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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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. Remeber, this is anonymous and the Beyond Blue team are here to help if you need it This section is for people who are experiencing anixiety 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 you 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 worthile 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

TheBigSpecialPig Hi? I'm new-ish?
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Hi? I'm kinda new to bb and umm i'm 13 and I've been Diagnosed with anxiety for 2 years. (sorry if I say lol, it's a coping mechanism) and my parents... they either are too apethetic or lazy to do anything about my diagnosis so here I am. Ok I can't ... View more

Hi? I'm kinda new to bb and umm i'm 13 and I've been Diagnosed with anxiety for 2 years. (sorry if I say lol, it's a coping mechanism) and my parents... they either are too apethetic or lazy to do anything about my diagnosis so here I am. Ok I can't write anymore.

azarrah Today's successes
  • replies: 7

Do we have a thread for this? Apologies if we do. I thought it would be nice to have a place where we can share our the successes of the day. They can be little steps forward or an enormous stride; we'll celebrate them all! Even if you think today ha... View more

Do we have a thread for this? Apologies if we do. I thought it would be nice to have a place where we can share our the successes of the day. They can be little steps forward or an enormous stride; we'll celebrate them all! Even if you think today has been terrible, something good has happened, no matter how small. They can be anxiety-related, school- or work-related, anything you like! Post as little or as much as you'd like. Let's support each other I'll start: Yesterday, I was panicking about an exam, in tears because I couldn't sleep and I thought all of my hard studying would go to waste as a result of my own brain's inability to calm down. Today, I kept a level head when writing the paper, and I think I did relatively well! I also overcame my intense fear of backwards skills in gymnastics, by doing my first ever back hip circle on the bars. Very exciting for me - it has been two years in the making. Now to perfect it, with more confidence and without a spot... What did you achieve today?

AnxSam Leaving job- people making me feel guilty.
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Okay, so 4months ago I made a tough decision to resign from my job commencing later this month. The work I was in wasn't giving me any satisfaction and was one of the biggest reasons why I was getting anxiety, depression and negative thoughts. I real... View more

Okay, so 4months ago I made a tough decision to resign from my job commencing later this month. The work I was in wasn't giving me any satisfaction and was one of the biggest reasons why I was getting anxiety, depression and negative thoughts. I really disliked my job and in my current role, i have been there for over 2 years. I only stayed in this job because I had someone close to me offer me a position and I didn't want to let them down my resigning- However it got to the point that I was really unhappy and wanted to leave- as discussed in an earlier thread. When I leave I promised myself to do some travel that I have organised with my partner and upon my return look for a new career and start somewhere new. NOW being so close to my final day I feel like I have all this pressure from this person in making me feel bad that i have left this job. Yes I know they might have my best interests at heart (growth etc) but I really didn't see myself fit for this role, but i have this real bad guilt feeling for leaving! Should i feel horrible for leaving to pressure my own goals?

tatey81 I'd appreciate any feedback :-)
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Hi all, This is my first time posting on this (or any) site. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression at the start of 2007, just 2 years after my father had passed away. At the end of 2006 I received a large promotion at work, and purchased my fir... View more

Hi all, This is my first time posting on this (or any) site. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression at the start of 2007, just 2 years after my father had passed away. At the end of 2006 I received a large promotion at work, and purchased my first house. These were both incredibly exciting times in my life; however unknowingly they triggered off my anxiety and depression. At first, I was off work for nearly 3 months, house ridden, in and out of doctors and hospitals trying to figure out what was wrong with me, before finally my GP diagnosing me with anxiety and depression. Over the years it has come and gone, and most times with ongoing medication, both natural and prescription, I've been able to keep it under reasonable control. However since breaking up with my partner (I'm gay) of 5 years 3 years ago now, my anxiety and depression has returned. Feelings of loneliness, of not being good enough, not being accepted for who I am because of physical appearance (I'm not Zac Effron's twin but I'd like to think I'm not that ugly), feelings of not being in control of my thought processes, etc, have started to have a large effect on my quality of life. Especially when I start to get close to someone - I start to over-react and read into each text message too much as to the meaning behind it, I tell myself I'm not good enough for the other person - "why would they want to be with me", which results in my behaviour changing towards them, getting very anxious each time I meet them. Each time I have told the person I suffer from anxiety, they conveniently come up with a reason why they don't want to date me any more, which leads to me feeling incredibly worthless. I also get very anxious about events that I should be excited about - travelling, going to a show, social outings, etc. Its like my body/brain gets the feelings confused. Lately I find myself not being able to control my thoughts, turning all thoughts into negative ones, which only encourages the anxiety and self doubt. Most of the time, I just take prescription medication and 'just push thru' the physical symptoms, as bad as I do feel. A little about me - I'm mid 30's, business manager, single male, exercise 3-4 times a week (walking & bike riding), enjoy the outdoors, sports, music, theatre, travel, property, etc. I could go on and on, but I'm sure I've said enough so far haha!! I'd love to hear your thoughts, and suggestions on methods to resolve some of these issues. Thanks.

Bona New here. Need advice and support.
  • replies: 12

Hi everyone, I'm really nervous about discussing this but I need some support and advice as I'm feeling really alone at the moment. Recently at work have been told I am not performing well and have been told to leave on my own terms or get fired. I h... View more

Hi everyone, I'm really nervous about discussing this but I need some support and advice as I'm feeling really alone at the moment. Recently at work have been told I am not performing well and have been told to leave on my own terms or get fired. I have not been given enough time to make this decision and it is making me feel worthless and incompetent. It has really been playing on my mind and my anxiety is reason why I am in place. Over the past year, my anxiety has been getting worse and has really played a big role in my work. When I get into an uncomfortable situation with others, I began to feel scared and get into this state of not wanting to talk​ and face the situation at hand. It makes it even worse as it is a high pressure job with a high workload. This leads to not returning calls or e-mails as I don't want to be in a confrontation or uncomfortable situation as I really doubt myself and didn't want to face situation. I wish that my anxiety didn't control the way think and the self doubt that I have. I feel like I have no one to talk to about it and I am feeling really alone as I don't want to burden people with my issues. I keep up a happy facade in front of others but I have broken down and have had few mini panic attacks when I am alone. Please give me some advice on how to best handle this situation.

Maryjane93 Does anyone else feel like this?
  • replies: 7

I feel like my mind is constantly thinking about everything and I can never relax. I even went to the gym today and I just couldn't switch off. It just makes me feel like I'm totally crazy. How do I not let my over thinking get the better of me and j... View more

I feel like my mind is constantly thinking about everything and I can never relax. I even went to the gym today and I just couldn't switch off. It just makes me feel like I'm totally crazy. How do I not let my over thinking get the better of me and just let things be?

lepapillon Anxiety before bed
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I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to get to sleep or calm oneself before bed. As soon as I get into bed ready to sleep, my heart rate hits the roof, I am short of breathe, irritable and feel extremely claustrophobic. This happens almost e... View more

I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to get to sleep or calm oneself before bed. As soon as I get into bed ready to sleep, my heart rate hits the roof, I am short of breathe, irritable and feel extremely claustrophobic. This happens almost every night now. I have tried cubic and concentrated breathing but isn't working as well as it used to. I am also aware it may be worse due to exam time (not to mention boyfriend drama)! I really don't want my anxiety to get out of control or spiral down back to depression again as I have been doing so well for the past year. Any pointers would be great as I don't deal well with lack of sleep x

vader1 Nursing and anxiety
  • replies: 5

Hi, This is my first time ever posting on an online forum and would like to talk with anyone who is experiencing anxiety. I find that my anxiety is getting in the way of my work life and normal day to day tasks. I find I am in a constant state of anx... View more

Hi, This is my first time ever posting on an online forum and would like to talk with anyone who is experiencing anxiety. I find that my anxiety is getting in the way of my work life and normal day to day tasks. I find I am in a constant state of anxiety. I have recently started in a newly graduated nurse in an ED department. I have worked in this kind of environment before, however I have found that my anxiety levels have increased greatly. I find its impacting on my practice. I find that I am vomiting before work and cant keep anything down. I have talked with my supervisors about my anxiety , as they noticed I appeared anxious. They talked about looking for ways to lessen my anxiety and ways to settle me into my new role as an ED Nurse. However they feel that my anxiety could impact on my skills in the future.... which i think they are concerned about. I have been considering asking for a different rotation, where I can take my time undertaking tasks and work with my anxiety. I just dont know what I should do as i spent a lot of my time at university focusing on emergency nursing. Has anyone had a similar experience.

erinrosee New Job Anxiety
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Hi, This is my first time posting on here, but I really need someone to talk to. I've just accepted a temp position for a 3 month project. I'm quite anxious about going in because it's a new situation and those always make me worry. I often get like ... View more

Hi, This is my first time posting on here, but I really need someone to talk to. I've just accepted a temp position for a 3 month project. I'm quite anxious about going in because it's a new situation and those always make me worry. I often get like this before a new job, and although I know these feelings are normal, it still sucks. I worry that because I have these thoughts every time I get a new job that I'm not cut out to be in the workforce, and that I won't enjoy myself. I am also quite anxious because I don't know what to expect. I also worry that I won't have any time to myself, or to spend with my partner and friends. I get anxious when I'm not in control of how I spend my time and my mind goes into overdrive. If anyone has any advice on how to deal with these feelings, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

Pebbles08 Looking for people who understand
  • replies: 6

Hey all.. I never thought I'd be looking for help on an online forum but hey, here I am.. over the last year or so I've developed pretty intense anxiety. I can't pin point exactly where or why it started, but I did have a few significant events happe... View more

Hey all.. I never thought I'd be looking for help on an online forum but hey, here I am.. over the last year or so I've developed pretty intense anxiety. I can't pin point exactly where or why it started, but I did have a few significant events happen which I'm thinking helped in the process. I freak out at things that "normal" people wouldn't give two thoughts about, I can find the flaw in everything and relate it back to myself, I make clinusions that bad things that happen or negative situations are a result of something that I've done and I absolutely cannot stand being alone. I feel like my mind is so cluttered but I don't even know what it is I think about, I feel trapped in my own head. ive seen my doctor and he's put me on mdiecation but I'm just struggling to find someone to talk to that understands. My partner tries but it frustrates him because he doesn't know what it's like. Does anyone else feel this way?