Support
Support

Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with anxiety.

Start a conversation

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Categories
Start a conversation

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

Start a conversation

Maryjane93 Does anyone know how to combat this?
  • replies: 3

Hi all, So the past few months I've been getting bad anxiety and nausea in the mornings. I know the nausea is triggered by the anxious feelings I get in my stomach and chest. It's making it really hard for me to get out of bed in the morning. If anyo... View more

Hi all, So the past few months I've been getting bad anxiety and nausea in the mornings. I know the nausea is triggered by the anxious feelings I get in my stomach and chest. It's making it really hard for me to get out of bed in the morning. If anyone else has gone through this and found things that help I'd love to hear from you

_FallenAngel_ Dealing with mental health, managing work and colleagues. How do you deal with it all???
  • replies: 4

It is such a struggle for me to juggle weekly doctors appointments and the anxiety it causes by the lead up to being weighed however my manager is supportive so far with me taking time off and he does try to understand how possibly he can help me. Al... View more

It is such a struggle for me to juggle weekly doctors appointments and the anxiety it causes by the lead up to being weighed however my manager is supportive so far with me taking time off and he does try to understand how possibly he can help me. All these years I tried to keep it a secret at work as I thought, rather very naively that no one would ever find out about it but it was not long before the whispering around corners turned into out-right questioning and suddenly I found myself explaining and dispelling the stigma, stereotypes and preconceived ideas that my colleagues had already established about me, and some of the most rude and stupid questions that I can remember of the top of my head include: 1.) "HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DIETING FOR?" (this was ruthless and most offensive and hurt the most like a spear in chest. Sorry had to write this one in capitals. Actually they all were pretty thoughtless) 2.) "How could you not eat for so long? I could never do anything like that” 3.) "I never thought guys can have eating disorders!!" (this one should be given a prize actually. Asked by a girl!) So it all ended up as a bit of a joke really, but then I decided to have a bit of light-hearted laugh with my newly made friends about my situation than have them ignorantly gossip behind my back which no doubt they still do. I guess I gave their empty minds something to do. I didn't approach the union or management because I didn't want to make things from bad to worse. I guess once has to pick thier battles wisely in life. Whether they are stupid comments like above, team meetings or really awkward questions they all can make work so unpleasant and unhealthy place to be. And when it comes to staff night outs I still have to explain my manager firmly that I am unable to eat in restaurants and I nearly had a panic attack once when he said I have to stay back after work for drinks to meet our new REA. But I left after 5 min anyway as I abstain from drinking. My colleagues, mental health and work they all are driving me nuts. Somedays are worse than others but everyday is a struggle really and I would really like to know how other people cope at work and if their manager/supervisors are supportive and aware of it. thanks

Daisy129 Feeling Lost...
  • replies: 16

I'm relatively new here and finding this a little terrifying but maybe it will help to share I have been dealing with anxiety (GAD and social anxiety) and depression for my whole life but wasn't diagnosed til my 20's I am now in my 40s and have had p... View more

I'm relatively new here and finding this a little terrifying but maybe it will help to share I have been dealing with anxiety (GAD and social anxiety) and depression for my whole life but wasn't diagnosed til my 20's I am now in my 40s and have had phases of life in which I have been able to be happy and productive Right now though I am feeling quite lost, I have little children and am a single mum I am good at putting on a brave face and dealing with the challenges of being a mum when the kids are here but when they go to their dads I just get this horrible lost feeling The house is in such a muddle and I feel like I should use the time they are away to catch up on chores and clean but I just end up standing around the house looking at the mess and feeling overwhelmed I tend to just eat food and watch movies instead, and then feel guilty for not doing anything I keep trying to motivate myself to get out and go for a walk or do some exercise to get myself moving but I just cannot shift the feeling enough to get myself going....

Lalunia82 Anxiety and insomnia are causing me physical pain
  • replies: 7

Hi, I am new here on this forum. When I am writing this post, my whole body is shaking. For nearly 2 weeks I suffer from anxiety, insomnia and constant panic attacks. In the past week, I was lucky to have 10 hours sleep. No medications help, I was pr... View more

Hi, I am new here on this forum. When I am writing this post, my whole body is shaking. For nearly 2 weeks I suffer from anxiety, insomnia and constant panic attacks. In the past week, I was lucky to have 10 hours sleep. No medications help, I was prescribed tablets which don't work on me. Each day was worst than the other as I fell into vicious circle: the more anxious, it harder it is to fall asleep. The less I sleep, the more anxious I become. 2 days ago I went to my GP again and received more medication for sleep. This only helped me to sleep from 10 pm to 1 am. I wake up at night and my body starts shaking, my stomach is hurting (i have diarrhoea), my heart is about to explode. I try slow breathing technique to calm myself down but nothing helps. This week I was completely unable to work and took 1 week off. I am very diligent employee, working as management accountant in big international company and this never happen to me. I am so scared, I will lose my job, my fiance and my world will collapse. I have no family here, they are all in Europe. The good thing is i have very loving and supporting fiance but I am afraid I will lose him too if this continues. I have seen 3 diffrent GPs and they all give me diffrent advice. Once, my regular GP prescribed me these strong sleeping tablets but other GPs said they are addictive and I should not take them. But how should I function with no sleep at all and with the panic attacks taking control over my body? I am so tired during a day, I can hardly walk, so I am unable to do any physical activities. When I dont work, I try not to stay home as I feel depressed ( i have moved recently with my in lows coz we bought the off the plan apartment and trying to save money for stamp duty and rest of the deposit). I go to the city, to the beach and try to load myslef with the positive energy. It is harder though, as I cant get no sleep, so I feel I can faint any time. When the evening comes, I worry even more that again I wont get no sleep. I need help, and dont know what else to do. I have not private medical cover. I have my first session with psychologist tomorrow (again this the costs of these visits worry me alot) and see if this will help me with anything. Maybe i need psychiatrist instead? I need help as if this continues I cant see my life looking like this anymore. I can loose my beloved fiance, my deposit on house and my job. Please anyone help me!

Lene working for the dole with anxiety and depressing
  • replies: 5

Need help! I'm 29 years old and I'm on the dole and will have to work for the dole in salvos, for 25 hrs a week I did it last year but because of my severe anxiety and depression I was constantly getting sick notes from the doctor and doing like 2 da... View more

Need help! I'm 29 years old and I'm on the dole and will have to work for the dole in salvos, for 25 hrs a week I did it last year but because of my severe anxiety and depression I was constantly getting sick notes from the doctor and doing like 2 days a week as I wanted to try, I still want to try but very worried about doing that many hours as the last boss I had got annoyed with all the sick notes made me feel even worse, so I was wondering if there is anyone that knows how I can do less hours? What should I do?

T4 Why cant i beat my anxiety
  • replies: 10

HI every one I have severe anxiety for 7 years which cause me lots of horrible symptoms such as chest pain, tachycardia, palpitation, fatigue and many more and it has affect my life greatly such as difficult sleeping and causing panic attack making g... View more

HI every one I have severe anxiety for 7 years which cause me lots of horrible symptoms such as chest pain, tachycardia, palpitation, fatigue and many more and it has affect my life greatly such as difficult sleeping and causing panic attack making going to school difficult but for the past few month I go help and it seem to ease but now it all back the horrible symptoms the constant fear that something wrong with my heart, but I been to four cardiologist all giving me Echocardiogram, stress echocardiogram, ecg and bloods all which were fine but I keep worrying I was able to convince myself I was fine and felt better but now it all back and I don't know what to do. Thanks in advance

ac1991 Physical effects of anxiety - loss of appetite?
  • replies: 3

Hey everyone Lately I have been quite stressed and anxious about a lot of things. Since this time, I have probably not been taking care of myself the way I usually would because I'm not in the best mental state. I have been feeling full as if theres ... View more

Hey everyone Lately I have been quite stressed and anxious about a lot of things. Since this time, I have probably not been taking care of myself the way I usually would because I'm not in the best mental state. I have been feeling full as if theres jelly in my stomach and it wont digest, which makes moving around hard. I wake up in the middle of the night with this sick, anxious feeling and a nervous butterfly feeling in my stomach. I still get hungry, and I will eat small amounts, but maybe 40 minutes after eating the feeling in my stomach returns. I am also having pains in my chest and stomach and unable to sleep. Slightly dizzy too. Does this sound like anxiety symptoms? Any tips?

BlackCat90 Left my job due to anxiety
  • replies: 27

Hi guys, This is my first post. I've been battling anxiety for about 9 years now. I'd thought that I really turned a corner when I finally got through my teaching degree and landed a job at the school of my dreams last year. I had a great time there ... View more

Hi guys, This is my first post. I've been battling anxiety for about 9 years now. I'd thought that I really turned a corner when I finally got through my teaching degree and landed a job at the school of my dreams last year. I had a great time there last year but this year it just never felt right. There was a change to the leadership which brought a lot of changes to the school and our workload. I initially thought 'I love the kids, I'm happy to have a job and I can make this work'. I ended up being miserable though. I suffered insomnia, felt sick driving to work and always felt edgy/anxious while I was there. I got to breaking point and decided to take some time off to get better with the hope to go back. Today I made the decision to resign as I don't want to risk further damage to my mental health. I swing from feeling enormously relieved about this decision to feeling terrified and just wanting to hide under the doona. My family have been supportive but none of them have been through this. I guess I'm feeling a bit alone at the moment and was wondering if anyone else has had this kind of experience? I'm finding it hard to see how things are going to work out. I'm hoping it will be for the best because I'm putting my self and my health first but I'm just having a tough time coming to terms with my decision. Thanks!

gloria10 Avoidance
  • replies: 4

Hi, So I've been trying to work out why I struggle with work and I think one of the issues is avoidance. It can be if I avoid a confrontation or getting upset at work and even now I realised I've been putting in a lot of energy to avoid Work for the ... View more

Hi, So I've been trying to work out why I struggle with work and I think one of the issues is avoidance. It can be if I avoid a confrontation or getting upset at work and even now I realised I've been putting in a lot of energy to avoid Work for the Dole. I know it isn't a bad thing, I know that it helps with confidence and keeping active with the community, but I find myself trying to avoid it and I realise I do this a lot as well. I also find it hard when I feel backed into a corner like there's no other choice (which is how I feel with this situation) and I guess I just feel agitated. Has anyone gotten help with avoidance and has it helped? I am going to see a counsellor soon and think this will help. Just feeling a bit anxious at the moment.. I think I am also worried about failure. Workplace providers can put a lot of pressure on and I'm worried I won't be able to achieve what they ask. I guess I haven't had much luck with them. Gloria10

ED17 Work, panic and repeat..
  • replies: 2

I finished uni at the end of last year and went straight into my current full time job (I started interning there while at studying, then worked part time while studying, and have been there almost three years now), but had to quit last week because ... View more

I finished uni at the end of last year and went straight into my current full time job (I started interning there while at studying, then worked part time while studying, and have been there almost three years now), but had to quit last week because I just couldn't cope anymore. Since going full time this year I can't stop making so many mistakes and forget really important things almost every day - this is not an exaggeration. This has resulted in me missing deadlines with clients and forgetting to hand in important forms for my company. Im not a stupid person and have always excelled in work and school (but have always been very forgetful about minor things like where I have put wallet down etc) but now I can't even seem to function with basic tasks! I feel panicked all the time and this makes me freeze up and take longer on tasks then I should, so I end up working late into the night or getting up really early in the morning to try and finish my work in time. This is not helped by the fact I work from home so have no separation between work and home life (sometimes I don't leave the house for a week because I don't have any reason to, and literally all i do is work, panic and sleep) Everyone else I work with keeps up with their (much larger) workloads and I am always the one letting down the team, its just so upsetting because this is not the person I am. I have always been reliable and take work very seriously. So, like I said I quit my job because I couldn't handle the stress any more. My mum, who has had depression almost her whole life and has been worried by the change in my personality finally convinced me to go to the doctor who put me on a starter dose of an SSRI, so I am hoping this helps me get back to being myself because I hate this so much. I honestly feel like my next mistake is just seconds away and I always have this overwhelming feeling that well.. basically the world is going to end. My boss has said she will give me a good reference and help me get another job, but I am working until the end of this month (we are required to give 4 weeks notice) and I just feel like I'm going to stuff up big time before my time is up and I wont have a reference anymore... and then wont be able to find another job because they are my most important one. I'd love to hear from anyone else who has gone through similar, or has some techniques to deal with this fear... I cant wait for this job to end but am also so scared of what to do next..

As an organisation that supports people from across Australia, Beyond Blue acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay respect to Elders past and present.

First Nations Peoples are advised that this website may include reference to and images of deceased persons.

Beyond Blue is committed to safe inclusive spaces, policies and services for people of LGBTIQ+ communities and their families.

Helpful information

Stay in touch

Sign up below for regular emails from Beyond Blue, filled with information, advice and support for you or your loved ones.

Stay in touch

Talk it through with us, we'll point you in the right direction.

Call 1300 224 636

24 hours / 7 days a week

Chat Online

24 hours / 7 days a week

Email us

Get a reply in 24 hours

Copyright � 2026 Beyond Blue Ltd

All rights reserved

Contact us Terms of use Privacy policy Site map