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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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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.

happyannie My Journey
  • replies: 11

My battle with anxiety and severe depression started for me when I was nine years old after something traumatic happened to me. I then became a teenager and trouble for me began, I was always restless,had lots of friends but always felt alone I alway... View more

My battle with anxiety and severe depression started for me when I was nine years old after something traumatic happened to me. I then became a teenager and trouble for me began, I was always restless,had lots of friends but always felt alone I always had the feeling that something bad was going to happen,these feelings where so bad I felt sick most of the time. I left school, got a job as a hairdresser in the family business, I worked hard, and I also learnt how to party hard, I discovered a numbing agent it was called drugs and alcohol. I was twenty,full of life but always searching for something better, I soon discovered that my life was very complicated and that holding onto my secret since I was nine was coming to the surface, so my way of coping was numbing myself as much as possible. Then one day I was at a friends house and her cousin was visiting from the Gold Coast, and I was in love, he was gorgeous he had blonde hair and was riding a motor bike. So we went out a few times as a group but soon discovered we only wanted to talk to each other.Well he never went back to the Gold Coast, he stayed, got a job, and we fell madly in love. I thought everything was pretty good in my life but I still had my demons. We got engaged and twelve months later we got married. Everything was beautiful, we started our lives together but I was always anxious and on edge. We moved to my hometown where my amazing parents and brother lived, my brother was a hairdresser as well he was the salon manager. I was twenty four and we just found out that we where going to have a baby. Our beautiful daughter was born and I soon discoveted very early on that being a Mum

Supergirl IS THERE SUCH A THING AS OVER-EXPOSURE?
  • replies: 4

Six months ago I suffered from agoraphobia and was unable to leave the house for fear of panic attacks and of what other people would think of me. I am obese and very self conscious about my weight, I have been bullied for most of my life and verbal ... View more

Six months ago I suffered from agoraphobia and was unable to leave the house for fear of panic attacks and of what other people would think of me. I am obese and very self conscious about my weight, I have been bullied for most of my life and verbal abuse seems to stick in your mind for a long time. I have a good Psychiatrist and with some counscelling I was able to start leaving the house doing short exposure therapies. Each time I did a bit more, and with each success came confidence and the paranoia less. A few months down the track I found I was going out all the time and about a month before Christmas the crowds were insane. I think in the field of Psychiatry they call this therapy flooding. I wasn't sleeping and was extremely anxious and stressed which resulted in a severe panic attack last Friday in the midst of a crowd of people at a shopping centre I know well. I didn't pass out and was able to escape the crowd and get into a quiet place and spend 10 minutes breathing deeply and then meeting up with a friend to go home. I had to go back into the shopping centre so this was stressful as I just wanted to crawl into bed and never venture out again. Had I regressed? I feel that I have done too much shopping in busy places and it doesn't seemed to have eased off any since Christmas. I am irritated, exhausted, fed-up and ready to give up. I have to ask the question has all this exposure been too much? Have I gone to the other extreme and has it been detrimental to my health? Has anyone got any advice? I have 3 days at home to rest for now, but have to face the crowds again after that and am not looking forward to it. How should I handle it. I need to put into practise some relaxation techniques and deep breathing when I'm not anxious so that when I am, I can use this to my advantage. Anxiety disorders take up so much energy in your life and prevent you from living a life that you really want to live. I have suffered from social phobia, panic attacks, depression and agoraphobia on and off since I was very young. When my condition started there was no information available and no-one to talk to about what was happening, it was a terrifying experience and one I'll never forget. Thank goodness there is so much information out there now for young people, they no longer have to suffer in silence. I would appreciate any feedback anyone else has in the area of exposure? How much is too much. I find with everything,, I am an all or nothing girl. HELP!

SimAly Thinking something is going to happen
  • replies: 7

Hi i haven't posted before, so here goes. Hoping someone can help me or understands what I'm feeling. I'm 35 and I have been suffering anxiety for just over 5 years now and it was bought on after I had my first daughter. I had PND and anxiety bought ... View more

Hi i haven't posted before, so here goes. Hoping someone can help me or understands what I'm feeling. I'm 35 and I have been suffering anxiety for just over 5 years now and it was bought on after I had my first daughter. I had PND and anxiety bought on by discrimination from my workplace after having my daughter. I moved on and slowly have been fighting this battle. I was good for a while.... Now the last few months I have had a bad feeling that something Is going to happen. I convinced myself that I was having a stroke after a close relative had a severe stroke. I was taken to hospital for tests by ambulance and after tests and a MRI I was told I was fine. I have numbness around my left side of my mouth and when I have anxiety it gets worse. My husband has been diagnosed with a heart condition and I'm finding it hard to keep positive. All I think about is the worst, think how am I going to cope raising 2 small children if something does happen to him. I have also started to think that there is something wrong with both me and my loved ones. If my daughter tells me that she has a pain in her head or arm, I start to get anxiety and think that something going to happen to her. I'm so scared that someone i love is going to die, and I get anxiety and panic. I'm constantly on edge and can't help but think that something bad is going to happen. Today I Have bad anxiety and I think that something bad is going to happen, then tonight my daughter wasn't feeling well and I freaked out and I want to cry. How can I overcome this? I'm not seeing a psychologist at the moment as money is tight and I can't afford to see one.

Katherine22 Early morning anxiety/overwhelmed atm
  • replies: 5

Hi just needing some advice on early morning anxiety and coping with life at the moment please. I have suffered depression for over 15 years and anxiety the last probably 3 years now. I have had early morning anxiety for about two years but it sort o... View more

Hi just needing some advice on early morning anxiety and coping with life at the moment please. I have suffered depression for over 15 years and anxiety the last probably 3 years now. I have had early morning anxiety for about two years but it sort of hung around a few weeks then went, but now it's back. I had to have major surgery 2 weeks ago and it's been a ok recovery ups and downs but the last week the early morning anxiety has been bad. I wake up every morning about 3-4 and can't sleep for hours. My mind is racing through the past and its v difficult to stop it. I'm also pretty stressed as my family is always here not just for a visit but to stay for two weeks. I don't cope when too many people are here(plus I have a small house) I also can't cope with noise very much. My husband finds it hard when my family is here and it strains our relationship also. Life is just a bit bad for me at the moment, thanks guys for your support.

Murray11 Physical symptoms- postpartum anxiety or something else
  • replies: 6

Hi all, This is the first post from me, I'll try and keep it succinct... Firstly, I have a 2 year old son and 13 week old daughter. Approx. 4 weeks after having my daughter I started experiencing physical symptoms which I attributed to breastfeeding ... View more

Hi all, This is the first post from me, I'll try and keep it succinct... Firstly, I have a 2 year old son and 13 week old daughter. Approx. 4 weeks after having my daughter I started experiencing physical symptoms which I attributed to breastfeeding and tiredness including visual disturbances of flashing lights when standing up, dizziness, brain fog. Progressively I then started getting numb lips, numbness in my right arm, burning sensations in both arms and feet, with these last symptoms appearing only in the last few weeks. I have seen my Dr and am awaiting results of a blood test and a brain MRI. He mentioned MS to me and since then I am convinced that's what I have, although (even though I know better) after googling the symptoms, I have realised that anxiety and MS (and other neuro conditions) can have quite similar symptoms. I don't think of myself as an anxious person but I guess I'm reaching out to others who may have felt these symptoms, to see if you might see something in my story similar to yours... The reason why I think my symptoms could possibly be anxiety related is that my dad was diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease two years ago, which I feel sick about whenever if it discussed or I think about the future, I laugh and find things funny but see the future as "grey" due to dad's parkinsons and a strained relationship with my mum since the birth of my son two years ago, despite "happy" things happening in my life such as the birth of my daughter and my sister's wedding in October '17... I worry if people don't text me back straight away I've offended them or they don't like me any more, I worry my husbands friends avoid him because he's married to me and I recently thought my sister was avoiding me because I was annoying her despite her being my person I can call no matter what. I also worry about anything happening to myself, my husband or kids, which makes possibly having MS terrifying. Car accidents, terrorism, etc. Does this sound like anxiety? Or normal thought processes for the society we live in? Seeking answers.

Moonstruck Causing mega-anxiety for me - but trivial to others!
  • replies: 4

For many years I have had the use of a work computer here at home - for my personal needs as well as work. It is the only type, program etc that I am familiar with. Continuing to work for this particular boss is becoming more and more impossible and ... View more

For many years I have had the use of a work computer here at home - for my personal needs as well as work. It is the only type, program etc that I am familiar with. Continuing to work for this particular boss is becoming more and more impossible and the cause of major stress, anxiety and even illness. (I have talked about this in detail on High Functioning Anxious People) the only thing standing in the way of my "freedom" is my having to get my own laptop as he will immediately remove the computer. I have many years of personal stuff on the hard drive. I have no idea how to retrieve it, if I should retrieve it, what to do with it, or let it go goodness knows where! I haven't a clue what kind of new laptop to get. The only type I am familiar with costs 3 times as much as any other brand or program. I could go in tomorrow and buy a laptop. I have no idea what Step 1 is when I get it home. Nothing - the only ones I can afford all have Windows. I don't know how to use Windows. I asked a few Computer Businesses who advertise that they come to the home and help "mature aged" people like me set up and get online. They also did retail sales and immediately went into a Sales Spiel telling me what ones they had for sale in their store and wanting to sell me one. I have not even decided which store to buy it from yet!!! I am afraid if I quit the job (which I MUST for my health's sake) I will be cut off from friends, family, the Internet, you guys on Forum....everything! I am terrified and no one seems to understand what a Huge Undertaking this is for me. I know all of you have laptops or desk tops that you work easily......but I wouldn't have the faintest idea unless it was exactly the same program/type I have had for nearly 20 years!! I went into a store, asked some questions and the guy could have been speaking Japanese...I couldn't understand one word he said!! the stress and fear of being without this link to the world is overtaking my every thought, the worry and anxiety about it gets worse each day. My work situation gets worse each day and I cannot see a way out! I feel like a prisoner! Not knowing what laptop to buy and how to work it is making me really ill - but others just say "Oh you'll be fine once you have a play around with it". A play-around??? What does this mean? How do I even get "on the air". they don't seem to realise I need to be instructed from STEP ONE!!.........who do I turn to next?

LittleSoftie Advice on how I could have reacted better to an event today
  • replies: 9

Hi, please can someone help me to understand how I could have handled myself better today, Im just now calming myself down after a panic attack and have taken a pill to help. I took my 10 month old son to the pool today and spent a good fun hour walk... View more

Hi, please can someone help me to understand how I could have handled myself better today, Im just now calming myself down after a panic attack and have taken a pill to help. I took my 10 month old son to the pool today and spent a good fun hour walking him around some water fountains where loads of other kids were playing and having fun. We had put our stuff in a little shady spot near the edge behind a wall where people/ parents could sit and supervise. A family rocked up and sat in front of us on the wall... all good, then their young girl sprayed us and our things with water, I said "hey hey stop" and she realized that she'd soaked us and stopped.. all good.. kids are kids, then her sister did the same and sprayed my little boy, so without fuss I picked up our stuff and moved us back a meter. Still all good...again kids are kids and I'm sure they didnt do it on purpose. then the father turned around, noticed what had happened, laughed and turned back. Then the mother rocked up and settled into the exact spot that I'd just been moved out of. I got annoyed and reacted I said "oh my god". The parents then turned on me and spoke rudely saying "what's your problem" and "it's a pool for Christmas sake". I picked up my son and we left with the whole family staring and scowling at me. I got my little boy home and asked my partner to watch him then went to the bathroom and broke down completely. Why can't I handle things like that?... I felt bullied... is that just me or was I in the wrong... I'm so sick of being pushed around. Help.

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