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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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AyGok Trichotillomania Problems
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone I've been suffering from anxiety for a few years and I have developed Trichotillomania as a coping mechanism. I have started pulling out my eyebrows and they look terrible, because of this my anxiety gets worse as I hate myself for doing ... View more

Hi everyone I've been suffering from anxiety for a few years and I have developed Trichotillomania as a coping mechanism. I have started pulling out my eyebrows and they look terrible, because of this my anxiety gets worse as I hate myself for doing it and I do it to help me cope with my anxiety so it's a vicious cycle can anyone give me advice to help me stop or help me change my behaviour and give me different ideas to not to pull out my eyebrows but to do something else. I've talked to my psychologist she just tells me get hobbies, but I pull my eyebrows out subconsciously now Thanks

Janejac Dealing with overthinking and anxiety
  • replies: 4

Overthinking. How my day can go from go to stop with overthinking and anxiety. How do you get you mind to stop ticking over about the littlest things. Silly things. From everyday activities to exercise to eating. How to deal with this.

Overthinking. How my day can go from go to stop with overthinking and anxiety. How do you get you mind to stop ticking over about the littlest things. Silly things. From everyday activities to exercise to eating. How to deal with this.

TheoloNerd The fear has returned, worse than before . . .
  • replies: 7

Hi all, My anxiety had been reasonably low for a while. However, I made a series of errors at work (for which I went through a bunch of really awkward meetings), and now it's back in full force. It's a SATURDAY MORNING, and I've already had to fight ... View more

Hi all, My anxiety had been reasonably low for a while. However, I made a series of errors at work (for which I went through a bunch of really awkward meetings), and now it's back in full force. It's a SATURDAY MORNING, and I've already had to fight off two attacks. I even had an unpleasant anxiety-themed dream last night. I know I'll get better, but right now I'm not okay . . .

Ace6913 Knotted stomach
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, thought id start a new thread and jot down some of my feelings tonight I've been living with anxiety for quite sometime now and it has been hard to get to where I am today since my flare up in July and when I say that I mean my triggers ... View more

Hi everyone, thought id start a new thread and jot down some of my feelings tonight I've been living with anxiety for quite sometime now and it has been hard to get to where I am today since my flare up in July and when I say that I mean my triggers are due to my health and I had a health concern back then and everything worked out but because I catastrphised the whole situation I just haven't been quite the same since. I am doing cognitive therapy and educating myself on anxiety and mindfulness and yes it has helped I'm just still stuck on the feeling that I have in the pit of my stomach that something is wrong and I'm getting confused on what is instincts or anxiety . Just wanted to know if this is apart of the anxiety spiral of constantly feeling like something is not quite right

varenik09 Panic Attack - Any Danger?
  • replies: 10

Hi All, New to the forum, have had anxiety all my life and battled panic attacks, specially recently which have been really really bad. I am also a hypochondriac. My question is - during a panic attack the thing that freaks me out the most is the ver... View more

Hi All, New to the forum, have had anxiety all my life and battled panic attacks, specially recently which have been really really bad. I am also a hypochondriac. My question is - during a panic attack the thing that freaks me out the most is the very rapid heart beat and being hypochondriac makes me even more scared, so question is, is it at all dangerous to have such high heart rate during a panic attack? Thanks

Koala12 Newbie
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, I'm 58 and new to this site and looking forward to getting to know some of you and finding some useful tips. I've suffered with anxiety for many years, I can mostly cope with it but major triggers are anything medical and flying. I've ju... View more

Hi everyone, I'm 58 and new to this site and looking forward to getting to know some of you and finding some useful tips. I've suffered with anxiety for many years, I can mostly cope with it but major triggers are anything medical and flying. I've just found out I have something wrong with my heart after an abnormal holter monitor reading and am seeing a Cardiologist on Tuesday. This has come as a complete shock as I'm fit and generally healthy and it's sent my anxiety into overdrive, I can't eat or sleep and the Dr told me to keep calm as it's making my situation worse - yeah right! I am permanently in anxiety mode with all the symptoms we're all familiar with and it's driving me mad. I keep thinking I'm about to drop down dead or have a heart attack and my mind is going all over the place (as is my heart!). I was given a script for very low doze benzodiazepine to take to take edge off for a few days but don't like taking drugs and am worried about side effects making me worse. Can anyone recommend some good coping strategies to get through next few days as I know the nearer I get to Tuesday the worst I will be and I can't even imagine how I will cope with the actual appointment. Thanks so much

budenva help! anxiety is taking over my life.
  • replies: 1

this is my first post, really nervous!! my story.. i work full time & go to uni (just dropped to part time) i enjoy travelling & just got back from a holiday the other day. When getting home i clearly had a bit of jet lag ect went to bed everything w... View more

this is my first post, really nervous!! my story.. i work full time & go to uni (just dropped to part time) i enjoy travelling & just got back from a holiday the other day. When getting home i clearly had a bit of jet lag ect went to bed everything was normal until the next day, i woke up had breakfast with friends than went home & got ready to go out to uni. when driving out to the university i started questioning everything nothing seemed normal than next minute i felt a dry mouth feeling could feel my heart beat starting to race and i just felt an overwhelming scared feeling. the next thing i knew i was in hospital with a heart beat of 160bpm and rising. i went for several tests & everything came back negative & have put it down to anxiety.. for 4 days now i have been in my room, not wanting to drive anywhere just crying & questioning everything i have also been calling into work sick because i am scared to drive . i don't understand it & that is what scares me the most. before this i was a very outgoing, social & confident person now nothing. i am scared & do not know what to do!! please help me and share your stories. will i get back to the person i was before this?

Mary89 Anxiety out of the blue
  • replies: 7

Hello, this is my first post in a forum. I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced the same symptoms as I have. I have a great life, and other than a very stressful job, I have no reason to be anxious. I have always had a tendency to worry a... View more

Hello, this is my first post in a forum. I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced the same symptoms as I have. I have a great life, and other than a very stressful job, I have no reason to be anxious. I have always had a tendency to worry and 'stress out' but it has never affected me negatively until about 4 weeks ago when I started experiencing severe anxiety which has interfered with my ability to function normally - constantly feeling unwell, unable to complete my work, feeling anxious the majority of the time. Has anyone else has anxiety like this just hit them seemingly out of the blue? I am experiencing a lot of physical symptoms - lump in throat which feels like I can't swallow, tightness in chest, headache, feeling like I can't breathe and so on. I have had two panic attacks where these symptoms were exaggerated but the symptoms are still present for a lot of time on a daily basis. Is it common for people to experience such physical symptoms with anxiety? I've been to the doctor and they think it it is anxiety but I constantly worry that something else is wrong with me because how could anxiety make me feel like this? My mind is constantly in over drive thinking 'what if this happens, what if that happens'. Then I worry that I will never feel normal again. And then I worry about why I'm feeling like this - anxiety over being anxious! I feel like I'm going crazy. I've never felt like this before in my life and just didn't realize anxiety could hit so suddenly and so severely. Has anyone else out there had a similar experience?

Qui Doubting the legitimacy of my feelings
  • replies: 5

Hi ive been having anxiety attacks recently and have always suffered from a self doubt (sort of like paranoia) I worry that I overreact or appear strange or crazy to others. I've been pretty stressed out with housing arrangements and flat mate dramas... View more

Hi ive been having anxiety attacks recently and have always suffered from a self doubt (sort of like paranoia) I worry that I overreact or appear strange or crazy to others. I've been pretty stressed out with housing arrangements and flat mate dramas (which maybe I should have ignored) these have been the source of my most recent attacks. I've talked to other people and they say my feelings are legitimate but I worry still because they weren't there. I focus on the conversations with unhealthy intensity. It shouldn't matter to me, even if I have overreacted or am noticeably high strung to others. I wish I could let things go. I wonder if I should see my old therapist but what would I say? "I'm worried about what people may or may not be thinking of me"? It sounds stupid to me even in my head. I guess I don't trust myself or my judgment and I find this disturbing

Edwardikins Generalised Anxiety Disorder
  • replies: 7

Hi everyone, I have been battling GAD and depression for a very long time now. I've gone through a few years of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and I've tried two different medications that didn't do much. I was recently seeing a psychiatrist who I did... View more

Hi everyone, I have been battling GAD and depression for a very long time now. I've gone through a few years of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and I've tried two different medications that didn't do much. I was recently seeing a psychiatrist who I didn't return to as I felt he was not a good fit. I have a referral to a psychologist which I am still working up to ringing and making an appointment for. I've recently, well it has been six months now, moved interstate to start studying. I've already completed a certificate 2 and start a cert 3 at the end of the month. I'm having a lot of problems adapting to the new place. I don't have any family or friends here, just my partner, his family and my dog. My problems mostly revolve around my relationship. My anxiety has its ups and downs, but mostly downs of late. I am very insecure, paranoid, scared. I overthink every little thing, invent completely fictional worries in my head. I really don't know how I'm going to get through this. I know I should be off to see the psychologist, and my GP for a new medication to try but getting there is so hard. Feeling alone, like I'm destroying my relationship more and more everyday... My partner is so supportive, at times I just want to leave because I'm tired of being the sad person all the time and bringing him down with me. Meeting all the new people who have been a big part of his life also sets my anxiety off. I'm always scared I will just be left behind. It is hard to go out with him at times, especially to larger gatherings, I stress and worry from the time I find out about it to the day of the event, all the while fighting myself. Why does it have to be so hard? I just want to be happy, I have a great partner, I'm studying to become a vet nurse which I've wanted for a long time. I know i'm only holding myself back, but I feel like it is impossible to fix it.