep. I’m taking medication each morning just to get out of bed & function. I feel numb, helpless & most of all HOPELESS. I want to escape & rise above it all, but I can’t see the future. I’m mentally & physically fatigued as I battle in private for the mental anguish to be removed. My thoughts drift into dark places where I grapple with ways of “escaping”, although praying for the strength not to follow through. This was my private battle of anxiety over a 5-year period triggered by an event I witnessed on a flight to Bali. My anxiety grew from being situational (flying) to panic attacks. I had to make a choice, either take action & fight it or live in a medicated cocoon for the rest of my life. There is HOPE for full & utter restoration & to live a life free of anxiety. Although in the pit of darkness everything seems hopeless, hold on there is an amazing & bright future on the other side of this “giant”. Although the symptoms may present themselves physically, anxiety is not real, it can be controlled, it’s just annoying & uncomfortable. I want to share some tips / thoughts that enabled me to manage & overcome my anxiety / PA: Tip 1:Professional help - No shame in seeking professional help, they can provide rational & logical perspective when you can’t Tip 2: Avoid avoidance - face your fears Tip 3: Breathing is your anchor - With this it is physically impossible to have panic attacks. Recommend from iTunes Gay Hendricks Ph. D titled “fly without fear” Tip 4:Thought replacement - Observe them but don’t let them take hold & replace them with positive thoughts Tip 5:Keep a list of your conquests - This is a reminder of how far you have come Tip 6:Rehearse how you want to experience the situation & break it up into manageable pieces - So doesn’t seem so overwhelming Tip 7: Its ok & no shame in medication - I used that for a period when I needed it (properly prescribed by my Doctor) until I could get it under control. Whether you are a believer or not, the power in the tips noted above are not diminished. For me, my greatest anchor was my faith in Jesus Christ. There was a sermon that my Pastor preached on “Courage beyond our fears” which changed my perspective & set me on a path of freedom.

Chicken_Wings Does Anxiety Make You Chatty
  • replies: 7

When I’m anxious I start feeling like I need to talk. I don’t often have someone to actually talk to. But when I do it’s like floodgates release, I can hardly stop myself. I don’t know if it’s because everything feels like it’s moving fast and I just... View more

When I’m anxious I start feeling like I need to talk. I don’t often have someone to actually talk to. But when I do it’s like floodgates release, I can hardly stop myself. I don’t know if it’s because everything feels like it’s moving fast and I just need to let it out or because finally someone is listening. Does anyone else find that they become like a geyser of emotions?

Dogsarethebest Does anyone else feel like they are 'delaying' a breakdown?
  • replies: 7

Hi there, i dont want to go into my big dark history but essentially I was on heavy medications for a decade through my teens/ early 20s. I did not find them effective. However- I know my brain is different from someone who has a healthy experience o... View more

Hi there, i dont want to go into my big dark history but essentially I was on heavy medications for a decade through my teens/ early 20s. I did not find them effective. However- I know my brain is different from someone who has a healthy experience of life. My boyfriend of 3.5years broke up with me just after Christmas. We lived together and I have been sortimg everything out. I'm working in a job where I'm sometimes expected to run someone else entire business on my own. I'm trying to move furniture, find housemates, keep the business running, keep my dog happy and not let anyone down. I feel like I am so close to a breakdown and have been for weeks. I'm dealing with panic attacks and I'm smoking way more than I should- Im just trying to find some relief. Its like I'm just delaying a breakdown until its socially acceptable (I have no commitments) to do so. Has anyone ever felt like this? I'm getting desperate. I don't want to loose my job but I need some time to deal with everything that is going on.

hairclip Anxiety and possibly depressed?
  • replies: 7

Hi, First time posting here, just wanted to make sure what I'm going through is just a part of life and hopefully I won't need to see a therapist. I've been graduated over a year now and I have still yet found any employment I am interested in. At th... View more

Hi, First time posting here, just wanted to make sure what I'm going through is just a part of life and hopefully I won't need to see a therapist. I've been graduated over a year now and I have still yet found any employment I am interested in. At the time I thought the degree I studied was something I am passionate about, but now I am drained and I am definitely not the same happy person I use to be. I found myself stuck in a dead end job I hate, I love my colleagues but I really hate my position. I just want to move to a new place with only one or two people I care about. I don't want to see anyone I know or really talk to them. I don't know what I want to do with my life anymore. I can't sleep properly, I've gained a lot of weight, I stress eat a lot, I need to have youtube playing a video on a device at all times (except at work)... I don't have time to see a psychologist because my job doesn't allow time for that and I also can't find another job...it hurts me to see everyone moving forwards and I'm still where I am... I just want to know all this will get better and it's normal, everyone goes through it and I don't need to see a specialist.

Hypersleep Body-wide cold cold shiver brought on by anxiety?
  • replies: 5

Maybe it has to do with the colder weather where I am lately, but I doubt it. My biggest cause for anxiety lately is food. And lately sometimes when I'm eating, most often if it will happen in happens on the first bite of a meal. But I just get this ... View more

Maybe it has to do with the colder weather where I am lately, but I doubt it. My biggest cause for anxiety lately is food. And lately sometimes when I'm eating, most often if it will happen in happens on the first bite of a meal. But I just get this body wide cold pins and needles almost feeling. It's so overwhelming it makes my mind go into overdrive. This used to be able to totally put me off my meal and just utterly distract me from what I was doing. It has happened once in recent memory BEFORE I was going to eat. But from what I can tell it's definitely caused by anxiety and makes me very anxious after it hits me. Has anyone experienced something like this or similar? I've done my best to eliminate variables and track down the cause of this as it's fairly recent but from what I can tell it's just a new symptom of my anxiety lately. I used to just get a tightness in my chest that lasted a bit longer or a feeling like I'd need to rush to the toilet or the occasional nervous dry-reaching. But this is new, uncommon thus far but new. Am I giving this power by assuming it's related to anxiety?

stilesstilinski Anxiety causing nausea
  • replies: 2

I'm currently going into year 8. my anxiety started in october of 2016 just before i went into year 7. i missed a lot of school due to the nausea caused by anxiety of change. I finally got used to it in about july of 2017 but now its coming back and ... View more

I'm currently going into year 8. my anxiety started in october of 2016 just before i went into year 7. i missed a lot of school due to the nausea caused by anxiety of change. I finally got used to it in about july of 2017 but now its coming back and i feel it again. i dont know what to do. i would often throw up before school started and leave early. this probably wont be seen but oh well.

sandycee Irrational Fear of Food Allergies/ General Health Anxiety
  • replies: 7

Sorry in advance for how long this is! I appreciate any advice or support anyone's willing to send my way! I've had anxiety for quite a few years now, pretty much has always been health-based, hypochondria stuff. I've mostly had health anxiety relati... View more

Sorry in advance for how long this is! I appreciate any advice or support anyone's willing to send my way! I've had anxiety for quite a few years now, pretty much has always been health-based, hypochondria stuff. I've mostly had health anxiety relating to my asthma and hayfever although my asthma has never been truly bad. My main fear is my throat swelling up and not being able to breathe, whether that be from asthma (even though, thankfully, I've never had an attack but that was my fear for the longest time ever), or in recent times, from anaphylaxis. A few months ago I began having fears of sudden allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), despite not having an allergic reaction to any foods thus far in my lifetime, (I am currently 19). Although that anxiety passed, it has come back and worse than it was last time. My sister got admitted to hospital just over a month ago with a full body rash, swollen lips and ears and low blood pressure (she is fine now). The doctors said it was a reaction to a virus as she did not experience any swelling of the throat. I was struggling incredibly hard with anxiety during that period of time and have been for the last few months and that event has made my fears seem valid. I am scared to eat foods I've eaten many times before without a second thought. I am finding it to be debilitating at the moment, thinking that I will go into anaphylaxis at any given point in time from food or other materials that could cause an allergic reaction. I have had individuals try to reassure me I would feel an allergic reaction straight away but I worry I will have one and not be able to get help in time or that I will be alone when/if anything ever were to happen. I know in my mind that I overcame this anxiety before and continued living my life as normal and eating whatever I wanted to without the slightest bit of anxiety, so l feel it's not completely unattainable to not be riddled with this anxiety, but this has lasted longer and is worse than the last time I had this anxiety. If anyone can reassure me somehow I would really appreciate it. I know this is long winded and so l apologise, it's just starting to become too much. I'm scared to sleep incase I wake up and something randomly happens in the middle of the night like it did with my sister. Any advice would be much appreciated! Thank you

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