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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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Simone1 New to the forum - My story.
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and lately I've been extremely anxious. I'll go through why I feel so bad in a little while, but I will give you a little back story. Essentially I've always had some form of anxiety - I had major social anxiety when... View more

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and lately I've been extremely anxious. I'll go through why I feel so bad in a little while, but I will give you a little back story. Essentially I've always had some form of anxiety - I had major social anxiety when I was younger and after I moved out of home I was forced to talk to people and my social anxiety has near but gone. But it really didn't "start" for me until around 6 months after I gave birth to my first daughter. I was sitting there one day and I had a panic attack out of nowhere. I thought I was dying and I raced to the doctors thinking I had a brain tumor. I developed what I researched was depersonalisation and the next 6 months that followed was pure hell - everyday I was living in fear (mainly health anxiety). But I learnt to not fight anxiety and just go with it and slowly I began to heal and I eventually felt like myself again. I then decided to have another baby, and my anxiety was low but it was always in the background. Everything was going well until my second daughter was around 8 months and anxiety crept back up again. This developed into a full blown health anxiety. Every little abnormality (particularly around my vision) would send me into major panic attacks. I've been trying to deal with it, sometimes it is manageable and sometimes I want to crawl into a hole and never come out - but I keep moving because I have 2 little girls to look after. Right now, my anxiety is at level 10 due to me getting scintillating scotoma 3 times in the past 2 weeks. I'm wake up in complete fear and I am constantly walking around in a dream like state. I am constantly focused on my vision, just waiting to have another attack. My quality of life had diminished and I no longer enjoy the things I used to. But am still working with my anxiety and not against it, and I am hoping that I can get it under control again. I just need some people to talk to, maybe some people having similar experiences as me. Simone

Annie_Blue Do you ever get angry AT your anxiety?
  • replies: 4

Today I am angry, really angry and exhausted and oh so over being a victim of my mental health. I find that after a run of "good days" a "bad day" just slays me. I want to take my anxiety out of my chest and slap it and pinch it and send it away fore... View more

Today I am angry, really angry and exhausted and oh so over being a victim of my mental health. I find that after a run of "good days" a "bad day" just slays me. I want to take my anxiety out of my chest and slap it and pinch it and send it away forever. Not looking for an answer, just needed a rant. AB

La_ney Don't know how to contain my thoughts OCD and now ROCD
  • replies: 3

Hey everyone, I recently posted on the Suicidal thoughts part of beyond blue and figured this part may assist me also. This is probably just a compulsion for reassurance but I really need something to help. I'm 22 years old and I believe I have been ... View more

Hey everyone, I recently posted on the Suicidal thoughts part of beyond blue and figured this part may assist me also. This is probably just a compulsion for reassurance but I really need something to help. I'm 22 years old and I believe I have been suffering from OCD and Anxiety since I was a child, from washing germs on my hands and locking doors etc etc, I don't do those things anymore and I had a pretty peaceful teenage-hood, until late 2012, where my mind was trying to convince me that I would one day become a pedofile, I tried to commit suicide and was bed ridden for weeks, even quit my job. This has subsided, does return occasionally but it dissipates again. But now I also have a mixture of other problems. Currently right now I'm doubting my relationship, like obsessing over whether I love my partner or not, when I know I do, I love him so so much, I couldn't bare to ever hurt him, this has been extremely intensified the past two days, two days ago I was paranoid that I was attracted to everyone and that I would cheat on him and vice versa, I bawled my eyes out all day and today and I still can't get the thoughts out of my head. 3 days ago I was having intrusive thoughts on hurting people violently, and that was also horrible. So I've been through 3 days of hell, but the thoughts run deeper, in 2013 I destroyed my relationship with a combination of these thoughts and the same the year before, so they have come and gone through the years, sometimes closer together or further apart. I've been with my partner for two years and I want to live the rest of my life with him, but these thoughts are getting so intense, I sought out help 3 days ago when the first initial relapse occurred and was provided medication and a referral to a psychologist, but since then, I've hit rock bottom. Does anyone relate to any of this? What did you do?

Matala Feeling dreadful
  • replies: 2

I have recently moved house to live with my parents (interstate) as my partner has gone overseas for one year. I have agoraphobia and relied on my partner to take me places. I have sensory integration disorder (I have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum D... View more

I have recently moved house to live with my parents (interstate) as my partner has gone overseas for one year. I have agoraphobia and relied on my partner to take me places. I have sensory integration disorder (I have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder), which means that certain sensory input can be very distressing, this is party how my agoraphobia developed. I had been seeing psychologist last year to help with my sensory integration issues, and am now seeing a psychologist in this state to help with my agoraphobia. I had been seeing allot of improvement with my agoraphobia issues, I had been learning to do things by myself, and was feeling very optimistic about everything. Two weeks ago everything changed. Whenever I left the house I would become overwhelmed, for the first week I thought that it would pass, but as time has since past I have developed a strong feeling of hopelessness. On Wednesday I saw my psychologist who thinks that the change I have been experiencing and the stress of adapting to the new sensory environment on top of challenging my fear of public places has become too much for me. The last few days since, I have been experiencing a huge weight of stress and everything has become too much. I should also say that I have also developed bad muscular pain in my neck and jaw area over the last week, which may have contributed to this emotional feeling. I guess right now, I am feeling awful. I don't know how things will get better. I don't feel capable to doing anything to improve my situation either. Even going to the psychologist feels like too difficult.

Fightingself When be kind to yourself doesn't work
  • replies: 12

I find my anxiety confusing cause i am quite logical and about the evidence but when it comes to being logical about feelings there doesn't seem to be any ground to work off. Does anyone have things they can tell themselves or do instead of being kin... View more

I find my anxiety confusing cause i am quite logical and about the evidence but when it comes to being logical about feelings there doesn't seem to be any ground to work off. Does anyone have things they can tell themselves or do instead of being kind to yourself that helps, like logical arguments that make sense, I find this helps. Being kind to yourself and maybe I'm just kind of messed up but i can't quantify the purpose of it. The outcome is supposed to be a happier you I guess? I'm a hard kid I suppose who came from a 'toughen up, run some dirt in it' kind of family though so I guess I think I am being kind by being tough on myself maybe...anyone able to agree or disagree or offer advice? Much appreciated

gloria10 Preventing anxiety from taking over
  • replies: 4

Hi I am currently seeking advice. My anxiety has been getting stronger and I am aware that it is work related, I had a recent post about it. I have a boss that yelled at me a couple of weeks ago and ever since then I'm finding it hard to face him as ... View more

Hi I am currently seeking advice. My anxiety has been getting stronger and I am aware that it is work related, I had a recent post about it. I have a boss that yelled at me a couple of weeks ago and ever since then I'm finding it hard to face him as I'm worried that the same thing will occur. I have decided to leave and look for another job, but I don't want to make a rush decision and quit without income and I have done this in the past not only with work but relationships. I think it has to do with fight or flight sensation and the flight wins. Does anyone else deal with this? Is there any advice on how to control it?

Princesscinderella Anxiety, looking for advice
  • replies: 5

I'm looking for sufferers of anxiety and panic disorder. I've been suffering many years now and would love to speak to others in the same situation

I'm looking for sufferers of anxiety and panic disorder. I've been suffering many years now and would love to speak to others in the same situation

Beckinson1 Anxiety & Religion
  • replies: 7

While I have been raised in a non religious household and do not deep down believe I am religious, the idea of a higher being causes me a lot of fear and subsequent anxiety. Particularly when I have OCD type thoughts or thoughts which are in disagree... View more

While I have been raised in a non religious household and do not deep down believe I am religious, the idea of a higher being causes me a lot of fear and subsequent anxiety. Particularly when I have OCD type thoughts or thoughts which are in disagreement to certain religious ideologies I suffer terrifying anxiety and worry a higher being will cause me intolerable pain or will punish me e.g. give me a terminal illness, make my boyfriend cheat on me, cause harm to family etc. I think what makes this type of anxiety trigger so hard for me to combat is the underlying thought that if a higher being does exist, they would be able to cause me suffering regardless e.g. With normal anxiety I could tell myself statistically it is unlikely my friend will get hit by a car tomorrow however, if worrying about a higher being this becomes difficult because a higher being could theoretically make the improbable happen whenever they wanted. Often to relieve myself of this kind of anxiety I will silently ask for forgiveness in my head however, I am trying to break that habit as it only seems to fuel more unwanted thoughts. I know religion is a common element in OCD type anxiety and wanted to know whether anyone else had similar types of thoughts and any helpful tips to help me deal with this? I wish to make clear I do not want to offend anyone and respect all religions, I am just hoping anyone, from any belief backgrounds who suffer from higher being driven anxiety like I do could provide me with some much needed assistance. Thank you. ​ ​

DeterminedGirl Scared of being scared
  • replies: 1

Hi Everyone I'm a carer for my partner who suffers from anxiety long term. I've been supporting him since we married but just lately I have been getting very anxious and scared when Im alone in the house. Usually at night, or when it's dark I have a ... View more

Hi Everyone I'm a carer for my partner who suffers from anxiety long term. I've been supporting him since we married but just lately I have been getting very anxious and scared when Im alone in the house. Usually at night, or when it's dark I have a thought that someone is going to attack me, break into the house, quite violent thoughts that keep me up at night, leaving me tense, anxious and fearful of sleeping, and I'm tired the next morning. This only happens when I'm alone and the violent thoughts are increasing that something bad will happen tonight. Has anyone else felt the way I do?

Bluey_moon Having a hard time
  • replies: 9

Well hi guys, I guess I'm just needing to talk. As most of you know I struggle with GAD and OCD tendencies. I have a fair dose of health anxiety. I have recently been cleared multiple times of having a psycotic disorder, which is great as I've been v... View more

Well hi guys, I guess I'm just needing to talk. As most of you know I struggle with GAD and OCD tendencies. I have a fair dose of health anxiety. I have recently been cleared multiple times of having a psycotic disorder, which is great as I've been very scared of this. This week has been different. For the last five weeks I have struggled with lady problems and as a consequence have become really tired (I had blood tests to test iron ect today and I am changing the contraceptive pill I'm on). Being chronically tired is flaring my anxiety and making me feel pretty down. I'm also struggling with migraines tonight. I'm sorry to vent! I just wanted to know if anyone had any advice. Skye