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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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Monicaw1988 So lost and upset
  • replies: 1

Hey everyone,I'm new to the forum, where do I start? I have social anxiety and depression and used to take medication for it, I no longer take SSRI as it was making me numb and made me put on so much weight. Now that I have come off it I am slowly be... View more

Hey everyone,I'm new to the forum, where do I start? I have social anxiety and depression and used to take medication for it, I no longer take SSRI as it was making me numb and made me put on so much weight. Now that I have come off it I am slowly beginning to lose some weight.I recently started a new part time sales position 3 weeks ago and I really dislike it to the point where it makes me very anxious and sick. I have seen my psychiatrist about this and they have given me some helpful tips and guidance on how to try and manage my anxiety. I have a fiance of 9 years whom I live with and love dearly, I lost my father to cancer in 2014 and a year later I lost my father in law to cancer aswell. Last year was pretty awful and this year hasn't been all that great yet either, we are going away to America in August for a month though which should be good. My problem is that my fiance is not dealing with his grief well (I've suggested a grief Councillor but dont want to push him as he is not ready he says) he is always on the edge, has quit smoking so he is temper is high and I've tried telling him about this job but he doesn't want to hear a word of it. He says if I leave he will be very mad and it will put our relationship on the rocks, I understand where he is coming from because it's hard paying for all the bills and the reason why I had to get a 2nd job is because my main job has cut me down to 1 day a week. I was on newstart until I found this job and my anxiety was not triggered. This job is making me physically sick and mentally exhausted... I have been to the dr due to stomach problems and it turns out I have a case of IBS due to stress. I understand we need the money I'm scared I'm going to just lose it... he tells me to stick it out till the end of July and then I can hand in my resignation but then again hes frustrated at me and tells me I should just stick at it even after that, he says I'm selfish but I try to tell myself that is not him talking. I just don't know what to do... he says he is happier now the money is coming in but I am feeling so trapped and lonely and miserable.It's a hard job and I don't know how long I can put up with all this stress.

Lind779 Anxiety at its worst. Help
  • replies: 3

I've struggled with anxiety for 3 months now since having major surgery that seems to have triggered it. They have just put me on anti-depressants and been taking them for 7 days now. I feel even more nauseated, no appetite and heart pulpatations all... View more

I've struggled with anxiety for 3 months now since having major surgery that seems to have triggered it. They have just put me on anti-depressants and been taking them for 7 days now. I feel even more nauseated, no appetite and heart pulpatations all the time. Could this be the medication? I need reassurance that it will get better . Seeing the doc and psychologist regularly. Im doing breathing techniques, yoga... trying to keep busy but Im so tired from lack of sleep. Had to leave early from work today because I couldnt stop vomitting. It will get better right?

ac1991 Need Advice - Sad
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, I come here today seeking advice. This year has been a roller coaster of emotions and events, all starting at the very beginning of 2016. My OCD anxiety turned into something more advanced than it had ever been before, and it got to the ... View more

Hi everyone, I come here today seeking advice. This year has been a roller coaster of emotions and events, all starting at the very beginning of 2016. My OCD anxiety turned into something more advanced than it had ever been before, and it got to the point that I would question my sanity and reality which was hard because I am usually somebody who is very in touch with theirs and other people's emotions, and am somebody who usually understands. Then my grandfather passed away after almost a decade of battling Alzheimer's (we all saw it coming but that didn't make it any harder to let go). After my family and I thought the troubles had finally blown over and were ready to begin a new chapter in life, my mother was diagnosed with stage 1 Breast Cancer. I have continuously struggled with depression and anxiety for years now, but only this year has it become something bigger and constant than it used to be. Uncontrollable. I am overly sensitive and paranoid, I don't like going to school because I can't trust anybody and there are so many horrible people there who are consumed by popularity and the need to be liked by others. I cannot be myself there, and I think that contributes to my sadness and suppressed anger. Socialising outside of my immediate family and friends is a terrifying thing for me. I am not one to confront people, so whenever somebody does something I don't like, I bite my tongue and let it eat away inside. I have had some horrible friendships over the years, people constantly walking over me and belittling me because they felt like it - and they knew I wouldn't stand up for myself, so they kept going. I have finally found my real friends (4 people, but only one is consistent and I can fully be myself around which is fine), but today that friend got angry at me for something I'm not entirely sure about, we usually have quite an honest and confrontational relationship with minimal fighting so I was hurt and surprised that she was even trying to pretend she wasn't mad but still ignoring me. I have a feeling it is because today I was shutting some people out but talking to others (this was not intentional). A boy took interest in me a while ago so I was seeing him for a while but have shut him out too, it is too much for me all at once and he's angry about it. Mum starts her first chemo session tomorrow and I am very upset and worried. I have reached a new low, and feel completely numb. I feel like nothing is real, is this normal? What do I do?

ac1991 Need Advice - Sad
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, I come here today seeking advice. This year has been a roller coaster of emotions and events, all starting at the very beginning of 2016. My OCD anxiety turned into something more advanced than it had ever been before, and it got to the ... View more

Hi everyone, I come here today seeking advice. This year has been a roller coaster of emotions and events, all starting at the very beginning of 2016. My OCD anxiety turned into something more advanced than it had ever been before, and it got to the point that I would question my sanity and reality which was hard because I am usually somebody who is very in touch with theirs and other people's emotions, and am somebody who usually understands. Then my grandfather passed away after almost a decade of battling Alzheimer's (we all saw it coming but that didn't make it any harder to let go). After my family and I thought the troubles had finally blown over and were ready to begin a new chapter in life, my mother was diagnosed with stage 1 Breast Cancer. I have continuously struggled with depression and anxiety for years now, but only this year has it become something bigger and constant than it used to be. Uncontrollable. I am overly sensitive and paranoid, I don't like going to school because I can't trust anybody and there are so many horrible people there who are consumed by popularity and the need to be liked by others. I cannot be myself there, and I think that contributes to my sadness and suppressed anger. Socialising outside of my immediate family and friends is a terrifying thing for me. I am not one to confront people, so whenever somebody does something I don't like, I bite my tongue and let it eat away inside. I have had some horrible friendships over the years, people constantly walking over me and belittling me because they felt like it - and they knew I wouldn't stand up for myself, so they kept going. I have finally found my real friends (4 people, but only one is consistent and I can fully be myself around which is fine), but today that friend got angry at me for something I'm not entirely sure about, we usually have quite an honest and confrontational relationship with minimal fighting so I was hurt and surprised that she was even trying to pretend she wasn't mad but still ignoring me. I have a feeling it is because today I was shutting some people out but talking to others (this was not intentional). A boy took interest in me a while ago so I was seeing him for a while but have shut him out too, it is too much for me all at once and he's angry about it. Mum starts her first chemo session tomorrow and I am very upset and worried. I have reached a new low, and feel completely numb. I feel like nothing is real, is this normal? What do I do?

Elizabeth90 Intrusive thoughts
  • replies: 47

Hi there, I, like many of you on this site, suffer from the dreaded intrusive thoughts brought about by OCD. I am in my mid-twenties and only since the last year, I have experienced the onset of intrusive thoughts. As a kid, I can recall checking thi... View more

Hi there, I, like many of you on this site, suffer from the dreaded intrusive thoughts brought about by OCD. I am in my mid-twenties and only since the last year, I have experienced the onset of intrusive thoughts. As a kid, I can recall checking things constantly but then for most of my teenage years, experienced nothing and then, up until my new job (which I love), I started to analyse in my head over and over, these horrible intrusive thoughts about my loved ones and general 'strange' thoughts of things around me. I will keep this brief. At first, it was debilitating; I had panic attacks, I lost my appetite and I avoided certain environments that I used to enjoy. The physical affects were as bad as the psychological ones and at that point, I saw no way out. I began meditation, reading up on the condition and educating myself of the facts. What started to ease my anxiety was to discover that I wasn't alone and that intrusive thoughts are thoughts, not actions. It was the shame and guilt I felt over those thoughts, I would ask myself, 'what if they happened?', or 'am I a bad person?' but what I came to realise and read up on is to let them be just thoughts. Everyone has strange thoughts but from my understanding, people with intrusive thoughts get them 'stuck' in their mind through repetition and worry. Another comforting thing that I read which I hope helps all of you out there too is that no, you aren't crazy or a potential 'serial killer' because the fact that you feel so guilty and sick over the thought means you are a good person who would never carry out the horrible thoughts in your head. I will admit, I am not 'cured' and mine does come in bouts where I go for days, even weeks where I think, 'finally, it's gone' but then unexpectedly, it can return. Luckily for me, and not involving any medication, what really helped me overcome the worst part of my intrusive thoughts was opening up to my partner. Trust me, I was so worried about doing this at first, especially because some of the horrible thoughts involved them and I was so worried about losing them that I battled for months but I recently opened up and I couldn't have asked for a more supportive and understanding partner as well as pleasing outcome. I won't lie to you or to myself, they aren't completely gone and as I said, they can return in 'bouts' but the important thing to remember is that they are only thoughts. Everyone has weird thoughts...and I mean EVERYONE. You will get through this.

Jessme orthorexia and health anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, Does anyone out there suffer from eating problems due to obsessive health fears... I am severely underweight due to my health anxiety and OCD... I am always convinced I will get a horrible illness if I eat unhealthy. I have been diagnose... View more

Hi everyone, Does anyone out there suffer from eating problems due to obsessive health fears... I am severely underweight due to my health anxiety and OCD... I am always convinced I will get a horrible illness if I eat unhealthy. I have been diagnosed with orthorexia on top of my familial major depression and OCD. I'm on strong meds to help but I'd like to know if anyone is in the same boat. I am always in pain and am wondering if it has more to do with my weight than anything else. I keep having X-rays and blood tests but the clear results only quell my anxiety for a short amount of time until my next health related worry appears.. I'm so tired of this. Thanks.

Rabbitgirl Keep failing university no idea what to do
  • replies: 2

I'm new here but I was googling failing uni. Which lead me to someone's post on here. OK some background about me. I am in my 30s and regret so many things in life. I quit tafe education at 19 I think i was I had almost finish a course in design but ... View more

I'm new here but I was googling failing uni. Which lead me to someone's post on here. OK some background about me. I am in my 30s and regret so many things in life. I quit tafe education at 19 I think i was I had almost finish a course in design but failed a core unit. The tafe at the time said I could do another couple of units to get a similar certificate but at a lower level. Anyway I didn't have the time as I had to work to keep a roof over my head. Anyway fast forwarding years on. I attempted uni originally in 2008 again I quit after failing almost all of the subject in the first semester of second year. Right now I am in my 3Rd year of a degree in creative arts. I have failed at least 7 units but this time I have just kept going. The problem is I'm. Not very creative and I do the course via distance ed. (I did spend 1 year on campus but felt rather old to be living there). I am struggling to get through this final year and don't even now if I will to be honest. In 2014 (this was the year I spent on campus) a doctor diagnosed me with chronic fatigue and depression I don't think the diagnosis for chronic fatigue was ever correct. I did go to counselling sessions with a student counselor but it took more than half a year for me to get the courage up. Beginning of 2015 I returned back to my home state Where 1 got diagnosed with anxiety which described me . I was actually shaking the day I saw the doctor. She popped me on meds and I got counselling my anxiety got a lot worst as I entered into relationship that sooner turned toxic. During 2015 I put uni on hold as it was just too much to cope with. Today I have my anxiety under control for the most part and I don't take meds I hate pills. I still get very overwhelmed in decision making and overthink a lot I seem to find negative meaning in almost anything. So right now I have no idea what to do I feel like I'm going to fail this degree and I don't want to work in the creative industry I actually have very little idea about what to do I don't think I'm particularly very good at anything. I have been working in retail for a long time but I need out of that especially as I barley make enough money to cover everything. Sorry very long first post... but if anyone has had similar experience advice would be helpful.

Southern_star Is this health anxiety?
  • replies: 3

OK up at 2 am typing this. I have been waking up middle of the night 3 nights now with numbness all over my body. It takes a few mins for me to walk around and feel normal again. I have been extremely stressed as my dad passed away last month and fee... View more

OK up at 2 am typing this. I have been waking up middle of the night 3 nights now with numbness all over my body. It takes a few mins for me to walk around and feel normal again. I have been extremely stressed as my dad passed away last month and feel that I am always anxious and stressed especiay about my health . Is it normal for your body to be numb all over when sleeping ? Is this caused by anxiety ?

Rachiie90 Anxiety & eating
  • replies: 5

I have been suffering with almost constant anxiety for the last few months. for the last few weeks I've been finding I get hungry every 2 hours or so. I don't think I should be hungry but if don't eat I get really shaky, lightheaded & feel like I'm g... View more

I have been suffering with almost constant anxiety for the last few months. for the last few weeks I've been finding I get hungry every 2 hours or so. I don't think I should be hungry but if don't eat I get really shaky, lightheaded & feel like I'm going to pass out. I have had blood tests & they were all ok. now I think my anxiety is worse worrying about this happening. has anyone else experienced this?

Toll Where too now confused
  • replies: 1

Hi new here, and not sure if should be here? Ok my story, 6 months ago was walking home late and very drunk, my leg gave way! (I do remember staggering and swaying a lot) i had feeling in leg but no strength to take wait! Went to public hospital they... View more

Hi new here, and not sure if should be here? Ok my story, 6 months ago was walking home late and very drunk, my leg gave way! (I do remember staggering and swaying a lot) i had feeling in leg but no strength to take wait! Went to public hospital they did the reflex test etc, 3 hours latter leg came back and they said it was caused by intoxicated! Next day my opposite hip was real sore, my wife took me to see her doctor that sent me to a private hospital that did heaps of reflex tests blood tests head ct scan, mri of lower spine! All came back fine! Hospital said could also be a neurological thing like ms or something! Doctor said not trying to scare you, but said after all reflex tests he is 95% sure nothing wrong! Since then i have goggle ms soo much! I now have been dizzy for 5 months (will not fall over) more head pressure! My left arm and hand shakes and trembling (parkinson's i google) funny tingling in toes, popping ears non stop driving me crazy, shocking sore neck and shoulders! I have seen 3 separate doctors in the last 4 months all say its not ms its anxiety! Went to a new doctor last week who said i have a fluid in ear and did xray of my neck (came back good)! I used to be full if energy, up 5am everyday, walk,ride, friends houses, bands, movies, now i stay in bed for as long as i can, still go to work, its driving my wife up the wall with my symptoms and googling! I have never had Anxiety, live a good life etc! Do i go back to the doctors and demand an mri of headneck? Its the dizzy, trembling hand, popping ears that scare me! I also get like pressure in face, and heart pumps fast! All symptoms say ms or simular! I do freak out a lot when i get sick, all ways think the worst, even for my family and pets etc! Doctors must think here he comes again! One thing i must say had a friends birthday last week, end of the night we did a handfull of shooters and i noticed my trembling had gone away so did my jellylike legs! So is this anxiety or? Thanks