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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. 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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Chozzy Loss of appetite & nausea
  • replies: 9

Hi all, I struggle with anxiety and recently I've had a lot of days where I've completely lost my appetite and felt really nauseas. For instance, today I went out for lunch with a friend and felt like I was forcing myself to eat and only ate maybe 10... View more

Hi all, I struggle with anxiety and recently I've had a lot of days where I've completely lost my appetite and felt really nauseas. For instance, today I went out for lunch with a friend and felt like I was forcing myself to eat and only ate maybe 10 chips total. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to manage this? It doesn't happen everyday but it's obviously not healthy to have days without eating.

Fragment I am afraid
  • replies: 3

Hi, i have never posted on here before. But i better start some where. Quick intro; i am 26 year old man i also have a daughter. I quit one of my jobs left my relationship two days ago. I don't go out anymore and only have one true friend. i am afrai... View more

Hi, i have never posted on here before. But i better start some where. Quick intro; i am 26 year old man i also have a daughter. I quit one of my jobs left my relationship two days ago. I don't go out anymore and only have one true friend. i am afraid of other people and get nervous but appear confident. I am getting help with medication and couciling. But i can't function properly anymore. I feel like i have done nothing with my life. I always struggle to do anything. I feel like the worlds biggest failure. Any advice on how to get out there and to not fear things anymore. I have been this way for so long i don't know where to begin

Lauren32 Really struggling with anxiety
  • replies: 12

Hi everyone i am a 27 year old female and I am really struggling with anxiety lately! I have missed a lot of work and have instances where I've been in work and I just got up and left without telling anyone cause I felt like I was dying. I have ended... View more

Hi everyone i am a 27 year old female and I am really struggling with anxiety lately! I have missed a lot of work and have instances where I've been in work and I just got up and left without telling anyone cause I felt like I was dying. I have ended up in the doctors and emergency room a number of times thinking I was dying. It's the physical symptoms that are so severe I struggle to believe it's just anxiety!. My heart feels like it's coming out of my chest I get breathless and feel like I'm not getting enough oxygen to my brain! The worst is feeling like I'm going insane like I literally feel like I'm losing my mind. How can I feel better??? I'm on and off medication but I struggle with the side effects! I think for the first few weeks it makes my anxiety worse! Does anyone have any coping mechanisms? Willing to try anything thank you in advance

High_Anxiety Going into meldown over relationship breakdown
  • replies: 3

My wife has told me she wants to split with me and I'm having what feels to me severe panic attacks!! My greatest fear is rejection and the one I love the most is doing it to me right now. I can't sleep, don't want to eat, feel sick and have body tre... View more

My wife has told me she wants to split with me and I'm having what feels to me severe panic attacks!! My greatest fear is rejection and the one I love the most is doing it to me right now. I can't sleep, don't want to eat, feel sick and have body tremours. I'm supposed to be going back to work tomorrow as I have to kick off a big project and I fear I'll be disfunctional. This is the worst feeling I have ever felt!!!! HA

Hobbers Feeling and actions anxiety cause
  • replies: 4

Hi. I never really talk to anyone about my anxiety apart from my councilor. So sometimes i wonder how other people act. Today has not been a good day, i have ovet thought ever thing and i question if i actually think these things or the anxiety doing... View more

Hi. I never really talk to anyone about my anxiety apart from my councilor. So sometimes i wonder how other people act. Today has not been a good day, i have ovet thought ever thing and i question if i actually think these things or the anxiety doing it. My trigger is mainly as its been a full on week with no wind down time not enough sleep and then i have hit the wall and in comes the emotional wreak. Im snappy frustrated fuzzy head feel dumb exhusted. crying feel sick head thumping like it will explode ashamed to be in this mess. I want to be left alone but also want to be held so tight to make it all go away but i know this is going to pass but never go away. I have recently started a new realationship and im struggling with how this person will ever handle me or put up with me..

alwayswinning how can i stop the stress cycle?
  • replies: 2

I tend to obsess over things I cannot do anything about in the present moment. Even though I tell myself stressing wont help I just cant seem to stop it. I worry and worry and worry almost like self punishment. People suggest that I do things like re... View more

I tend to obsess over things I cannot do anything about in the present moment. Even though I tell myself stressing wont help I just cant seem to stop it. I worry and worry and worry almost like self punishment. People suggest that I do things like read a book etc. but I feel so fixated that I don't have the energy because all I can think about is how I cant do anything about it right how so I continue to stress and stress and stress.

Asenna Please some feedback
  • replies: 5

A month ago I decided to leave work. Family business. Feel like i do things to show my ex wife that I can be the person she loves. The week after I had finished Monday morning rolled around and I fell to pieces. 17 years of my life was now in the pas... View more

A month ago I decided to leave work. Family business. Feel like i do things to show my ex wife that I can be the person she loves. The week after I had finished Monday morning rolled around and I fell to pieces. 17 years of my life was now in the past. Anxious but not bad. Overwhelmed with life, hell yes. Got diagnosed with adult adhd that week and I thought aha! It makes sense. Got put on to some stimulants and in the beginning it relaxed me. The tightness in the chest had gone. I felt good. Two weeks after I came down again but I felt nervousness. Not palpitations or panic attack but just nervous. Walks helped. I felt lonely and isolated. Speak to friends who allow me to sothe my mind but the fear of never returning to a sense of strength and some normalcy frightens me. Why do I feel like I've got nobody? Why do I fear life on my own when my parents eventually die? Why do I feel lately anxious when my children leave to go back to their mothers place. I feel alone in this world when my anxiety comes through. Why do I fall apart so easily? Why can I not regulate my reactions and emotions? I just cannot at all! Please anybody help. Does it resonate with anyone?

Hope_for_the_best Weird symptoms during times of intense stress
  • replies: 8

With the help of my psychologist, I combated two episodes of intense stress during my studies. I am feeling okay now, but I dwell on the loneliness while I was suffering from anxiety symptoms, because some were very atypical. All friends I know eithe... View more

With the help of my psychologist, I combated two episodes of intense stress during my studies. I am feeling okay now, but I dwell on the loneliness while I was suffering from anxiety symptoms, because some were very atypical. All friends I know either have insomnia or stress-eat when they are anxious. However, I never have any issues with sleeping; I fall asleep easily at night and often wake up the next morning. When I am stressed out, I lose my appetite instead of gaining. Some friends have racing heartbeats and shortness of breaths, which I had sometimes and I could calm down within minutes of listening to relaxing music. Up to now, these are still very typical symptoms. The two atypical and bothersome symptoms that I had were (1) a lumpy throat feeling and (2) overreaction to smells. None of my friends have ever experienced a lumpy throat, although I realised how common it is when I googled. When that happened, I could feel my throat muscle tightened up. I did not know what to do about that. I could only wait until the feeling passed. I bet some of you encountered a lumpy throat feeling before. How did you deal with that? For the overreaction to smells under stress, I hardly found any information about that. Basically, when I am stressed out for a prolonged period, I must develop an aversion to a daily smell. For example, I never like cheese, but I am fine with someone having it in my vicinity. I remember I was in a stuffy lecture hall one day shortly before exams. One of my classmates was eating a very cheesy creamy pasta. He was not supposed to eat there, but the lecturer did not stop him. The smell was so overwhelming that I could not take it. I could not attend the rest of the lecture. Since then I got super aversion towards cheese smell. I was madly checking all food to ensure no cheese. I also avoided the cheese stall in the supermarket. Strangely enough, after finishing those stressful exams, I suddenly became as comfortable with cheese as before. Has anyone ever encountered that before? I feel that I am weird as nobody seems to have that. Thanks for sharing!

Gemair how do you get help when you can't afford to?
  • replies: 4

I'm struggling at the moment! My husbands business is not financially viable but yet he won't do anything to improve the situation - although he does do work and he does help out, so I'm not trying to have a go - but financially it is not working. Fo... View more

I'm struggling at the moment! My husbands business is not financially viable but yet he won't do anything to improve the situation - although he does do work and he does help out, so I'm not trying to have a go - but financially it is not working. For the last few months, we have struggled to pay the mortgage and have gone on a strict budget where food and things are concerned. My hair is even showing the grey as we can't afford what we used to. I can't afford to see our doctor or get help, but things have got to a really bad stage. I even broke down in the supermarket yesterday (as my husband told me about another bill that had come in over the phone). I am not sure how to fix things financially, but my anxiety levels are at a real high and I know that I am not coping but most of the time I put on a smile and mask everything that is going on. I have two young kids who I try to not let see me in breakdown mode, but the truth is I'm falling apart. I still work four days a week and I can't afford to give this up and our children still do after school sport although we even cut this back this year. How do you get help when you can't afford to?? the last time I was at my doctors they said that there weren't any help that were free (I think I have used my medicare free limit - I have had PTSD from childhood goings on), but I haven't been like I am for a very long time.

sonicjaguar Getting Irritated By Everything
  • replies: 5

Hi all, First time posting here. I was diagnosed with chronic anxiety/depression a few years ago and it's been an uphill battle as you would all know. Lately however I find myself getting annoyed by many trivial things such as the way someone eats, o... View more

Hi all, First time posting here. I was diagnosed with chronic anxiety/depression a few years ago and it's been an uphill battle as you would all know. Lately however I find myself getting annoyed by many trivial things such as the way someone eats, or a coworker comes into the room and noisily sits themselves down at the table and begins to munch and make a variety of annoying noises. It also happens when I see people on the tv, like they have a face that genuinely annoys me to the point where I can feel it bubbling inside me. Or the way the someone talks or makes various sounds. It seems to be that I'm noticing every tiny thing that is happening around me. I have always had a mind that seeks out things in great detail, and maybe that is a cause of these feelings, but I find it to be very uncomfortable. Almost like if you combined misophonia with a visual equivalent. Does anyone know of any ways to stop me getting so annoyed at every tiny thing? It's all so trivial and pointless and I know that but I can't seem to stop it happening... Thanks and a happy new year to you all.