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
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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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Gords315 Do I need help? New to anxiety
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Hello, I just joined the beyondblue community 10 mins ago and I'm seeking advise after I had what I think was an anxiety/panic attack today. I was shopping with my boyfriend and all of a sudden when I was waiting in line to pay for my shopping I went... View more

Hello, I just joined the beyondblue community 10 mins ago and I'm seeking advise after I had what I think was an anxiety/panic attack today. I was shopping with my boyfriend and all of a sudden when I was waiting in line to pay for my shopping I went really hot, dizzy and my head felt pressured, it was like I was zoning out. I had to take my jacket off and tried to control my briefing. My boyfriend noticed and asked if I was ok, my eyes watering. I said no I don't feel right. I tried to pull myself together but in the next shop I was texting my friend about what I just experienced then it was happening again and I started to panic, I was shaking and cried quietly so non of the other customers could see. My boyfriend urged for us to leave and go home. As he was driving I burst into tears, I was trembling, hiding away from him. I kept thinking I bet he thinks I'm mental, he pulled over and hugged me, asked why I was crying and I couldn't explain. I said I didn't know. It was like this while feeling of dread was hanging over me. I cried more because I was scaring my self thinking there is something wrong with me. I just wanted to lock myself in my room so no one could see me. I have been very worried about a lot recently. Money being a huge factor. I'm on a working holiday visa so my future is uncertain and feel like it has unsettled me, I am my late 20's and feel I should have some sort of base. I worry about ridiculous things like needing to find the right partner because I want kids in the next 5/6 years. I worry that I'm not good enough in work and that my boss thinks I'm stupid, I just moved career paths and also to a different type of company, where I'm trying to learn new things. I worry about my looks. I've avoided friends I've met here. I've found everything a struggle lately and then I tell myself I am being ungrateful because I'm living the dream near the beach and I shouldn't be like this. But I can't help it. When today happened, I thought there might be something wrong and took action to seek advice. is there something wrong with me? And do I need help? Id like to think I can handle it and move past the worry but if I'm honest to myself I don't know if I can. Thank you in advance to anyone who reaches out

Thenamegame Rocovery, anxiety and trying to build confidence
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So, I had a breakdown a few months ago and an espisode which has new left me currently at home healing. The only problem is I now have severe anxiety and I worry about how to build my confidence so I can go to interviews and live my life again when I... View more

So, I had a breakdown a few months ago and an espisode which has new left me currently at home healing. The only problem is I now have severe anxiety and I worry about how to build my confidence so I can go to interviews and live my life again when I start to get better. How can we help our own anxiety and build confidence?

virgo23 Anxiety causing worry and fear
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Hey everyone, I'm new here Lately my anxiety has been ridiculous. I'm currently getting help but sometimes despite my best efforts I have random bouts of anxiety. Mine lately has mostly been lots of worrying. Worrying about things that haven't even h... View more

Hey everyone, I'm new here Lately my anxiety has been ridiculous. I'm currently getting help but sometimes despite my best efforts I have random bouts of anxiety. Mine lately has mostly been lots of worrying. Worrying about things that haven't even happened yet or may not ever happen and a big one at the moment is being worried about scams and my identity being stolen Has anyone else had these anxiety ridden thoughts and worry? They pop into my mind or i read something that triggers it and I'm riddled with anxiety and fear. I'd love to hear from other people about this as I currently feel so alone with this

Samsah Hope
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, i am having a bad bout of anxiety and depression which has lingered for at least 12 months. Is there any hope of a full recovery? I get counselling, go to a GP, am receiving medication, exercise... do all the right things and yet I have ... View more

Hi everyone, i am having a bad bout of anxiety and depression which has lingered for at least 12 months. Is there any hope of a full recovery? I get counselling, go to a GP, am receiving medication, exercise... do all the right things and yet I have a constant knot in my stomach or a tight chest. I just want to know if any of you have actually ever recovered or is this the best I'm going to be. Right now I feel like there is no end to this awful feeling.

WJD Anxiety Messing With My Time Management. How do I keep anxious thoughts off my mind?
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Hey everyone, I'm still currently in school (year 11) and have always had troubles with anxiety. This combined with having learning difficulties is not a fun experience. Despite this I do actually perform fairly well at school but couldn't help but r... View more

Hey everyone, I'm still currently in school (year 11) and have always had troubles with anxiety. This combined with having learning difficulties is not a fun experience. Despite this I do actually perform fairly well at school but couldn't help but realise how much my social anxiety effects how well I manage my time with not just school work but everyday activities. What I mean by this is whenever I face a traumatising social experience all I can do when I get home is keep thinking about that experience and what people would of thought of me at the time, and the thought keeps occurring over and over again until I gradually forget about it. This can put me really behind on all the tasks I need to get done. The thing that sucks is if or when I do university i'm probably going have to face these social experiences on a daily basis so I was looking to develop management techniques for how I can keep these events off my mind. I searched online but couldn't find any helpful advice as no one seems to link poor time management to social anxiety. This is something I really have to fix because in order to get good grades it feels like I have to dedicate almost my entire life to studying due to the effect my anxiety has on me managing my time, so if you know any useful techniques for managing my anxiety in situations where I need to get stuff done it would be really helpful.

KMODITY Panic attacks making me dizzy.
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Hi. I've suffered from anxiety and severe panic attacks for years. I've recently given up pot after using it for the past year to relax after my stress full job of telemarketing! Since I have given it up,along with cigarettes 8 weeks ago,I've started... View more

Hi. I've suffered from anxiety and severe panic attacks for years. I've recently given up pot after using it for the past year to relax after my stress full job of telemarketing! Since I have given it up,along with cigarettes 8 weeks ago,I've started gambling on the horses. I'm anxious before I go into the tab but I like it and don't do to badly. I know that I am a compulsive gambler though. Any way my panic gets really bad whilst gambling to the point of dizziness and vertigo!! Is this because I know I shouldn't be gambling!? It's become so bad that today I found it hard to stand on my feet and couldn't get out of my car. This is terrible!!!

Hello22 Generalised Anxiety Disorder!!!!!
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Well here is my story.... 3 years ago my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer while I was ending my bachelor of psychological science, because I had to be with her at chemotherapy and treatment I had to get extensions all the time for important exams... View more

Well here is my story.... 3 years ago my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer while I was ending my bachelor of psychological science, because I had to be with her at chemotherapy and treatment I had to get extensions all the time for important exams and essays. During one of my exams I felt my heart beating out of my chest and ended up feeling like I was having a heart attack and its then I was shortly diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder. My doctor put me on a drug called Paxtine for my anxiety 20mg. I have been on this drug for about a year and a half and its always made me feel very tired. Now here I am trying to come off this drug by splitting the tablet in half and I am experiencing extreme dizziness, nausea and confusion. If anyone has experienced side effects weaning off this drug what were they and does it ever get better?

Mack_ Coping strategy woes
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Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well x I have written on here a few times, and you've all been great and have really helped with my concerns. (huge Thankyou!) In past posts I've briefly and vaguely (I've never been good with words) mentioned... View more

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well x I have written on here a few times, and you've all been great and have really helped with my concerns. (huge Thankyou!) In past posts I've briefly and vaguely (I've never been good with words) mentioned my stuggles. Now, I feel my most recent struggle has been developing Trichotillomania - or in simple terms, the compulsive behaviour of pulling out ones' hair. I really thought this would be a phase, because it kind of came out of nowhere. For over half my life I've struggled with OCD and anxiety, but never resorted to this behaviour. I had always been one for more harmful behaviour in the past. Now, I just seem to be seeing my OCD carried out with odd behaviours with Trich and a few other things. I'm not sure I want to say what, in fear it's triggering for others or inappropriate for this forum. I wouldn't say it's harmful as such, but it definitely wouldn't be classified as an OK behaviour? It all seems to be getting worse, or moreso that I'm becoming more reliant and developing infections from the Trich in particular. Long, and vague story short - I need help. This is all new for me.. It took me ten years to seek help for my mental illnesses.. I don't want to let that happen again with this too. If anyone here suffers from Trich in particular, what do you find helps?! Do I just need to talk to my psychologist? Should i see my psychiatrist again? I don't know how to stop this, it's such a subconscious behaviour now. Mostly a habit, but can definitely see it as my way of coping also in recent months. help?? Thanks in advance x

Sophiee__ Is it social anxiety?
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I am seeking help on what to currently do about my situation. I don't know a lot about mental health and don't know if what I'm experiencing is just regular 'everyone has bad day' symptoms or whether it's something I need to go and talk to someone ab... View more

I am seeking help on what to currently do about my situation. I don't know a lot about mental health and don't know if what I'm experiencing is just regular 'everyone has bad day' symptoms or whether it's something I need to go and talk to someone about. like everyone I've had times in my life where my mental health has been low but I'm an adult now and don't know if my behaviours are toxic. For example the other day I broke something of my fathers and even though he wasn't that upset by it I felt very torn up inside and spent a few hours after the event very upset and still haven't forgiven myself for it. another behaviour I am concerned about is my ability (or lack of) to socialise with people. I currently live in a dorm with 30 other people at university and it's brought out my introverted side a lot. Naturally I am introverted but I find myself unable to go out into the kitchen to grab things like a glass of water if I can hear people talking and I have a habit of compulsively looking out my window to check if the light in the bathroom is on (to signify someone in there) before entering myself. Socialising is a big part of dorm life and I cannot make myself do it choosing to hide out at the library for many hours late at night while my dorm hosts events in the common rooms just so I avoid running into them if I have to pee. I dont know whether I need to just get myself out of my dorm situation or whether I need to go and talk to someone as I don't want this problem to affect other areas of my life in the future.

Wild_Rover My anxiety story
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Hello, Im 30 married and have a 6 month old son. I have had anxiety as long as I can remember, it most likely started as seperation anxiety when it came time for kinder and school. it went away for quite some time then reared it’s ugul face when it c... View more

Hello, Im 30 married and have a 6 month old son. I have had anxiety as long as I can remember, it most likely started as seperation anxiety when it came time for kinder and school. it went away for quite some time then reared it’s ugul face when it came time for work! i think my first Panic attack happened after I had been working for some time. so my doctor put me on medication and with some CBT it settled and went away... after a while I came off the tablets. things would happen over the ne t few years that would see me back on them, work stress, family stress a few deaths in the family a break up.... sometimes only on the medication for a month or 2 sometimes on it for months at a time, the most obvious physical symptom was a gag/dry reach. after a relationship break up 5 years ago I went back on them, eventually came off them as i substituted them for walking 9k per day. Medication helps me, it levels me and I can generally function at an extremely high level, holding down a job, travelling, large crowds ect of course with the panic attacks here and there and a few crashes where I could no longer fight the anxiety. I met my now wife about 12 months after the breakup Then my anxiety started to kick in with her extremely needy mother. There was also work stress and financial stress compounding the situation. So back for some CBT, personally for me I don’t think it does anything, talking to a psych, again personally don’t think it did anything and back on medication that settled me and allowed me to function fully again. Since I turned 30 I feel my anxiety is worse. I now have more physical symptoms such as head pressure, tension headaches, dizziness, feeling of electronic pulses, gag, feeling of something on my throat, panic attacks worse and takes me longer to get over even on medication, there are more physical symptoms I just can’t remember them now. It’s unfair and I wish I could change it, I know it’s anxiety but the littlest side effect and I think dying, right now the centre of my chest is sore, I had a crap day anxiety wise and had 2 panic attacks, I think heat attack but I know it’s just anxiety, doesn’t make it any easier. The thing that scares me most is dying probably more since my son has been born as I want to be here to see him grow up, so I always have my health under a spot light. Any tips on how to beat it or anyone have similar symptoms to mine and can tell me how to control them?