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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Chris_B Forums etiquette: give support to receive support
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newb... View more

Hi everyone, particularly any new members who may be reading. From time to time, we get contacted by members who are unhappy that they haven’t received a lot of replies to their posts. Our community champions work very hard to make sure that all newbies are welcomed when they first post, and we understand that it’s a big step to post for the first time on a forum like this, especially if you aren’t feeling great. It’s important to remember, though, that these forums are a community of real people, just like you, not a one-on-one support environment like going to see your psychologist. To get the best out of being here, one of the best tips we can offer is give support to receive support. Being a good community member means: participating in different threads (not just your own), replying to people who have taken the time to reply to you (even if it’s just to say thank you), and... posting words of emotional support and encouragement when you see others who are hurting and reaching out. You don’t have to feel obliged to solve the problems of others: that’s not what we’re here for. But you can offer empathy and what you’ve learned from your own life experiences, even if it’s just a line or two, eg. “I don't know what to say, but I want to give you my support and tell you I care about what is happening to you and hope life will get better soon.” Try to develop an interest in the journeys of others here on the forums. You may be surprised at how good being an active, caring member here can make you feel. For those of you who have had good experiences giving support here on the forums, please post in this thread here and let us know how it has helped you on your journey.

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petey Anxiety and bed wetting
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone does anyone else have this prob of bed wetting with there anxiety ????

Hi everyone does anyone else have this prob of bed wetting with there anxiety ????

Newbie01 Admitting there's a problem
  • replies: 5

Hi, I guess I'm here because I'm new to this and I need to get this off my chest. I've always considered myself to be a strong, independent and happy person. I haven't been to see my GP yet for a diagnosis, because I'm still not sure if what I feel i... View more

Hi, I guess I'm here because I'm new to this and I need to get this off my chest. I've always considered myself to be a strong, independent and happy person. I haven't been to see my GP yet for a diagnosis, because I'm still not sure if what I feel is normal, or if I need help. It's been a tough 6 months for me. The anxiety started a few months ago when I experience a huge betrayal of trust within my marriage. Since then, tiny things will trigger my anxiety....a song, something on facebook, an article in the news. Even just the image of a naked woman in a movie, makes me feel inadequate and triggers the fear that he's going to leave. I find myself worrying constantly about whether our relationship will survive, if I'm good enough to hold on to him, what he's doing and who he's talking to when we're apart, and there have been many days lately where I just feel completely numb. I feel like I'm not good enough, pretty enough, thin enough to keep him interested, even thought he tells me constantly how much he loves me. Some days I feel like something inside me broke that day, and I don't know how to fix it. Then some days I feel like I'm okay and coping with things as I should be. I'm trying to be a good mum to our son when he's away (he works FIFO), but some days like today I just don't have the energy to do anything. I work full time, and the guilt I feel when I can't play with him when we get home is overwhelming. Today I was awarded employee of the month at work, a title I've been waiting to get for a year, and it felt like nothing. I didn't even care. I forced out a smile for those congratulating me and it felt like such an effort. More than anything, I'm afraid to tell him how I feel because I know he blames himself. He's sensing that I'm unhappy and wants to desperately to be able to fix it. Its so hard trying to explain that he can't "fix it", that it's something inside of me and there's no switch to just turn these feelings off. In addition to all of this, we've been trying to conceive a second baby for a year now and have just begun our fertility investigations. Bloods tests and scans galore. And I have moments where I don't know if I should be going through with it, with our relationship not at its best. I know babies don't fix things. I'm stressed and worried, and feeling so out of control of my life right now. I'm just exhausted. Mentally exhausted from trying to push all these feelings deep down.

Bluey_moon Mixed up
  • replies: 5

Does anyone else mix up there words, or feel like they slur a bit? Not often do I do it. But due to my health anxiety I worry. I haven't done it for months than bam last two days. Does anyone know if my SSRI could cause this especially as I'm increas... View more

Does anyone else mix up there words, or feel like they slur a bit? Not often do I do it. But due to my health anxiety I worry. I haven't done it for months than bam last two days. Does anyone know if my SSRI could cause this especially as I'm increasing my dose? Or has anyone else done this?

Bluey_moon Fear I will really become paranoid!
  • replies: 4

Hi guys, I'm having a really great day today, which is super, but I wanted to ask you guys a question. As you know my latest fear, health wise, is scizophrenia. Now previous to my deal with my GP, psyciatrist and psycologist not to google health issu... View more

Hi guys, I'm having a really great day today, which is super, but I wanted to ask you guys a question. As you know my latest fear, health wise, is scizophrenia. Now previous to my deal with my GP, psyciatrist and psycologist not to google health issues I had, I googled a lot, over and over. Truth be known I still cave and do it. (My doctor says I get no gold stars, when I see her weekly, if I've googled, lol). When I googled scizophrenia, I read a lot of personal accounts and also did lots of those quizzes, "do you have the early signs of scizophrenia". Mostly I would score I didnt, once or twice I scored I might. Anyway, gettin off track, one of the symptoms I read about was paranoia, specifically the thought "they" or specific groups were watching them! I started to think about that a lot, as I do, the obsessive thinking coming out ! Then I would wonder what if someone put a tracker in my ring or lamp, ok, I have an active imagination! Now all along I knew it was just a paranoid thought, and attributed it to the stuff I'd read, as I'd done in the past with ms symptoms. Ocassionally the thoughts still pop into my head, what if..... Do I really believe this.... My question is, after this long winded explanation, is, can you think about something so much, get so anxious about the thought, that you actually start to beleive it, in essence make yourself delusional/paranoid? Thanks guys for listening to my constant questions. skye

Chicken_Wings Where does my anxiety end and depression begin?
  • replies: 4

I have generalised anxiety disorder and also depression. I take 1 medication which is meant to look after both. I don't know if it even matters, but I'm not sure where one ends and the other begins? And would having a better understanding of that mak... View more

I have generalised anxiety disorder and also depression. I take 1 medication which is meant to look after both. I don't know if it even matters, but I'm not sure where one ends and the other begins? And would having a better understanding of that make dealing with the two of them easier? I assume that the fidgeting and shakes along with the tense, feeling I get in the morning are my anxiety. Same with the heart palpitations. And I assume that the crying, lethargy, loss of appetite and lack of self care are the depression? But I wonder about the intrusive thoughts. Is that anxiety? And what about that weird feeling of disconnection I sometimes get? And does the anxiety make me depressed, or does the depression cause me to be anxious? I don't know if anyone will have any real answer for this, are these questions anyone else asks themselves?

Bluey_moon Insane?
  • replies: 9

Hi guys, By now I guess you know my story. Health anxiety, anxiety, obsessive tendencies! Ekk, quite a list! Specifically, this time at least, my worries centre around scizophrenia. This week I'm worried I'm becoming paranoid! First I worried that I ... View more

Hi guys, By now I guess you know my story. Health anxiety, anxiety, obsessive tendencies! Ekk, quite a list! Specifically, this time at least, my worries centre around scizophrenia. This week I'm worried I'm becoming paranoid! First I worried that I thought people were watching me, I don't think I really thought that?! Now I'm stressing I'm worried about people's motives, for example, my doctor, whom I have always trusted. It feels like these thoughts are driving me insane. Am I going crazy? Is it a part of the anxiety? I don't seem to think these things when I'm busy. Ive not had a lot of sleep this week and I don't see my psycologist until next week. I guess I want reassurance, I know you guys can't give. Has anyone been through something similar? I really thought the tablets were helping!! And they have slowed the thoughts down, and the intrusive thoughts are going! Skye

Tilly4 Very new to all of this
  • replies: 3

Hi, I am super new new and and super new to anxiety. Not really sure where to begin, but hoping that there are others out there that have the same symptoms as me so I know I am not alone. Mine started about 2 months ago when I apparently had a panic ... View more

Hi, I am super new new and and super new to anxiety. Not really sure where to begin, but hoping that there are others out there that have the same symptoms as me so I know I am not alone. Mine started about 2 months ago when I apparently had a panic attack when I was waiting for the train. This led to me hyperventilating and ending up in emergency where they found absolutely nothing wrong with me. I guess I should have been relieved by that, but part of me wishes they had just found something wrong and then it could be treated. After that I had good couple of days and then bam! A week of serious dizzy spells, racing heart, chest pains and difficulty breathing. Again a dr's visit was in order where I was pretty much told to 'calm down', easier said than done right? Ever since I have regular dizzy spells every day at no specific time and seemingly not the result of anything specific or even any anxious feelings. However these dizzy spells create a vicious cycle, where I then panic about the dizzy spells. Urgh!! I've since been to another dr who described it as having a 'sympathetic drive' and has put me on a 4 week plan of exercise and meditation before we try any medication. So yeah that's my story, hoping to hear from other people here and any similar stories.

Daisee First step to a positive future...
  • replies: 10

Hi there... My contact with Beyondblue via Facebook was last night - looking at New Access. After worrying (yes I'm a worrier) about my health & family history of heart disease I went to the Doctor. The first set-back was high cholesterol - a heredit... View more

Hi there... My contact with Beyondblue via Facebook was last night - looking at New Access. After worrying (yes I'm a worrier) about my health & family history of heart disease I went to the Doctor. The first set-back was high cholesterol - a hereditary issue. OK, I'm fine with taking that, but that got me thinking (yes, thinking can be a problem - those negative unrealistic thoughts), am I going to die young of heart disease... like my father did at 61 ...then, other thoughts come into my mind (negative of course!), and well, one thing leads to another a full blown panic attack happens! OMG, is this my heart? LOL I am actually laughing out loud, because I'm not in that state of panic right at the minute, but it's not funny at the time, it is TERRIFYING! I then buy a blood pressure monitor a few months back and nearly every time I take it I'm nearly in a state of panic, so yep, you guessed it, blood pressure is high... so again one negative thought after the other and I'm in another full blown panic attack situation. Hehe (I'm lol'ing again) - at myself Anyhow so a couple of weeks ago I get a 24 hour blood pressure monitor fitted, because the Doctor *thinks* I might have white coat syndrome (clever Doctor!). Everytime I feel that BP monitor squeezing my arm, at first, I panic. I get sick of sitting around doing this, so I get up and do some gardening, walk, keep myself busy. 10000 steps on my fitbit & more that day! Go to bed and sleep, wake up get the thing off. Wait 2 weeks for the diagnosis and in those 2 weeks I was an absolute mess!!! Convinced at any second I was going to "pop off". I even got my Doc to prescribe me the lowest dose of BP medication and then came home and took 1/2 a tablet (yeah, I don't like taking pills), and measure my BP on my machine. It was LOW 90/60 ...very low. So I wait it out and go to the Doctor for my results. Basket case at the Doctor's, (inside - on the outside I looked calmish) hoping no one noticed, only to be told my BP on average was NORMAL with White Coat effect present. So then with great advice from the Doc and my husband, "maybe it's time to get a little bit of help" is my first step. I've had panic disorder on & off all my life and have sought help, first time at 17, and hopefully this time now at 51, I can get the right tools to handle what comes. Like driving into tunnels in peak hour (WORST EVER FEAR), over high bridges & other places & fears. First appointment Monday! Wish me luck!

Dyinginside Introducing my anxiety
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone. I'm new here so I would like to introduce myself and my anxiety. im 25 years old. I've been happily married for 3 years and am a stay at home mum to my very active 20month old son. All through school I was a very shy girl and didn't have... View more

Hi everyone. I'm new here so I would like to introduce myself and my anxiety. im 25 years old. I've been happily married for 3 years and am a stay at home mum to my very active 20month old son. All through school I was a very shy girl and didn't have friends because of the social fear. Since I gave birth 20 months ago I have been extremely anxious for absolutely no reason at all. I am super tense 24/7 no matter what. I've tried a lot of techniques but unfortunately nothing helps. I have been in and out of the emergency department the last week with chest pains, gasping for air, extreme dizzy spells, nausea, tension and the list goes on.... But I'm told it's only anxiety and it's not going to kill me. But oh my it's very painful! I'm currently on an antidepressant.ive been seeing a counsellor the last 3 weeks but not finding it helpful. She is referring me to a psychiatrist but the only thing putting me off is the cost. I've tried to talk to my husband about it but he just doesn't get it...Lets just say, I need some online friends who are going through the same thing so we can chat and realise we aren't alone coz right now I'm in pain and dying inside! thanks

Bluey_moon Has anyone with anxiety experienced paranoia?
  • replies: 13

Hi guys, So for those of you that have read my previous posts would know Ive had GAD and more recently obsessive thoughts. And at the moment my obsessive thoughts centre in me being scizophrenic (even though I've been told by my GP, a psychiatrist an... View more

Hi guys, So for those of you that have read my previous posts would know Ive had GAD and more recently obsessive thoughts. And at the moment my obsessive thoughts centre in me being scizophrenic (even though I've been told by my GP, a psychiatrist and my pyscologist that I'm not,well that they'd put a millin dollars on me not being scizophrenic). My question is: previously when I'd read a lot about it, I read the symptoms. One of them being paranoia. So now sometimes I convince myself someone is watching me ect, even though I know it's not true! Has anyone else experienced something similar? Bluey