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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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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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Chicken_Wings Dreams
  • replies: 3

I had a bad dream last night and I've noticed that I get them more when I'm more anxious. Just wondering if this happens to other people too? Mine tend to be about someone getting hurt, or bad guys out to get me, things like that. I woke up this morn... View more

I had a bad dream last night and I've noticed that I get them more when I'm more anxious. Just wondering if this happens to other people too? Mine tend to be about someone getting hurt, or bad guys out to get me, things like that. I woke up this morning and went for a walk to shake it off.

Jasperw I've suffered from anxiety for what seems like my whole life
  • replies: 5

Hi, I'm Jasper, I'm new to this forum so I'd like to share some of my experiences. I'm 25 years old and male. I've suffered from anxiety for what seems like my whole life, but it turned into "disorder" when I started having panic attacks back in high... View more

Hi, I'm Jasper, I'm new to this forum so I'd like to share some of my experiences. I'm 25 years old and male. I've suffered from anxiety for what seems like my whole life, but it turned into "disorder" when I started having panic attacks back in highschool (around 2007). I have also suffered bouts of depression here and there but the anxiety has been the main concern. After I started having panic attacks I saw a GP and a therapist right away, but didn't try any medication cause I was told it would only offer temporary relief and I wasn't interested in that - I wanted to never have a panic attack again! I was dianosed with a combination of Panic Disorder and GAD (plus a bit of OCD and social anxiety thrown in for good measure!). The therapist introduced me to CBT, Mindfulness meditation and breathing techniques, but while I know these things can be effective I was so caught up at the time in trying to prevent my anxiety that I tried to use these things as a preventive measure to combat anxiety, which of course just made it all much worse and i because even more anxious when I discovered these things couldn't prevent anxiety attacks (not that they can't help fix them in the long term). So after trying and trying and failing and failing I gave up all hope of recovery lived with my condition without seeking any further help for many years, until I saw a doctor who gave me some meds. It was good to talk to someone again, so I eventually saw another therapist, then a different one. Then I started reading books. But I didn't really start to feel a lot better until I found a therapist who taught me some really groundbreaking ideas. The material he used goes by different names (belief system therapy, effective counselling, the fountainhead method), but it's all about looking deep at the many beliefs you hold which are governing how you are looking at life. It has helped me see things much clearer, but recovery will be a long process as I have spent many years having severe panic attacks daily. I joined this forum because I thought it might be helpful for me to interact with other people who might have experienced something similar, and maybe offer some of the things I have learnt. All the best, Jasper PS (sorry for length I might have got carried away)

Mental_as so much pain
  • replies: 42

I feel like i cannot handle the anxiety anymore as much as i try it tears me away from society an my family. I spend lots of time hiding away. Its all to much.i feel like im going crazy help

I feel like i cannot handle the anxiety anymore as much as i try it tears me away from society an my family. I spend lots of time hiding away. Its all to much.i feel like im going crazy help

Guest_85ED2072 Why do i drink when i know it's bad for me?
  • replies: 7

Hello all,Me - 37, great wife, great kids, good job. Happy days.No childhood trauma, happy upbringing, close family.Struggled with anxiety since adolescence for whatever reason, just got on with it. Have struggled with weight since my teenage years, ... View more

Hello all,Me - 37, great wife, great kids, good job. Happy days.No childhood trauma, happy upbringing, close family.Struggled with anxiety since adolescence for whatever reason, just got on with it. Have struggled with weight since my teenage years, I've always been overweight. Found exercise and healthy living worked to alleviate most symptoms. However I've also drank quite a bit since adolescence, nothing hugely unusual in that. Gone are the days of drinking 20 beers and shots and getting up at dawn to play rugby with no side effects.Now a few bottles of wine equals a 24hour hangover. Why do I do it to myself?Struggled with anxiety and mild depression on and off, have had a few panic attacks over the years which is pretty horrific. Found sessions with a therapist very beneficial and take medication which has been excellent.Don't drink during the day/at work and regularly have a few days off but I tend to hit it really hard at the weekends and I cant seem to get out of this rut. Drinking at least 2 bottles of wine, Thu, Fri, Sat nights and some times more. I feel dreadful the next day and know this is a slippery slope. I need to make some changes.I drink because it numbs my feelings and stops my brain going a million miles an hour. It also makes the anxiety go away, at least initially. The bad thing is the anxiety is twice as bad with a hangover.Overweight = Anxiety = Depression = Drinking = Weight gain = Overweight = I'm seeing a pattern here..!Any advice from anyone who is in, or been in a similar situation to help me cut down my drinking/change my routine here?Answering myself (Sorry) I know I could simply give up drinking but it that the only option?Thank you for listening.Rob

ci I need all this to stop!
  • replies: 8

This is to hard! Don't know what this post will achieve but if I don't get it out I'm going to explode! I am try desperately to held everything together but I can't I'm hiding in a corner right now trying to catch my breath and calm my thoughts. Does... View more

This is to hard! Don't know what this post will achieve but if I don't get it out I'm going to explode! I am try desperately to held everything together but I can't I'm hiding in a corner right now trying to catch my breath and calm my thoughts. Does anyone else ever feel like they are just going to snap and loose control of everything I feel like I'm going to just loose it well scream throw stuff in so frustrated! I have ocd and there are people in my house fixing stuff and I so annoyed at my husband for organizing it. It's causing me huge anxiety and thoughts are nuts! I been really struggling this last month told him I need to rest I need everything that doesn't need to happen to stop and I need a break. But here I am in the corner. My husband has been great with all this better than I could have asked and I'm so selfish for needing more than he can give me but I do right now. I'm so tired keep telling I need to get a break I need help I run our business working from home I have 3 kids and no support from outside family on one to help take the pressure off. Feel like I need a week of having someone with me get on top of everything that I'm behind on and give me a chance to rest or maybe go for a walk alone I love my family so much this sounds so selfish but I'm lost as to what to do. Dealing with ocd and depression is one of the hardest thing I've ever gone through and my life hasn't been smooth. How do you deal with this I see doc and therapists not on meds yet tried to avoid but think it's time to fill my scrip?

Ellie05 Early morning anxiety
  • replies: 12

Hi There, I've been experiencing depression and anxiety over the last few months and one of the most difficult challenges is the early morning anxiety I face. I wake most mornings at about 4 to 5am and spend the next few hours in a state of near pani... View more

Hi There, I've been experiencing depression and anxiety over the last few months and one of the most difficult challenges is the early morning anxiety I face. I wake most mornings at about 4 to 5am and spend the next few hours in a state of near panic, worrying about all my most deep seated fears (growing older, losing people I love, Dying alone, the anxiety itself etc.). As it's so early and I'm tired it's really hard to manage the negative thoughts that come my way. It's really affecting my quality of life and I'm not sure what to do. Has/does anyone else here experience the same thing? If so, do you have any tips on how to manage it?

tannat Anxiety why must you consume me
  • replies: 6

Standard Saturday night; sitting at home alone staring at the walls. I should be at an event, an event that would literally have been probably one of the best nights I've had in a while yet my social anxiety decided to put a stop to all the fun. I've... View more

Standard Saturday night; sitting at home alone staring at the walls. I should be at an event, an event that would literally have been probably one of the best nights I've had in a while yet my social anxiety decided to put a stop to all the fun. I've had social anxiety since I was about 14 (29 now). Now, to add to this I have been diagnosed with complex PTSD. So, it is like a double whammy. I struggle to leave the house on a good day, and on a bad day well.. I honestly do not know what to do anymore. I know where my social anxiety stems from; my weight. I am overweight.. and then some. Losing weight is hard.. but hating myself is harder. I avoid looking in the mirror at all costs. I literally cry at the sight of myself. I don't know how I got to the point that I hate myself so much. I can't even get a job because I am terrified to walk into the office/building. I start sobbing at the thought of it. And it all stems down to how I look. I am ashamed. I don't feel worthy of anything. And, worst of all I have no friends. I have one family member. I basically have no one. I honestly feel if I vanished, no one would even notice, or care. I forget what it feels like to be loved, or needed. I feel like an empty vessel. It scares me that this is going to be my existence; that I am going to just live this lonely, worthless anxieety ridden life. I have seen psychologists, I have been on medication, off medication, natural remedies.. self-help groups, meet up groups, social anxiety meetings, hypnotherapy... hell I have even see a psychic! I just feel like this is my destiny, and I really don't want it to be. I was okay for a few years, but I relapsed about 2 years ago now and it has been this downward spiral. I feel like I am at the bottom of a big, deep well and can see the light but it is getting further and further away. Anyone.. is this my life? How do I change it? How do I change it when I have sought out every single avenue that I can possibly think of? The saddest part about all this, for me, is that the only way I can talk to someone is by finding an online community. Having no one is really messing with me, just as much as me hating myself.

fatima I hate the ups and downs
  • replies: 11

so frustrated. after weeks of regular panic attacks, I felt calm for a few days . Not happy but at least calm and feeling that i might be regaining a bit of control on my way to crawl out of the black hole. Well guess not, two nights of poor sleep (b... View more

so frustrated. after weeks of regular panic attacks, I felt calm for a few days . Not happy but at least calm and feeling that i might be regaining a bit of control on my way to crawl out of the black hole. Well guess not, two nights of poor sleep (bloody mind keeps going in circles) and I just broke down again today. so over it. why cant life just be a bit more easy. rant over

Koodji I suspect I have panic disorder
  • replies: 3

Hello, Im Koodji, um don't really know how to do this so will just say it how it is....I suspect I have Panic Disorder. Yes, I should seek professional help...but I've been scared off by one GP who said I was kidding myself and seeking medication. I ... View more

Hello, Im Koodji, um don't really know how to do this so will just say it how it is....I suspect I have Panic Disorder. Yes, I should seek professional help...but I've been scared off by one GP who said I was kidding myself and seeking medication. I told him from the outset I didn't WANT medication. Anyway. I did the beyond blue test (honestly!) and came out 'High'. Can't say I was surprised as I've got all the pointers....family history, repeated attacks, started age 34, irrational thoughts (even though I tell myself they are irrational) elevated heartbeat, disilusion from reality when they occur...yada yada. Some things, sometimes, work (after trying to rationalise the irrational), for example... 1. phoning my awesome other half and saying "Positive". That's his cue to tell me some positive thing. He does one heck of a job dreaming something up on the spot. 2. Breathing, walking away or changing the circumstances. Not always convenient but worth a crack. 3. Trying to out-think my own brain. A form of CBT, I guess. I ask myself a series of questions, e.g WHY has this happened? WHAT can you do to change it, WHO can you call for help if it doesn't work. Somtimes though. They stick around, despite my efforts and last alllllll day. I'm exhausted by the end of it. It's debilitating. Dunno what to do. A nurse once used a pressure point (temples) when I freaked out so bad I thought I was having a 'Heart Attack' one day and called the other half at work to drive me to hospital. I was also at work. Not that it always happens at work. Can anyone advise alternative pressure points that might work for my condition? The temples appear to have stopped working. Sorry for the long post! one more thing (sorry!) I'm also looking for somewhere I can 'post' during meetings etc that doesn't look sus and get some sympathy....yours in suffering, Koodji

Chicken_Wings I'm feeling scared today
  • replies: 3

I've been feeling scared most days, but today I feel particularly scared. I'm scared about the future and about my health and about what's going to happen to me and of becoming even more scared. I don't know what I expect from this post, I just wante... View more

I've been feeling scared most days, but today I feel particularly scared. I'm scared about the future and about my health and about what's going to happen to me and of becoming even more scared. I don't know what I expect from this post, I just wanted to tell someone.