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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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Kate_S I am so sick of being afraid there is something wrong
  • replies: 7

I had my first anxiety attack about 7 weeks ago. I was terrified I was having a heart attack. Since that time I have had blood tests and an ecg - all came back fine and my chest pains (in various areas) and shortness of breath were put down to acid r... View more

I had my first anxiety attack about 7 weeks ago. I was terrified I was having a heart attack. Since that time I have had blood tests and an ecg - all came back fine and my chest pains (in various areas) and shortness of breath were put down to acid reflux and anxiety. The last couple of weeks I have been having very bad symptoms that seemingly come out of no where. I know when I am having panic attack because I go very tingly and i just have to calm myself down, but what scares me if that I get chest discomfort in my upper left chest that just feels wrong. I get heartburn and muscle tension everywhere. My left and right are will take turns hurting. My upper back hurts, I get bad pains on the left side of my abdomen, nausea, diarrheas, weakness. Sometimes I get a tickling sensation in oesophagus. It and the fear are always worse in the evening... Can anybody relate to this - the doctors keep saying it is just anxiety but it just makes no sense to me. Thanking you

Shan44 Worrying about kids and accidents
  • replies: 5

This summer I've been overtaken by anxiety about my children being in accidents. I took them to a water theme park and was extremely anxious about them going on rides (esp with inflatable tyres) and then to beach with jet skis. It's all-consuming and... View more

This summer I've been overtaken by anxiety about my children being in accidents. I took them to a water theme park and was extremely anxious about them going on rides (esp with inflatable tyres) and then to beach with jet skis. It's all-consuming and hasn't happened to this extent before, and feels like it's impacted by what's in the news (Dreamworld etc). I don't stop them going on but my husband thinks I'm really ridiculous and I ended up going on the rides to make myself feel better but felt sick afterwards. I've been very low the last couple of days after all the adrenaline. I know none of it is logical. Any thoughts?

Itsallme 'It's not me, it's all you'
  • replies: 6

Hey, sad lady here, I'm a 30 y.o woman and a mother. I am not suppose to feel like this. The thoughts in my head are not suppose to go on and on. I'm suppose to feel loved and cared for. Why am i being told its all me? Why am i not happy? Why do i fe... View more

Hey, sad lady here, I'm a 30 y.o woman and a mother. I am not suppose to feel like this. The thoughts in my head are not suppose to go on and on. I'm suppose to feel loved and cared for. Why am i being told its all me? Why am i not happy? Why do i feel like this? Why is this happening to me? I thought it was me being an over thinker but now I've looked on the page more and taken the test and it has come up as high (which i'll do again tomorrow). I had a chat with my partner/fiancee tonight 'heart to heart' as i was feeling somewhat unloved and was told its all me. Im the one who needs to work on myself, I'm the one who is unhappy. Why am i having this thrown in my face. told to do things that will make me happy? What makes me happy? chocolate makes me happy! what else makes me happy? I do admit, there was a day or 2 that I could have got on a plane and left without a trace. Left my daughters, partner and dogs behind. My full time job that i am not sure i like all that much, or do i? Is it this craziness that is making me sad and depressed? or is it anxiety? Or a long walk off a short pier? Argh. I really sound crazy. But i wouldn't say that it hasn't come across my mind before. Im tired, stressed and just want happily ever after. How can i fix me? I want to be happy. I want to enjoy life. I want to smile a proper smile and feel wanted. X

Sally1974 anxiety affecting relationship. Would love advice
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone, what a beautiful community it is on this board I have read but not posted before. i am wondering if anyone has had this situation before? I have had anxiety on and off for years but in a really challenging place at the moment. I have anx... View more

Hi everyone, what a beautiful community it is on this board I have read but not posted before. i am wondering if anyone has had this situation before? I have had anxiety on and off for years but in a really challenging place at the moment. I have anxiety about most things so I find it hard to what's an anxious thought verys a real situation. i am having lots of doubts about my marriage. My husband of 14 years is beautiful in many ways and very practically supportive of me and caring for our three children. He has had his own issues with mental health and he is struggling at the moment. i feel we are very disconnected emotionally and although I have practical support there isn't really any emotional support. He doesn't really like talking so I feel very alone with how I feel. I have great friends but don't want to burden them all the time. we have had issues on and off over the years but I wonder if we do need to separate as I don't feel like we are really there for eachother. Maybe we would both be happier apart. i am wondering if anyone else has had this struggle and if so how did you manage it. We have done relationship counselling and I don't think he wants to be unsupportive he just isn't talking about feelings. thanks in advance. Sally

Calypso85 Anxiety and dealing with thoughts of dying
  • replies: 4

Hi all, I have anxiety, depression and bipolar. It's was well maintained and going pretty well up until mid 2015. I hate flying (but I'm well travelled as I love travelling), and I had a session about it with a psychologist (who I had seen for years ... View more

Hi all, I have anxiety, depression and bipolar. It's was well maintained and going pretty well up until mid 2015. I hate flying (but I'm well travelled as I love travelling), and I had a session about it with a psychologist (who I had seen for years about everything with great results). After this session I happened to have a week off work, which was planned leave to spend at home. I ruminated about our session as we had discussed my thoughts on dying. (Not suicidal thoughts, more like "when will I die? How will I die?") I never had given it much thought before then, just that I wasn't worried about what was after death. Suddenly I was obsessing about and it would get so distressed, all I could do was cry in my husbands arms, not getting words out, not understanding how others could go on with daily mundane tasks and not think about it. It got really bad, but I pushed on and increased meds etc. it's a bit better now but that still haunts me and it's like I've crossed a threshold, I'm never not going to be so aware of it again. It scared me off psychology which used to be so good for me. I worked with a psychologist who said they can be so damaging if they say the wrong thing. I guess I'm wondering does anyone else have these thoughts? On a bad day I think about it every five minutes. Some days recently I've gone all day with it only coming into my mind once or twice. It's disheartening to be constantly reminded and fearful but I'm trying to see the positive, life each day etc etc. Now I worry about my family and I can't see far into my future. Before I couldn't see the end of a day so I guess it's settled a bit. I miss when my mania wasn't well managed as then at least I was carefree! I would be scared of something but do it anyway. Have a big trip overseas coming up and I'm already getting anxious about flying and the countries we are going to. My thoughts haven't been helped by in the last 18 months had a few accidents with my horses and they are a major outlet. (Plus all the flying accidents in the last three years.) Just looking for someone else's perception on this and if you've felt the same. Anyway thanks for reading and would love to hear your stories.

alanamaree First time seeing a Psychologist
  • replies: 9

Hi All, I'm new here to the forum, and just wanted to ask what people's expectations and experiences were seeing a Psychologist and getting help for the first time? After ten years suffering from anxiety and other anxiety related phobias that impact ... View more

Hi All, I'm new here to the forum, and just wanted to ask what people's expectations and experiences were seeing a Psychologist and getting help for the first time? After ten years suffering from anxiety and other anxiety related phobias that impact my life, I am finally seeing a Psychologist for the first time on February 4th 2017. I don't know what to expect and am sure I won't be magically cured, but just wanted to ask what types of things I should expect? Kind Regards, Alana

Nicole511 Starting anxiety medication for the first time, after 20 years of chronic GAD.
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I'm 26 years old and have had severe anxiety since I was about 8. After years of living what my dr called a 'narrow' life, not being able to function as your average child, student, teenager, adult, etc. I had chil... View more

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I'm 26 years old and have had severe anxiety since I was about 8. After years of living what my dr called a 'narrow' life, not being able to function as your average child, student, teenager, adult, etc. I had children which means I have to get up and go and do all these new things. If I'm honest it's made me a lot stronger with my anxiety and i haven't felt this good in my adult years. But my anxiety is still constantly present and I have a lot of trouble concentrating and being present. I guess I'm so used to it that I learn to live with it. But it really effects my parenting so I decided I need to really think about getting on medication and after a long talk with my doctor he diagnosed me with chronic GAD and has prescribed me medication. I start tomorrow and of course the thought of starting it has given my anxiety. I'm worried about being alone with my kids on a farm, the side effects look pretty full on. Also I'm anxious to find out what it would be like if they worked?? Has anyone had anxiety for as long as they can remember and had medication? What's it like to not feel this way anymore? I can't imagine.

sagebrush Resolving the Negative?
  • replies: 20

Hi all. My question is this: People who have had horrible things happen to them in their lives, How do you actually get over it? I know I am lucky to be alive. I know that I am better off than people in third world countries. I know I am fortunate to... View more

Hi all. My question is this: People who have had horrible things happen to them in their lives, How do you actually get over it? I know I am lucky to be alive. I know that I am better off than people in third world countries. I know I am fortunate to have a roof over my head. I am greatful for all the basic things in my life. I am at a point where I am relatively stable with my anxiety/depression. But the past 30 years have just been one horrible situation after another, is there really light at the end of the tunnel? I know my life is also dotted with awesome things, and happy things, but the negative of the past haunts so prominently, that it detracts from everyday life. Its been 1 year since the absolutely most horrible thing that I thought that would never happen, happened, but situations just keep coming up that bring me down. I try to have hope for the future, but then something reminds me that there is no point having hope. Life has been a daily struggle for most of my life, why would this suddenly change? How can I make this change when the things that happen are out of my control?

SleeplessInKtown Sleepless nights..
  • replies: 6

So maybe 2 days ago my house got broken into.. Fairly common thing here in this neck of the woods. There was no sign of forced entry but a significant amount of money stolen. I called my other half who is away in another state to see if he'd come hom... View more

So maybe 2 days ago my house got broken into.. Fairly common thing here in this neck of the woods. There was no sign of forced entry but a significant amount of money stolen. I called my other half who is away in another state to see if he'd come home early and not told me because he was the only person I knew who knew where the money lived and it was the only thing that got taken. He thought I was over tired (I get 3 hrs sleep on average a night when he goes away) he said maybe I took the money and forgot but I couldn't have lost that much money. Any way he's still away and I'm terrified at night. I sleep with the front light on (I live in a unit complex and my neighbours do the same) I only have a front door which is a deadbolt and flyscreen. I lock both and then wedge a chair under my bedroom door and usually sleep with the light on. I started trying to sleep without it on but I suffer from sleep inertia and I see all kinds of things in a half woken state. Any way for the last couple nights I've had horrible nightmares about people being in my room, I'm so anxious and scared that I can't sleep until well after midnight even with guided sleep meditation which normally has me out like a light. And I wake up every hour on the hour and stare at the door. I sweat all night even with the aircon on but I'm too scared to get out from my blanket. And the dreams are so bad I wake up screaming. Everything that goes bump in the night makes me jump. I'm too scared to put headphones in in case I don't hear someone come in. This leaves me exhausted during the day and I sleep all day on my days off. I start work again tomorrow and have 2 jobs to go between until my partner returns.. I can't afford to be this tired and don't know what to do.. At those hours I have no one to call or message..

kiwilass New to this
  • replies: 2

Hi, I have suffered from a health anxiety for approximately 10 years (after my husband required urgent heart surgery) I had little support to deal with so drs have said i suffer from PTSD. I worry about everything health related, dentists, drs, cance... View more

Hi, I have suffered from a health anxiety for approximately 10 years (after my husband required urgent heart surgery) I had little support to deal with so drs have said i suffer from PTSD. I worry about everything health related, dentists, drs, cancer. It consumes me most days. I am on anxiety medication, a very low dose, which does that the edge off it. Since Xmas I have noticed my symptoms peaking again. I guess being at home at not at work being kept busy doesnt help. I made a list of medical things I have to do. I booked in for a mammogram but feel physically sick about it, I need my eyes check, booked the kids in but their dad is going to have to take them because I am too anxious. I am diabetic diagnosed in last 2 years. Cant accept it so still trying to keep on top of it. Luckily I now have a very understanding dr who although i am afraid to book in is very gentle with me. I dont feel my husband understands how I feel. I am very moody and emotional most of the time because of the bad thoughts that go through my head. I did book in and saw a hynotherapist and she was amazing. Like everything i found it hard to keep up but feel I should go back for another session.