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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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gloria10 Anxiety with confrontation
  • replies: 3

Hi, So at the moment I'm in the process of finding a new job, hopefully getting closer, one thing I do find hard though is facing my boss, especially if I go against something he says. They tend to have outbursts from time to time and I never know wh... View more

Hi, So at the moment I'm in the process of finding a new job, hopefully getting closer, one thing I do find hard though is facing my boss, especially if I go against something he says. They tend to have outbursts from time to time and I never know when it will happen, so it makes it worse for my anxiety. Actually, they are the main reason I am seeking a new job because I can't deal with their quick temper any more. I'm wondering if anyone has advice on how to approach this? Luckily I shouldn't need to spend too much more time with them, but I am always on edge when they are at work. I dread facing them if I do something wrong because I keep worrying that I will be told off like a child or humiliated. I guess I just needed to vent but any advice would be welcome.

Greyhound123 Feelings of regret
  • replies: 3

Hi Guys, I am wondering if this is just a thing I do, or if this is common? I came from a very moral family, where in my eyes my mum, dad and sister always did everything right. Throughout the years growing up, I think i was generally a good person, ... View more

Hi Guys, I am wondering if this is just a thing I do, or if this is common? I came from a very moral family, where in my eyes my mum, dad and sister always did everything right. Throughout the years growing up, I think i was generally a good person, but like anyone i made mistakes (I was the wild one). Sometimes I find things i did wrong and obsess over how bad it was that I did them. Mostly stuff when I was young, insecure and trying to be cool. Often after woulds I will think, "ohh stop being silly". For example when I was about 16 years old, I stole a VCR tape from the video shop, I really really didn't want to but my friend really pressured me into it (no excuse I know). From the moment I walked out I felt a tremendous amount of guilt. I watched the movie once and just remember pondering for a couple of years on and off what to do and how bad I felt, I would think "ohh i will take it back" but then thinking i would get in trouble or they would think i was crazy, then "Oh I will pay for it" and then I didn't ever seem to have the money, and also being too embarrassed to do so. Eventually about 2 years later a mate borrowed the video. then ironically it was stolen from his place! That sort of gave me a bit of a feeling of "well you got your Karma and it got stolen from you forget it". But now...15 years later, it pops into my mind and I start to regret it....I start to think "what if I got caught, how disappointed would my parents have been", "Now I can't die with a clear conscious knowing I was a thief". I Think to myself though that I had friends who stole things all the time and i don't think any less of them now. But it doesn't change it for me. I thought about going back to the shop and paying for it but never did and now the shop is closed. Now that I am an adult I thought I will find another shop in the chain, go and give them $50 and walk out looking like an idiot but feeling like I did the right thing. If it is not the video I will find another thing. Sometimes it was bigger things like sleeping with women, or it is smaller things like the VCR or being rude and arguing with somebody. It is all stuff from when I was about 15 - 25. P.S. The only other thing I ever stole was a ladder I never returned to the company i did my apprenticeship for, I looked at it as payment for unpaid overtime, but the same thing, I am thinking about bringing it back.

new_beginning My first step towards a new beginning
  • replies: 17

Hi guys, today I called to make an appointment to see the doctor and try to get my depression under control and deal with my social anxiety. I've lived with varying levels for depression for the last 2 1/2 years and have never been a social person bu... View more

Hi guys, today I called to make an appointment to see the doctor and try to get my depression under control and deal with my social anxiety. I've lived with varying levels for depression for the last 2 1/2 years and have never been a social person but have found that as I'm getting older my ability to cope in social situations is becoming worse and worse. As a result of all of this my partner has left me and our 16 month old daughter and I struggle to go a day without crying and feeling completely alone and worthless. My children deserve so much more than I can give them in this state and its time to make a change. I've been told to just stop cracking the sads and just go out and start a convo with the girl at the checkout or a mothers group, which I have tried but it's just not that easy for me. I make people feel awkward by my awkwardness and I never know what to say to someone when they're right I front of me. I'll think about things before hand and be positive about making new friends but then when it happens I just get all jumbled up and close myself off. I hate it. I have no friends, no one I can really talk to about anything and I don't know what to do. All I know is I have to make a change, nothing has worked for the last 34 years of my life and I don't want the next 34 to be the same.. Please help me find a way to live the live that I and my children deserve

Jessme Health anxiety - how to undo what you've googled?
  • replies: 7

Hi guys, so Ive been Google free for about 2 weeks now as Dr told me I was banned. Unfortunately before I stopped, I hit the mother load of all worrying diseases. Now I can't seem to stop the obsession with it. I googled chromosomal damage to cells, ... View more

Hi guys, so Ive been Google free for about 2 weeks now as Dr told me I was banned. Unfortunately before I stopped, I hit the mother load of all worrying diseases. Now I can't seem to stop the obsession with it. I googled chromosomal damage to cells, as I felt older than my years and was worried I may have had a degenerative disease. Instead I stumbled upon several conditions that cause cells to rapidly deteriorate in 20's, 30's and 40's and eventually cause you to die before age 50?( usually from cancer or heart disease) .... Does anybody else have this obsession or is it just me?...why do I pick such weird crap to obsess over?... Where is the line between mild curiosity over staying alive and the delusional obsession with health?... Is there any way to undo knowing more than you should? Help!! Arrgghh

Jasonaus Hey, I'm new!
  • replies: 3

Hey, my name is Jason and I'm from Melbourne. I am hoping for some tips to stop drinking, I am now drinking a bottle of vodka in 3 - 4 hours before bed every night. Any advise would be helpful. Thanks.

Hey, my name is Jason and I'm from Melbourne. I am hoping for some tips to stop drinking, I am now drinking a bottle of vodka in 3 - 4 hours before bed every night. Any advise would be helpful. Thanks.

ci So lost and lonely
  • replies: 4

Not sure why I'm writing this but just need to vent and let it out! The feeling of emptyness and hopelessness is huge today I was doing so well working so hard but everything feels like it's falling apart and I'm sinking into that black hole again. I... View more

Not sure why I'm writing this but just need to vent and let it out! The feeling of emptyness and hopelessness is huge today I was doing so well working so hard but everything feels like it's falling apart and I'm sinking into that black hole again. I don't want to go back to that I want to get better why is this struggle that we all go through so hard. It all feels so cruel to put anyone through this mental torture.

Pepper_Charlie New and need support - Anxiety Depression and Black Out Episodes
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone This is the first time I've reached out for help away from my family. I have a loving supportive family but think I need to find support from similar groups of people. I've always had anxiety, it stems from witnessing domestic violence be... View more

Hi everyone This is the first time I've reached out for help away from my family. I have a loving supportive family but think I need to find support from similar groups of people. I've always had anxiety, it stems from witnessing domestic violence between my parents. I'm happily married, with one child, and recently turned 42. I have had major black out episodes three now, with the last one on Thursday night. I attacked my sister verbally, she's my twin and my best friend, so this is confusing to me why I've done this, and woke up in my car that I had crashed into a ditch. Alcohol was involved, and it was the common denominator on the other two occasions this has happened as well. When these episodes come I black out - I don't remember one single detail. This has been the worst thing that I have ever done and I'm not sure how I'm going to get through it. The guilt of hurting my loved one so much and my own self loathing is almost too much to bear. Obviously I can never drink alcohol again - that's just a given, but I don't know how I get past this, so I can be normal again.

olly1 Social anxiety experience
  • replies: 5

I forced myself to interact with friends today because depression. It was ok, however it felt awkward and paranoid. I hope I faked it enough to not embarrass myself. Hope they didn't notice my uncomfort. Rather than feeling like my social battery has... View more

I forced myself to interact with friends today because depression. It was ok, however it felt awkward and paranoid. I hope I faked it enough to not embarrass myself. Hope they didn't notice my uncomfort. Rather than feeling like my social battery has been charged, I feel an attitude of lethargic disappointment. I feel so much a outsider.

Iwillbeatthis New Health Anxiety
  • replies: 5

Hi guys,its not like me to be out there with my issues but I feel like any support right now can be beneficial. My story starts from several months ago where I was diagnosed with coeliac disease. I was having (not classic) symptoms for over a year be... View more

Hi guys,its not like me to be out there with my issues but I feel like any support right now can be beneficial. My story starts from several months ago where I was diagnosed with coeliac disease. I was having (not classic) symptoms for over a year before diagnosed. These ranged from joint pain, fatigue, weight gain, brain fog etc. my doc assumed underactive thyroid and at some times of testing it was underactive but follow ups were normal.Fast forward a few months, I had some back pain, not major - didn't even need pain killers, but googled middle back pain... Cancer. Well, there was my first panic attack, didn't know it at the time, all I did was go home feeling sick, not wanting dinner and just went to bed early.went to doc about back pain, recommended physio but also noticed I was anxious, told me to take medicationl due to bit of high BP. It made my heart rate low and short of breathe (I'm fit so a low heart rate really scares me when mine is already low). Went off that and on to another medication, it caused me all sorts of horrible side effects I had to stop. My back pain went, I felt great.a few weeks later I had some wrist pain. Crap. Why? I haven't done anything to my wrist. My mother in law mentioned maybe early arthritis (I'm 29). Straight to the doc, he said he had to test my rheumatoid since I was coeliac. Worst 2 days of my life getting results,the second day I was in extreme panic at work, veins all popping and heart rate up, went to doc, no RA but possible Lupus or Sjögren's syndrome... Got blood test and had to wait a week. All came back neg which is fine.i had a counseling session yesterday and just explaining everything made me anxious.. My anxiety attacks have been really horrible, causing body aches, chest pains etc and all health professionals have conducted tests etc and say I'm fine. This morning I awoke to some minor pain in my shin. Cancer. Couldn't even go to work! i live a healthy life, careful what I eat and I thoroughly enjoy running, which I did so whilst off work today. Just looking for advice from anyone who may be going through something similar. I'm finding it difficult. My husband and mother have been amazing but I have two young children who I've been quite snappy with. Quite funny with anxiety, you kind of need to keep your mind busy but I find when my time is demanded I get cranky because my body wants to keep thinking bad things.sorry for the rant but surely I'm not alone. I'm scared of dying young and not seeing my boys grow up!

Byrone Getting better after coming off medication - health anxiety
  • replies: 2

I am wondering if anyone has health anxiety? I had a melanoma 10 years ago and have struggled with health anxiety ever since. I came off medication 18 months ago after being on and off for about 3 years. I feel as though it's an uphill battle to get ... View more

I am wondering if anyone has health anxiety? I had a melanoma 10 years ago and have struggled with health anxiety ever since. I came off medication 18 months ago after being on and off for about 3 years. I feel as though it's an uphill battle to get better again - I'm spending a lot of time practising meditation and yoga and getting as much exercise as I can. I have "windows" where I feel better at times but still feel what seems like withdrawal effects. Would be great to talk to someone in a similar situation.