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

All discussions

happyannie Losing the fight
  • replies: 17

Hi I just needed to tell someone how Im really feeling. My anxiety is crippling me Im so anxious about everything. I worry all the time that something bad is going to happen, such a feeling of dread and despair. I do mindful breathing and try to stay... View more

Hi I just needed to tell someone how Im really feeling. My anxiety is crippling me Im so anxious about everything. I worry all the time that something bad is going to happen, such a feeling of dread and despair. I do mindful breathing and try to stay calm, but lately nothing seems to help. I know my anxiety is not helping me with my depression. I also have agoraphobia I only leave the house to see my Doctors, I have a fear about leaving my house, I dont have friends, my husband is my full time carer, I have a daughter who works full time, and I have panic attacks when she leaves, it all comes back to me worrying that something bad will happen. My Mum died from Motor Neurons Disease then I lost my brother then 11 months later my Dad passed away, so the only family I have now is my husband and daughter, sometimes I feel I cant breath, my body gets tight and tense. Im just having a hard time at the moment, I feel like a whinger Thanx for letting me vent Annie

sarahl Anxiety in Pregnancy
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, I'm currently 22 weeks pregnant, and everything is going swimmingly. My anxiety (which I've had my whole life) has been under control and even after a number of life altering changes (moving interstate for one!) I've managed to keep ever... View more

Hi everyone, I'm currently 22 weeks pregnant, and everything is going swimmingly. My anxiety (which I've had my whole life) has been under control and even after a number of life altering changes (moving interstate for one!) I've managed to keep everything in check, however, in the past 2 months I've started having panic attacks. The first few have been on aeroplanes, the most recent just this morning at home. I don't get chest pain - more that I'm hot, dizzy, shaky and want to vomit. My guess is this is triggered by the fact that my husband is leaving tomorrow for 6 months for his job. I thought I was doing really well coping with this but I'm thinking perhaps my subconscious has other ideas. I'm doing the breathing through it, distracting myself etc etc, and hoping that once the stress of tomorrow eases, it will return to normal, but the thought that I am hurting the baby is starting to stress me out more!! Can anyone else share their experiences of anxiety in pregnancy and how they coped with it? Many thanks xxx

startingnew is it life? paranoia? something else?
  • replies: 8

at this point in time im too scared to leave my house very often unless its to the shops or my new horse but even then im overly weary, maybe more than what i should be? i feel like my mother and her bf have set up spies everywhere who trace my every... View more

at this point in time im too scared to leave my house very often unless its to the shops or my new horse but even then im overly weary, maybe more than what i should be? i feel like my mother and her bf have set up spies everywhere who trace my every move and when i go out they follow me around to see what im doing. i even worry there are spy cameras in the house. its freaking me out. it first started when they threw out my meds but now its getting worse since everytime i meantion anythign to do with drs, psychiatrists or psychologists they flip out at me i have new ad tablets now after all of mine were thrown out and left without anything and its making me even more paranoid that they will find them.i thought it would dissapear after the tension eased off but the tension hasnt eased and these fears of mine are seeming to become more real to me

PattyB Just want to overcome anxiety
  • replies: 3

I'm new here, am suffering anxiety and want to overcome this feeling. I am recently married and have just returned from our awesome honeymoon, so life should be great right? So why isn't it. All of a sudden I'm anxious about going back to work which ... View more

I'm new here, am suffering anxiety and want to overcome this feeling. I am recently married and have just returned from our awesome honeymoon, so life should be great right? So why isn't it. All of a sudden I'm anxious about going back to work which I have been there for over a year, I feel anxious my husband has gone back to work (FIFO) which he has done since we met. I'm anxious about finances, and also many other things. Nothing bothered me before so why now? It's not a nice feeling at all.

blue44 New
  • replies: 4

Hi I'm had depression and anxiety for almost 10 years I would like if anyone could tell me how to stop walking away from things when my anxiety take over??

Hi I'm had depression and anxiety for almost 10 years I would like if anyone could tell me how to stop walking away from things when my anxiety take over??

Arnie26 Job Angacy
  • replies: 8

Hi Has anyone had a bad experience with job angaincies who are meant to help you look for work but don't and sometimes give you anxiety atacks. I was at one and they told me that I had to stop taking my medication for Deperssion and OCD. I think that... View more

Hi Has anyone had a bad experience with job angaincies who are meant to help you look for work but don't and sometimes give you anxiety atacks. I was at one and they told me that I had to stop taking my medication for Deperssion and OCD. I think that is not their decision because they are not my health care professionals.

itisawesome Work performance anxiety
  • replies: 2

I don't understand where this comes from but there are times when I am anxious about my work and I worry I'm not putting in my best effort or I think others can see I'm not performing very well. I've had this kind of anxiety for many years and I don'... View more

I don't understand where this comes from but there are times when I am anxious about my work and I worry I'm not putting in my best effort or I think others can see I'm not performing very well. I've had this kind of anxiety for many years and I don't know how to consistently cope with it. I recognise I put myself down and so criticise myself. I just wish I could be happy with my effort on a consistent basis. What should I do to help myself?

Chantel1990 OCD?
  • replies: 4

I'm not sure if I have OCD or not but have been thinking about getting help I am now 22 but from as long as I can remember I have always had a habit of tucking my socks underneath my toes and clenching my toes so that the socks stay there. If they co... View more

I'm not sure if I have OCD or not but have been thinking about getting help I am now 22 but from as long as I can remember I have always had a habit of tucking my socks underneath my toes and clenching my toes so that the socks stay there. If they come loose i have to fix them up straight away and if I don't do it I feel extremely uncomfortable. This habit never really bothered me and still doesn't but within the last two years I have developed others that affect me alot. The first is cracking my neck and thumb joints. I have never been a person to crack my joints and have always hated when other people did it. It's not like a normal feeling of having a tense or stiff neck and having to crack it either, it's just a feeling that I have to do it and have no choice. Ill just sit there cracking it over and over and if I don't an extreme tension builds and I can't control myself from not doing it again. With my thumb knuckles I just sit there bending them over and over and if they don't crack I hold it up to my ear so I can hear it just in case it cracks quietly. Even when it does, it's doesnt help and I still have to keep bending and cracking it. Sometimes it's so bad that the next day my thumbs will be aching. The other habit is having to hold the skin underneath my thumbnail away from my thumb. It's hard to describe but I hate the feeling on the underside of my nail touching my skin on my thumb so I push my index finger against it and if I am on my phone I often have to push it against the edge of my phone instead. I don't know what to do or who to speak to and what help is available or if it even is OCD.

strothers101 Maximizing Treatment
  • replies: 9

Hey guys, Ive boomed in to see a therapist for my anxiety issues. Basically I become fixated on certain things and constantly look for and think over the most catastrophic outcomes imaginable, which then creates massive amounts of anxiety. So, im her... View more

Hey guys, Ive boomed in to see a therapist for my anxiety issues. Basically I become fixated on certain things and constantly look for and think over the most catastrophic outcomes imaginable, which then creates massive amounts of anxiety. So, im here looking for any and all suggestions and personal stories on how to maximize my potential at beating this thing! Excersise? Cutting out alcohol? Any and all suggestions on how to overcome my anxiety issues and move forward. Cheers,

Gizmo83 Struggling to get by
  • replies: 3

I was diagnosed with anxiety 18 months ago and it was such a relief to know that it had a name. I've always had to be strong. So many things have happened in my life and everyone has just expected me to deal with it, so thats what I did. It didn't he... View more

I was diagnosed with anxiety 18 months ago and it was such a relief to know that it had a name. I've always had to be strong. So many things have happened in my life and everyone has just expected me to deal with it, so thats what I did. It didn't help, it festered and became worse than ever. Now it's got to a point where I feel I'm spinning out of control. My partner and I are having issues because he doesn't know if he can handle it. I'm left in limbo because I have no control over my future, its all in his hands. I don't know what to do anymore. I can't eat or sleep properly, my emotions are out of control and the techniques I've used in the past are no longer working. Im having fewer and fewer times of calm and clarity and its killing me and my relationship. I don't know how to stop